How to awesomeize Banshee battle

[pwning doodes]

I have chosen a banshee as my final boss for a dungeon. However, iirc it is CR 3 and my party is level 3, had 5 members, and generally kicks butt. I'm gonna need a bit more pizzazz.

My two first thoughts are 1. lair effects or 2. thematically appropriate minions/servants. Ideally I want the battle to be thematically striking. I've played up the vain quality of the banshee as a theme throughout the dungeon. I'd like to finish strong with the fluff in some way.

Suggestions?

[VonKaiserstein]

It looks pretty nasty for 5 players all on it's own- if you lead with Wail, there's a very good chance you knock out 2 of them. Then the survivors have to deal with frightened, which will slow them down.

If you do feel the need to make it especially nasty, you could add several amazingly lifelike statues before the banshee encounter, to make them think it's a Medusa. If they're canny, metagaming players, they ought to try to flash the Banshee with a mirror- at which point it is supposed to fly into a rage.
Call that rage advantage on attacks if you like, and suddenly this becomes a really deadly encounter. She's already got resistance to just about any damage.

I like that as the end boss of a level 3 dungeon- what monsters did you stock the dungeon with?

[iTreeby]

If it floats through a wall and surprises the party it can probably hit everyone with the wail.

[nickl_2000]

First you will need to up the anticipation for the final battle. A banshee is scary because of the save or die mechanic, so make sure the PCs know that she is coming. Have them hear an eerie wailing through a door or down a hallway. Something to foreshadow what will be coming.

You say they generally kick butt? Then they will probably figure out a way to disable the wail if they know it is coming. That alone will make the players feel awesome and make it more fun (which is worth it from a player experience standpoint). That also gives you the ability to put some other things in there with the banshee. The wail and the frightful presence doesn't impact undead creatures, so adding in a few of them can make the encounter more frightening and flavourful. 2-3 shadows may do the trick for you. Have them hiding in cracks and crevices in the wall, waiting to descend and devour any creature that is knocked out by the banshees wail or is venerable due to being frightened. If they target someone who has dropped specificially it will make the encounter even more frightening and scary for the PCs.

That being said, that combination may be enough to completely kill a PC or 2. So, be prepared for that.

[ImproperJustice]

Add mirrors to its chambers to make it hard to see.

As a lair action it can shatter some of the mirrors for piercing damage, but it may also be to the PCs benefit to use actions destroying them to make it easier ton target.

Let it have some help from Shadows attacking from the floor.

[Rukelnikov]

Add mirrors to its chambers to make it hard to see.

As a lair action it can shatter some of the mirrors for piercing damage, but it may also be to the PCs benefit to use actions destroying them to make it easier ton target.

Let it have some help from Shadows attacking from the floor.

But Banshees hate mirrors above all else :S

OP, whats the dungeon's theme? Is it an old manor? some catcombs or burial grounds? Have the PC's seen the banshee already? do they know what they are up against?

[pwning doodes]

Thanks for all your suggestions! I hadn't realized the Banshee was so powerful on its own, but I like the Shadows idea.

The dungeon theme is Undead. It is the basement of a castle that's been taken over by monsters.

What's up with mirrors by the way? The stat block for 5e doesn't mention anything.

[Rukelnikov]

Thanks for all your suggestions! I hadn't realized the Banshee was so powerful on its own, but I like the Shadows idea.

The dungeon theme is Undead. It is the basement of a castle that's been taken over by monsters.

What's up with mirrors by the way? The stat block for 5e doesn't mention anything.

In the monster's description under "beauty hoarders":

"At the same time, a banshee abhors any mirrored surface, for it can't bear to see the horror of its own existence. A single glimpse of itself is enough to send a banshee into a rage."

Will o' Wisps would fit thematically and mechanically, their consume life requires a target at 0 HP, and Wail of the Banshee is save or 0 HP (this may be too effective of a combo, use with care.)

If the castle is kinda a "haunted castle", a couple animated armors would provide the banshee some meat shields.

For a twist, have the banshee keep a Dryad inside her chambers, in her tormented mind the Banshee see's her lost beauty in the Dryad. You can have the fey just be there as a victim so the PCs have to be more careful when targeting area spells and such, OR for a double twist have the wood chick actually love the Banshee. Dryads descend into madness when their trees die, so it makes perfect sense, and for the first round PCs won't probably know wether it is a friend or foe. The Magic Resistance trait means it has a good chance of surviving the Wail.

Finally I'd start the encounter with the animated armors alone, and have the Banshee show up during round 2.