Brand new - help me create NPC villain?

[lajiboi]

Hi, brand new DM here.

I want my PCs to start their campaign by encountering an evil fortune teller in a tavern. I would like for her to have stats in case they engage her in combat. She would be a wizard (divination).

Could someone walk me through how you would go about building the stats for this NPC? I've read about some different ways of doing this but I'm still a little confused by the process. I know you're NOT supposed to create a full character sheet but should instead modify a monster stat block. Would I use some humanoid spellcaster from the monster manual and then adjust its stats to match the level of the PCs? Sorry if this is a basic question! I'm sure there are many different ways to do this, so hearing about some different strategies would be very enlightening!

[Amnestic]

You've got the long and short of it. You could build an NPC statblock from scratch using the guidelines in the DMG, but it's often easier to just take an existing one and twist it around. No need to do extra work when other people have already done it for you.

The Priest (CR2) statblock is an example spellcaster. Strip off the Divine Eminence feature and replace it with Portent from a divination wizard, swap the spell list around from cleric spells to wizardly equivalents, swap the Int+Wis stats, and you've got a perfectly adequate CR2 Diviner enemy to play with.

If you're worried about fragility (because they're a boss villain), double their HP or give them a minion or two.

[GooeyChewie]

I would probably find a humanoid spellcaster who already matches the party’s level, and adjust the spells to make sure she has a good divination theme. A hag stat block might also work.

The amount of effort you put in to altering the stat block should match the importance of the character. If this fortuneteller will appear once and never be seen again, do just enough to get the right flavor. If she is intended to be a recurring character, you may want to add some personalized details to make the character stand out. In that case you’ll also want to make sure she has an ‘out,’ a way to survive the party’s attack without making them feel cheated.

[lajiboi]

You've got the long and short of it. You could build an NPC statblock from scratch using the guidelines in the DMG, but it's often easier to just take an existing one and twist it around. No need to do extra work when other people have already done it for you.

The Priest (CR2) statblock is an example spellcaster. Strip off the Divine Eminence feature and replace it with Portent from a divination wizard, swap the spell list around from cleric spells to wizardly equivalents, swap the Int+Wis stats, and you've got a perfectly adequate CR2 Diviner enemy to play with.

If you're worried about fragility (because they're a boss villain), double their HP or give them a minion or two.

So theoretically what if I decided a monster with a much higher CR was otherwise a better fit for the NPC that I want to create? Is there a way to adjust the stats to bring it down to a more reasonable CR?

I guess my question is whether you should prioritize CR when selecting a model monster or some other quality (e.g., class)?

[GooeyChewie]

So theoretically what if I decided a monster with a much higher CR was otherwise a better fit for the NPC that I want to create? Is there a way to adjust the stats to bring it down to a more reasonable CR?

I guess my question is whether you should prioritize CR when selecting a model monster or some other quality (e.g., class)?

Either way is okay, but it’s probably easier to start with something of an appropriate CR and re-theme it than it is to start with something of an appropriate theme and change the difficulty.

[Amnestic]

So theoretically what if I decided a monster with a much higher CR was otherwise a better fit for the NPC that I want to create? Is there a way to adjust the stats to bring it down to a more reasonable CR?

I guess my question is whether you should prioritize CR when selecting a model monster or some other quality (e.g., class)?

I do try to aim for similar CRs when possible to make it easy on myself, but it's not always possible to do so from what's already printed.

The DMG has tables for expected health, AC, attack bonus/save DC and average damage output by CR. Casters are admittedly harder to calculate for this than bruiser for average damage, since their spell selection can matter a great deal, but if I wanted to, say, turn a Solar (CR21) into a CR5 creature you'd drop its AC down to ~14-16, halve its HP, drop its attack bonus to +6, pull back its damage so from 4d6+8+6d8 (~49) x2 to maybe 2d6+3+2d8 (~19) x2, then tweak its special features/other stats/saves.

When I'm retooling a creature I look at the expected CR for anything of similar vibes (eg. caster, humanoid fighter, beast, dragon) first, then if I can't find one I like I expand to nearby CRs. If there's still nothing that really fits what I'm after I usually just pick something of the right CR and build out from there. Adjusting something of radically different CR tends to be more work for me than pasting in the relevant special features onto something which kinda fit, even if not exactly.

