[3.5] Looking For Monsters

[Thurbane]

Hi all,

I'm looking for undead for an encounter.

I want them to be able to challenge a blasting caster (Warmage). The Warmage has been making short work of most encounters with Manyjaws (which circumvents incorporealness due to being a force spell).

Looking for something in the CR 6-10 range; something with SR, a bucket-load of hit points, and/or good saves will help.

It's in a tomb mainly populated by undead that were once human.

Cheers - T

[InterstellarPro]

I recommend checking the Monster Finder (http://monsterfinder.dndrunde.de/). I seem to recall Drowned to be pretty difficult for a CR 9. Not sure how you would explain a Drowned in a tomb, though. Maybe a section of the town flooded, and the dead were simply tossed into the tomb rather than given a proper burial?

How about a Dust Wight? It is a CR 7, but if the warmage fails a DC 18 Fort save, he is petrified.

[TallerSpine]

I recommend an advanced Cloaker (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/cloaker.htm). Engulf a party member and enjoy as the caster blasts his own party member. Give the Cloaker some extra protection. Maybe fast healing 5 or something. And don't forget to have it moan a lot. Give it 12 extra HD and it becomes a CR 9, size category Huge. You can even throw in two CR 5 base Cloakers and the encounter level only goes up to 10.

Ooh! Add in some wandering skeletons. A few CR 1/2 skeletons will just divide the party's focus and help your monsters kick ass a little longer. If course when I tried that, my players just killed everything in two rounds

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Greater Shadows, or advanced Shadows with Spring Attack. Give them Evolved Undead for fast healing, and they can use Greater Dispel Magic to counterspell.

They can hide in the walls and peek out between the stones. Only one spring attacks out at a time, so it's useless trying to use area effects. The jaws can't bite if the shadows are in the walls on the caster's turn. The party will need to ready standard actions to hit them, and they may not even come out in a given turn. Any damage they take can be fast healed back while they hide in the walls/floor.


A Boneclaw (MM3) is only CR 5, and it has 10 HD. Give it Cleric 10 as nonassociated levels and it's CR 10, be sure to include Practiced Spellcaster. It can scry them as they fight their way through and use Spell Immunity (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/spellImmunity.htm) to make itself immune to their three favorite spells. Don't forget to use (Extended) Divine Power and various protection spells.


Drowned (MM3) are 20 HD and only CR 8. Give one a Warblade level and it can Iron Heart Surge any ongoing spells affecting it.

[ViperMagnum357]

Anything that has Improved Grab and can get the drop on the group-they cannot cast anything with a material component/focus without it already being in hand. Even if they have eschew materials, the concentration check of Improved Grab plus some damage should be monstrous, enough to keep them from casting/concentrating reliably.

If they are trying to kill things through hit point damage, you can look at templates: A Dry Lich will have huge HP and some light fast healing, while being a capable caster in turn. In terms of SR, pick a nasty Undead template like Gravetouched Ghoul and apply it to a Rakshasa, with an extra level of Sorcerer for an Ugly CR13 encounter with 28 SR.

[Zaq]

Something with class levels that grant Evasion?

[HighWater]

Bleakborn, CR7, Libris Mortis are fun.

Their starting HP are not all that impressive (avg 52), but they have a decent reflex save. They heal when enemies are within 30 feet or hit them in melee (excess becomes temp hp) and they appear just a humanoid corpse unless somebody walks within 30ft of them. You can't stuff more of them in the same encounter because their heat-draining aura will make them hurt (& heal) eachother, so advancing one in HD or slapping on templates is extra justified.

Bonuspoints for being pretty much unkillable: Even if they are brought to 0 hp or less, they will heal back up if somewhere in the future a living creature wanders into (or not fast enough out of) their aura. Hard to keep 'em down, can even become a recurring villain. :smallwink:

[AlanBruce]

I sent a group of Bloodhulks (MM IV) at a party. Had 2 Bloodhulk Giants (Large sized, each CR 6) and 2 Bloodhulk Fighters (medium sized, each CR 4). The party had to waste a bunch of resources against them before a single one dropped.

Their strength is pretty high for undead of that CR, but that's not their forte: Bloodhulks get max HP/HD, making them into the ultimate rotten meatshields. Your warmage will be spending a bunch of slots on just one and because of their huge strength bonus, Many Jaws may not even work to hold them down.

Since this is some undead infested tomb, have Desecrate going on, for those extra bonuses to hit, damage and saves.

And for the Bloodhulk Giants, give each a masterwork great club, which is a simple weapon, so they can bash PCs around with superior strength and reach.

Since the party will eventually bring them down (their huge HP pool can be quickly depleted by slashing weapons, which deal extra damage to their bloated bodies), have a few incorporeals hiding around the fight. Maybe inside the bodies of the Bloodhulks, since they are so bloated anyways.

Wraiths don't have Lifesense, but you could swap one of their feats like Improved Initiative for it, so they can be "swimming" inside the Bloodhulk, ready actions and when a PC gets into melee, they dart out and slap them good with some Con drain.

Shadows (CR 3) could also fit the bill, because their Strength damage has no save involved to avoid it.

It would be a tough encounter, but definitely doable.

[Goaty14]

It would be a tough encounter, but definitely doable.

Q: Would such shadows be affected by AoE spells?

[AlanBruce]

Q: Would such shadows be affected by AoE spells?

It would depend on the AoE. If it ignores LoS, then yes, I would have the Shadows inside the corporeal undead be affected.