My current campaign is now a couple of sessions under way, and I wanted to do a small dungeon with a lot of plot exposition, so the characters have actual reasons to travel together (they're currently operating under: we'll dy if we split up). I have the layout more or less worked out. They'll start with a fight on moving gondolas, then move on to fight in front of a huge furnace, then they encounter the man who built the place, who, when they've beaten him, summons a huge construct to bash their faces in while he escapes.
However, I wasn't able to find a suitable monster for that, so I decided to build one myself. I eventually came up with this:
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Automaton Spider Level 3 Solo Brute
Large elemental animate XP 750
Initiative +3 Senses Perception +5; darkvision
HP 229; Bloodied 114
AC 18; Fortitude 17;
Reflex 15; Will 13
Immune poison; disease
Saving Throws +5
Speed 6 Action Points 2
m Claw (standard; at-will)
Reach 2; +6 vs AC; 1d10 + 4 damage
M Double attack (standard; at-will)
The Automaton makes two claw attacks.
C Ground Pounce (standard; recharge 6)
Close blast 4; +4 vs Fortitude; 2d6 + 4 damage and the target is dazed (save ends).
C Jumping smash (free, when first bloodied; encounter)
Melee; +7 vs Reflex; Jump towards the creature that bloodied the Automaton and land adjacent to him.; 2d10 damage, the target is grabbed and dazed (save ends). Make a secondary attack against all targets in range.
Close Burst 5; +5 vs Fortitude; 1d6 + 3 damage, push 4 squares and knocked prone.
R Eye Layzor (minor; at-will) • Radiant
15; +5 vs Reflex; 1d8 + 4 radiant damage
R Eye Layzor Deluxe (minor; recharge 5 6) • Radiant
15; +4 vs Reflex; 1d8 + 3 radiant damage in wall 8
C Fire Spray (immediate reaction; recharge 5 6) • Fire
Used when attacked from behind.; Close Blast 2; +5 vs Reflex; 1d6 + 3 fire damage and ongoing 5 fire damage (save ends).
Alignment Unaligned Languages -
Skills Athletics +10
Str 18 (+5) Dex 10 (+1) Wis 3 (-3)
Con 18 (+5) Int 10 (+1) Cha 3 (-3)
Automaton Spider Level 3 Solo Brute
Large elemental animate XP 750
Initiative +3 Senses Perception +5; darkvision
HP 229; Bloodied 114
AC 18; Fortitude 17;
Reflex 15; Will 13
Immune poison; disease
Saving Throws +5
Speed 6 Action Points 2
m Claw (standard; at-will)
Reach 2; +6 vs AC; 1d10 + 4 damage
M Double attack (standard; at-will)
The Automaton makes two claw attacks.
C Ground Pounce (standard; recharge 6)
Close blast 4; +4 vs Fortitude; 2d6 + 4 damage and the target is dazed (save ends).
C Jumping smash (free, when first bloodied; encounter)
Melee; +7 vs Reflex; Jump towards the creature that bloodied the Automaton and land adjacent to him.; 2d10 damage, the target is grabbed and dazed (save ends). Make a secondary attack against all targets in range.
Close Burst 5; +5 vs Fortitude; 1d6 + 3 damage, push 4 squares and knocked prone.
R Eye Layzor (minor; at-will) • Radiant
15; +5 vs Reflex; 1d8 + 4 radiant damage
R Eye Layzor Deluxe (minor; recharge 5 6) • Radiant
15; +4 vs Reflex; 1d8 + 3 radiant damage in wall 8
C Fire Spray (immediate reaction; recharge 5 6) • Fire
Used when attacked from behind.; Close Blast 2; +5 vs Reflex; 1d6 + 3 fire damage and ongoing 5 fire damage (save ends).
Alignment Unaligned Languages -
Skills Athletics +10
Str 18 (+5) Dex 10 (+1) Wis 3 (-3)
Con 18 (+5) Int 10 (+1) Cha 3 (-3)
Few pointers:
* The word is "Laser", not "Layzor", but that might've been intentional and won't matter much either way
* I'd give the laser attacks a "does not provoke OA" so the spider can use them freely while in melee, since they are minor actions
* Laser wall is really cool, I might steal that idea
* There is no such thing as "from behind" in D&D. Instead, I'd go for "Use when flanked; target: one flanking creature" or a wording like that. This makes it clearer on when it can be used.
Assuming you throw in a bunch of minions, this thing should be able to provide a fun challenge, although it's just a n+1 monster so don't expect anyone to get killed here.
If the monster enters the fight without a short rest, then it might turn into a real killer, depending on how the characters are doing.