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shadow_archmagi
2008-01-12, 05:08 PM
My whole group is very inexperienced. Only one player and myself can honestly say we've played more than about four hours total. The group of four level 4s is going through, and they will fight my monk villian. I did manually buff him up a tad, and he'll have all sorts of terrain advantages (battlefield is an arena of his own design. He's got at least three health potions stashed away in there as well.)

Grabble the Nimble
Male Kobold Monk 6
Lawful Evil
Representing Shadow
Strength 13 (+1)
Dexterity 15 (+2)
Constitution 12 (+1)
Intelligence 10 (+0)
Wisdom 12 (+1)
Charisma 9 (-1)
Size: Small
Height: 2' 10"
Weight: 38 lb
Skin: Brown
Eyes: Red
Hair: None

Total Hit Points: 60 (bonus)
Speed: 50 feet [monk]
Armor Class: 16 = 10 +2 [dexterity] +1 [wisdom] +1 [monk level] +1 [small] +1 [kobold]
Touch AC: 15
Flat-footed: 14
Initiative modifier: +6 = +2 [dexterity] +4 [improved initiative]
Fortitude save: +6 = 5 [base] +1 [constitution]
Reflex save: +9 = 5 [base] +2 [dexterity] +2 [lightning reflexes]
Will save: +6 = 5 [base] +1 [wisdom]
Attack (handheld): +6 = 4 [base] +1 [strength] +1 [small]
Attack (unarmed): +6 = 4 [base] +1 [strength] +1 [small]
Flurry of Blows: +5/+5 [includes strength modifier]
Attack (missile): +7 = 4 [base] +2 [dexterity] +1 [small]
Grapple check: +5 = 4 [base] +1 [strength] -4 [small] +4 [Grappler Feat]
Light load:
Medium load:
Heavy load:
Lift over head:
Lift off ground:
Push or drag: 38 lb. or less
38-75 lb.
76-113 lb.
113 lb.
225 lb.
563 lb.
Languages: Common Draconic
Unarmed Damage: 1d6 +1 [strength]
Quarterstaff [1d4/1d4, crit x2, 2 lb., two-handed, bludgeoning]
Shurikens (50) [1, crit x2, range incr 10 ft, 1/2 lb, piercing]
Feats:
Improved Disarm [monk]
Combat Reflexes [monk]
Improved Initiative
Improved Unarmed Strike [monk]
Improved Grapple [monk]
Lightning Reflexes
Stealthy
Traits:
Cautious
Skinny
Skill Name Key
Ability Skill
Modifier Ability
Modifier Ranks Misc.
Modifier
Appraise Int 0 = +0
Balance Dex* 4 = +2 +2 [tumble]
Bluff Cha -1 = -1
Climb Str* 1 = +1
Concentration Con 1 = +1
Craft_1 Int 0 = +0
Craft_2 Int 0 = +0
Craft_3 Int 0 = +0
Diplomacy Cha 1 = -1 +2 [sense motive]
Disguise Cha -1 = -1
Escape Artist Dex* 3 = +2 +1 [skinny]
Forgery Int 0 = +0
Gather Information Cha -1 = -1
Heal Wis 1 = +1
Hide Dex* 8 = +2 +4 [small] +2 [stealthy]
Intimidate Cha -1 = -1
Jump Str* 11 = +1 +2 [tumble] +8 [speed 50]
Listen Wis 1 = +1
Move Silently Dex* 13 = +2 +9 +2 [stealthy]
Perform_1 Cha -1 = -1
Perform_2 Cha -1 = -1
Perform_3 Cha -1 = -1
Perform_4 Cha -1 = -1
Perform_5 Cha -1 = -1
Ride Dex 2 = +2
Search Int 2 = +0 +2 [kobold]
Sense Motive Wis 10 = +1 +9
Spot Wis 1 = +1
Survival Wis 1 = +1
Swim Str** 1 = +1
Tumble Dex* 11 = +2 +9
Use Rope Dex 11= +2 +9

Saph
2008-01-12, 05:25 PM
Well, it depends on exactly how new your players are. If they're totally new, to the point of not knowing which dice to roll, then this might be a good boss fight for them, as it'll let them make lots of mistakes and still win.

But most level 4 parties will eat this guy for breakfast. 16 AC? Attack routine of +5/+5 for 1d6+1 damage? Honestly, the party could simply do nothing but take full defence actions for five rounds, and they'd probably be almost as healthy at the end of it as when they started. It might take them a while to actually finish him, since 60 HP is a lot at level 4 and his saves will make it hard for the spellcasters to knock him out, and he can withdraw whenever he's in danger, but barring brilliant tactics, there's absolutely nothing he can do to put the PCs in any sort of actual danger. Improved Disarm? Nope, too small. Improved Grapple? Again, too small. Shurikens? Yeah, that's going to scare them. :P

So this is good if you want a long-lasting fight which the PCs are guaranteed to win, but not so good if you want them to struggle.

