I am wondering if in the One D&D DMG/Monster Manual it would be better to combine lair actions with Xanathar's "complex traps" rules. For instance instead of a red dragon having lair actions, you would have a red dragon and in another section of the book have a Tier 3 "Volcano Lair" based on the complex trap rule set. The Red Dragon would have a note that it frequently is found in lairs with the Tier 3 Volcano Lair features.
The benefits I see would be:
The DM gets to choose their villains with the final confrontation in mind, let's say I want an Efreet to be the mastermind of my adventure, I can add the Volcano lair to my Efreet for a great showdown.
Less replicating similar rule sets, the creators don't need to come up with new fire like lair actions every time they want to stat out a new fire based solo monster.
More options for dynamic encounters, why do lairs have to feature boss monsters? Encounter building rules would allow a memorable attack on an Azer forge by adding a group of Azer to a Volcano lair.
Still have a tool that beefs up solo monsters poor action economy while keeping the narrative focus on the monster.
That in my opinion is a great idea. Taking the lair action economy and giving it its own characteristics that can then be shared by any NPC villain or endgame area is amazing. These can be scaled as well so that your Volcano Lair could have different abilities/actions if you will the more powerful version you use. Or it can just use more of its (again I state ITS as lair becomes a sort of non-conversational interaction NPC in the scenario) actions when needed.
Depending on the actions Enemies who live in the lair are unaffected by most of the Lair's actions at times as they are used to its behavior.
Volcano Lair Lv 1-5 Can make 1 Action per round
Rumble - PC needs to make a (WIS) check 10 or enemies get an advantage on all rolls against the PC for the round. Shaking ground is nerve-wracking. All movement for the turn is considered difficult terrain while the ground rumbles whether the PC saved or not. Failed save for casters need to make a concentration check.
Shake - PC needs to make a (Dex) check 10 or fall prone.
Burst of steam – A fissure breaks near a PC (DEX) save to avoid heat damage. (1d6) to (2d6)
Cracks – cracks in the ground open under the PC – (DEX) check or fall in a 10-foot deep hole. Save no damage, Fail save (1d6) fall damage.
Volcano Lair Lv 6-12 Can make 2 Actions per round
Rumble - PC need to make a (WIS) check 15 or enemies get an advantage of all rolls against the PC for the round. Shaking ground is nerve-wracking. All movement for the turn is considered difficult terrain while the ground rumbles whether the PC saved or not. Failed save for casters need to make a concentration check.
Shake - PC needs to make a (Dex) check 15 or fall prone.
Gouts of lava – A fissure breaks near a PC (DEX) check 15 save for half damage from lava. (2d8)
Cracks – cracks in the ground open under the PC – (DEX) check 15 or fall in a 10-foot deep hole. Save no damage, Fail save (1d6) fall damage.
Falling rocks – a piece of the ceiling breaks loose falling on the PC, (DEX) check 17 to avoid damage. (3d10)
Volcano Lair Lv 13-20 Can make 3 Actions per round
Rumble - PC needs to make a (WIS) check 18 or enemies get an advantage of all rolls against the PC for the round. Shaking ground is nerve-wracking. All movement for the turn is considered difficult terrain while the ground rumbles whether the PC saved or not. Failed save for casters need to make a concentration check.
Shake - PC needs to make a (Dex) check 15 or fall prone.
Gouts of lava – A fissure breaks near a PC (DEX) check 18 save for half damage from lava. (2d8)
Cracks – cracks in the ground open under the PC revealing lava – (DEX) check 18 or fall in a 10-foot deep hole. Save no damage or falling in. Fail save (1d6) fall damage plus (3d8) fire damage. If the PC can’t get out of the lava by end of the next turn they take another (3d8) fire damage.
Falling rocks – a piece of the ceiling breaks loose falling on the PC, (DEX) check 17 to avoid damage. (3d10)
Since this is a non-thinking NPC maybe add random roll charts to its erratic action in this case.
Also, add a new rule for PCs in Lairs. Instead of having to roll against one of the ability or skill (checks I’m certain they would become) to avoid or take half damage allow players to just burn their reaction for the round and just avoid one of the rolls. They can only do it once per turn and have to give up using their reaction for something else but it could mean not falling into a pit or lava.