[lajiboi]

Either way is okay, but it’s probably easier to start with something of an appropriate CR and re-theme it than it is to start with something of an appropriate theme and change the difficulty.

Yeah, seems like adjusting the stats can be a pain.

[lajiboi]

I do try to aim for similar CRs when possible to make it easy on myself, but it's not always possible to do so from what's already printed.

The DMG has tables for expected health, AC, attack bonus/save DC and average damage output by CR. Casters are admittedly harder to calculate for this than bruiser for average damage, since their spell selection can matter a great deal, but if I wanted to, say, turn a Solar (CR21) into a CR5 creature you'd drop its AC down to ~14-16, halve its HP, drop its attack bonus to +6, pull back its damage so from 4d6+8+6d8 (~49) x2 to maybe 2d6+3+2d8 (~19) x2, then tweak its special features/other stats/saves.

When I'm retooling a creature I look at the expected CR for anything of similar vibes (eg. caster, humanoid fighter, beast, dragon) first, then if I can't find one I like I expand to nearby CRs. If there's still nothing that really fits what I'm after I usually just pick something of the right CR and build out from there. Adjusting something of radically different CR tends to be more work for me than pasting in the relevant special features onto something which kinda fit, even if not exactly.

That makes sense. Thanks for your help!

[Segev]

If you have Volo's Guide to Monsters, there is a Diviner NPC in that book, on page 213.

It's CR 8, which would probably be lethal to at least one of the PCs (assuming they're level 1-3), if a good AoE didn't get them all. I don't know how tough you want your villainess to be, here. But the Portent ability is an important one (pun unintended), and one you can, as DM, have some fun with. She should have 2 pre-rolled d20s that she can use on herself or others, and if the party attacks her, she'll obviously use bad rolls on their attacks, saves, etc., and good rolls on her own. Maybe even on her initiative to try to escape, if she has misty step or the like. Why fight suddenly-violent adventurers when she can disappear and curse them long term for revenge?

But, on top of that, if they don't fight her but take her quest, she could give them some specific advice about the quest she's sending them on, and you can treat that as having her "with" them so you can use her Portent(s) on the party's behalf (or to their detriment, if she's sabotaging them for some reason) at appropriately dramatic moments. This isn't how the ability normally works, but is perfectly valid for a DM to do. After all, Portent is a vision of a future event that the Diviner knows how to take advantage of when it comes up. This would be the same idea, just applied differently.

Finally, she should have mage armor and shield, especially on a day when adventurers will attack her. If the party is low level, a sleep spell could be devastating, especially following an AoE that weakened their hp (like burning hands). From Fizban's Treasury of Dragons, if you can find a copy of the spell Rime's Binding Ice, I assume she at least can cast second level spells. This is 3d8 in a sizeable cone that also freezes people in place, reducing their speed to 0 on a failed Constitution save. Which, again, helps her get away.

I suppose my advice is that, if a fight breaks out, her focus should be on getting away. If she IS powerful enough to wipe out the party, maybe she's just overly cautious. Or maybe she has uses for them as unwilling pawns that she can manipulate, if they will not willingly work for her.

[Oramac]

So theoretically what if I decided a monster with a much higher CR was otherwise a better fit for the NPC that I want to create? Is there a way to adjust the stats to bring it down to a more reasonable CR?

Head over to 5eTools and it can auto-scale the monster for you in the encounter builder (within the Bestiary). It's not perfect, but it's pretty darn good.

Also, if you have Monsters of the Multiverse (or use 5eTools) I would recommend using the Diviner Wizard, and do NOT change the CR. The only change I would make is to swap out a spell to gain dimension door.

I say this for a few reasons. This is a boss monster. It's supposed to be powerful. Far more powerful than the characters are ready for. Easily able to kill them, and she know it, but she won't. Why? She wants to toy with them. Play with them. Show her power and then leave them in her dust.

Outside of combat, lean into those diviner abilities. Really go hard on the spells arcane eye, detect magic, detect thoughts, and perhaps locate object. Also, don't forget her Portent Reaction. That will be really powerful. I might even say to just roll 3 portent dice beforehand, and keep them in mind for the encounter.

