So I have been working on an Orthon warlord for DiA and I got confused with its stat block. Unlike other creatures with similar features, its Explosive Retribution is a reaction, not a trait. This doesn't seem like much of a problem but in my party, the warlocks favorite spell is shocking grasp. This spell prevents enemies from taking reactions. I feel like when in combat with the Orthon, they will defeat it before it can blow up. MToF does not have any rules for its crossbow and dagger, but they seem extremely overpowered for the players to have. Any answers will help. Thanks!
Explosive Retribution is activated when the Orthon is hit with an attack that reduces it to 15 HP or less, not when it dies (it can't take reactions when dead). So the Orthon has its reaction available, it will use this trait (unless you decide that it'd rather flee). If its reaction is negated by shocking grasp, it can't, and probably tries to flee
The Infernal Dagger seems to be a +1 dagger. Daggers usually only deal 1d4+ strength damage, so I'd say that the Orthon doubles that due to being a monster, so you can assume the dagger's poison damage is doubled as well. The dagger should thus be a +1 dagger which deals an additional 2d10 poison damage on a failed save or half that on a successful one (the save DC being 8+proficiency+strength). Pretty powerful, but not game breaking. You could also rule that the poison is caused by the Orthon, not the dagger, and make it simply a +1 dagger. Remember also that Poison is the most common type of damage resistance in the monster manual.
The crossbow is sized for a large creature, so it is unlikely that the party would be able to use it.
The "dagger" is also sized for a large creature, and to a medium creature, I would say its a martial weapon, 2d4 damage, with the two-handed property, and deals an additional 4d10 poison on hit. Or you could also rule that the poison has limited uses, and as the party aren't Orthons, they would not have a way to replenish it.
I would grant disadvantage to any crossbow mounted on a horse. But I would totally allow a large sized crossbow mounted on a cart. I would tell them that it takes one action by a medium sized person to load the weapon, one action to aim it, and one action to fire it. But the magical effects would depend on the ammunition, which they would shortly run out of.
And I would have EVERY single person that sees it say "Nice Ballista, but the range and damage are on the light side."
I kind of think that balister's are over powered and don't really use them after my party dragged it to every encounter and teleported it inside of dungeons
I kind of think that balister's are over powered and don't really use them after my party dragged it to every encounter and teleported it inside of dungeons
Uhm, it takes 3 actions to fire something that does 3d10+Dex, vs using those same three actions to fire 3 longbow shots that does 1d8+Dex times three.
If your dex is higher than 14, the longbows do more damage.
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So I have been working on an Orthon warlord for DiA and I got confused with its stat block. Unlike other creatures with similar features, its Explosive Retribution is a reaction, not a trait. This doesn't seem like much of a problem but in my party, the warlocks favorite spell is shocking grasp. This spell prevents enemies from taking reactions. I feel like when in combat with the Orthon, they will defeat it before it can blow up. MToF does not have any rules for its crossbow and dagger, but they seem extremely overpowered for the players to have. Any answers will help. Thanks!
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Explosive Retribution is activated when the Orthon is hit with an attack that reduces it to 15 HP or less, not when it dies (it can't take reactions when dead). So the Orthon has its reaction available, it will use this trait (unless you decide that it'd rather flee). If its reaction is negated by shocking grasp, it can't, and probably tries to flee
The Infernal Dagger seems to be a +1 dagger. Daggers usually only deal 1d4+ strength damage, so I'd say that the Orthon doubles that due to being a monster, so you can assume the dagger's poison damage is doubled as well. The dagger should thus be a +1 dagger which deals an additional 2d10 poison damage on a failed save or half that on a successful one (the save DC being 8+proficiency+strength). Pretty powerful, but not game breaking. You could also rule that the poison is caused by the Orthon, not the dagger, and make it simply a +1 dagger. Remember also that Poison is the most common type of damage resistance in the monster manual.
Addendum if there's still a problem: the orthon Probably only has a few magic bolts, so any it uses in combat are gone
The crossbow is sized for a large creature, so it is unlikely that the party would be able to use it.
The "dagger" is also sized for a large creature, and to a medium creature, I would say its a martial weapon, 2d4 damage, with the two-handed property, and deals an additional 4d10 poison on hit. Or you could also rule that the poison has limited uses, and as the party aren't Orthons, they would not have a way to replenish it.
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Thanks! My party includes a goliath, so he should be able to use the weapons. With limited uses of both weapons, this should work well. Thanks!
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Like the players won't try to mount it on a horse or something ...
I would grant disadvantage to any crossbow mounted on a horse. But I would totally allow a large sized crossbow mounted on a cart. I would tell them that it takes one action by a medium sized person to load the weapon, one action to aim it, and one action to fire it. But the magical effects would depend on the ammunition, which they would shortly run out of.
And I would have EVERY single person that sees it say "Nice Ballista, but the range and damage are on the light side."
I kind of think that balister's are over powered and don't really use them after my party dragged it to every encounter and teleported it inside of dungeons
Uhm, it takes 3 actions to fire something that does 3d10+Dex, vs using those same three actions to fire 3 longbow shots that does 1d8+Dex times three.
If your dex is higher than 14, the longbows do more damage.