- Saph

Metal Head
2008-01-12, 05:26 PM
From the looks of it, this guy has almost no gear. He's a level 6 monk, so he definitely deserves some gear. Use it to boost his AC, because otherwise your players will hit him way too much. Maybe use some of the gold to buy stat-boosting items. Other than that it looks fine. What tactics to you plan on using?

HydwenPrydain
2008-01-12, 05:38 PM
Sounds like it would be an interesting encounter, but he's going to get eaten for breakfast. Lone PCs are probably the weakest for their listed CR thing in all of D&D, especially monks. I'd think about not arbitrarily boosting his HP, and instead giving him something like a potion of mage armor, a potion of magic fang, and a ring of protection +1, and then maybe have some of his students (perhaps 2-3 3rd-4th level monks, maybe just the boss "unleveled" a few times) join him with similar potions but without the ring of prot. Fighting multiple enemies always makes the bad guys much tougher, without wildly increasing their lethality, since otherwise they can focus everything on ripping the one enemy to shreds as fast as possible.

shadow_archmagi
2008-01-12, 08:36 PM
Right, here's the gist of it:

1. Players arrive at the kobold farmland.
2. Players fight through wave after wave of very weak kobold noncombatants.
3. Players fight the dungeon's military kobolds, who are slightly tougher (and have slings)
4. Players head into the final room (the doorway is obscured by an ooze cube).
5. Players discover the final room to be an arena for gladiator matches, and accordingly, the lights go out, and grimlocks are released.
6. Round two: Centipedes!
7. Ropes descend from the ceiling. Our monk fights from the latticework of rafters and catwalks and things up there.
8. Monking dies. They free the prisoners and start heading out.
9. As they leave, all the slaughtered farmers sort of sink into the farmland, corrupting it and creating:
10. Boss fight: ScarePC. Giant plant construct.

F.L.
2008-01-12, 09:38 PM
Really, for a more effective fight, I'd say fill the arena with traps. Put the traps on mechanical sensors that go off when more weight than a kobold is on them. Then, the monk moves to the middle of the trap. A player follows. Trap is triggered, it does no damage to the kobold (imp. evasion) but hurts the players. Repeat.

Oh, and put serious ranks in tumble for this, have the kobold tumble from trap to trap. And make sure the traps reset...

shadow_archmagi
2008-01-13, 07:09 AM
He already has ranks in tumble. Yes, this is going to be a fight where although he's really only slightly better than a PC one on one, he's got lots of terrain advantages.

Did I mention that the arena is going to be pitch-black for this fight? I'll be taking countermeasures to make sure the PC's are blind.

Saph
2008-01-13, 11:05 AM
He already has ranks in tumble. Yes, this is going to be a fight where although he's really only slightly better than a PC one on one, he's got lots of terrain advantages.

Did I mention that the arena is going to be pitch-black for this fight? I'll be taking countermeasures to make sure the PC's are blind.

It sounds like the real danger is going to be the traps, not the boss. So it's really the traps that'll determine how difficult the fight is.

How are you going to make sure that the PCs are blind without using serious quantities of DM fiat? Darkness and Deeper Darkness only make things shadowy, and the PCs should have quite a few light sources between them.

- Saph

shadow_archmagi
2008-01-13, 11:49 AM
It sounds like the real danger is going to be the traps, not the boss. So it's really the traps that'll determine how difficult the fight is.

How are you going to make sure that the PCs are blind without using serious quantities of DM fiat? Darkness and Deeper Darkness only make things shadowy, and the PCs should have quite a few light sources between them.

- Saph

Hm. Good question. I doubt they'll have too many light sources though, especially if I explain to them that the place is well lit so they won't need to bring torches.

Rad
2008-01-13, 01:17 PM
You can also remember them that a torch needs a hand...
That's why I am such a huge fan of necklaces with Continual Light cast on it

SoD
2008-01-13, 01:45 PM
Or Ioun Stones with Light! That's always great fun. A bright glowing orb of light circling your head at 1d3 feet away.

shadow_archmagi
2008-01-14, 08:08 AM
I doubt they've ever heard of Ioun Stones.

So, in summary:

Give him some magic equipment, maybe a couple "students" aka miniclones, and fill the place with traps he can't set off?

Suggestions on actual pieces of equipment? Specific traps? Hail of Needles is looking nice for flavor.. lots of little pointy things flying through the air.

