There is the link to the homebrewery page where I have all of the content for this monster duo. I'm looking for help balancing it and just in general any comments or input is greatly appreciated!! https://homebrewery.naturalcrit.com/share/suGBpw_CvTFS
The first thing I would do is cut as close to half of that content as I could to make the encounter easier to run. (When the monsters are that complex, and their items are equally complex, you will end up not using at least half of it.)
I think the magic items wielded by both of these enemies should work a little differently for them:
Darknut should be able to doff his armor as a bonus action. A whole action to essentially change form is super expensive for a fight that is not likely to last more than a few rounds, and will slow the pace of the fight at exactly the point where it should be speeding up.
Getting whomped by something called the Cursed Staff of Calamity Gannon should frickin hurt. It should be doing like 6d6 extra necrotic damage or something. It might not ever come up, but if it does it would be really anticlimactic for a hit to do like 5 damage.
Both of these things could be specific bonuses to those creatures due to their connection with Gannon or something. I get that they are balanced as items that could be wielded by the PCs, but that is holding back their threat level for the purpose of this fight IMO.
I'd also consider just baking in the effects of Stoneskin/Fly to Vaati's stat block to free up your concentration for other stuff. It's not unexpected for a BBEG at this level to have weapon resistances or a fly speed. It also seems like Vaati is eligible to take damage from Darknut's Malice Eruption? I don't think it should be.
Casting Firebolt as a Legendary Action seems objectively worse than Grave Bolts for Vaati. I might swap that out for some form of forced movement/control to help set up Wall of Force or an AOE spell (which are conspicuously missing from Vaati's list. Is this intentional? Seems like you should have at least one. Circle of Death maybe?).
There is the link to the homebrewery page where I have all of the content for this monster duo. I'm looking for help balancing it and just in general any comments or input is greatly
appreciated!!
https://homebrewery.naturalcrit.com/share/suGBpw_CvTFS
The first thing I would do is cut as close to half of that content as I could to make the encounter easier to run. (When the monsters are that complex, and their items are equally complex, you will end up not using at least half of it.)
Add minions.
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Content Troubleshooting
I think the magic items wielded by both of these enemies should work a little differently for them:
Darknut should be able to doff his armor as a bonus action. A whole action to essentially change form is super expensive for a fight that is not likely to last more than a few rounds, and will slow the pace of the fight at exactly the point where it should be speeding up.
Getting whomped by something called the Cursed Staff of Calamity Gannon should frickin hurt. It should be doing like 6d6 extra necrotic damage or something. It might not ever come up, but if it does it would be really anticlimactic for a hit to do like 5 damage.
Both of these things could be specific bonuses to those creatures due to their connection with Gannon or something. I get that they are balanced as items that could be wielded by the PCs, but that is holding back their threat level for the purpose of this fight IMO.
I'd also consider just baking in the effects of Stoneskin/Fly to Vaati's stat block to free up your concentration for other stuff. It's not unexpected for a BBEG at this level to have weapon resistances or a fly speed. It also seems like Vaati is eligible to take damage from Darknut's Malice Eruption? I don't think it should be.
Casting Firebolt as a Legendary Action seems objectively worse than Grave Bolts for Vaati. I might swap that out for some form of forced movement/control to help set up Wall of Force or an AOE spell (which are conspicuously missing from Vaati's list. Is this intentional? Seems like you should have at least one. Circle of Death maybe?).
My homebrew subclasses (full list here)
(Artificer) Swordmage | Glasswright | (Barbarian) Path of the Savage Embrace
(Bard) College of Dance | (Fighter) Warlord | Cannoneer
(Monk) Way of the Elements | (Ranger) Blade Dancer
(Rogue) DaggerMaster | Inquisitor | (Sorcerer) Riftwalker | Spellfist
(Warlock) The Swarm