In combat, don't worry about wiping the party. She's more powerful and she knows it, so again, she'll toy with them. DON'T cast mage armor. With a 12 AC the players will be able to hit her just fine, but with 90 hp, they're unlikely to kill her; especially with those Portent dice. She won't bother using Overwhelming Revelation, either. That's unnecessary overkill in her eyes. I'd have her throw a lightning bolt BETWEEN the party. Don't hit anyone, but make it close enough that she could have hit them. Maybe she only uses one Arcane Burst instead of three. Depending on your player's level, you might need to reduce the damage though.

Again, toy with them. Make them want more.

[lajiboi]

If you have Volo's Guide to Monsters, there is a Diviner NPC in that book, on page 213.

It's CR 8, which would probably be lethal to at least one of the PCs (assuming they're level 1-3), if a good AoE didn't get them all. I don't know how tough you want your villainess to be, here. But the Portent ability is an important one (pun unintended), and one you can, as DM, have some fun with. She should have 2 pre-rolled d20s that she can use on herself or others, and if the party attacks her, she'll obviously use bad rolls on their attacks, saves, etc., and good rolls on her own. Maybe even on her initiative to try to escape, if she has misty step or the like. Why fight suddenly-violent adventurers when she can disappear and curse them long term for revenge?

But, on top of that, if they don't fight her but take her quest, she could give them some specific advice about the quest she's sending them on, and you can treat that as having her "with" them so you can use her Portent(s) on the party's behalf (or to their detriment, if she's sabotaging them for some reason) at appropriately dramatic moments. This isn't how the ability normally works, but is perfectly valid for a DM to do. After all, Portent is a vision of a future event that the Diviner knows how to take advantage of when it comes up. This would be the same idea, just applied differently.

Finally, she should have mage armor and shield, especially on a day when adventurers will attack her. If the party is low level, a sleep spell could be devastating, especially following an AoE that weakened their hp (like burning hands). From Fizban's Treasury of Dragons, if you can find a copy of the spell Rime's Binding Ice, I assume she at least can cast second level spells. This is 3d8 in a sizeable cone that also freezes people in place, reducing their speed to 0 on a failed Constitution save. Which, again, helps her get away.

I suppose my advice is that, if a fight breaks out, her focus should be on getting away. If she IS powerful enough to wipe out the party, maybe she's just overly cautious. Or maybe she has uses for them as unwilling pawns that she can manipulate, if they will not willingly work for her.

Awesome! I totally forgot that she can (and would likely) try to flee a battle. My PCs will be level 1 when they meet her, and I know they're reckless enough to attack. Fleeing can be my way of saving the PCs from their own foolish decision lol. I'll check out that Diviner NPC, too! Sounds perfect. Since it has a high CR, maybe I'll try to adjust some of the stats down. Or I could just use the Priest stats, which was suggested earlier, and retain the Diviner's skills and whatnot.

[lajiboi]

Head over to 5eTools and it can auto-scale the monster for you in the encounter builder (within the Bestiary). It's not perfect, but it's pretty darn good.

Also, if you have Monsters of the Multiverse (or use 5eTools) I would recommend using the Diviner Wizard, and do NOT change the CR. The only change I would make is to swap out a spell to gain dimension door.

I say this for a few reasons. This is a boss monster. It's supposed to be powerful. Far more powerful than the characters are ready for. Easily able to kill them, and she know it, but she won't. Why? She wants to toy with them. Play with them. Show her power and then leave them in her dust.

Outside of combat, lean into those diviner abilities. Really go hard on the spells arcane eye, detect magic, detect thoughts, and perhaps locate object. Also, don't forget her Portent Reaction. That will be really powerful. I might even say to just roll 3 portent dice beforehand, and keep them in mind for the encounter.

In combat, don't worry about wiping the party. She's more powerful and she knows it, so again, she'll toy with them. DON'T cast mage armor. With a 12 AC the players will be able to hit her just fine, but with 90 hp, they're unlikely to kill her; especially with those Portent dice. She won't bother using Overwhelming Revelation, either. That's unnecessary overkill in her eyes. I'd have her throw a lightning bolt BETWEEN the party. Don't hit anyone, but make it close enough that she could have hit them. Maybe she only uses one Arcane Burst instead of three. Depending on your player's level, you might need to reduce the damage though.

