PhoenixPhyre
2019-01-28, 06:22 PM
I want to start by saying that I like Kobold Press's Tome of Beasts (ToB). It's a great reference for more monsters.
But...sometimes their CR estimations are wack.
I've been playtesting some of my homebrew by running them against randomly generated encounters (Medium, Medium, SR, Hard, SR, Medium, Medium), where the XP values are set to give a full adventuring day by the book.
One hard encounter that my system threw up for a party of 5 level 2 characters was 4 x Bone Crabs, CR 1/2 monsters from ToB. Spoiler--even starting at 60 feet the party got wrecked. Two outright deaths, and the others badly hurt (from basically full health).
The crabs have:
* 33 HP. While that's well below a CR 1/2 by the book, that's 13 above the average for CR 1/2 creatures (they average 20).
* 13 AC. Which is normal.
* 2 attacks(!) at 9 (2d6+2) damage each, for 18 DPR (using the DMG's method). Coupled with a +4 attack bonus, that's well in the normal range for a CR 2. The average CR 1/2 creature is doing 9 DPR total.
* A disease that forces anyone who touches them or hits them in melee to make a DC 11 CON save after the fight or take 2 (!) levels of exhaustion. And then to clear those levels, you have to make the save again on a long rest each time. Don't pass your save? You don't clear a level of exhaustion.
Yes, they only move 20 (so a party that knows this will kite them). But really. By my counting they have an Offensive CR of 2 and a defensive CR of 1/8, which averages above a CR 1.
/RANT
Any other monsters you find particularly troublesome for parties? Any good (or bad) stories?
But...sometimes their CR estimations are wack.
I've been playtesting some of my homebrew by running them against randomly generated encounters (Medium, Medium, SR, Hard, SR, Medium, Medium), where the XP values are set to give a full adventuring day by the book.
One hard encounter that my system threw up for a party of 5 level 2 characters was 4 x Bone Crabs, CR 1/2 monsters from ToB. Spoiler--even starting at 60 feet the party got wrecked. Two outright deaths, and the others badly hurt (from basically full health).
The crabs have:
* 33 HP. While that's well below a CR 1/2 by the book, that's 13 above the average for CR 1/2 creatures (they average 20).
* 13 AC. Which is normal.
* 2 attacks(!) at 9 (2d6+2) damage each, for 18 DPR (using the DMG's method). Coupled with a +4 attack bonus, that's well in the normal range for a CR 2. The average CR 1/2 creature is doing 9 DPR total.
* A disease that forces anyone who touches them or hits them in melee to make a DC 11 CON save after the fight or take 2 (!) levels of exhaustion. And then to clear those levels, you have to make the save again on a long rest each time. Don't pass your save? You don't clear a level of exhaustion.
Yes, they only move 20 (so a party that knows this will kite them). But really. By my counting they have an Offensive CR of 2 and a defensive CR of 1/8, which averages above a CR 1.
/RANT
Any other monsters you find particularly troublesome for parties? Any good (or bad) stories?