[3.5] Mike Mearls redesigned Ogre Mage

[Thurbane]

As seen here:

http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/dd/20060721a

Just curious what people think about his redesign? Most agree the Ogre Mage (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/ogreMage.htm) as written in the SRD suffers from being over CRd and having special abilities that are a bit odd in combination.

I think the stat block is a little weird though. Apart form obvious typos like listing longbow as a melee attack, the thing that confuses me is it's AC. It doesn't give a breakdown, and lists in equipment +4 chain shirt (in italics, indicating a magic item).

What should it's AC actually be?

I really like the Ogre Mage as a monster, and I'm wondering if this is a better version.

Cheers - T


OGRE MAGE CR 5
Large Giant
Init +6; Senses darkvision 90 ft., low-light vision; Listen +9, Spot +9
Languages Giant, Common

AC 22, touch 11, flat-footed 20
hp 39 (6 HD); fast healing 5
Fort +7, Ref +4, Will +4

Speed 40 ft. (8 squares), fly 40 ft. (good)
Melee greatsword +9 (3d6+7/19–20); or
Melee longbow +5 (2d6/x3)
Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft.
Base Atk +4; Grp +13
Atk Options sneak attack 2d6
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 6th):
3/day— invisibility;
1/day—lightning bolt (DC 16), gaseous form, swift invisibility (Spell Compendium page 125).

Abilities Str 21, Dex 14, Con 15, Int 14, Wis 14, Cha 17
SQ deceptive veil
Feats Combat Reflexes, Improved Initiative, Weapon Focus (greatsword)
Skills Concentration +10, Disguise +10, Intimidate +10, Listen +9, Spot +9
Possessions greatsword, composite longbow, +4 chain shirt

Deceptive Veil (Su): As per the spell disguise self, save that the ogre mage can appear to be up to one size smaller.
Flight (Su): An ogre mage can cease or resume flight as a free action. While using gaseous form it can fly at its normal speed and has perfect maneuverability.
Sneak Attack: As the rogue ability from the Player's Handbook.

[tyckspoon]

I would assume "+4 Chain shirt" does not represent a magical item, simply because that is incredibly high-value for a CR 5 creature- a +4 armor would be a huge windfall for any near-level character that overcame one of those things. So AC would be composed of (10 -1 Size penalty for large +2 Dex Mod +4 Armor) = 15, which leaves a 7-point gap. The traditional way to cover that kind of space in 3.5 monsters is with a Natural Armor bonus, and the Monster Manual standard Ogre Mage does indeed have 5 points of Natural Armor. This one seems to have 7.

Overall, I think the main difference in that presentation is that the CR is much closer to correct. It's still basically an ambush monster that is going to sneak up in Invisibility, Lightning Bolt and/or Greatsword smack somebody, and then either rapidly die to concentrated return fire or go Invisible again/Gaseous Form and run the heck away to try the attack again later. Not a huge difference from the MM version, excepting that if you subject a level 5 party to it they're going to be hurting more than a level 8 party facing the MM's supposedly CR 8 Ogre Mage.