Making the perfect 'friendly boss' encounter

[RocknRoyla]

Dear people,
Since a couple of weeks I'm Dm'ing a dnd 5e game with four friends (lvl 3 characters).
Last night we started the campaign in our village by competing in a tournament.
For the next play night they have to battle a friendly monk (non lethal combat) and the mission is to snatch 2 personal items from the monk.
Can you (who have loads more of experience then I do) give me some advice to make it an interesting and also balanced 'encouter'?
1. Level of the monk.
2. Fun elements for this friendly fight.
3. Advice of mechanics during such a battle.
(A friend of mine gave me the advice of not using a character for the monk but to make the monk with a monster template).

I want to thank you for your time and also your advice.

With kind regards,

Roy Aarts

[Unoriginal]

Dear people,
Since a couple of weeks I'm Dm'ing a dnd 5e game with four friends (lvl 3 characters).
Last night we started the campaign in our village by competing in a tournament.
For the next play night they have to battle a friendly monk (non lethal combat) and the mission is to snatch 2 personal items from the monk.
Can you (who have loads more of experience then I do) give me some advice to make it an interesting and also balanced 'encouter'?
1. Level of the monk.
2. Fun elements for this friendly fight.
3. Advice of mechanics during such a battle.
(A friend of mine gave me the advice of not using a character for the monk but to make the monk with a monster template).

I want to thank you for your time and also your advice.

With kind regards,

Roy Aarts

Are the PCs expected to fight the Monk at all, or just take the items?

Also, what kind of items are we talking about? Taking a piece of fabric tief to a belt isn't the same as taking a ball they have in hand or a pair of boots they're wearing.

[da newt]

I'll throw out a bunch of stuff to try to give you some ideas.

Volo's has a Martial Arts Adept CR 3 'monk' that ought to be about right for a party of 4 level 3 PCs to tangle with. The biggest issue with a 4 v 1 combat is the action economy imbalance, but the MAA's 3 attacks per turn w/ conditional riders helps to even things out. I'd still want to add a legendary action or two to the BGGG - movement and riposte or something like that, and you can ramp up or down the MAA's power by deciding when/if to spam their stun.

As for scenario - I'm not so sure about the 'get two things' from them, but I guess setting it up as a combat version of capture the flag or flag football could work?

I'd definitely make sure the arena is interesting - maybe like a paintball field, or hedge maze, or haunted house, or parkour playground with some hazards and cover and such.

In order to make it interesting I'd consider giving the 'monk' an invoke duplicity or echo knight or shadar-kai teleport - and/or maybe an assistant / apprentice (scout, spy, goblin, apprentice wizard ...)

[Rukelnikov]

I'll throw out a bunch of stuff to try to give you some ideas.

Volo's has a Martial Arts Adept CR 3 'monk' that ought to be about right for a party of 4 level 3 PCs to tangle with. The biggest issue with a 4 v 1 combat is the action economy imbalance, but the MAA's 3 attacks per turn w/ conditional riders helps to even things out. I'd still want to add a legendary action or two to the BGGG - movement and riposte or something like that, and you can ramp up or down the MAA's power by deciding when/if to spam their stun.

As for scenario - I'm not so sure about the 'get two things' from them, but I guess setting it up as a combat version of capture the flag or flag football could work?

I'd definitely make sure the arena is interesting - maybe like a paintball field, or hedge maze, or haunted house, or parkour playground with some hazards and cover and such.

In order to make it interesting I'd consider giving the 'monk' an invoke duplicity or echo knight or shadar-kai teleport - and/or maybe an assistant / apprentice (scout, spy, goblin, apprentice wizard ...)

I've been thinking about how to make such an encounter, which I'm assuming is Hiruzen's bell test, but I can't come up with the mechanics for how to take the bells from the Monk that are consistent with the game, and interesting to play.

The most simple thing would be a Sleight of Hand check, the problem is that I move next to him and attempt a SoH check, over and over until either I succeed or go down doesn't sound very interesting. And beating the crap out of the monk to down him and then take the items doesn't sound very different from normal combat either.

Maybe give advantage on the SoH check if the monk is grappled or prone so that the party members can use teamwork to improve their odds of succeeding, but still doesn't seem as interesting mechanically as I'd like it to be. Maybe giving the monk a reaction attack when someone attempts to take the bells and if the attack hits the attemp fails automatically, and the LA you suggested to make the monk harder to pin is on point.

