So this goes back to a recent thread about different types of boss fights and how to use multiple form bosses, multi head bosses, and so on.
The short of the situation: all the drow left my world in the anticipation of the end of the world. Drow traders stayed behind to prevent it. They are using slaves and magic to vent an actively erupting volcano, to prevent the build up of gasses which could cause a violent explosion.
Should that explosion happen, hopefully sometime around 6th level in my E6 game, a dark, city eating god will be let lose to destroy the world.
I'd like this boss to have a number of characteristics:
Invulnerability to 1st through 3rd level characters.
A reasonable attack that could kill tens or hundreds of ordinary people while being avoidable by higher level characters (by flying or jumping or something).
At least two stages, but a third would be better.
Of appropriate difficulty for 6, 6th level characters.
The boss should start off utilizing its unbelievably huge tentacles, though his final form could be more human, maybe even beautiful.
I think you need to scale your campaign up to higher levels. I can't see any way for a creature to be able to kill dozens to hundreds of people quickly and easily while not also just about auto-killing players at level 6, given that many NPCs are going to be up to level 2 or 3.
The difference in saves and HP from 1-6 just isn't really enough to encompass that kind of difference.
You could create some spell that devastates stuff based on HD, but again, the difference between level 1 and 6 is too small.
Also, from your description of the creature itself, it sounds very difficult for a party of lvl 6 adventurers to deal with: they don't have as many of the tools that help with dealing with really large enemies or grappling, don't have access to flight in any real way (casters will have access to Fly at level 7/8, but not enough spell slots to be burning all of their highest level slots on giving the part Fly), nor the resources to push through a series of long, hard fights.
To me, anyway, there is a disconnect between character level/power and the challenge and scope of your proposal. Maybe that's just me.
yeti1069 wrote: I think you need to scale your campaign up to higher levels. I can't see any way for a creature to be able to kill dozens to hundreds of people quickly and easily while not also just about auto-killing players at level 6, given that many NPCs are going to be up to level 2 or 3.
The difference in saves and HP from 1-6 just isn't really enough to encompass that kind of difference.
You could create some spell that devastates stuff based on HD, but again, the difference between level 1 and 6 is too small.
Also, from your description of the creature itself, it sounds very difficult for a party of lvl 6 adventurers to deal with: they don't have as many of the tools that help with dealing with really large enemies or grappling, don't have access to flight in any real way (casters will have access to Fly at level 7/8, but not enough spell slots to be burning all of their highest level slots on giving the part Fly), nor the resources to push through a series of long, hard fights.
To me, anyway, there is a disconnect between character level/power and the challenge and scope of your proposal. Maybe that's just me.
I think you can make it work by disconnecting the game from the Beastiary. Personally, I rarely look at it.
For example, lightning, real lightning, hits people under blue skies all the time. I don't know the numbers off the top of my head, but real lightning strikes totally dry people, cutting strait through their bodies, all the time, and in the majority of these incidents, the victims live.
Now most people in the game have around 6 hitpoints. That means that a naturally forming lightning bolt that happens to strike a person should do about 1d10 damage. Compared to the 5d6 that real casters start throwing at level five, its nothing. Wizard lightning obliterates real lightning in a contest of who has the most stones.
Same thing with damage, arguably, being shot with a .45 bullet is one of the worst things that can happen to you, yet people young and old survive in the real world all the time, despite having less than 8 hp. Again, a .45 probably shouldn't do more than a d10 in Pathfinder.
So what then are 6th level player characters that can let loose lightning that can bring a building down and kill all of the people inside, fighters doing so much damage with their swords and hammers that no surgeon anywhere from any time could save the victim's live. 6th level characters are amazing. They would obliterate the X-Men or the Avengers if you actually compare what they are capable of doing to average soldiers, animals, and people.
Which brings me to the monster. In a game with a low level cap like 6th, 4d6 damage is horrifying. If it has say, 4 attacks per round, each doing 3d6 with a +6 to strike, 1st level characters would die in droves to it but it would be almost totally ineffective against 6th level characters.
I really think I can find stats to convey this.
You would have to DM Fiat as in create a special attack. Nothing in the rule book works. As an example it can create a mile wide AoE that does 10d4. That takes out most level 1 character even on a save, but a level 6 character would not die from it. I would also give it a daily limit if you are worried about doing too much damage with it.
Maybe even make it sound based and say it ignores cover or saying total cover gives a bonus to the save.
Do they have to fight it head-on? Can't you use plot devices to allow them to win over it, even though they'd get smashed to bits if they ran up and punched it?
Really, the big bad tentacled god sounds kinda cthulu-ish... Is that the general feel you're going for, some kind of cosmic horror light? It can do very well in E6 IMO, but you need to disconnect "winning" with "beating the BBEG to pulp". You could have them open up some other portal-vortex to suck him down, but to reach it they'll have to fight the minions he creates from the bodies of those he kills and maybe even fight one of his tentacles...
