Ask Wizards: 01/31/2008 (4e Boss Mobs)

[PnP News Bot]

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Ask Wizards: 01/31/2008 (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/4ask/20080131a)

Will there still be changes to battle epic monsters in 4E? For instance, the party going up against once single big bad scary monster?

[Mulsiphix]

I'm not familiar with the old setup but this sounds cool. To those who understand, could you explain how this is actually different from the current system?

[Farcaster]

Yes. The detailed answer is that at every tier of play (heroic, paragon and epic), you will be able to battle mobs of monsters as well as solo monsters.

Well, even with a firm understanding of the 3.5 system, I don't quite get what he is saying about battling a single opponent that feels like fighting a "whole bunch of monsters rolled into one." That could mean a lot of things, I suppose. It could mean that it gets a lot of attacks, or like the example combat with the dragon (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/drdd/20070822a) they posted once, it has a lot of triggered actions. I'm not sure.

[rabkala]

I think it means business as usual. Several monsters are generally weaker individually than the one tough bad guy with lots of abilities you would fight at your appropriate challenge rating.

[Mulsiphix]

I figured he was saying that one monster would be given an extensive set of abilities that you usually only find when battling groups of smaller monsters. Could be awesome as long as the monsters turn isn't overly complicated or overpowered.

[Maelstrom]

The problem with single big monsters in 3.5 is that they only have one turn just like everyone else, while the PCs can just swarm the sucker with action after action.

All it takes is one successful trip, and that monster won't be able to do a full attack. All it takes is one failed saving throw, and the monster might be out of commission.

To counteract this, my big baddies either have a really good knack of avoiding the players somehow (dimensional leaps, wings etc), or they have minions that are week comparatively but can run interferance and draw attacks.

[Mulsiphix]

I would think a minion with excessive abilities would be capable of attacking more than once a turn. What is the point of being able to do so many different things if you can still only do one at a time?

[Maelstrom]

Depending on the type of monster (Hydra, Beholder, dragon) they have different ways of dealing with crowds. Some have large numbers of attacks or area affect weapons (dragon breath). Mummies and Vampires though, for example, do really bad things to one PC at a time.

Usually each monster has a weakness which can be exploited, so most big baddies can be taken down pretty quickly with the right tactics by an experienced party. If however, the DM puts something interesting into effect that changes the dynamic, they can be extremely deadly. Lets say an improved invisibility Hydra (hard to target with those spells if you don't have line of sight) or a Troll with a potion of fire resistance (ugh, he's just gonna keep regenerating... anyone have acid?). A dragon attacking the party when they are in the midst of climbing a narrow path up the side of a mountain.