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BOSS-need help balancing!

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
perfect
Aug 16, 2008 12:38:53 ....You enter a chamber about 40ft high,40 feet long and 20 ft. wide. Three columns, smooth white and unadorned occupy the room , but the thing that catches your eye first is the massive 30 foot Door at the other side of the room....

This is an idea I have for a boss in an upcoming adventure I will be running. The reason the door is there is currently inconsequential. What I'm worried about is if it is toooo hard for a party of 6 4th level characters.

The party is:
half-elve ranger
dwarf fighter
human rogue
human warlord
human cleric
and a human wizard

The door works like this: There are 4 elemental nodes , two on each side, the topmost being about 15ft up , the bottom ones are about ground level.

The door:

Each node is based on an element. (Loosely)

Fire
AC:12
HP:50
Immune:Fire,disease,poison
Vulnerable:Water 10

At-will: Flame Blast
+4 vs. Reflex , range 10, automatic 10 fire dmg.

Earth:
AC:16
HP:50

At-will:
Spawns 4 decrepit skeletons. (MM pg.234)

Rock
Brimstone Blast
+6 vs. AC , automatic 10 dmg.

Lightning
AC:12
HP:50

Encounter:
Lightning Sphere (Works similiar to Flame Sphere)
AC:14
HP:35
If the sphere moves into a square occupied by an enemy, it deals 10 lightning dmg. , and slides the target 3 squares.
Utility: automatic-trigger-when attacked
If an enemy uses a metal weapon against it the attacker takes 5 lightning dmg. and is knocked prone.

Tactics:
Each node acts on its own initiative. The fire node blasts anyone nearing the Earth node (the skeleton spawner), while the Rock node blasts anyone nearing the lightning node. The lightning node uses its Lightning sphere to slide enemys into the skeletons.

So this is what I have so far. I don't know if it is way outa balance or what, but I have previously warned my players to bring a couple extra characters to the game.:D
#2
ZerothOfTheLaw
Aug 16, 2008 13:11:40 Hmm. For a party of fourth level characters... the AC is too low, actually. You have a ranger, and a rogue, as well, you should figure out Will, Fort, and Ref scores, since there is a wizard and rogue.

If you want to know how to calculate an appropriate AC, choose which character you want to act as an example. I'll choose the rogue, since the rogue will deal the most damage. A decent fourth level rogue will have +9-+12 for their attack scores. So, a d20+x vs 11+x = 50% chance of success. Then, we need an ac of about 20 or so, if you want 50% success.

In addition, Will and Reflex should be substantially lower, likely about the AC you've got for them now. Fortitude... these are magically enchanted orbs. Stuck in a wall. They can't be moved. So their fortitude should be insanely high(try about 35).

Now, we've got their defenses appropriately set, we need to look at their attacks.

A fourth level character will have on average, 30-45 HP. Automatic 10 damage is pretty tough to deal with. However, the problem is that three of them deal it out. On one character, thats 3/4 of their HP gone, if they manage to hit. I'd say automatic 8 damage, or roll 2d8. A 2d8 has the potential to do 10 or higher damage 43.75% of the time. This a good risk, since 56.25% of the time, it'll do less.

Thats the other point, is their tohit bonuses are very low. They'll almost never hit the rogue or the fighter. I'd suggest raising their tohits by about 5 at least, giving them a boost of where they'll hit 25% more often.

Now, weaknesses. These are elemental orbs, are they not? As a player, I'd tell the wizard to try casting a spell that has the opposite type of the orb, if possible. To facilitate that creative thinking, give each orb a vulnerable 5 to the opposite element. Fire gets vulnerable 5 water. Electricity gets vulnerable 5 earth. Earth gets vulnerable 5 cold, and so does Rock.

The tactics sound good, just adjust the stats as suggested, and you'll make the orbs last longer, but do a bit less damage. Studies have shown that when opponents last longer, they are considered tougher, even if they had less chance of killing the player than a short-lived but extremely high damage enemy.

The idea is to make them feel they will die, and if they aren't smart, they will!
#3
perfect
Aug 16, 2008 13:25:51 Hey thanks Zero!

Those adjustments look alot better.
#4
ZerothOfTheLaw
Aug 16, 2008 17:47:18 Zeroth*

No problem perfect. Let us know how the group enjoys the encounter, kay?