Voyager_I
2008-01-14, 08:30 AM
Questions on verisimilitude:

Why are non-combatants flinging themselves futilely onto the PC's swords, rather than fleeing into the fortress to hide behind the soldiers? If I'm some nameless NPC commoner and I see a band of mean-looking toughs in full plate walking my way along with some creepy guy who also has a snake wrapped around his arm, all armed to the teeth, I'm probably going to take both my hit points and make good use of that racially enhanced move speed. For that matter, assuming most newbie parties are Good, why are they butchering noncombatants?

Where did that Ooze come from, and how exactly do they get it to just stand in front of the doorway like that? Don't they ever have to use that hallway themselves? Where do those other monsters come from, for that matter? If the Big Bad knows the players are coming, why is he just sitting around in his citadel instead of joining his forces (or, for that matter, bringing his forces in to join him in the rafters? Nothing helps as a distraction like a dozen or so mooks with slings conveniently out of arm's reach. If he doesn't know they're coming, why is he so ready for them?

Beware of throwing so many encounters at inexperienced players, too. If the spell casters don't know how to pace themselves, they'll likely be burned out well before anything important happens.

shadow_archmagi
2008-01-14, 10:54 AM
Questions on verisimilitude:

Why are non-combatants flinging themselves futilely onto the PC's swords, rather than fleeing into the fortress to hide behind the soldiers? If I'm some nameless NPC commoner and I see a band of mean-looking toughs in full plate walking my way along with some creepy guy who also has a snake wrapped around his arm, all armed to the teeth, I'm probably going to take both my hit points and make good use of that racially enhanced move speed. For that matter, assuming most newbie parties are Good, why are they butchering noncombatants?

Where did that Ooze come from, and how exactly do they get it to just stand in front of the doorway like that? Don't they ever have to use that hallway themselves? Where do those other monsters come from, for that matter? If the Big Bad knows the players are coming, why is he just sitting around in his citadel instead of joining his forces (or, for that matter, bringing his forces in to join him in the rafters? Nothing helps as a distraction like a dozen or so mooks with slings conveniently out of arm's reach. If he doesn't know they're coming, why is he so ready for them?

Beware of throwing so many encounters at inexperienced players, too. If the spell casters don't know how to pace themselves, they'll likely be burned out well before anything important happens.

1. Kobolds are supposed to be cruel and sadistic. Locking the farmers out, putting an ooze right next to the main entrance, waiting behind with a couple elites until your soldiers are all dead, these all seem pretty evil things to do to your own soldiers.
2. The arena has monsters for the prisoners they're supposed to be rescuing to fight. Theres a second, smaller, non-oozed passageway everyone else uses, and they get the ooze to stay there with magic.

Adumbration
2008-01-14, 11:02 AM
More like Chaotic Stupid than real evil, by your description. Evil would be taking all the kobold "non-combatants" and make them use the human prisoners as meatshields on the way out. Or possibly as hostages. "Another step and they're dead!"

No offence, but you should really down the BBEG's mental stats if you're using your explanation. Also, prepare for the eventuality that the PCs negotiate a deal with the escaping kobolds. "You may leave unscathed, if you reveal us details on your boss." should work fine.

Kobolds are people too!:smalltongue:

Worira
2008-01-14, 11:20 AM
Kobolds may be cruel, but they're also efficient workers with a strong sense of community. They're not going to be sacrificing farmers or miners for no reason.

Zenos
2008-01-14, 11:33 AM
Kobolds may be cruel, but they're also efficient workers with a strong sense of community. They're not going to be sacrificing farmers or miners for no reason.

Especially when the miners can gather gems and gold...

Crispy Dave
2008-01-14, 11:46 AM
well I recoment mabey giving him a ring of jumping so he can jump around like a 5 year old who drank cofie

Voyager_I
2008-01-14, 11:49 AM
Evil does not work that way.

Just because you are evil doesn't mean you can't form a functional community, have friends, or love people. You can even be willing to die for other people while still being comfortably Chaotic Evil. It just means you won't be very nice to solicitors. More importantly, it especially doesn't mandate fighting off intruders in the least effective manner possible. If nothing else, the community is his resource, and it would be in his best interest to minimize losses, not let the PC's kill everything because...um...he's like, evil and stuff. Also, I was more asking why the helpless villagers were fighting an obviously lopsided battle at all, rather than running in whatever direction was most convenient.

Finally, please don't use magic as that kind of explanation. I don't want to be harsh, but the J.K. Rowling style "a wizard did it" justification for everything basically equates to "I couldn't actually think of a reason for this." I don't mean to be harsh, but that is an actual stereotype/joke that you've just stumbled into...

shadow_archmagi
2008-01-14, 12:16 PM
I'm perfectly aware of the stereotype. I wasn't really aiming to MAKE SENSE here, so much as create a fun little slaughtering spree for nooblets.