Daelkyr as a "Final Boss" [Archive] - Wizards Community

Daelkyr as a "Final Boss" [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Count Nerindil Van Seraph
09-03-07, 09:55 PM I'm running a game that I intend to take to 20th level that will feature a Daelkyr as the final fight. The thing is, these things seem inordinately powerful for their CR. I mean, 1d6 Con damage on every attack with no save? WOW. How would you go about designing the fight?

Thanks in advance,

The Count :dragon:
Drag0nUL
09-04-07, 05:02 AM Daelkyr strengths:

Don't think of Corrupting touch as 1d6 Con, but as 1d6 to your weakest ability score until it reaches 0. And if a Daelkyr thinks you are a threat, it will study you and know what your weakest ability score is.

The Daelkyr has a pretty good selection of spell-like abilities that variate the type of save they require (both Fort and Will). Wizard? Baleful Polymorph him into something cute and furry. Fighter? Confusion or Feeblemind+Corrupting touch.

Daelkyr weaknesses:

A Daelkyr has pretty weak AC for level 20. Any decent character that makes attacks on a regular basis has exceeded +30 to hit by that level. So expect your Daelkyr to go down pretty quickly if the players reach a position in which they can attack him.

Absolutely worthless as a melee damage dealer. His best attack is at +27 and by level 20 achieving an armor class of 40+ shouldn't be too hard. so the only think you can reliably do in melee is touch attacks with Corrupting touch (4d6 ability damage per round is quite a lot). Talking about Daelkyr attacks, there might be a slight mistake in the Daelkyr stat block: it is listed to have iterative slam attacks. that is not possible by default (slam is a natural weapon) and nowhere in the daelkyr entry any mention of a special ability allowing it to do so.

Hope this helps.
SwarthmoreDB
09-04-07, 09:23 AM I'm running a game that I intend to take to 20th level that will feature a Daelkyr as the final fight. The thing is, these things seem inordinately powerful for their CR. I mean, 1d6 Con damage on every attack with no save? WOW. How would you go about designing the fight?

Thanks in advance,

The Count :dragon:

I have often wondered if creatures from Xoriat should have psi-like abilities and psionics. I guess what you can do in case anyone is trying to metagame is to replace the spell-like abilities with psionics and psi-like abilities.

In fact, the only thing better to do is to make the daelkyr a phrenic creature (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/monsters/phrenicCreature.htm). Remember that the phrenic creature block gives you +4 to Charisma, and the daelkyr casts spells like a sorcerer, so that will increase the saves for those abilities; this is also extremely helpful for that aura of madness he has. You also have juicy psionic powers available to use such as ultrablast (deals 13d6 damage with a failed Will save, so you can hurt weak-willed people easily), fission (makes a copy of yourself to help get juicy flanking bonuses and probably can corrupt twice as many players in a round), and psionic dominate (fighter beating down on you? turn him against his fellows).

Hell, if you're not sure, you can always increase his hit dice to the maximum of 50 HD if you wanna make it go a little longer, although worrying about the AC is more important than the health. You want to worry less about your health and more about avoiding being hit.

In short, you rain destruction down on them.

Remember also that the Daelkyr would probably release its biggest and meanest creatures upon the PCs, not just fight them alone. Give him some psionic illithids and beholder mage generals to fight along with him and something nice and meaty to be the tank. Remember, once the daelkyr goes down, the battle is likely to be very over, and he should essentially be the last thing to go down.
Nived
09-04-07, 12:27 PM Do what was done to it the first time. Have a Gatekeeper Druid or an Abjurist cast Imprisonment on him, repeatedly until it works.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Count Nerindil Van Seraph 09-03-07, 09:55 PM	I'm running a game that I intend to take to 20th level that will feature a Daelkyr as the final fight. The thing is, these things seem inordinately powerful for their CR. I mean, 1d6 Con damage on every attack with no save? WOW. How would you go about designing the fight? Thanks in advance, The Count :dragon:
Drag0nUL 09-04-07, 05:02 AM	Daelkyr strengths: Don't think of Corrupting touch as 1d6 Con, but as 1d6 to your weakest ability score until it reaches 0. And if a Daelkyr thinks you are a threat, it will study you and know what your weakest ability score is. The Daelkyr has a pretty good selection of spell-like abilities that variate the type of save they require (both Fort and Will). Wizard? Baleful Polymorph him into something cute and furry. Fighter? Confusion or Feeblemind+Corrupting touch. Daelkyr weaknesses: A Daelkyr has pretty weak AC for level 20. Any decent character that makes attacks on a regular basis has exceeded +30 to hit by that level. So expect your Daelkyr to go down pretty quickly if the players reach a position in which they can attack him. Absolutely worthless as a melee damage dealer. His best attack is at +27 and by level 20 achieving an armor class of 40+ shouldn't be too hard. so the only think you can reliably do in melee is touch attacks with Corrupting touch (4d6 ability damage per round is quite a lot). Talking about Daelkyr attacks, there might be a slight mistake in the Daelkyr stat block: it is listed to have iterative slam attacks. that is not possible by default (slam is a natural weapon) and nowhere in the daelkyr entry any mention of a special ability allowing it to do so. Hope this helps.
SwarthmoreDB 09-04-07, 09:23 AM	I'm running a game that I intend to take to 20th level that will feature a Daelkyr as the final fight. The thing is, these things seem inordinately powerful for their CR. I mean, 1d6 Con damage on every attack with no save? WOW. How would you go about designing the fight? Thanks in advance, The Count :dragon: I have often wondered if creatures from Xoriat should have psi-like abilities and psionics. I guess what you can do in case anyone is trying to metagame is to replace the spell-like abilities with psionics and psi-like abilities. In fact, the only thing better to do is to make the daelkyr a phrenic creature (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/monsters/phrenicCreature.htm). Remember that the phrenic creature block gives you +4 to Charisma, and the daelkyr casts spells like a sorcerer, so that will increase the saves for those abilities; this is also extremely helpful for that aura of madness he has. You also have juicy psionic powers available to use such as ultrablast (deals 13d6 damage with a failed Will save, so you can hurt weak-willed people easily), fission (makes a copy of yourself to help get juicy flanking bonuses and probably can corrupt twice as many players in a round), and psionic dominate (fighter beating down on you? turn him against his fellows). Hell, if you're not sure, you can always increase his hit dice to the maximum of 50 HD if you wanna make it go a little longer, although worrying about the AC is more important than the health. You want to worry less about your health and more about avoiding being hit. In short, you rain destruction down on them. Remember also that the Daelkyr would probably release its biggest and meanest creatures upon the PCs, not just fight them alone. Give him some psionic illithids and beholder mage generals to fight along with him and something nice and meaty to be the tank. Remember, once the daelkyr goes down, the battle is likely to be very over, and he should essentially be the last thing to go down.
Nived 09-04-07, 12:27 PM	Do what was done to it the first time. Have a Gatekeeper Druid or an Abjurist cast Imprisonment on him, repeatedly until it works.