Creating and playing a boss monster can be one of the hardest obstacles in Dnd campaign designing. Here you can get feedback on the monster you have created, or ideas for a new one! You want to give your PC's the best experience in battles and make interesting. So, get ready to make a monster so terrifying that will have your PC's going "bruuuh".
So to start off, one of my homebrew bosses is the "Lindworm" or limbless dragon. I am planning to use it in future campaigns, but I would like to know if it is balanced and what party average level it would be.
I am making a campaign to do with some friends in DnD. I started out by figuring out a basic storyline, determining the final battle, deciding how the big bad would act and etc. I want to know your opinion on it! This is my basic idea:
Progressional boss, like in video games. you get him low or defeat him, he takes on a second, more powerful form. I have three forms planned.
Phase One: The battle focuses mainly on holding him off until civilians evacuate, then defeating him
Phase Two: After his defeat, he becomes enraged, and starts dealing electric damage with all attacks. His attacks have paralysis effects and other such things, and the main goal is avoiding him, not killing him. You must herd him over to a "Druid Circle" (magic rock Stonehenge thingy) and confine him there for three rounds to defeat him and banish him forever.
Phase Three: At the end of the banishment, he uses dark magic to change the Druid Circle's spell, and casts his soul into the body of an Ancient Blue Dragon. you must break seven magical shields that protect him, one per element in my world, and then destroy him once and for all.
What do you think? I read that boss battles should have some mixing up and crazy special rules that the players have to follow/complete. Please send feedback!
(Blue dragon because the bad guy uses lightning)
Elements:
Fire, Water, Earth, Air, Light, Darkness, and Lightning.
Damage types:
Fire, Cold, Force, Thunder, Radiant, Necrotic, and Lightning.
One recurring boss I have planned for a campaign is Rufus the Sun Knight. I wanted to have a challenge equivalent to the players in strength while not being too crushing, and nearing the campaign's end I'm hoping he'll side with the party.
Rufus is a travelling paladin who was hired by High Priestess Shasta (the main villain) to hunt and kill the party. Rufus blindly follows Shasta, believing her to be the goddess he worships sending him on a holy quest, unaware of her true intentions. Rufus is actually a really nice guy, goofy and eccentric while trying to maintain that 'bold, fearless paladin' image, and he's always helping people when the party can't tend to their needs first. The group may skip a side quest in favor of the nearby dungeon, only to find when they return that 'a noble paladin' already finished the quest.
As far as statistics go, Rufus is an interesting case. He's essentially a player character in his stats, having his levels mainly in Oath of Redemption Paladin, with a few in Champion Fighter. He's level 6 when the party first fights him, and level 12 the second encounter. After his HP goes to 0, he is 'defeated' as he runs away to preserve his own hide. While Rufus thinks the party is evil, he doesn't like to use excessive force, saving his stronger Smites and Action Surge for when he's below half-health.
My main idea is that there is a main story and six side stories. the main boss uses lightning, and six different countries/city-states have bosses that each use a different element.
Each boss teaches a specific Battle type (ill explain later) and one of the "Six Pillars of Heroism", Strength, Morality, Wisdom, Truth, Justice, and Valor.
Creating and playing a boss monster can be one of the hardest obstacles in Dnd campaign designing. Here you can get feedback on the monster you have created, or ideas for a new one! You want to give your PC's the best experience in battles and make interesting. So, get ready to make a monster so terrifying that will have your PC's going "bruuuh".
So to start off, one of my homebrew bosses is the "Lindworm" or limbless dragon. I am planning to use it in future campaigns, but I would like to know if it is balanced and what party average level it would be.
The Storm Lindworm - Monsters - Homebrew - D&D Beyond (dndbeyond.com)
Fire Emblem Enthusiast and tactics fan
go play Titanfall 2. it's good
someone help me
One recurring boss I have planned for a campaign is Rufus the Sun Knight. I wanted to have a challenge equivalent to the players in strength while not being too crushing, and nearing the campaign's end I'm hoping he'll side with the party.
Rufus is a travelling paladin who was hired by High Priestess Shasta (the main villain) to hunt and kill the party. Rufus blindly follows Shasta, believing her to be the goddess he worships sending him on a holy quest, unaware of her true intentions. Rufus is actually a really nice guy, goofy and eccentric while trying to maintain that 'bold, fearless paladin' image, and he's always helping people when the party can't tend to their needs first. The group may skip a side quest in favor of the nearby dungeon, only to find when they return that 'a noble paladin' already finished the quest.
As far as statistics go, Rufus is an interesting case. He's essentially a player character in his stats, having his levels mainly in Oath of Redemption Paladin, with a few in Champion Fighter. He's level 6 when the party first fights him, and level 12 the second encounter. After his HP goes to 0, he is 'defeated' as he runs away to preserve his own hide. While Rufus thinks the party is evil, he doesn't like to use excessive force, saving his stronger Smites and Action Surge for when he's below half-health.
Former Spider Queen of the Spider Guild, and friendly neighborhood scheming creature.
"Made by spiders, for spiders, of spiders."
My pronouns are she/her.
Web Weaver of Everlasting Narrative! (title bestowed by Drummer)
ooh, that's cool!
I love recurring villians, and the turnover villain as well.
Fire Emblem Enthusiast and tactics fan
go play Titanfall 2. it's good
someone help me
Earth -> pure magical energy refined into a damaging form? Shouldn't the damage type associated with earth be bludgeoning?
I really like the whole concept, though. Sounds fun!
Paladin main who spends most of his D&D time worldbuilding or DMing, not Paladin-ing.
I was mainly using force due to bludgeoning being a common damage type. but I am trying to make it a complex game, with a wholesome story.
Fire Emblem Enthusiast and tactics fan
go play Titanfall 2. it's good
someone help me
Yeah, I get it. It is kind of unfortunate that there’s not really an interesting damage type that is obviously associated with elemental earth.
Either way, it really does sound like a great encounter (or series of them, kind of).
Paladin main who spends most of his D&D time worldbuilding or DMing, not Paladin-ing.
I may use the Encounter Builder to test it...
maybe switch Air to Force and Earth to Thunder?
My main idea is that there is a main story and six side stories. the main boss uses lightning, and six different countries/city-states have bosses that each use a different element.
Each boss teaches a specific Battle type (ill explain later) and one of the "Six Pillars of Heroism", Strength, Morality, Wisdom, Truth, Justice, and Valor.
Fire Emblem Enthusiast and tactics fan
go play Titanfall 2. it's good
someone help me
I would probably just keep earth as force, since all the others make the most sense for what element they’re with.
Paladin main who spends most of his D&D time worldbuilding or DMing, not Paladin-ing.
alright.
Fire Emblem Enthusiast and tactics fan
go play Titanfall 2. it's good
someone help me