Combat-wise, isn't the Imp basically the same as the Quasit? They have most of the same immunities and abilities outside of the Imp's Devil's Sight. I guess that Imp is 3 hp hardier than the Quasit. Between the slightly higher poison damage of the Imp with no Poisoned condition vs. the Quasit's Poisoned condition attack, isn't it mostly a wash?
The imp's poison damage isn't slightly higher, it's massively higher, because it's save for half, not save for none. Against a typical low level enemy, the quasit's poison averages 2 (total attack damage 7), the imp's poson averages 7 (total attack damage 12). Having 70% higher damage and 40% higher hit points is easily enough to bump from 1/4 to 1/2.
Combat-wise, isn't the Imp basically the same as the Quasit? They have most of the same immunities and abilities outside of the Imp's Devil's Sight. I guess that Imp is 3 hp hardier than the Quasit. Between the slightly higher poison damage of the Imp with no Poisoned condition vs. the Quasit's Poisoned condition attack, isn't it mostly a wash?
They are both CR 1 creatures, so yes they are effectively similar in their difficulty, in that, one *should* provide a similar challenge as the other.
So where it gets tricky is, if I look at Swarm of Bats, it has 1 lower AC than Pseudodragon, 3X as many hit points, blindsight 60 feet and immunity to several conditions and resistant to weapon damage. The "to hit" is the same, though no poison ability. It's CR is the same as Pseudodragon, 1/4. Shouldn't Swarm of Bats be at least a CR 1 like the Quasit, since it's much harder to kill than the Pseudodragon?
Defensive capability (survivability) is only half of the average that determines CR. The other half is Offensive (lethality). A Pseudodragon has the capability, albeit a slight one, to render a PC unconscious on a bad enough saving throw, while the Swarm is more of a punching bag with wings and small teeth that only get smaller the more it is damaged.
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“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime.” - Mark Twain - Innocents Abroad
Combat-wise, isn't the Imp basically the same as the Quasit? They have most of the same immunities and abilities outside of the Imp's Devil's Sight. I guess that Imp is 3 hp hardier than the Quasit. Between the slightly higher poison damage of the Imp with no Poisoned condition vs. the Quasit's Poisoned condition attack, isn't it mostly a wash?
The imp's poison damage isn't slightly higher, it's massively higher, because it's save for half, not save for none. Against a typical low level enemy, the quasit's poison averages 2 (total attack damage 7), the imp's poson averages 7 (total attack damage 12). Having 70% higher damage and 40% higher hit points is easily enough to bump from 1/4 to 1/2.
But the Quasit's poison ability actually can inflict the Poison condition while the Imp's does not. Quasit also has Scare, which is another debuff.
But the Quasit's poison ability actually can inflict the Poison condition while the Imp's does not. Quasit also has Scare, which is another debuff.
Status effects are not generally figured into CR (possibly they should be, but mostly they aren't), and DC 10 poisoned (save ends) is not a terribly impressive debuff. Frightened is a bit better but the fact that it turns off if the quasit uses invisibility (invisible creatures are no longer in line of sight and therefore frightened has no effect) pretty severely limits its value.
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The imp's poison damage isn't slightly higher, it's massively higher, because it's save for half, not save for none. Against a typical low level enemy, the quasit's poison averages 2 (total attack damage 7), the imp's poson averages 7 (total attack damage 12). Having 70% higher damage and 40% higher hit points is easily enough to bump from 1/4 to 1/2.
They are both CR 1 creatures, so yes they are effectively similar in their difficulty, in that, one *should* provide a similar challenge as the other.
Defensive capability (survivability) is only half of the average that determines CR. The other half is Offensive (lethality). A Pseudodragon has the capability, albeit a slight one, to render a PC unconscious on a bad enough saving throw, while the Swarm is more of a punching bag with wings and small teeth that only get smaller the more it is damaged.
“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime.” - Mark Twain - Innocents Abroad
But the Quasit's poison ability actually can inflict the Poison condition while the Imp's does not. Quasit also has Scare, which is another debuff.
Status effects are not generally figured into CR (possibly they should be, but mostly they aren't), and DC 10 poisoned (save ends) is not a terribly impressive debuff. Frightened is a bit better but the fact that it turns off if the quasit uses invisibility (invisible creatures are no longer in line of sight and therefore frightened has no effect) pretty severely limits its value.