[Just to Browse]

I think your friend's suggestion of making the monk like a monster is a good one.

You should design this monk's statblock around vectors of assault. What are some different ways that the players can use to snatch these 2 personal items? Some initial spitballing:
Someone distracts the monk, another person stealthily yoinks something off them.
Get into a giant grappling pile with the monk so the monk can't fend off everyone.
Simply pin the monk in place and casually take the personal items.
Corner the monk. As they run away, snag an item off of them.
Tire the monk out / daze the monk, and take an item off of them after.
Translating those vectors to mechanics is where things get tough, because 5e is not exactly rich with special attack options. I think you'll need to ban all damaging spells and most weapons (maybe just allow clubs & quarterstaffs?) to keep the fight non-lethal, which means your primary avenue here is skill / ability checks.

The combat-relevant d20 tests that I can think of would be:
Athletics (Grapple)
Athletics (Shove)
Sleight of Hand
Attack (just normally)
Attack (Opportunity)
To that, we could make a couple up:
Insight to see the Monk's weaknesses
Deception to distract the monk
Athletics to just wrestle it away?
I'm sure your players can think of something else, especially if they're allowed to use utility spells (maybe mage hand can do something with Intelligence?).

I think you also need a way to mix up the vectors, so PCs can't just hit the same defense twice.

Going off that, here's a messy idea for a draft.

The Fight
Goal: Take 2 personal items off the monk within 10 rounds
The Arena: Big ol' rectangle of dirt. Maybe 40ft x 20ft? Quarterstaffs and clubs on the ground.
PC-visible info: Declare defenses publicly just before the PC rolls (no takebacks!). The monk has nothing to hide.

Stats
HP: 25 (if the monk hits 0 HP, they're dazed and the PCs can take all personal items)
AC: 10 (25 with Attention, see below)
Saving Throws (Dex / Con / Wis): +3
Saving Throws (Str / Int / Cha): -2
Skills: As saving throws, but use a passive DC for simplicity & consistency when a PC makes a contested skill check (Dex / Con / Wis skills are DC 13, Str / Int / Cha skills are DC 8).

Monk Abilties
Monk Punch: The monk makes 2 attacks during its turn. with +6 to hit. On a hit, they deal dealing 1d6+3 nonlethal damage and the target must make a DC 13 Constitution saving throw or be stunned for 1 round. The monk prefers to spread their attacks around, because it's more fun.

Step of the Wind: The monk disengages as a bonus action on each of its turns.

What Ki?: The monk can use all its abilities forever, no ki mechanic or whatever.

Fight Rules / Weird Mechanics
No blasting, no blades: Players can only deal nonlethal damage with simple bludgeoning weapons in this friendly fight. PCs should be told this.

Stealing: To steal a personal item, a PC must make a skill check vs DC 8, using either Athletics or Sleight of Hand. Creative PCs should be allowed to make ability checks (with proficiency bonuses if a given trick is in their wheelhouse, e.g. a Wizard should get to roll Int + Prof if they try to steal with a mage hand). PCs should be told this.

Indisposed: As a reaction, the monk can simply grab on to an object after the PC steals it, preventing the theft. To stop this, you need to make the monk Indisposed... disoriented, overwhelmed, or distracted in some way.

The monk can become Indisposed when:
A PC uses an action to make a Deception check vs the Monk's Insight, distracting the monk until the start of the PC's next turn on a success.
I2 or more PCs grapple the monk at the same time.
The monk is grappled by any creature and knocked prone.
The monk is in the middle of their movement
Any other effect disorients the monk, at the DM's discretion (be generous!)
When the monk is Indisposed, they can't use their sweet theft prevention reaction at all.

The monk is willing to give hints about this.

Attention: The monk can turn their Attention towards their AC, a save, or any single use of a skill check (e.g. Acrobatics to avoid a Shove is a different use from Acrobatics to avoid a Grapple).

While the monk is paying attention to this defense, it receives a +15 bonus (!!!!!) to that defense.

The monk starts off by paying attention to its AC & Wisdom saving throw, After the monk loses a personal item, the monk begins paying attention to any 2 skill checks / saving throws that caused them to lose their item.

The monk is willing to give hints about this.

Example Fight
The PCs get into the arena with the monk. Alice attempts to punch the monk, and fails. The monk taunts Alice's PC, and the DM informs Alice that the monk has an insane AC of 25. She goes "hmmm".

