Apologies if this has already been answered, but I have a quick question about Zyrxog's mind blast. According to the MM, this spell-like ability is the equivalent of a 4th level spell, so its base DC is 14, plus charisma bonus. Based on this, it seems like Zyrxog's mind blast DC ought to be 20 (14 plus +6 cha bonus). The stat block lists it as 23. I don't see spell-like ability focus or anything of that sort to boost it further. Am I missing something or should the DC indeed be 20?
You are correct, the DC should be 20. I believe it was misstakenly calculated as a supernatural ability.
Thanks, Thanis!
It was incorrect either way - monster abilities only improve in DC with racial hit dice.
Can you give me a reference for that? Not that I think you're wrong - I've just seen both ways used. It makes sense to me that racial abilities shouldn't improve from class levels (the whole getting the cake and eating it too scenario) - but for instance, drow (and azers, and many others) have spell resistance that specifically scales with class levels.
Mind flayer SR isn't actually supposed to scale with class level, AOW just did it that way to make an encounter. Some SR scales with class level (Drow), some does not (Dragons and Mind Flayers).
Man, that DC really irritates me. I was stunned in that fight while I was polymorphed into a hydra, and I would have made the DC if the DM hadn't taken the word of the mag as law instead of having us reason it out. I would have ripped the fool apart!
Creative Director
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Actually, mind flayer SR does indeed scale with class levels. It's one of the exceptions (as detailed in the "mind flayers as characters" section on page 188 of the Monster Manual). So Zyrxog's SR is correct. As is his CR.
His mind blast save DC was wrong, though, alas. It's a spell-like ability that functions as a 4th level spell, so its save DC isn't influenced at all by the creature's HD. It's purely 14 + Charisma modifier; the save DC should be DC 20 as a result.
Contributor, RPG Superstar 2008 Top 6
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Can you give me a reference for that? Not that I think you're wrong - I've just seen both ways used. It makes sense to me that racial abilities shouldn't improve from class levels (the whole getting the cake and eating it too scenario) - but for instance, drow (and azers, and many others) have spell resistance that specifically scales with class levels.
Sure. Besides relevant examples in the MM (Half-dragon come sto mind), here is the text from the beginning:
When a special ability allows a saving throw, the kind of save and the save DC is noted in the descriptive text. Most saving throws against special abilities have DCs calculated as follows: 10 + 1/2 the attacker’s racial Hit Dice + the relevant ability modifier.
Note "racial Hit Dice". This is something that designers get wrong _a lot_, though.
Russ
Zyrxog's Mind Blast DC is supposed to be only 20... That would make it easier on my players... Yeah, it's probably just a rumor... DC 23 is much better:)
Lose improved toughness and add ability focus (mind blast). DC 22. Give it a circlet of charisma +4 -->DC 24.
With displacement, mirror image (important replacement), and shield, Zyrzog has a decent chance of grappling a PC long enough to extract, but the flayer would most certainly be hewn down in the next instant. If it can't stun at least the brawlers in the first or second round of being spotted, it'll plane shift away. I can't imagine the flayer throwing its life away. The mind blast DC needs to be high in my case.
I'll add a couple levels and bring it back later, when the group tangles with Darl and his gang. I might also bring back the death knight Raknian, should things unfold that way.