I am preparing to run a marilith encounter against my players. They are aware what they are up against and are a group of 6 10th level players. So I prepared a combat encounter with a marilith that has legendary actions and ie equipped with magical weapons, none of which are attunement.
I would like for each of my players to walk away with something they could possibly use. I currently lack any items that could be used by my Cleric, Warlock and Sorcerer. So my question would be, what would be a magical item that i could either give the marilith to use or to stash in its lair that could be used by those classes?
Warlocks always like a Rod of the pact keeper. Depending on the kind of cleric, magic armor or a weapon is nice, a mace of disruption is a classic cleric weapon. Maybe a wand for the sorcerer something that can broaden the variety of spells they can cast. Or some bracers or something to boost their AC.
Don't run the marilith unless you know exactly what you're doing. I am speaking from experience.
I once ran a marilith for a 10th-level party. The encounter was five 10th-level PCs (a fairly balanced party of a barbarian, bard, fighter, sorcerer, and wizard) versus the marilith and some yuan-ti. I thought it would be balanced. I was very wrong.
First of all, consider the marilith's raw stats. Its pool of nearly 200 hit points means it will take a long time to wear down. It has AC 18, which is pretty hard for characters of this level to beat, and its parry reaction combined with the "reactive" trait gives it an effective AC of 23 against one melee attack each round. It is resistant to nonmagical weapons (so each martial character in your party had better have a magic weapon). Also, its immunity to Poison damage and resistance to Cold Fire, and Lightning damage, its magic resistance trait, and its proficiency with four saving throws, including two saving throws (also consider that its high DEX and INT shore up its lack of proficiency in the saves) mean that spellcasters won't have an easier time. It has an effective per-round damage of 93 if it hits all its attacks (yikes), and it definitely could hit all of its attacks if it grapples a target with its tail and then makes SIX LONGSWORD SWINGS WITH A +9 ATTACK BONUS AND ADVANTAGE (more yikes). Finally, look at its mental stats: INT 18, WIS 16, CHA 20. The marilith isn't only formidably strong; it's calculating, cunning, and tactical. In other words, your PCs won't be able to trick it easily, it will use its features to the best of its ability, it will focus fire, and it will attack downed PCs. If you managed to read all the way through this unappealing block of analytical text, good job; you now know why even an ordinary marilith can be a TPK waiting to happen.
For my unlucky players, the compulsory marilith fight WAS actually a TPK. (On an unrelated note, that's how they met their cleric). In short, don't run the marilith yet, UNLESS...
Everything I've said so far assumes it's an unavoidable encounter and fighting the marilith is a necessity for your quest. If it's an optional challenge and opportunity to win a few magic items, it's completely okay. I advise, however, against giving one non-attunement magic item per party member. If you shower your party with magic items like this, it might come back to bite you. Stash one magic sword, not one per martial, but just one.
As for spellcaster items, a Wand of Lightning Bolts or a few spell scrolls with spells of levels 4-6 would be rewarding for these characters.
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Panda-wat (I hate my username) is somehow convinced that he is objectively right about everything D&D related even though he obviously is not. Considering that, he'd probably make a great D&D youtuber.
"If I die, I can live with that." ~Luke Hart, the DM lair
Thank you for your comment. Because of it I chose to re-visit the custom stat block that I had made for it but i did come to the conclusion that I still feel comfortable running it against the party.
They have all put an emphasis on having high Constution scores and while rolling for hit points over the course of the past levels they have been blessed with a party average of around 85 hit points per player. Besides that, they also make much use of spells that can summon allies, which would have additional hit point pools to take into consideration. And the party includes a barbarian that resists all but pshychic attacks, which is someone who has on many occasions tanked over 200 damage (before being resisted) in a fight without requiring the need of any healing. They also are currently in posession of quite a few magic items themselves as well as healing potions they stocked up on before going on this quest. The vast majority can also cast healing spells and do so regularly to keep their party members in the fight.
The Items i had given the marilith slightly reduce her damage output, bringing her damage per round to an average of 87 not counting the legendary actions. This would mean that, if the damage would not be resisted and the party wouldn't use any healing magic or any of the potions they bought, it would most likely take the marilith around 6 rounds of combat to even down all the party members, let alone tpk them.
I brought the damage down mainly because i switched away from the longswords and gave her a few shortswords, a magical dagger (that is a reward for a specific party member that I have in mind), a magical whip and a handcrossbow (I gave her the ability to not suffer disadvantage while an enemy is within 5 feet of her). Doing so gives her the options to spread her damage to other party members during the fight and doesn't lock her into melee combat with any individual. Because I am spreading the damage around more I am comfortable giving her additional legendary attacks to use against the tanks and other martials that are in her melee range. Also I gave her a short range legendary action teleport to be able to give her some movement without constantly suffering opportunity attacks or having to teleport around.
I am confident that my party can handle the fight. But if, at any point, the fight becomes too much to handle, there are always options for them to attempt to flee a battle (Which could still cost them). This fight is also one that isn't completely forced upon them. They are aware that they are dealing with an increadibly powerful individual but have still chosen to go and start the fight.
So I thank you for your words of caution, and your magical item suggestions, But I am confident everything will be fine. In a week or two me and my party will have finished this fight. By the time we are done, i will let you know how it went.
You can look at the stat block/art of the marilith and consider what items it might have. For example:
It has a circlet in the art and is a commander so maybe a circlet that give telepathy so maybe a helm of telepathy or psi crystal. The circlet could also be something like a headband of intellect giving you the creatures intelligence and or tactical wit.
it has armor so maybe it leaves behind magic item like a mantle of spell resistance due to its spell resistance or something demonic like demon armor. Any armor piece could carry a power the demon had like a bracelet could be Cape of the Mountebank allowing teleportation
Any of the items could also be sentient carrying the creatures personality. You could also take the curse from the demon armor and put that on anything if you wanted.
