How to effectively run this Kaorti?

[HoboKnight]

Hey,

recently, I have found this super interesting homebrew monster Kaorti (https://i.imgur.com/mq513TP.jpeg). For its CR, guy has low AC and low HP, but a ton of interesting spells and abilities. He has rather high WIS and INT, so I'm thinking ... as a solo monster, how would this guy act against a group of 5 opponents? I'd like to run him in as optimized way as possible, but I feel, his low HP pool will cause a rapid demise. Opponents are lvl 5 barb, ftr, ftr, clr and artificer.

Some guidelines really appreciated.

[JackPhoenix]

Use Plane Shift at the first opportunity to escape. It's got meh damage and horrible defenses... it's not anywhere CR 10 offensively or defensively, it shouldn't want to be anywhere near anything resembling an appropriate enemy combatant. If it really has to fight, drop Phantasmal Killer, Plane Shift to Ethereal to Manipulate Resin from there, then shrug and wander away once the "hand" gets destroyed. Alternatively, let minions do the fighting, stay behind to manipulate resin and use PK from as far as it can if opportunity presents, avoiding actual melee at all costs.

[Phhase]

Yeah this guy's gonna get HAMMERED by the action economy against any decent party, at least if he's alone. Also, fun fact, though this version of Kaorti is a homebrew, Kaorti themselves are actually creatures that existed in 3rd edition! Them, plus the insane creatures they created, like the Rukaryll and the Skybleeder.

[HoboKnight]

Thanks so much, guys. Really appreciated.

[JackPhoenix]

Basically, the issue there is that it's NOT a monster for a straight solo fight, even used while it's nominal CR is so high over the party. It should have some meat shields (AC 21 with Shield is good, but not a guarantee of safety) so it can stay where it belongs: in the back, using its ranged abilities. The ranged abilities aren't bad, even though the damage output is weak (on a quick comparison of stats against the DMG table, OCR is about 6-7), and lot of its defensive CR seems to rely on Shield, resistances and immunities are not very helpful aginst the listed party (assuming they have magic weapons), based on HP and AC, the DCR is about 4-5.

Another effective way would be pretty frustrating for the melee-heavy party: Use terrain to keep away from them, drop Phantasmal Killer/Hunger of Hadar when the party's mobility is limited, run away to try again and again.

It's a pretty good enemy for a combat-as-war playstyle, combat-as-sport, not so much.

[Reach Weapon]

Off the top, looking at Vile Transformation and Manipulate Resin, my first thought is that when it's time to bug out, if the Kaorti has someone sufficiently incapacitated, or grasped up, it's taking them when they Plane Shift (in an admittedly lax, or perhaps specific to this version where it can use the willing methodology because they're circled up, but the CHA save can still kick in if there's not complete consent). I'd demonstrate or relate this ability to the party prior to any serious encounter to give them something to sweat.

While I'm at it, I'm reskinning Mage Hand to look like Manipulate Resin (aesthetics) and giving it a slight power up in that it will stay within range automatically. As it is At Will non-concentration, I'd have had the spell running anyway. Chances are this won't come up at all in gameplay, but if there is any reason for the Kaorti to blow it's action on moving 10 lbs... It's happening.

From there, looking at it's resistances and immunities, it looks like it's not particularly concerned about spells, and wants to avoid getting bopped with anything that looks like a magic weapon. Also, it's lair will likely feature hazards to which it's immune, such as a poison geyser, an acid waterfall, or a freezing surface ("lab" equipment). While the Kaorti can levitate, it is not a flyer, so higher elevations should be especially cluttered with obstructive handholds, as well as poisonous gasses, acid spew and the like. Further, the lair will feature quite a bit of cover, choke points and places where the Kaorti can get separation or a respite because it's hard for everyone to follow it up or through (if they lack its Misty Step or the like). Darkvision means work areas are dimly lit and most of the rest is not, but no penalty means that a few key points are brightly lit for security.

On it's action, it can target a variety of saves, but doesn't have the mental stats to justify looking at the character sheets to decide who gets what. Unless the party comes up with something awfully tricky, the Kaorti is kicking things off at long range, most likely by dropping Hunger of Hadar on people in heavier armor in a choke point. Any turn it's not using Misty Step it's bonus action is Manipulate Resin, probably favoring Forceful Hand to bounce the party off each other and into hazards (it's got to be a big fan of pits, too) early on. From there, it's maintaining distance and dropping Phantasmal Killer on whomever looks unwise. It will consider trying to Levitate a front-runner if it's largely successful in keeping distance, in part to gauge if it'll be worth trying to Power Word Stun them later, but won't drop concentration on a Hunger of Hadar that is well placed for reuse (certainly any casting after the first) unless it proved totally useless.

While Ribbon Dagger is neat, the Kaorti is unlikely to close more than 5 ft to use it, unless it has a target isolated and/or hasn't been effective with anything else. The party should have to be clever and relentless to close with the Kaorti, and then nova hard before it bugs out to fight another day.

[Pooky the Imp]

I remember loving the image of this thing but finding its stats and abilities to be a great disappointment.

I don't know if it's any interest, but I refluffed it as a different creature, known only as It That Devours.

Let me know if you'd like me to dig out the statblock, in case you find it any more useful for your purposes.