Again, toy with them. Make them want more.


Cool, I'll check out that link!

Interesting point about keeping the Diviner CR... I had assumed it would be too high, but I agree that this should be a challenging fight. I still don't have a great sense of what they'll find easy or difficult -- I imagine that will come with a bit more experience as a DM.

Appreciate the skill recs!

[Skrum]

Probably unnecessary in this particular case because the players are so low, but in general I strongly recommend giving boss villains legendary actions and legendary resistance, even from low level. It helps distinguish them from the rank and file, it makes any showdown way more epic (an enemy casting spells off-turn will do that), and honestly....even a CR 7 can roll a 1 on their wisdom save against charm person. Players will just throw long-shot things out there, and the dice are fickle. Insulating your BBEG's from RNG does a lot to make sure the battles are cinematic and fun, and not a totally anticlimactic letdown.

Especially 4 v 1, you'll be surprised what PC parties can take down. 120 hit points might sound unkillable for a party of 1's, but a few decent rolls, maybe the barb crits, and yeah, that boss will drop in 2-3 rounds. They might get 2 turns before they're dead.

[Oramac]

Cool, I'll check out that link!

Interesting point about keeping the Diviner CR... I had assumed it would be too high, but I agree that this should be a challenging fight. I still don't have a great sense of what they'll find easy or difficult -- I imagine that will come with a bit more experience as a DM.

Appreciate the skill recs!

You're welcome!! Also, I forgot to mention it, but I agree with Segev that she would absolutely flee the battle when she deems it necessary. That's actually why I recommended swapping out a spell in favor of dimension door, though I failed to say why.


Probably unnecessary in this particular case because the players are so low, but in general I strongly recommend giving boss villains legendary actions and legendary resistance, even from low level. It helps distinguish them from the rank and file, it makes any showdown way more epic (an enemy casting spells off-turn will do that), and honestly....even a CR 7 can roll a 1 on their wisdom save against charm person. Players will just throw long-shot things out there, and the dice are fickle. Insulating your BBEG's from RNG does a lot to make sure the battles are cinematic and fun, and not a totally anticlimactic letdown.

Especially 4 v 1, you'll be surprised what PC parties can take down. 120 hit points might sound unkillable for a party of 1's, but a few decent rolls, maybe the barb crits, and yeah, that boss will drop in 2-3 rounds. They might get 2 turns before they're dead.

I also fully agree with this. This specific fight may not require it, and as a new DM you may not want to mess with it, but Legendary Actions and Legendary Resistance can go a long way to making a boss fight FEEL like a boss fight.

[Segev]

Since they were mentioned, remember that her Portent, if it rolls high, can be essentially a Legendary Resistance without having to actually give her one. When the PCs cast Tasha's hideous laughter on her, she saw that coming and knew she'd tank it with that 15 she rolled in her Portent, for example.

I cannot emphasize enough how right the other posters are about how badly action deficit kills and how fickle the dice can be. The hazard of a CR 8 vs. the party is rarely that they can't hurt it; the hazard is that the CR 8 will kill one or more of them before the fight is over, and might TPK with a(n un)lucky dice roll on an AoE. 5e is very specifically designed such that level 1 PCs are threats even to high-CR monsters, and low CR monsters can be real threats to even high-level PCs (in enough numbers or the right circumstances). That is the purpose of Bounded Accuracy. And action deficit of a party vs a single monster means that even big bags of hp go away shockingly fast. She should have her portents ready to quash a crit and/or to definitely save vs. a save-or-suck. Tasha's hideous laughter is one I mentioned before, and also must emphasize as being particularly potent against single foes. Some bad luck on the d20 roll to save, and the fight becomes "party beats on the single foe until it's dead" and little else.

Oh, another thing on Portent: it was called a "Reaction" by another poster. I want to call that out so you don't use it wrong: it's not a reaction. She can use it whenever the trigger happens as a non-action, even off turn. This means she still HAS her Reaction if you give her any Reaction spells; she could force a save to fail or force her save to succeed and then decide that, with that spent, she's not risking anything else and counterspell the next thing that comes at her, for example.

