J-H
2022-03-13, 10:03 PM
I recently posted (Idol of the Sun campaign log) that I'm not happy with how the Aaracokra War Priest is playing out in combat. The statblock supports too many things at once while managing to deliver on none of them. I'm not a huge fan of what I've seen of Mord's, but this is a place where I'm probably going to apply some of the design principles.
Here's the full statblock.
Aaracokra War Priest
Medium Humanoid
Armor Class 18 (Breastplate+Wicker Shield)
Hit Points 96
Speed 20 ft., fly 50 ft.
Str Dex Con Int Wis Cha
14(+2) 14(+2) 14(+2) 11(0) 16(+3) 10(0)
Saves Str +5, Wis +6, Cha+3
Skills Perception +9
Senses passive Perception 19
CR 6
Dive Attack. If it is flying and dives at least 30 straight toward a target, then strikes it with a melee weapon, the attack deals an extra 1d6 damage to the target. This applies to only one attack per dive.
Keen Sight. Aaracokra have Expertise in Perception.
War Cleric. The War Priest gains +1 to hit with weapon attacks, and deals 1d8 extra damage on hit. He may also attack as a bonus action after attacking or spellcasting.
Actions
Foot Talons. Melee Weapon Attack, +5 to hit, 5, 2d4+2 slashing damage; +7 to hit if plunging, +1d6 damage if dive.
Macahuitl. Melee Weapon Attack, +6 to hit, 5 or 30/120, 2d8+2 slashing damage; +8 to hit if plunging, +1d6 damage if dive.
Spellcasting. The War Priest casts as a 10th-level cleric. Its spell attack roll is +6, and its spell save DC is 14.
0th Light, Sacred Flame (60, Dex or take 2d8 radiant damage)
1st ()()()() Cure Wounds (Touch, 1d8+2), Faerie Fire (C, 60, 20 cube; outline everything in colored light; Dex or creatures are lit and attack rolls against them have advantage), Detect Magic, Guiding Bolt (120, attack roll, 4d6 radiant, next attack has advantage)
2nd ()()() Blindness (30, blind 1 minute, Con to end, upcast +target/level), Silence (C, 120, 20 radius silence).
3rd ()()() Clairvoyance(10 min casting, 1 mile, invisible sensor), Crusaders Mantle (C, 30 aura, all allies deal +1d4 radiant damage with weapon attacks),Daylight (1 hr, 60 radius bright/120 dim light), Dispel Magic (120, 3rd or lower dispelled, higher d20+2 vs 10+spell level)
4th (X)()() Death Ward(8 hrs, protect from 0hp or instakill once),
5th ()() Flame Strike (60, 10 radius/40H cylinder, 4d6 fire+4d6 radiant, Dex half), Holy Weapon(C, Bonus, weapon becomes magical and deals 2d8 radiant damage, sheds light; end as a BA, enemies 4d8 damage & blind 1 min in a 30 radius, Con half), Mass Cure Wounds (30 radius, 6 creatures, 3d8+3 healing)
Bonus Actions
Attack. The War Priest may attack as a bonus action.
Tactics
The War Priest has the spell selection to function as a healer, as a blaster, or (with Holy Weapon), a powerful effective melee combatant against targets he can hit. Consider having different War Priests fight in different ways reflecting their personal preferences.
The War Priest can be assumed to always have Death Ward up unless caught resting, so one slot is marked consumed. Upcasting Blindness is a great use of 4th level spell slots.
Starting observations for the redesign:
1. No Aaracokra in 22 sessions of this game has ever used the foot talons. They all have weapons and nobody's messing around with Disarms. This is a vestigial entry that can be deleted from the monster side.
2. The stat spread doesn't support physical combat very well. The Aaracokra are generally Dex-based flyers, not heavy armor wearers due to flying, and unfortunately their main setting-appropriate weapons are lances, spears, macahuitls (longsword), and javelins. Unless I want to pump their stats to peak human(ish) 16s in strength they suffer from a relatively low base to-hit chance. Most of the cleric damage buffs I have on the character right now buff weapon attacks, and +x damage only helps if you're not rolling +6 to hit against a 21-23 AC and missing 75-80% of the time. They do use their flight to move around and often attack from above for +2 to hit and +1d6 damage, but it's still not great.
