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View Full Version : D&D 5e/Next Lords of Blade and Dust- Balancing some homebrew villains



Tesla_pasta
2016-01-27, 03:22 PM
Hey playground. I'm starting a 5e campaign this weekend set in Eberron, and since there isn't any published material (other than the unearthed arcana) I'm working on some custom monsters to serve as villains. I used the DM's guide table for CR, but I'm not super confident in the numbers since both of 'em rely on abilities that can't be cleanly represented with raw numbers.


Lord of Blades: I'm unsure about his CR since he is very good at incapacitating melee opponents by knocking one of them prone each turn. Numbers say 7-8, I'm guessing 9, since he has high AC and saves as well as repeatable disables.


Lord of Blades(Medium Construct [Warforged], Lawful Evil)
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AC: 18 natural armor
HP: 135
Speed: 50 ft
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Str: 20 Dex: 15 Con: 19 Int: 15 Wis: 11 Cha: 18
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Saves: Str +8, Dex +5, Wis +3
Skills: Athletics +8, Insight +6, Persuasion +7
Damage Resistance: Non-magical weapons
Damage Immunities: Electricity, Psychic, Poison
Condition Immunities: Poisoned, Unconcious
Senses: passive perception 13
Languages: Common, Elf, Orc
Challenge 9
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Messianic Presence: When The Lord of Blades makes a melee attack against a target, they much make a DC 15 Wis save or be unable use reactions or attack the Lord of Blades until the end of their next turn. This effect cannot affect the same target more than once every 24 hours.
Overwhelming Assualt: A character struck more than 1 attack in a multiattack action makes a DC 16 Dex save or falls prone.
Bladelord: When The Lord of Blades deals damage with his greatsword, he may re-roll any 1s.
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Multiattack: The Lord of Blades makes 3 attacks with his Greatsword
Greatsword: Melee Weapon Attack +8 to hit, reach 10ft, one target
on hit: 2d6 + 5 damage


The lord of blades fights viciously and focused, typically throwing all 3 hits at the same target in a multiattack attempting to knock them prone and kill them quickly.



Lord of Dust: This one is hard to quantify, and I used a lot of the base Rakshasa stat block for him, but I changed up his spell list. Low HP, meh AC, descent saves. Offensively he has little damage, but huge control in 1/day Dominate and 3/day grease + web. numbers say 8, but that's without easily quantifying partial magic immunity and unclear numbers on dominate. I wanted a Rakshasa of lower level since I don't plan on this campaign getting past lv 9-10



Lord of Dust (Medium Fiend [Rakshasa], Lawful Evil)
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AC: 16 (natural Armor)
HP: 90
Speed: 40ft
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Str: 14 Dex: 17 Con: 18 Int: 15 Wis: 16 Cha: 20
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Saves: Dex +7, Wis +7, Cha +9
Skills: Arcana +6, Deception +9, Insight +7, Persuasion +9
Damage Vunerabilities: Piercing from magical weapons wielded by good creatures OR a member of the Church of the Silver Flame
Damage Immunities: Non-magical weapons
Condition Immunities: Charmed
Senses: passive perception 14
Languages: Common, Elf, Infernal
Challenge 11
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Limited Magic Immunity: The Lord of Dust may choose not be affected by spells of 3rd level and below. The Lord of Dust has advantage on all saving throws against spells.
Rapid Arcana: When the Lord of Dust casts a spell, he may use his bonus action to cast Sacred Flame or Ray of Frost.
Innate Spellcasting: The Lord of Dust uses Charisma for spellcasting (Save DC 17, +9 to hit with spells). The Lord of Dust casts as an 8th level sorcerer, and requires no material components to cast the following spells
At Will: detect thoughts, disguise self, mage hand, minor illusion, ray of frost, sacred flame
3/day: charm person, detect magic, grease, web
2/day: misty step
1/day: dominate person, counterspell
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Multiattack: the Lord of Dust makes 2 claw attacks
Claw: Melee Weapon Attack, +7 to hit, reach 5ft, one target
on hit: 1d6+3 slashing damage

the lord of dust will attempt to dominate the biggest threat and then cast webs and grease to keep opponents from approaching him. If the dominate fails/ends (10 round concentration) he switches to using rapid arcana to fire frost rays while escaping


let me know what you think, and what you think the actual CR for these baddies would be.