Normally, I'd advise against counterspell as being less than fun for PCs to face down, but a diviner with her whole schtick being that she "saw that coming" and Blue Magic Counter Decks the PCs ... it works. Just make it quick rather than a drawn-out, hopeless slog. Once she has to Nope their offenses rather than tanking them via "normal" means (normal saving throws, AC, maybe a hit or two if they're low damage), she should abscond. Toying with them in one round and gone the next. Two rounds of sticking around, at most, if she has the choice. One round is probably plenty to get a point across, if she does something suitably irritatingly smug. Remember that Concentration doesn't mean you have to stay in range, so if she leaves an effect that is irritating on somebody and then just runs off, leaving the party to deal with the condition for a while, that can be just the right way to make her seem unwilling to risk battling them fairly, but smug and annoying about it.

A key, too, I would suggest: make her retreat seem, even if she claims it's because she's bored or wants to toy with them, like something the PCs earned or won with. It doesn't have to be a complete victory, but try to signal that they were sufficiently threatening that she couldn't risk sticking around, or something like that, because feeling like the DM just put them in a cutscene they had to pretend to care about their actions in can be a very quick way to lose player interest.

[Sorinth]

I would probably just use a Green Hag since evil fortune teller is pretty much a classic for them.

More generally following the monster creation rules in the DMG and adding a few class feature that you want to highlight works decently. You'll probably want to be generous with the HPs but keep the damage low when dealing with 1st level players. Then either give them Portent or liberal Silvery Barbs usage or the Lucky feat to force the players to reroll when they hit. Any forced reroll can be explained through divination instead of enchantment/luck so fits well.

Also if you want to give the NPC a better chance of being able to flee without boosting their actual power level then having some flunkies to distract is always good. Perhaps this fortune teller works with some pick pockets who steal from the target while distracted by the fortune telling performance that is augmented with some illusions/thaumaturgy. Then if a fight breaks they can engage the players while the fortune teller flees possibly using Invisibility or Misty Step.

[Oramac]

Since they were mentioned, remember that her Portent, if it rolls high, can be essentially a Legendary Resistance without having to actually give her one. When the PCs cast Tasha's hideous laughter on her, she saw that coming and knew she'd tank it with that 15 she rolled in her Portent, for example.

I cannot emphasize enough how right the other posters are about how badly action deficit kills and how fickle the dice can be. The hazard of a CR 8 vs. the party is rarely that they can't hurt it; the hazard is that the CR 8 will kill one or more of them before the fight is over, and might TPK with a(n un)lucky dice roll on an AoE. 5e is very specifically designed such that level 1 PCs are threats even to high-CR monsters, and low CR monsters can be real threats to even high-level PCs (in enough numbers or the right circumstances). That is the purpose of Bounded Accuracy. And action deficit of a party vs a single monster means that even big bags of hp go away shockingly fast. She should have her portents ready to quash a crit and/or to definitely save vs. a save-or-suck. Tasha's hideous laughter is one I mentioned before, and also must emphasize as being particularly potent against single foes. Some bad luck on the d20 roll to save, and the fight becomes "party beats on the single foe until it's dead" and little else.

Definitely true. Portent will really be a huge factor in any encounter with her, combat or otherwise.


Oh, another thing on Portent: it was called a "Reaction" by another poster. I want to call that out so you don't use it wrong: it's not a reaction. She can use it whenever the trigger happens as a non-action, even off turn. This means she still HAS her Reaction if you give her any Reaction spells; she could force a save to fail or force her save to succeed and then decide that, with that spent, she's not risking anything else and counterspell the next thing that comes at her, for example.

That was me. I was specifically looking at the Monsters of the Multiverse Diviner Wizard, for which it absolutely is a reaction, as listed in the stat block.

That said, I agree that it shouldn't be treated as a reaction. Just roll the dice and use them when appropriate, same as a normal divination wizard.

[Unoriginal]

Head over to 5eTools and it can auto-scale the monster for you in the encounter builder (within the Bestiary). It's not perfect, but it's pretty darn good.

