So, My party (5th level, 6 characters - 2 wizards -chronurgy and evocation- , warlock -great old one-, druid -circle of the land-, illrigger -I don't really know what this is-, monk -open hand-) have JUST hit level five, and are about to fight a Boss. By this point a few of them have acquired low-power (admittedly homebrew) magic Items (I.e, +1 weapons, +1 ac Items, +5 reach, etc.). I'm looking to create a really challenging encounter, but as a relatively new DM, I'm not so sure how to toe that fine line between challenging and TPK. I plan on placing one Puppeteer and somewhere between 3-4 Puppet Amalgams in combat.
Personally I like quantity over quality. With quantity, you can control a flow of bad guy henchmen aka shields. Add more running into battle if the PCs are having an easy time, if they are having a tough time do not add more. I like some higher level lieutenants to better gage how close your estimates are. I prefer to have two battles, one of the lower henchmen & lieutenants, with just a one round visit from the big boss. That initial battle is a good on table gauge of what the real battle with the boss will be like. Using the henchmen battle as a way to fine tune the final battle.
The paralyzing needle is mostly useless. Since it's such an easy save, it should last until the creature's next turn.
I assume the point is that one of them paralyzes a target, and then the rest walk up and proceed to automatic critical the target into oblivion. Which likely isn't a lot of fun for the player.
The paralyzing needle is mostly useless. Since it's such an easy save, it should last until the creature's next turn.
I assume the point is that one of them paralyzes a target, and then the rest walk up and proceed to automatic critical the target into oblivion. Which likely isn't a lot of fun for the player.
I hadn't actually thought of that, the plan was that the puppets would try to get into melee with the squishies and detonate.
Usually my players go straight for the big guy and ignore the minions completely, so I wanted to give them an interesting challenge and actually make them fight the minions, hence the redirect. I was going for a more support-based boss, but now that you mention it...
I should probably change the condition to like poisoned or something.
these monsters seem really cool, though i'd add something to make the puppet amalgam's sieze more potent, like if the puppeteer has an ability that can capitalize on it. i don't think six level fives are gonna be tpk'ed by this if they're smart about the fight and support one another as it is.
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So, My party (5th level, 6 characters - 2 wizards -chronurgy and evocation- , warlock -great old one-, druid -circle of the land-, illrigger -I don't really know what this is-, monk -open hand-) have JUST hit level five, and are about to fight a Boss. By this point a few of them have acquired low-power (admittedly homebrew) magic Items (I.e, +1 weapons, +1 ac Items, +5 reach, etc.). I'm looking to create a really challenging encounter, but as a relatively new DM, I'm not so sure how to toe that fine line between challenging and TPK. I plan on placing one Puppeteer and somewhere between 3-4 Puppet Amalgams in combat.
Thoughts on this?
(Ignore the Challenge Ratings, I'm still trying to work those out)
Personally I like quantity over quality. With quantity, you can control a flow of bad guy henchmen aka shields. Add more running into battle if the PCs are having an easy time, if they are having a tough time do not add more. I like some higher level lieutenants to better gage how close your estimates are. I prefer to have two battles, one of the lower henchmen & lieutenants, with just a one round visit from the big boss. That initial battle is a good on table gauge of what the real battle with the boss will be like. Using the henchmen battle as a way to fine tune the final battle.
The paralyzing needle is mostly useless. Since it's such an easy save, it should last until the creature's next turn.
Add a few willing followers for corpse explosions.
"Sooner or later, your Players are going to smash your railroad into a sandbox."
-Vedexent
"real life is a super high CR."
-OboeLauren
"............anybody got any potatoes? We could drop a potato in each hole an' see which ones get viciously mauled by horrible monsters?"
-Ilyara Thundertale
I assume the point is that one of them paralyzes a target, and then the rest walk up and proceed to automatic critical the target into oblivion. Which likely isn't a lot of fun for the player.
I hadn't actually thought of that, the plan was that the puppets would try to get into melee with the squishies and detonate.
Usually my players go straight for the big guy and ignore the minions completely, so I wanted to give them an interesting challenge and actually make them fight the minions, hence the redirect. I was going for a more support-based boss, but now that you mention it...
I should probably change the condition to like poisoned or something.
these monsters seem really cool, though i'd add something to make the puppet amalgam's sieze more potent, like if the puppeteer has an ability that can capitalize on it. i don't think six level fives are gonna be tpk'ed by this if they're smart about the fight and support one another as it is.