How big is the guy going to be, physically? Large? Huge? Colossal?
For "attack that kills low-levels but not high-levels", why not a scaled-down Cloudkill? And of course, a Fear Aura vs. HD <6.
stringburka wrote: Do they have to fight it head-on? Can't you use plot devices to allow them to win over it, even though they'd get smashed to bits if they ran up and punched it?
Really, the big bad tentacled god sounds kinda cthulu-ish... Is that the general feel you're going for, some kind of cosmic horror light? It can do very well in E6 IMO, but you need to disconnect "winning" with "beating the BBEG to pulp". You could have them open up some other portal-vortex to suck him down, but to reach it they'll have to fight the minions he creates from the bodies of those he kills and maybe even fight one of his tentacles...
How big is the guy going to be, physically? Large? Huge? Colossal?
For "attack that kills low-levels but not high-levels", why not a scaled-down Cloudkill? And of course, a Fear Aura vs. HD <6.
Lovely, thank you.
As for feel, I'm going for anime instead of lovecraft.
When you read this, assume the party will have the support of 4th level NPC clerics that can cast Align Weapon for them.
Hundreds of tentacles, each more than 3 meters thick, rise from the rift in the ground more than 80' into the air as a bright red and yellow lava flow pours across the field around it.
Dark God - Form 1
XP ???
CE Colossal Deity
Init +2; Blind Sight Unlimited Range; Perception +22
DEFENSE
AC 17, touch 6, flat-footed 18 (-5 Dex, +20 natural, –8 size)
hp 150
DR 20/-
ER Fire 50, Sonic 50, Earth 50, Acid 50
ER All Other Energy Types 20
Fort +18, Ref +0, Will +18
Defensive Powers: Minor Globe of Invulnerability, Immunity Charm / Compulsion, Fear Aura
Vulnerability – Each time a tentacle is destroyed, the main body loses 2 from its DR and ER.
OFFENSE
Speed – Stationary
Melee – by tentacle, see below
Space 80 ft.; Reach 80 ft.
Special Attacks – Earth Quake, Call Lightning
10 Tentacles
HP 20
CMB +10
CMD 25
AC 19, touch 9, flatfooted 16, (Dex +2, Dodge +1, Natural +10, Size -4)
DR 20 / Lawful
ER 50 / Fire & Sonic
ER 10 / All Energy Types
Melee - 10 Tentacle Attacks +10 Damage 2d6+4 + Grapple
Special – Anytime a tentacle strikes and deals damage, its gets an automatic grapple attempt. It can roll to maintain a grapple as a swift action.
Special Attack – Rake
As a full round action, the deity can make a sweeping attack on all grounded targets within its reach, dealing 2d6 damage, reflex save to negate.
Abilities
Minor Globe of Invulnerability – Permanent – As if cast by a 10th level caster.
Fear Aura – All creatures of 3 or fewer HD must make a DC 16 Will save or suffer the onset of insanity upon seeing the creature. Those that pass flee. Higher hit dice creatures must save upon seeing it or be shaken, though most will choose to run anyway.
Earth Quake – Once every d4 rounds, the creature can cause an Earthquake destroying all primitive and masonry structures within a 2 mile radius. The earthquake will most likely displace or disable any nearby siege equipment.
Call Lightning - Once per round, instead of attacking, the creature can call down a lightning bolt as a touch attack dealing 5d6 damage on any one creature within 600’. The creature adds +10 to this attack roll. Those struck can save, DC 16, for half.
Upon these forms destruction, a new one appears
For its second form, I'm thinking it should craw out of the rift in the ground and start moving towards either the party or civilization with alarming speed.
For its final form, I'd like it to break open and release a beautiful person with near invulnerability that can calmly talk about the destruction of the world, the beauty of clearing a path for new creation, its peace with death, its disgust with the defiance of man blah blah blah (;
Something else to keep in mind, the party is going to be really strong for a 6th level party with a lot of wealth. I'm not super worried about making sure that the deity is perfectly balanced for them, just possibly beatable.
Ok....you've got the "horrible tentacle monster" theme going with the "Deity" monster (don't like the name, only because Gods are supposed to be unkillable by mortals, but whatever)
Stage 2: Drop from Colossal to Huge, maybe?
4-6 Tentacle attacks
Speed 40-50
Sprint ability (like Cheetah, or Squid underwater)
DR 10?
Energy Resistance should likely stay up
Shield / Mage Armor in effect, little to no other buff spells. (makes it immune to magic missile while bumping its AC up a bit.
Damage should be on the order of 30-40 / hit (based on CR 9), so 4d6+14? Puts it slighly lower than average, but with multiple hits, grapple, constrict, and possibly swallow whole, that'll add up.
as far as your Stage 3 "One Winged Angel" form, if you're not adverse to blatantly robbing anime, just go with a Sephiroth clone.