Also, if you have Monsters of the Multiverse (or use 5eTools) I would recommend using the Diviner Wizard, and do NOT change the CR. The only change I would make is to swap out a spell to gain dimension door.

I say this for a few reasons. This is a boss monster. It's supposed to be powerful. Far more powerful than the characters are ready for. Easily able to kill them, and she know it, but she won't. Why? She wants to toy with them. Play with them. Show her power and then leave them in her dust.

Outside of combat, lean into those diviner abilities. Really go hard on the spells arcane eye, detect magic, detect thoughts, and perhaps locate object. Also, don't forget her Portent Reaction. That will be really powerful. I might even say to just roll 3 portent dice beforehand, and keep them in mind for the encounter.

In combat, don't worry about wiping the party. She's more powerful and she knows it, so again, she'll toy with them. DON'T cast mage armor. With a 12 AC the players will be able to hit her just fine, but with 90 hp, they're unlikely to kill her; especially with those Portent dice. She won't bother using Overwhelming Revelation, either. That's unnecessary overkill in her eyes. I'd have her throw a lightning bolt BETWEEN the party. Don't hit anyone, but make it close enough that she could have hit them. Maybe she only uses one Arcane Burst instead of three. Depending on your player's level, you might need to reduce the damage though.

Again, toy with them. Make them want more.

Links to that site are against' the forum's rules.

Just informing people.

[Oramac]

Links to that site are against' the forum's rules.

Just informing people.

Huh? Why? It's incredibly useful.

[gloryblaze]

Head over to 5eTools and it can auto-scale the monster for you in the encounter builder (within the Bestiary). It's not perfect, but it's pretty darn good.

Also, if you have Monsters of the Multiverse (or use 5eTools) I would recommend using the Diviner Wizard, and do NOT change the CR. The only change I would make is to swap out a spell to gain dimension door.

I say this for a few reasons. This is a boss monster. It's supposed to be powerful. Far more powerful than the characters are ready for. Easily able to kill them, and she know it, but she won't. Why? She wants to toy with them. Play with them. Show her power and then leave them in her dust.

Outside of combat, lean into those diviner abilities. Really go hard on the spells arcane eye, detect magic, detect thoughts, and perhaps locate object. Also, don't forget her Portent Reaction. That will be really powerful. I might even say to just roll 3 portent dice beforehand, and keep them in mind for the encounter.

In combat, don't worry about wiping the party. She's more powerful and she knows it, so again, she'll toy with them. DON'T cast mage armor. With a 12 AC the players will be able to hit her just fine, but with 90 hp, they're unlikely to kill her; especially with those Portent dice. She won't bother using Overwhelming Revelation, either. That's unnecessary overkill in her eyes. I'd have her throw a lightning bolt BETWEEN the party. Don't hit anyone, but make it close enough that she could have hit them. Maybe she only uses one Arcane Burst instead of three. Depending on your player's level, you might need to reduce the damage though.

Again, toy with them. Make them want more.

This isn't necessarily a bad idea, depending on how long-term this villain is, but I feel like you're understating how strong a MP:MotM Diviner Wizard is relative to level 1 player characters. There is literally no damaging action in the Diviner Wizard stat block that it can take that wouldn't kill (not KO, outright kill) any level 1 wizard or sorcerer, or any level 1 bard, cleric, druid, rogue, monk, or warlock with less than 16 Con. That "single Arcane Burst" deals 3d10 + 4 (average 20.5) radiant damage on a hit, instagibbing any PC with 10 or fewer HP and reducing essentially any PC except like an aasimar fighter, paladin, ranger, or barbarian to 0 instantly. So if you do plan to use a full Diviner Wizard to represent this NPC, you should under no circumstances have them actually damage the PCs—just have them either kill a bystander and then flee or maybe flee immediately if there aren't any non-PC targets to annihilate.