3. These guys are never by themselves. I'm usually running at least one other priest-type, a couple of types of melee enemies, and often a wizard, alongside them. I don't have the bandwidth to go all "Hah, different priests fight differently" and track it.
4. Detect Magic and Clairvoyance are not useful in combat, and can be assumed to be available to them out of combat. I can delete those to free up space. At this point it's mostly sending and scrying and teleporting anyway.
5. Death ward is a great idea, but I usually forget it exists. For NPCs, you can get the same general effect by just adding 20 more hit points unless someone's specifically throwing around death magic. If I, the writer of the adventure, can't remember to use the ability 80% of the time, I should probably delete it.
6. Ideally, they'd be casting Holy Weapon in advance of engaging the party, but then they can't try Blindness, or Silence, or Crusader's Mantle, or Faerie Fire. Too many Concentration spells on the list.
7. Why do they have a bonus attack instead of just a spirtual weapon bonus action? SW is more iconic and flexible, and doesn't put them next to high-level PC chainsaws.
8. Flame Strike kind of stinks. It's Fireball but 2 levels higher and half the size.
9. Players HATE it when enemies heal. I need to keep this.
10. Never have I ever used Sacred Flame as their cantrip. It's not like they run out of leveled spell slots...
So objectives are:
1. Cut the spell list down to a shorter combat list with just the options that will actually get used.
2. Go ahead and give them a minor bump to spell saves and DCs - they're the equivalent of a 10th level character, they get an extra ASI.
3. Keep them viable in melee with a simpler routine.
A revised statblock may be:
Aaracokra War Priest
Medium Humanoid
Armor Class 18 (Breastplate+Wicker Shield)
Hit Points 96
Speed 20 ft., fly 50 ft.
Str Dex Con Int Wis Cha
14(+2) 14(+2) 14(+2) 11(0) 18(+4) 10(0)
Saves Str +5, Wis +7, Cha+3
Skills Perception +10
Senses passive Perception 20
CR 6
Dive Attack. If it is flying and dives at least 30 straight toward a target, then strikes it with a melee weapon, the attack deals an extra 1d6 damage to the target. This applies to only one attack per dive.
Keen Sight. Aaracokra have Expertise in Perception.
War Cleric. The War Priest gains +1 to hit with weapon attacks, and deals 1d8 extra damage on hit.
Actions
Macahuitl. Melee Weapon Attack, +6 to hit, 5 or 30/120, 1d8+2 slashing damage+1d8 fire damage; +8 to hit if plunging, +1d6 damage if dive.
Spellcasting. The War Priest casts as a 10th-level cleric. Its spell attack roll is +7, and its spell save DC is 15.
Debuff
1st () Faerie Fire (C, 60, 20 cube; outline everything in colored light; Dex or creatures are lit and attack rolls against them have advantage),
Attack
1st ()() Guiding Bolt (120, attack roll, 4d6 radiant, next attack has advantage)
Melee
4th ()() Greater Crusader's Mantle (C, 30' radius, all allies get +2 to hit and +1d4 radiant damage)
Heal
5th ()() Mass Cure Wounds (30 radius, 6 creatures, 3d8+3 healing)
Other
3rd ()()() Daylight (1 hr, 60 radius bright/120 dim light), Dispel Magic (120, 3rd or lower dispelled, higher d20+2 vs 10+spell level)
Bonus Actions
Spiritual Weapon A spectral spear attacks a target within 30' of the war priest. Melee spell attack, +7 to hit for 1d8+4 force damage.
Tactics
The War Priest gets in close to the enemy, wielding its macahuitl while buffing allies and itself with Greater Crusader's Mantle. It can also deal with invisible foes, or dispel enemy magics or darkness. At long range, it will use Guiding Bolt. If it or its allies are generally damaged, it will use Mass Cure Wounds while staying in range for its spiritual weapon attack.
