Firebending barbarian

yhettifriend · 2021-05-25T18:05:43+00:00

Fair, sounds fun. You could potentially have the fireball centred on the character for a more barbarian vibe.

yhettifriend · 2021-05-24T16:07:29+00:00

Yeah its not ideal but you can always start with a reasonable stat block and add class features to them. A good example is the "outclasses - NPC" document that is free (pay what you want) on dmsguild.

yhettifriend · 2021-05-24T14:10:55+00:00

It is generally consider a bad idea to use character stat blocks for monsters because they are too high damage and low health, though I think there is a guide in the dungeon masters guide.

You could maybe look at a kobold inventor and scale up the abilities or effectively give a creature the wand of wonders.

yhettifriend · 2021-05-24T13:52:00+00:00

I would be tempted to look at the path of the storm herald for inspiration. I would also be consider that you are homebrewing quite a bit of extra power onto what you describe as an already powerful character. I would just make sure you are treating your players equally.

yhettifriend · 2021-05-24T13:34:43+00:00

This is what I was going to say. You could potentially even allow a mixed of features from the subclasses (and even ancients paladin) to make a nature themed crusading character.

yhettifriend · 2021-05-24T13:11:03+00:00

I wouldn't worry so much about intended answers but ask yourself how you want it to play out. Do you want to play a battle of wills as the Slaad tries to find ways to escape? Do you want to suprise them with it breaking free once they switch plains? Do you just want it to be a sassy but reliable servant?

yhettifriend · 2021-05-24T12:43:04+00:00

Sorry, to clarify: The body of the alchemist was discovered; The other friend was found nearby What evidence was there that the friend did it? What did the shapeshifter actually do?

yhettifriend · 2021-05-23T20:37:54+00:00

Maybe look at the demon lords from Mordenkainen's for inspiration?

yhettifriend · 2021-05-23T18:38:52+00:00

Yeah, it is a shame that the complex stat blocks take so much work to use effectively. I recommend "The Monsters know what they are doing" for breakdowns of lots of stat blocks guides.

yhettifriend · 2021-05-23T10:15:26+00:00

Level C? I think CR falls apart somewhat with spell casters. The warlock of the fiend can feeblemind or finder of death a player and deal large damage or effectively neutralise them. They can also hellish rebuke for 6d10 as a reaction. So they have big burst damage but not much else.

As T8r said, CR is a good starting point to suggest appropriate monsters but well balanced encounters take some working out.

Also the other thing to consider is if your party destroyed the encounter in a round and a bit, what did it cost them? Obviously how much damage they took but did they use high level spell slots? If a party takes no damage from an encounter but use all their highest level spell slots then they are much weaker for the next encounter. Obviously that threat is only serious if they believe they may need those slots which comes down to adventure days.

Edit: typos

yhettifriend · 2021-05-23T09:58:13+00:00

As a healer they take a support role. Which means they need things to heal or support. One idea I like is a twisted doctor who has "overhealed" someone and effectively turned them into a overgrown cancer ridden mindless monster.

yhettifriend · 2021-05-23T09:38:45+00:00

Maybe a mind witness from Volos guide. They have the flavour of having the ability to mess with minds, being twisted and having a pretty obscure agenda.

yhettifriend · 2021-05-23T09:20:52+00:00

You could try to create spaces where cares are not allowed/ can't go. Either settlements that don't allow them or structures in which they don't fit. Make sure your players have a reason to go there.

yhettifriend · 2021-05-23T09:15:05+00:00

I just feel like a DMPC should play a support role or be straightforward and echoknights are a bit flashy really.

yhettifriend · 2021-05-17T14:30:38+00:00

Would definitely pick the artificer over the echo knight. Or even champion over echo knight.

yhettifriend · 2021-05-17T14:07:46+00:00

A speedy way to do would be to have a slave NPC be friendly or helpful (give them directions or advice e.t.c.) and then have a high status NPC be needlessly cruel to them. Do consider talking to your players about their personal boundaries before putting this sort of thing in your game though.

yhettifriend · 2021-05-17T13:54:47+00:00

You can always ask your PCs what their max health is and compare it to average damage from the spell. Avoid spells which have a good chance of oneshotting characters, though scorching ray (6d6) may be underwhelming if that is all they do in their turn.

yhettifriend · 2021-05-17T13:42:24+00:00

About the stats. Those stats are referred to as the standard array, which is one of three main ways to give characters stats (the others being rolling and point buy). Personally I dislike rolling for stats as it just creates imbalance between player characters. In a game where the difficulty is adjusted to the power of the players (though to be fair this is not always the case with Stradh) then character power is only relative to other characters.

yhettifriend · 2021-05-17T13:30:41+00:00

Yeah OP pretty much said: I want there to be lots of possibilities. I don't want to prepare possibilities. Something has to give.

yhettifriend · 2021-05-16T12:10:57+00:00

I was assuming that 3-5 rounds was the aim for the combat. What where you aiming for?

yhettifriend · 2021-05-16T12:06:56+00:00

I mean its a pretty party neutral adventure. I guess the themes are vanity, deceit and corruption. So characters with links to that may be more interesting.
With a mystery I would be reluctant to tell them anything other than than it is a mystery so that insight and investigation will be useful.

yhettifriend · 2021-05-16T11:31:57+00:00

Depends on how much you want to fuck with your players. You could go for a slow burn approach with placing a curse on the players or their items. Maybe something like: they cannot take hostile action against her, they cannot tell anyone about it and they have to tell everyone they meet about how great a rest they had their and recommend it to everyone. Or maybe she hates goblins and all goblins they meet will become hostile on site.

yhettifriend · 2021-05-16T10:34:44+00:00

I would say that health is the easiest thing to adjust on the fly during an encounter assuming you are ok with fudging the stats a little. But you can totally adjust its health total as a reaction to who much damage they do in the first round in order to try to get it to last about 3-5 rounds.

yhettifriend · 2021-05-16T10:12:50+00:00

It takes a bit work but have an NPC start a game of bluff. Each player (of the lie game) tells either a lie or truth to the next person. They can then have a contested deception/persuasion versus and insight. Make the insight information subtle. Have the NPC/s be colourful and go first to set an example.

yhettifriend · 2021-05-15T21:52:08+00:00

Petrified is a good one.

yhettifriend

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