The AP1 lists Archedemus as having two forms. Each form is given it's own stat block with it's own CR listing of a 23. Both forms must be killed. Each form tracks it's HP, abillities etc as a seperate creature.
So is it intented for Archedemus to be an overall CR 23 having the shift form ability or should he technically be counted as two seperate creatures, each of a CR 23 (and thus an EL25 encounter)?
I feel if he's only one CR23 his two forms should of been listed in one heading (like forsay a shapechanger) and then have his individual form abilities listed seperate. Being that both forms have thier own stat block/listing, own HP, abilities, etc and are in all ways treated as two completely seperate creatures except only one being allowed to exist at any one point in time that players should be awarded EXP for each form, especially if they would manage to defeate one form and not the other.
James please enlighten me to the intent. That way if Archedemus is suppose to be a single CR 23 I can make a DM call to make him two seperate CR 21s, EL 23.
By the way some people have been marking (SPOILERS) on the thread titles. That is pretty good other than this section is supposed to be for DM's only, according to the message board page. Players really shouldn't be on this page for any reason outside cheating or AP completion anyways(just my opionin).
I'm not sure if the CR listed is for each form, or for the entire encounter. However, if it is for each form, it should probably be EL 24 rather than EL 25.
Because Adimarchus can only take one form per round, there is only one threat to the party at a time. The party doesn't have to split its attention the way it would with two seperate CR 23 creatures. On the other hand, there is no time to rest and heal the way two a party could between two seperate CR 23 encounters, so awarding double the xp for a CR 23 is probably not enough.
Creative Director
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Each of Adimarchus's forms are CR 23 creatures. If a party kills him by killing both of his bodies, they've basically killed two CR 23 monsters and should get XP for two CR 23 monsters. Taken together, Adimarchus is roughly an EL 25 encounter. You don't fight both of his forms at the same time, but you do fight them both in the same encounter. While this means that the PCs have the advantage in that they don't need to split their resources between two targets, it also means that they can't kill two birds with one stone and damage both of his forms at the same time with area affect spells or attacks, which also means that the combat will probably last longer than normal (since it's more like two back-to-back encounters rather than one encounter with two foes), so chances that short-duration spell effects might run out are higher.
I bow to your wisdom :)
I concurr with James' analysis.
Oh, and Rikkus, I don't know about others before me, but I used the "spoilers" tag just to make doubly sure...operating on a "better safe than sorry" philosophy in this regard.
I agree this *should* be a DM's Only forum, but stranger things have happened.