Better?
DMs - how do you like organizing the spellcaster block by type instead of by spell level?
Here's the full statblock.
Aaracokra War Priest
Medium Humanoid
Armor Class 18 (Breastplate+Wicker Shield)
Hit Points 96
Speed 20 ft., fly 50 ft.
Str Dex Con Int Wis Cha
14(+2) 14(+2) 14(+2) 11(0) 16(+3) 10(0)
Saves Str +5, Wis +6, Cha+3
Skills Perception +9
Senses passive Perception 19
CR 6
Dive Attack. If it is flying and dives at least 30 straight toward a target, then strikes it with a melee weapon, the attack deals an extra 1d6 damage to the target. This applies to only one attack per dive.
Keen Sight. Aaracokra have Expertise in Perception.
War Cleric. The War Priest gains +1 to hit with weapon attacks, and deals 1d8 extra damage on hit. He may also attack as a bonus action after attacking or spellcasting.
Actions
Foot Talons. Melee Weapon Attack, +5 to hit, 5, 2d4+2 slashing damage; +7 to hit if plunging, +1d6 damage if dive.
Macahuitl. Melee Weapon Attack, +6 to hit, 5 or 30/120, 2d8+2 slashing damage; +8 to hit if plunging, +1d6 damage if dive.
Spellcasting. The War Priest casts as a 10th-level cleric. Its spell attack roll is +6, and its spell save DC is 14.
0th Light, Sacred Flame (60, Dex or take 2d8 radiant damage)
1st ()()()() Cure Wounds (Touch, 1d8+2), Faerie Fire (C, 60, 20 cube; outline everything in colored light; Dex or creatures are lit and attack rolls against them have advantage), Detect Magic, Guiding Bolt (120, attack roll, 4d6 radiant, next attack has advantage)
2nd ()()() Blindness (30, blind 1 minute, Con to end, upcast +target/level), Silence (C, 120, 20 radius silence).
3rd ()()() Clairvoyance(10 min casting, 1 mile, invisible sensor), Crusaders Mantle (C, 30 aura, all allies deal +1d4 radiant damage with weapon attacks),Daylight (1 hr, 60 radius bright/120 dim light), Dispel Magic (120, 3rd or lower dispelled, higher d20+2 vs 10+spell level)
4th (X)()() Death Ward(8 hrs, protect from 0hp or instakill once),
5th ()() Flame Strike (60, 10 radius/40H cylinder, 4d6 fire+4d6 radiant, Dex half), Holy Weapon(C, Bonus, weapon becomes magical and deals 2d8 radiant damage, sheds light; end as a BA, enemies 4d8 damage & blind 1 min in a 30 radius, Con half), Mass Cure Wounds (30 radius, 6 creatures, 3d8+3 healing)
Bonus Actions
Attack. The War Priest may attack as a bonus action.
Tactics
The War Priest has the spell selection to function as a healer, as a blaster, or (with Holy Weapon), a powerful effective melee combatant against targets he can hit. Consider having different War Priests fight in different ways reflecting their personal preferences.
The War Priest can be assumed to always have Death Ward up unless caught resting, so one slot is marked consumed. Upcasting Blindness is a great use of 4th level spell slots.
Starting observations for the redesign:
1. No Aaracokra in 22 sessions of this game has ever used the foot talons. They all have weapons and nobody's messing around with Disarms. This is a vestigial entry that can be deleted from the monster side.
2. The stat spread doesn't support physical combat very well. The Aaracokra are generally Dex-based flyers, not heavy armor wearers due to flying, and unfortunately their main setting-appropriate weapons are lances, spears, macahuitls (longsword), and javelins. Unless I want to pump their stats to peak human(ish) 16s in strength they suffer from a relatively low base to-hit chance. Most of the cleric damage buffs I have on the character right now buff weapon attacks, and +x damage only helps if you're not rolling +6 to hit against a 21-23 AC and missing 75-80% of the time. They do use their flight to move around and often attack from above for +2 to hit and +1d6 damage, but it's still not great.