Bob tries to steal an item off the Monk with Sleight of Hand, which requires his action. He rolls against a DC 8 and succeeds, but the Monk uses a reaction to prevent the theft. The monk goes tsk-tsk-tsk at Bob, and tells Bob to work with this team.

The monk takes their turn, hitting Alice & Bob. Alice fails her saving throw and is stunned next turn.

Carol tries to grapple the monk, rolling against a DC 13 and succeeds. The monk is grappled.

Dan attempts to steal an item off the Monk and succeeds at an Athletics check to do so. The DM narrates the monk struggling to stop him, but just barely holds on. A little more distraction would do it... Dan snags a quarterstaff off a wall and the party begins to discuss...

[... a round or 2 passes]

The monk is grappled by Alice and Carol. Dan rolls a DC 8 Athletics check to steal an item, but fails.

Alice rolls her check and succeeds. With 1 personal item gone, the Monk changes their Attention to Avoiding Grapple Checks + Preventing Athletics Theft. Bob attempts to steal the next item and fails because the suddenly-boosted DC 23 (!!!). The monk goes and trivially passes their Acrobatics check with a +13.

Without their previous tricks, the PCs suddenly realize they need a new plan, and discussion begins anew...

[RocknRoyla]

Are the PCs expected to fight the Monk at all, or just take the items?

Also, what kind of items are we talking about? Taking a piece of fabric tief to a belt isn't the same as taking a ball they have in hand or a pair of boots they're wearing.

Thanks for you interest and your time.

I would like the party to fight the monk while trying to get the items.
The items are two copper bells on the monks belt.

[RocknRoyla]

[QUOTE=da newt;25747003]I'll throw out a bunch of stuff to try to give you some ideas.

Thank you da newt for your advice and also for the inspiration.
Iḿ going to look up Volo's.
And also make sure that I level up my fighting arena with some obstacles (I like your paintballfield idea)

[RocknRoyla]

I've been thinking about how to make such an encounter, which I'm assuming is Hiruzen's bell test, but I can't come up with the mechanics for how to take the bells from the Monk that are consistent with the game, and interesting to play.

The most simple thing would be a Sleight of Hand check, the problem is that I move next to him and attempt a SoH check, over and over until either I succeed or go down doesn't sound very interesting. And beating the crap out of the monk to down him and then take the items doesn't sound very different from normal combat either.

Maybe give advantage on the SoH check if the monk is grappled or prone so that the party members can use teamwork to improve their odds of succeeding, but still doesn't seem as interesting mechanically as I'd like it to be. Maybe giving the monk a reaction attack when someone attempts to take the bells and if the attack hits the attemp fails automatically, and the LA you suggested to make the monk harder to pin is on point.

@Rukelnikov may thanks to you as well for thinking with us! And also for the honest feedback. I definetly don't want a boring, long and repetitive encounter!

[RocknRoyla]

I think your friend's suggestion of making the monk like a monster is a good one.

You should design this monk's statblock around vectors of assault. What are some different ways that the players can use to snatch these 2 personal items? Some initial spitballing:
Someone distracts the monk, another person stealthily yoinks something off them.
Get into a giant grappling pile with the monk so the monk can't fend off everyone.
Simply pin the monk in place and casually take the personal items.
Corner the monk. As they run away, snag an item off of them.
Tire the monk out / daze the monk, and take an item off of them after.
Translating those vectors to mechanics is where things get tough, because 5e is not exactly rich with special attack options. I think you'll need to ban all damaging spells and most weapons (maybe just allow clubs & quarterstaffs?) to keep the fight non-lethal, which means your primary avenue here is skill / ability checks.

The combat-relevant d20 tests that I can think of would be:
Athletics (Grapple)
Athletics (Shove)
Sleight of Hand
Attack (just normally)
Attack (Opportunity)
To that, we could make a couple up:
Insight to see the Monk's weaknesses
Deception to distract the monk
Athletics to just wrestle it away?
I'm sure your players can think of something else, especially if they're allowed to use utility spells (maybe mage hand can do something with Intelligence?).

I think you also need a way to mix up the vectors, so PCs can't just hit the same defense twice.

Going off that, here's a messy idea for a draft.

The Fight
Goal: Take 2 personal items off the monk within 10 rounds
The Arena: Big ol' rectangle of dirt. Maybe 40ft x 20ft? Quarterstaffs and clubs on the ground.
PC-visible info: Declare defenses publicly just before the PC rolls (no takebacks!). The monk has nothing to hide.