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 perfect Aug 16, 2008 12:38:53	....You enter a chamber about 40ft high,40 feet long and 20 ft. wide. Three columns, smooth white and unadorned occupy the room , but the thing that catches your eye first is the massive 30 foot Door at the other side of the room.... This is an idea I have for a boss in an upcoming adventure I will be running. The reason the door is there is currently inconsequential. What I'm worried about is if it is toooo hard for a party of 6 4th level characters. The party is: half-elve ranger dwarf fighter human rogue human warlord human cleric and a human wizard The door works like this: There are 4 elemental nodes , two on each side, the topmost being about 15ft up , the bottom ones are about ground level. The door: Each node is based on an element. (Loosely) Fire AC:12 HP:50 Immune:Fire,disease,poison Vulnerable:Water 10 At-will: Flame Blast +4 vs. Reflex , range 10, automatic 10 fire dmg. Earth: AC:16 HP:50 At-will: Spawns 4 decrepit skeletons. (MM pg.234) Rock Brimstone Blast +6 vs. AC , automatic 10 dmg. Lightning AC:12 HP:50 Encounter: Lightning Sphere (Works similiar to Flame Sphere) AC:14 HP:35 If the sphere moves into a square occupied by an enemy, it deals 10 lightning dmg. , and slides the target 3 squares. Utility: automatic-trigger-when attacked If an enemy uses a metal weapon against it the attacker takes 5 lightning dmg. and is knocked prone. Tactics: Each node acts on its own initiative. The fire node blasts anyone nearing the Earth node (the skeleton spawner), while the Rock node blasts anyone nearing the lightning node. The lightning node uses its Lightning sphere to slide enemys into the skeletons. So this is what I have so far. I don't know if it is way outa balance or what, but I have previously warned my players to bring a couple extra characters to the game.:D
#2 ZerothOfTheLaw Aug 16, 2008 13:11:40	Hmm. For a party of fourth level characters... the AC is too low, actually. You have a ranger, and a rogue, as well, you should figure out Will, Fort, and Ref scores, since there is a wizard and rogue. If you want to know how to calculate an appropriate AC, choose which character you want to act as an example. I'll choose the rogue, since the rogue will deal the most damage. A decent fourth level rogue will have +9-+12 for their attack scores. So, a d20+x vs 11+x = 50% chance of success. Then, we need an ac of about 20 or so, if you want 50% success. In addition, Will and Reflex should be substantially lower, likely about the AC you've got for them now. Fortitude... these are magically enchanted orbs. Stuck in a wall. They can't be moved. So their fortitude should be insanely high(try about 35). Now, we've got their defenses appropriately set, we need to look at their attacks. A fourth level character will have on average, 30-45 HP. Automatic 10 damage is pretty tough to deal with. However, the problem is that three of them deal it out. On one character, thats 3/4 of their HP gone, if they manage to hit. I'd say automatic 8 damage, or roll 2d8. A 2d8 has the potential to do 10 or higher damage 43.75% of the time. This a good risk, since 56.25% of the time, it'll do less. Thats the other point, is their tohit bonuses are very low. They'll almost never hit the rogue or the fighter. I'd suggest raising their tohits by about 5 at least, giving them a boost of where they'll hit 25% more often. Now, weaknesses. These are elemental orbs, are they not? As a player, I'd tell the wizard to try casting a spell that has the opposite type of the orb, if possible. To facilitate that creative thinking, give each orb a vulnerable 5 to the opposite element. Fire gets vulnerable 5 water. Electricity gets vulnerable 5 earth. Earth gets vulnerable 5 cold, and so does Rock. The tactics sound good, just adjust the stats as suggested, and you'll make the orbs last longer, but do a bit less damage. Studies have shown that when opponents last longer, they are considered tougher, even if they had less chance of killing the player than a short-lived but extremely high damage enemy. The idea is to make them feel they will die, and if they aren't smart, they will!
#3 perfect Aug 16, 2008 13:25:51	Hey thanks Zero! Those adjustments look alot better.
#4 ZerothOfTheLaw Aug 16, 2008 17:47:18	Zeroth* No problem perfect. Let us know how the group enjoys the encounter, kay?