There is more you could add to this lair such as Eruption, flowing lava, tunnel collapse, temperature rising, and all PCs lose one to 2 levels of exhaustion from the heat.
Sorry, I was wrong before, I freaking love this idea. I went a little crazy with it.
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Thanks! I really like how you statted out an example of a Volcano lair. I feel like you could also try and avoid the feel of the treadmill (while still pretty much doing it anyways) by giving them flavorful names like "Volcano Lair" "Elemental Fire Lair" "Infernal Lair" too (although personally as a DM I'm quite happy to know the nuts and bolts of my encounters).
I keep thinking of the different things you can do, not just by environment, but by monster type too
"aberrant lair" psychic attacks, and ooze that you can slip on
"webspinner lair" be it a Drow cave or an Ettercap forest
"wizards tower" some wizards like to stay home, and enchant it to protect them from adventuring wizards out to steal their spell books
"haunted lair" clawing ghosts of the boss monsters previous kills, battlefield control with poltergeists slamming doors and throwing objects
"fey lair" be it hag or a Summer Eladrin prince, the beguiling magic lulls them to sleep or turns the PCs on their allies
"arena lair" the gladiator uses traps and effects to put on a good show, and also to cheat and pull one over the PCs
I mean, complex traps and lair actions are fundamentally different mechanics. A lair action is a simple effect, and typically one that resolves in the course of a single round or turn. They exist to give boss battles a little extra kick. Complex traps are essentially timed puzzles for the party to solve, with a lot of moving parts. Stacking that on top of a boss battle is a lot of extra bookkeeping for the DM and splits the party's focus between solving the puzzle and defeating the boss. If you want to give an Efreet lair actions, just look for some examples you like and fiddle with the numbers. Which also brings up the other issue of trying to create an independent block: lair actions are balanced based on the creature they'd assigned to, and at the very least you need to tweak damage and DC if you're jumping as far across the CR scale as you would be going from an Adult Red Dragon to an Efreet. There's also the point that breaking them up into different sections makes them harder to reference than they currently are. I don't absolutely hate the concept of a section on floating lair actions, but it seems like one of those concepts that would be really fiddly to balance out.
I agree with Ace of Rogues. How to homebrew lair/legendary actions could be a nice addition to the DMG, but it’s own section would mean flipping back and forth between the monster page and the lair page in combat, which would get annoying pretty quickly. And, no matter how many different lairs they designed, it would be really tough, bordering on impossible, to account for every type. And that would just lead to the inevitable raft of complaints: They can make a fire and desert lair, but not an undersea cave lair, WotC is really dropping in quality! That kind of thing. More trouble than it’s worth.
I like the idea of having lairs that I can just attach to my homebrew monster or quest and play with.
On the other hand, the prospect if having yet another statblock, probably in a different book, to have to reference in my battles is not filling me with the warm fuzzies. I'm trying to cut down on the junk I have behind my screen. Having to adjust the lair for every encounter is another concern - right now, the lair and creature matches. As presented, you're now suggesting that we get rid of that system and I have to go and match up the stats of the lair whenever I run an adventure. That's just more work.
I can see this being a nice optional addition to DMG for homebrewers or as a supplement designed to support them. I wouldn't want it to replace the lair actions system we already have because it would create more work for the DM and complexity in running the game than necessary.
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I don’t enjoy fights where I only have one type of monster so I guess the idea of having two stat blocks out behind the screen didn’t phase me as a barrier. Especially for the final showdown where I normally count on doing a little more prep, But I guess I can see that.
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I am wondering if in the One D&D DMG/Monster Manual it would be better to combine lair actions with Xanathar's "complex traps" rules. For instance instead of a red dragon having lair actions, you would have a red dragon and in another section of the book have a Tier 3 "Volcano Lair" based on the complex trap rule set. The Red Dragon would have a note that it frequently is found in lairs with the Tier 3 Volcano Lair features.
The benefits I see would be:
That in my opinion is a great idea. Taking the lair action economy and giving it its own characteristics that can then be shared by any NPC villain or endgame area is amazing. These can be scaled as well so that your Volcano Lair could have different abilities/actions if you will the more powerful version you use. Or it can just use more of its (again I state ITS as lair becomes a sort of non-conversational interaction NPC in the scenario) actions when needed.