Stats
HP: 25 (if the monk hits 0 HP, they're dazed and the PCs can take all personal items)
AC: 10 (25 with Attention, see below)
Saving Throws (Dex / Con / Wis): +3
Saving Throws (Str / Int / Cha): -2
Skills: As saving throws, but use a passive DC for simplicity & consistency when a PC makes a contested skill check (Dex / Con / Wis skills are DC 13, Str / Int / Cha skills are DC 8).

Monk Abilties
Monk Punch: The monk makes 2 attacks during its turn. with +6 to hit. On a hit, they deal dealing 1d6+3 nonlethal damage and the target must make a DC 13 Constitution saving throw or be stunned for 1 round. The monk prefers to spread their attacks around, because it's more fun.

Step of the Wind: The monk disengages as a bonus action on each of its turns.

What Ki?: The monk can use all its abilities forever, no ki mechanic or whatever.

Fight Rules / Weird Mechanics
No blasting, no blades: Players can only deal nonlethal damage with simple bludgeoning weapons in this friendly fight. PCs should be told this.

Stealing: To steal a personal item, a PC must make a skill check vs DC 8, using either Athletics or Sleight of Hand. Creative PCs should be allowed to make ability checks (with proficiency bonuses if a given trick is in their wheelhouse, e.g. a Wizard should get to roll Int + Prof if they try to steal with a mage hand). PCs should be told this.

Indisposed: As a reaction, the monk can simply grab on to an object after the PC steals it, preventing the theft. To stop this, you need to make the monk Indisposed... disoriented, overwhelmed, or distracted in some way.

The monk can become Indisposed when:
A PC uses an action to make a Deception check vs the Monk's Insight, distracting the monk until the start of the PC's next turn on a success.
I2 or more PCs grapple the monk at the same time.
The monk is grappled by any creature and knocked prone.
The monk is in the middle of their movement
Any other effect disorients the monk, at the DM's discretion (be generous!)
When the monk is Indisposed, they can't use their sweet theft prevention reaction at all.

The monk is willing to give hints about this.

Attention: The monk can turn their Attention towards their AC, a save, or any single use of a skill check (e.g. Acrobatics to avoid a Shove is a different use from Acrobatics to avoid a Grapple).

While the monk is paying attention to this defense, it receives a +15 bonus (!!!!!) to that defense.

The monk starts off by paying attention to its AC & Wisdom saving throw, After the monk loses a personal item, the monk begins paying attention to any 2 skill checks / saving throws that caused them to lose their item.

The monk is willing to give hints about this.

Example Fight
The PCs get into the arena with the monk. Alice attempts to punch the monk, and fails. The monk taunts Alice's PC, and the DM informs Alice that the monk has an insane AC of 25. She goes "hmmm".

Bob tries to steal an item off the Monk with Sleight of Hand, which requires his action. He rolls against a DC 8 and succeeds, but the Monk uses a reaction to prevent the theft. The monk goes tsk-tsk-tsk at Bob, and tells Bob to work with this team.

The monk takes their turn, hitting Alice & Bob. Alice fails her saving throw and is stunned next turn.

Carol tries to grapple the monk, rolling against a DC 13 and succeeds. The monk is grappled.

Dan attempts to steal an item off the Monk and succeeds at an Athletics check to do so. The DM narrates the monk struggling to stop him, but just barely holds on. A little more distraction would do it... Dan snags a quarterstaff off a wall and the party begins to discuss...

[... a round or 2 passes]

The monk is grappled by Alice and Carol. Dan rolls a DC 8 Athletics check to steal an item, but fails.

Alice rolls her check and succeeds. With 1 personal item gone, the Monk changes their Attention to Avoiding Grapple Checks + Preventing Athletics Theft. Bob attempts to steal the next item and fails because the suddenly-boosted DC 23 (!!!). The monk goes and trivially passes their Acrobatics check with a +13.

Without their previous tricks, the PCs suddenly realize they need a new plan, and discussion begins anew...

@Just to Browse I can't tell you how much I appreciate the time and effort you put into this and help me in this way. This is epic! Especially because it is so well thought (balanced, interesting for the party), enormously detailed and you also gave examples on how this would look like during the game night!
This exceeds my expactations and I'm definetely going to use your encounter.

I had to look up where "cc by sa"stands for (I'm an oldschool dutch guy haha) ..... but rest asure that I am going to tell my party that this encounter comes from you!
Thank you so much Just to Browse!