Because of how strong a Diviner Wizard is, I wouldn't have a 4-man party face one until they were level 4 at the earliest, unless I knew the players were optimizers. And since these are specifically brand-new players, I probably would be even more conservative and not have them face a Diviner Wizard until level 5. But from level 1 to level 5 is a long time—that can be several adventures long! So if you want the Diviner to be the big bad of the PC's first adventure, what I'd probably do is use the CR 3 Illusionist Wizard (from the same book as the Diviner Wizard). Delete the Displacement bonus action and add in the Diviner Wizard's Portent reaction.* Then, delete the following spells: minor illusion, invisibility, major image, phantasmal force, phantom steed. Add the following replacements: message, detect thoughts, augury, arcane eye, Tasha's mind whip. Then, increase the HP to about 60 or so, and add Legendary Actions:

Warp. The wizard teleports up to 30 feet to an unoccupied space she can see.
Arcane Burst. The wizard makes one Arcane Burst attack.
I Know Where You Are (Costs 2 Actions). Each creature within 30 feet of the wizard that is invisible or hiding must make a DC 13 Intelligence saving throw. On a failed save, it takes 7 (2d6) psychic damage, it loses the invisible condition if it was invisible, and its position is revealed if it was hiding. On a success, it takes half as much damage only.


That should be a fine boss for level 3 new players, which is a reasonable level to expect them to be at by the end of their first adventure.

*Portent is indeed a Reaction when used by the Diviner from Volo's or the Diviner Wizard from MP:MotM. The feature is inspired by and named after the PHB Diviner feature, but is not identical.

[JackPhoenix]

Huh? Why? It's incredibly useful.

Because it illegally provides access to copyrighted material.

[Oramac]

This isn't necessarily a bad idea, depending on how long-term this villain is, but I feel like you're understating how strong a MP:MotM Diviner Wizard is relative to level 1 player characters. There is literally no damaging action in the Diviner Wizard stat block that it can take that wouldn't kill (not KO, outright kill) any level 1 <character>

True. I did mention in my post to reduce the damage of Arcane Burst, and only use one of them instead of all three. But it was right at the end, so easily missed.

That said, depending on the DM and players, dropping one of the higher HP characters to zero in the first combat (but NOT killing it outright) would really cement this NPC as a major villain.

[Mastikator]

If you're brand new then I'd advise you to steer clear of homebrewing a monster, or using PC rules for creating a monster. Instead I'd probably go with a green hag (or dusk hag from E:rftlw) stat block and add some divination spells to her repertoire.

MpMotM also has a diviner stat block, however it doesn't have the fortune teller vibe that the dusk hag has.

Edit- I would however add Legendary Action if this is a big boss enemy. Just add one option: the diviner casts mind sliver as a legendary action, up to 3 times per round. It's not too powerful, and lets the evil fortune teller chip away at the player's HP giving them ample time to realize they are going to lose and should flee.

[Oramac]

giving them ample time to realize they are going to lose and should flee.

I agree with Mastikator, except for this point. In my experience, players almost never flee a battle, even when explicitly told to do so. Never assume your players will run away; especially with new players.

[Mastikator]

I agree with Mastikator, except for this point. In my experience, players almost never flee a battle, even when explicitly told to do so. Never assume your players will run away; especially with new players.

This is true. I had a dungeon crypt with hundreds of ghouls, intended for the players to flee from. On round 2 I explicitly told them that fleeing combat might be a smart idea. On round 4 I reminded them again. On round 6 they actually started to flee.

(before anyone accuses me of being an unfair, no good, bad, killer-dm: this crypt was a trap, if they had succeeded on a riddle posed by an eidolon in the previous room it would open the correct path and also give them inspiration, and if they failed it would lie to them that it was the correct answer and send them to the crypt. They instead tricked the eidolon into opening the wrong passage by posing as the BBEG of the evil vampire cathedral. That is how they wanted to play it and I have no desire to railroad them into an honest conversation with the eidolon)

[Sigreid]

I'm a rebel, if I didn't just want to use the mage stat block from the MM I'd just build a wizard character. Especially if I were expecting it to be a recurring character.

[Clause]

Took another NPC at another table in the tavern.
Describe him as sinistre and misterious.

At minimum violence signal, like voice tone going up. The guy strikes the table and fit the players eyes.
The divinner says: "i have predicted your violence, so i came prepared".

If combat comes at cene, the villain flee when the other guy is in battle with the party.