So, Strahd von Zarovich is my favourite DnD villain, which why I'm mad about his new Ravenloft stat block. His old CoS one and the EoR one are not perfect by any means, but his new one is just... bad.
He only has 204 HP, and a low AC for his CR. He can only deal damage at range with a 2/Day Fireball, lost some spells, Regeneration, and of course, his iconic lair actions.
Finally, the only way to play him so that he doesn't get steamrolled in two rounds is to spam his Command Legendary action, basically preventing anyone from taking turns. (I ran this, and all the players hated me because they couldn't take any actions). Also, his Charm lasts 24 hours, with no recharge, so if he gets all of them the fight is basically over.
So in short, this stat block is super weak, and can destroy the action economy of players. Also, there's some really weird stuff that he can't do, (no con save proficiency, and his Bite regains less HP then a normal Vampire. 3d6 vs 3d8).
So, in short, this is the worst stat block in the new Ravenloft book, so I am mad about this. Does anyone agree? Or could this stat block be used in a better way I'm not seeing?
I don't have the module, so I looked it up online. It seems that he is overall a little weaker, but more intended to be highly mobile, melee and charm-focused monster. It also seems like they intend Strahd to be a multi-encounter monster, since they put his resurrection trait into the stat block and gave him an extra legendary resistance if he is in his domain (implying that he can be encountered outside his domain).
It doesn't seem super weak to me though. His ability to make saves is just as high and if Strahd is using his bite often, he should be able to make up for the absence of Regeneration, and his increased speed and movement abilities should make him hard to pin down while also letting him pinpoint the PCs that are susceptible to his charm and bites.
IDK. Seems like a very different play style for Strahd, but as a DM, I don't mind not having to remember that passive HP regen and as a player, I don't mind not having to worry about Strahd fading through the walls to easily recover that HP. I see it overall as a mixed bag depending on your play preferences.
Warning: Potential CoS/Ravenloft spoilers ahead.
So, Strahd von Zarovich is my favourite DnD villain, which why I'm mad about his new Ravenloft stat block. His old CoS one and the EoR one are not perfect by any means, but his new one is just... bad.
He only has 204 HP, and a low AC for his CR. He can only deal damage at range with a 2/Day Fireball, lost some spells, Regeneration, and of course, his iconic lair actions.
Finally, the only way to play him so that he doesn't get steamrolled in two rounds is to spam his Command Legendary action, basically preventing anyone from taking turns. (I ran this, and all the players hated me because they couldn't take any actions). Also, his Charm lasts 24 hours, with no recharge, so if he gets all of them the fight is basically over.
So in short, this stat block is super weak, and can destroy the action economy of players. Also, there's some really weird stuff that he can't do, (no con save proficiency, and his Bite regains less HP then a normal Vampire. 3d6 vs 3d8).
So, in short, this is the worst stat block in the new Ravenloft book, so I am mad about this. Does anyone agree? Or could this stat block be used in a better way I'm not seeing?
I don't have the module, so I looked it up online. It seems that he is overall a little weaker, but more intended to be highly mobile, melee and charm-focused monster. It also seems like they intend Strahd to be a multi-encounter monster, since they put his resurrection trait into the stat block and gave him an extra legendary resistance if he is in his domain (implying that he can be encountered outside his domain).
It doesn't seem super weak to me though. His ability to make saves is just as high and if Strahd is using his bite often, he should be able to make up for the absence of Regeneration, and his increased speed and movement abilities should make him hard to pin down while also letting him pinpoint the PCs that are susceptible to his charm and bites.
IDK. Seems like a very different play style for Strahd, but as a DM, I don't mind not having to remember that passive HP regen and as a player, I don't mind not having to worry about Strahd fading through the walls to easily recover that HP. I see it overall as a mixed bag depending on your play preferences.
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