Dear dungeon masters,
I am preparing to run a marilith encounter against my players. They are aware what they are up against and are a group of 6 10th level players. So I prepared a combat encounter with a marilith that has legendary actions and ie equipped with magical weapons, none of which are attunement.
I would like for each of my players to walk away with something they could possibly use. I currently lack any items that could be used by my Cleric, Warlock and Sorcerer. So my question would be, what would be a magical item that i could either give the marilith to use or to stash in its lair that could be used by those classes?
Any and all suggestions are appriciated!
Warlocks always like a Rod of the pact keeper.
Depending on the kind of cleric, magic armor or a weapon is nice, a mace of disruption is a classic cleric weapon.
Maybe a wand for the sorcerer something that can broaden the variety of spells they can cast. Or some bracers or something to boost their AC.
Don't run the marilith unless you know exactly what you're doing. I am speaking from experience.
I once ran a marilith for a 10th-level party. The encounter was five 10th-level PCs (a fairly balanced party of a barbarian, bard, fighter, sorcerer, and wizard) versus the marilith and some yuan-ti. I thought it would be balanced. I was very wrong.
First of all, consider the marilith's raw stats. Its pool of nearly 200 hit points means it will take a long time to wear down. It has AC 18, which is pretty hard for characters of this level to beat, and its parry reaction combined with the "reactive" trait gives it an effective AC of 23 against one melee attack each round. It is resistant to nonmagical weapons (so each martial character in your party had better have a magic weapon). Also, its immunity to Poison damage and resistance to Cold Fire, and Lightning damage, its magic resistance trait, and its proficiency with four saving throws, including two saving throws (also consider that its high DEX and INT shore up its lack of proficiency in the saves) mean that spellcasters won't have an easier time. It has an effective per-round damage of 93 if it hits all its attacks (yikes), and it definitely could hit all of its attacks if it grapples a target with its tail and then makes SIX LONGSWORD SWINGS WITH A +9 ATTACK BONUS AND ADVANTAGE (more yikes). Finally, look at its mental stats: INT 18, WIS 16, CHA 20. The marilith isn't only formidably strong; it's calculating, cunning, and tactical. In other words, your PCs won't be able to trick it easily, it will use its features to the best of its ability, it will focus fire, and it will attack downed PCs. If you managed to read all the way through this unappealing block of analytical text, good job; you now know why even an ordinary marilith can be a TPK waiting to happen.
For my unlucky players, the compulsory marilith fight WAS actually a TPK. (On an unrelated note, that's how they met their cleric). In short, don't run the marilith yet, UNLESS...
Everything I've said so far assumes it's an unavoidable encounter and fighting the marilith is a necessity for your quest. If it's an optional challenge and opportunity to win a few magic items, it's completely okay. I advise, however, against giving one non-attunement magic item per party member. If you shower your party with magic items like this, it might come back to bite you. Stash one magic sword, not one per martial, but just one.
As for spellcaster items, a Wand of Lightning Bolts or a few spell scrolls with spells of levels 4-6 would be rewarding for these characters.
Panda-wat (I hate my username) is somehow convinced that he is objectively right about everything D&D related even though he obviously is not. Considering that, he'd probably make a great D&D youtuber.
"If I die, I can live with that." ~Luke Hart, the DM lair
Thank you for your comment. Because of it I chose to re-visit the custom stat block that I had made for it but i did come to the conclusion that I still feel comfortable running it against the party.
They have all put an emphasis on having high Constution scores and while rolling for hit points over the course of the past levels they have been blessed with a party average of around 85 hit points per player. Besides that, they also make much use of spells that can summon allies, which would have additional hit point pools to take into consideration. And the party includes a barbarian that resists all but pshychic attacks, which is someone who has on many occasions tanked over 200 damage (before being resisted) in a fight without requiring the need of any healing.
They also are currently in posession of quite a few magic items themselves as well as healing potions they stocked up on before going on this quest. The vast majority can also cast healing spells and do so regularly to keep their party members in the fight.
The Items i had given the marilith slightly reduce her damage output, bringing her damage per round to an average of 87 not counting the legendary actions. This would mean that, if the damage would not be resisted and the party wouldn't use any healing magic or any of the potions they bought, it would most likely take the marilith around 6 rounds of combat to even down all the party members, let alone tpk them.
I brought the damage down mainly because i switched away from the longswords and gave her a few shortswords, a magical dagger (that is a reward for a specific party member that I have in mind), a magical whip and a handcrossbow (I gave her the ability to not suffer disadvantage while an enemy is within 5 feet of her). Doing so gives her the options to spread her damage to other party members during the fight and doesn't lock her into melee combat with any individual.
Because I am spreading the damage around more I am comfortable giving her additional legendary attacks to use against the tanks and other martials that are in her melee range. Also I gave her a short range legendary action teleport to be able to give her some movement without constantly suffering opportunity attacks or having to teleport around.
I am confident that my party can handle the fight. But if, at any point, the fight becomes too much to handle, there are always options for them to attempt to flee a battle (Which could still cost them). This fight is also one that isn't completely forced upon them. They are aware that they are dealing with an increadibly powerful individual but have still chosen to go and start the fight.
So I thank you for your words of caution, and your magical item suggestions, But I am confident everything will be fine. In a week or two me and my party will have finished this fight. By the time we are done, i will let you know how it went.
You can look at the stat block/art of the marilith and consider what items it might have. For example:
Any of the items could also be sentient carrying the creatures personality. You could also take the curse from the demon armor and put that on anything if you wanted.
These are some good suggestions Thank you! I think i might use some of these.