Huge-Oversized-Sword (Huge Greatsword? Falcata?) attack.
Flight
Eye Lasers (as scorching ray, CL 7, possibly alter the energy type as you see fit)
Mage armor, shield, shield of faith effects permanently in place
see invisibility / touchsight ability permanently in place
Just shooting from the hip here, but
Evil Sephiroth Clone
CR 10
XP 9600
CE Medium Outsider (Chaotic, Evil, Extraplanar)
Init +4; Blind Sight Unlimited Range; Perception +16
DEFENSE
AC 32, touch 17, flat-footed 28(+4 Dex, +3 Natural, +4 mage armor, +4 shield, +3 Deflection)
hp (13d10+52) 130
DR 20/Lawful
Immune: Fire, Magic Missile, Charm/Compulsion
ER All other Energy Types 10
Fort +14, Ref +7, Will +13
Defensive Powers: Shield, Mage Armor, Shield of Faith - already calculated in. If dispelled, can reactivate all 3 on his turn as a free action.
Vulnerability: ???????
OFFENSE
Speed 30, Fly 60 (Good)
Melee: Buster-Katana +18 (4d8+18 17-20/x2) [Vital Strike/Power Attack/Furious Focus factored in]
Ranged: 2 Eye Lasers +14 Touch (4d6) Range 55'
BAB 10/5 CMB 15 CMD 32
Space 5, Reach 5
Statistics
Str 20 Dex 18 Con 18 Int 12 Wis 16 Cha 14
Feats: Power Attack, Weapon Focus, Furious Focus, Vital Strike, Improved Critical (Buster-Katana)
Skills: as you see fit - gets 7/HD or 101 Skill Points
Gear: Large +2 Anarchic Bastard Sword
Abilities
Special Attacks (Sp) – Laser Eyes (as scorching ray, CL 7, except any energy type (one per turn), decided when using ability.
Fear Aura (Su) – All creatures of 3 or fewer HD must make a DC 16 Will save or suffer the onset of insanity upon seeing the creature. Those that pass flee. Higher hit dice creatures must save upon seeing it or be shaken, though most will choose to run anyway.
Call Lightning (Sp) - Once per round, as a standard action, the creature can call down a lightning bolt, dealing 5d6 damage (Ref DC 16 for half) on any one creature within 600’.
Wield oversized weapons (Ex) - despite being Medium, the Sephiroth Clone can freely wield weapons sized for Large creatures without penalty.
there you go....CR 10, Outsider type, intelligent, and capable of calmly debating the end of the world as the place burns down around him. AC may be a bit too high, but you can always knock that down with reduction of buff spells.
edit: formatting & forgot ranged attack line
Something simple to add would be a damage aura with a low base damage. For instance, a Negative Energy aura that does 1d6 damage per round in a 100 yard radius is going to kill 0-level characters pretty quick, but the party of 6th level characters is going to survive a while. You can further increase PC survivability that if the Cleric channels, the radius of his burst is "safe" for 1 round per d6 his channel does (so 3 rounds at level 6). This has the added bonus of 1 channel effectively canceling about 6 rounds (assuming average rolls on the dice all around) of the aura for the party.
Psi Hamster, thanks for the input. I was thinking of keeping it the same size but dropping it to huge would do a lot to add to the feeling that they are killing it.
Would it be too much to play the classical music version of One Winged Angel when the real form comes out?
Iron Truth, the problem I have with the negative energy field is that I like the idea of kids and moms running away as the tentacles fall down on their houses. Just falling dead takes away the opportunity to be afraid.
Psi Hamster, I'm going to have to think long and hard about the CR of the final form. Even for 6 6th level characters with additional superpowers, 2 CR 9 fights in a row, leading to a level 10 might be a little much. The lava flow could really raise the difficulty of the encounter if one of the characters gets grappled and put in the heat.
Though, as a super hero game, they will be really strong. The Dwarven Smith just learned how to make Fire Invulnerability armor and has a "dram of tass" to make a magic item, so I think he is going to equip the paladin with a suit. I anticipate the Paladin getting "super strength" by the time they fight this thing, so I guess once I have the monster nail down, I can adjust him when it gets closer to the time.
Circle of Death is the spell you want -- except you want to tone it down. It currently kills those of less than 9hd. Since you are in an E6 world saying it kills those of 5hd or less would work.
Then widen it and quicken it. That gives you an 80 ft burst that kills those with less than 5hd as a swift action each round.
Another approach is to have him have a sleep aura (as per the spell) and then maledicton goes off on his turn. So those common types go to sleep in his presence and die.
Having a widened constant Black Tentacles spell up around him would give you lots of free tentacle attacks on those that approach him without you having to worry about his number of attacks or anything like that.
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