Depending on the actions Enemies who live in the lair are unaffected by most of the Lair's actions at times as they are used to its behavior.
Volcano Lair Lv 1-5 Can make 1 Action per round
Volcano Lair Lv 6-12 Can make 2 Actions per round
Volcano Lair Lv 13-20 Can make 3 Actions per round
Since this is a non-thinking NPC maybe add random roll charts to its erratic action in this case.
Also, add a new rule for PCs in Lairs. Instead of having to roll against one of the ability or skill (checks I’m certain they would become) to avoid or take half damage allow players to just burn their reaction for the round and just avoid one of the rolls. They can only do it once per turn and have to give up using their reaction for something else but it could mean not falling into a pit or lava.
There is more you could add to this lair such as Eruption, flowing lava, tunnel collapse, temperature rising, and all PCs lose one to 2 levels of exhaustion from the heat.
Sorry, I was wrong before, I freaking love this idea. I went a little crazy with it.
I live my life like a West Marches campaign, A swirling vortex of Ambitions and Insecurities.
Thanks! I really like how you statted out an example of a Volcano lair. I feel like you could also try and avoid the feel of the treadmill (while still pretty much doing it anyways) by giving them flavorful names like "Volcano Lair" "Elemental Fire Lair" "Infernal Lair" too (although personally as a DM I'm quite happy to know the nuts and bolts of my encounters).
I keep thinking of the different things you can do, not just by environment, but by monster type too
"aberrant lair" psychic attacks, and ooze that you can slip on
"webspinner lair" be it a Drow cave or an Ettercap forest
"wizards tower" some wizards like to stay home, and enchant it to protect them from adventuring wizards out to steal their spell books
"haunted lair" clawing ghosts of the boss monsters previous kills, battlefield control with poltergeists slamming doors and throwing objects
"fey lair" be it hag or a Summer Eladrin prince, the beguiling magic lulls them to sleep or turns the PCs on their allies
"arena lair" the gladiator uses traps and effects to put on a good show, and also to cheat and pull one over the PCs
I mean, complex traps and lair actions are fundamentally different mechanics. A lair action is a simple effect, and typically one that resolves in the course of a single round or turn. They exist to give boss battles a little extra kick. Complex traps are essentially timed puzzles for the party to solve, with a lot of moving parts. Stacking that on top of a boss battle is a lot of extra bookkeeping for the DM and splits the party's focus between solving the puzzle and defeating the boss. If you want to give an Efreet lair actions, just look for some examples you like and fiddle with the numbers. Which also brings up the other issue of trying to create an independent block: lair actions are balanced based on the creature they'd assigned to, and at the very least you need to tweak damage and DC if you're jumping as far across the CR scale as you would be going from an Adult Red Dragon to an Efreet. There's also the point that breaking them up into different sections makes them harder to reference than they currently are. I don't absolutely hate the concept of a section on floating lair actions, but it seems like one of those concepts that would be really fiddly to balance out.
I agree with Ace of Rogues. How to homebrew lair/legendary actions could be a nice addition to the DMG, but it’s own section would mean flipping back and forth between the monster page and the lair page in combat, which would get annoying pretty quickly.
And, no matter how many different lairs they designed, it would be really tough, bordering on impossible, to account for every type. And that would just lead to the inevitable raft of complaints: They can make a fire and desert lair, but not an undersea cave lair, WotC is really dropping in quality! That kind of thing. More trouble than it’s worth.
I like the idea of having lairs that I can just attach to my homebrew monster or quest and play with.
On the other hand, the prospect if having yet another statblock, probably in a different book, to have to reference in my battles is not filling me with the warm fuzzies. I'm trying to cut down on the junk I have behind my screen. Having to adjust the lair for every encounter is another concern - right now, the lair and creature matches. As presented, you're now suggesting that we get rid of that system and I have to go and match up the stats of the lair whenever I run an adventure. That's just more work.
I can see this being a nice optional addition to DMG for homebrewers or as a supplement designed to support them. I wouldn't want it to replace the lair actions system we already have because it would create more work for the DM and complexity in running the game than necessary.
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I don’t enjoy fights where I only have one type of monster so I guess the idea of having two stat blocks out behind the screen didn’t phase me as a barrier. Especially for the final showdown where I normally count on doing a little more prep, But I guess I can see that.