3. These guys are never by themselves. I'm usually running at least one other priest-type, a couple of types of melee enemies, and often a wizard, alongside them. I don't have the bandwidth to go all "Hah, different priests fight differently" and track it.
4. Detect Magic and Clairvoyance are not useful in combat, and can be assumed to be available to them out of combat. I can delete those to free up space. At this point it's mostly sending and scrying and teleporting anyway.
5. Death ward is a great idea, but I usually forget it exists. For NPCs, you can get the same general effect by just adding 20 more hit points unless someone's specifically throwing around death magic. If I, the writer of the adventure, can't remember to use the ability 80% of the time, I should probably delete it.
6. Ideally, they'd be casting Holy Weapon in advance of engaging the party, but then they can't try Blindness, or Silence, or Crusader's Mantle, or Faerie Fire. Too many Concentration spells on the list.
7. Why do they have a bonus attack instead of just a spirtual weapon bonus action? SW is more iconic and flexible, and doesn't put them next to high-level PC chainsaws.
8. Flame Strike kind of stinks. It's Fireball but 2 levels higher and half the size.
9. Players HATE it when enemies heal. I need to keep this.
10. Never have I ever used Sacred Flame as their cantrip. It's not like they run out of leveled spell slots...
So objectives are:
1. Cut the spell list down to a shorter combat list with just the options that will actually get used.
2. Go ahead and give them a minor bump to spell saves and DCs - they're the equivalent of a 10th level character, they get an extra ASI.
3. Keep them viable in melee with a simpler routine.
A revised statblock may be:
Aaracokra War Priest
Medium Humanoid
Armor Class 18 (Breastplate+Wicker Shield)
Hit Points 96
Speed 20 ft., fly 50 ft.
Str Dex Con Int Wis Cha
14(+2) 14(+2) 14(+2) 11(0) 18(+4) 10(0)
Saves Str +5, Wis +7, Cha+3
Skills Perception +10
Senses passive Perception 20
CR 6
Dive Attack. If it is flying and dives at least 30 straight toward a target, then strikes it with a melee weapon, the attack deals an extra 1d6 damage to the target. This applies to only one attack per dive.
Keen Sight. Aaracokra have Expertise in Perception.
War Cleric. The War Priest gains +1 to hit with weapon attacks, and deals 1d8 extra damage on hit.
Actions
Macahuitl. Melee Weapon Attack, +6 to hit, 5 or 30/120, 1d8+2 slashing damage+1d8 fire damage; +8 to hit if plunging, +1d6 damage if dive.
Spellcasting. The War Priest casts as a 10th-level cleric. Its spell attack roll is +7, and its spell save DC is 15.
Debuff
1st () Faerie Fire (C, 60, 20 cube; outline everything in colored light; Dex or creatures are lit and attack rolls against them have advantage),
Attack
1st ()() Guiding Bolt (120, attack roll, 4d6 radiant, next attack has advantage)
Melee
4th ()() Greater Crusader's Mantle (C, 30' radius, all allies get +2 to hit and +1d4 radiant damage)
Heal
5th ()() Mass Cure Wounds (30 radius, 6 creatures, 3d8+3 healing)
Other
3rd ()()() Daylight (1 hr, 60 radius bright/120 dim light), Dispel Magic (120, 3rd or lower dispelled, higher d20+2 vs 10+spell level)
Bonus Actions
Spiritual Weapon A spectral spear attacks a target within 30' of the war priest. Melee spell attack, +7 to hit for 1d8+4 force damage.
Tactics
The War Priest gets in close to the enemy, wielding its macahuitl while buffing allies and itself with Greater Crusader's Mantle. It can also deal with invisible foes, or dispel enemy magics or darkness. At long range, it will use Guiding Bolt. If it or its allies are generally damaged, it will use Mass Cure Wounds while staying in range for its spiritual weapon attack.
Better?
DMs - how do you like organizing the spellcaster block by type instead of by spell level?