Bottom line up front: I'm working on a custom monster based on the rakshasa which is meant to maintain the vibe of a fiendish manipulator while also being a more robust combat encounter for high-level PCs. As the first step, I'm reimagining the Limited Magic Immunity trait and would like input on the power level of what I've come up with.
Open for some background:
So my players have been harried by a rakshasa since the beginning of our current campaign. They've gone to great lengths to acquire the means to defeat it: they've researched a special magic item to counteract the Plane Shift, they've gathered amulets that offer them Protection from Evil and Good, and they've loaded up on magic weapons. They're 12th level now, although they punch a bit above their weight class. They're ready for this fight.
All of this presents a pretty serious problem on my end: the rakshasa really isn't designed to be threatening in a stand-up fight. Once you counteract all its little trickity-tricks, it's basically just a CR 3 monster in need of an attitude adjustment. As-written, this big bad arc villain is going to go down like a punk. At a different table, that might be fine. My players have worked hard for this, after all; you could argue they've earned a little anticlimax, as a treat. But I've played with these same folks for five years now and I can tell you: that is not what they want. They want a bloody, climactic battle, and I am going to do my best to give it to them. Thus, we come to monster design.
The rakshasa is technically a CR13 monster, but it banks almost all of its power budget into a few high-level spells and its trademark Limited Magic Immunity trait. I'm going to start by taking that trait away and replacing it with something a little more dynamic. Here's what I have so far:
Magic Subversion. The rakshasa has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects, and ranged spell attacks have disadvantage against it.
When the rakshasa is missed by a ranged spell attack or succeeds on a saving throw against a spell, roll 1d6. On a 1-4, the rakshasa is unaffected by the spell. On a 5-6, the rakshasa is unaffected, and can choose a new target for the spell as though the spell had originated from the rakshasa. The spell still uses its original caster's save DC or attack roll.
I'm having trouble gauging the relative power of this trait. Using the DMG's monster creation guidelines, I'd expect this to increase the monster's effective AC by about 3, but the persistent disadvantage on ranged spell attacks might be stronger than that. Tell me what you think; I want to get the final version of this ability hammered out before moving on, but also feel free to suggest offensive options or other clever tricks a deception-based foe might use when backed into a corner. I appreciate any help I can get!
Bottom line up front: I'm working on a custom monster based on the rakshasa which is meant to maintain the vibe of a fiendish manipulator while also being a more robust combat encounter for high-level PCs. As the first step, I'm reimagining the Limited Magic Immunity trait and would like input on the power level of what I've come up with.
Open for some background:
So my players have been harried by a rakshasa since the beginning of our current campaign. They've gone to great lengths to acquire the means to defeat it: they've researched a special magic item to counteract the Plane Shift, they've gathered amulets that offer them Protection from Evil and Good, and they've loaded up on magic weapons. They're 12th level now, although they punch a bit above their weight class. They're ready for this fight.
All of this presents a pretty serious problem on my end: the rakshasa really isn't designed to be threatening in a stand-up fight. Once you counteract all its little trickity-tricks, it's basically just a CR 3 monster in need of an attitude adjustment. As-written, this big bad arc villain is going to go down like a punk. At a different table, that might be fine. My players have worked hard for this, after all; you could argue they've earned a little anticlimax, as a treat. But I've played with these same folks for five years now and I can tell you: that is not what they want. They want a bloody, climactic battle, and I am going to do my best to give it to them. Thus, we come to monster design.
The rakshasa is technically a CR13 monster, but it banks almost all of its power budget into a few high-level spells and its trademark Limited Magic Immunity trait. I'm going to start by taking that trait away and replacing it with something a little more dynamic. Here's what I have so far:
Magic Subversion. The rakshasa has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects, and ranged spell attacks have disadvantage against it.
When the rakshasa is missed by a ranged spell attack or succeeds on a saving throw against a spell, roll 1d6. On a 1-4, the rakshasa is unaffected by the spell. On a 5-6, the rakshasa is unaffected, and can choose a new target for the spell as though the spell had originated from the rakshasa. The spell still uses its original caster's save DC or attack roll.
I'm having trouble gauging the relative power of this trait. Using the DMG's monster creation guidelines, I'd expect this to increase the monster's effective AC by about 3, but the persistent disadvantage on ranged spell attacks might be stronger than that. Tell me what you think; I want to get the final version of this ability hammered out before moving on, but also feel free to suggest offensive options or other clever tricks a deception-based foe might use when backed into a corner. I appreciate any help I can get!