I've got a party of level 6 Gestalt characters who all have pretty good stats.
They tend to run roughshod over the majority of encounters, which I'm fine with, but I like to throw in a dangerous encounter every now and then.
They're currently in Schloss Caromarc and handily dealt with the Huge Air Elemental and were only stymied by the Erinyes because none of them were very good bowmen.
So I'm looking at the Mummy room (J5, "Beasts of Dark Reputation") that will likely be their first encounter of next session. They'll be fully rested going into this, and I noticed the Froghemoth and Intellect Devourer kept in jars in there.
So I got to thinking, would nerfed versions of these be appropriate as minions so it's not just Mummy and Mimic (who I'll get rid of)?
First off, these are their class makeups:
Bard/Summoner
Cleric/Alchemist
Barbarian (Armored Hulk)/Fighter
Barbarian/Fighter
The Eidolon and Armored Hulk have very good ACs, and can deal it out decently as well. The other "Fightarian" is a DPS machine, and the Cleric is their healer who generally chucks a fair number of bombs.
The monsters in question (quick stats I write down for reference in each session):
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Pickled Froghemoth
Initiative: +3
Size: Large
AC: 18
Touch AC: 8
HP: 45
Weapons: Bite +10 (2d6+8/19-20 plus grab), 4 tentacles +8 (1d8+5 plus grab)
Saves: Fort +10, Ref +5, Will +9
Special: Immune to Electricity (but slowed for 1 round), Resist Fire 10, Weak to Cold, All Around Vision (cannot be flanked)
Special Attacks: Constrict (tentacle, 1d6+5), Swallow Whole (2d6+5, AC 15, HP 18)
Special Tactics:
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Lobotomized Intellect Devourer
Initiative: +5
Size: Small
Speed: 40 ft.
AC: 17
Touch AC: 14
HP: 30
Weapons: 4 claws +10 (1d4+1)
Saves:
Special: Constant Detect Magic, Blindsight 60 ft., DR 5/magic, Resist Cold/Electricity 10, Immune to Mind Affecting Effects, Vulnerable to Protection From Evil
Special Attacks: Body Thief (Coup De Grace dealing 8d4+2d6+4 damage, takes over corpse if successful). Sneak Attack +1d6
Special Tactics: If the Mummy paralyzes a party member, it carries out its Body Thief attack.
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They're significantly nerfed from their respective CR 13 and CR 8 selves, but I hear tell of the Mummy being a much more dangerous encounter in practice than it looks on paper, so I'd really like a second (or third, or fourth or...) opinion before implementing this.
That's kind of a cool substitute encounter, and as long as you think the numbers are right for the CRs, it could prove interesting. Perhaps he shrunk and performed experiments on these monsters. In my campaign for example:
That being said, don't discount the mummy and mimic. It's a high variable encounter, meaning if the mummy wins initiatitve and paralyzes half the party or the mimic grapples the wrong person (like the guy readying the scorching ray on whatever is inside the sealed coffin), its suddenly an interesting if not potentially deadly fight. On the other hand, your party might get super creative and somehow open the coffin at a distance and fireball the room three times before anything even moves. The fight seems to go differently for different groups, and a lot of it depends on dice.
I THINK the CRs may be right, I'm not sure. I actually forgot there was a CR guide. I'm thinking as a rough estimate the Intellect Devourer is a CR 4 and the Froghemoth is a CR 5 at most, so with the CR 5 Mummy it falls firmly into the CR 7 bracket.
Here's how I figure I'd play it if the party ends up all paralyzed at once (Will saves for half of them...are not their strong suit). The Mummy is an intelligent undead, and I've always got the vibe they're cruel mofos too.
So I figure if the entire party ends up paralyzed/knocked unconscious the mummy would tie them all up (bar the one the Intellect Devourer nommed on) and just kind of string 'em along the wall in little rope/bandage cocoons or something.
They get a chance to escape (something like a Reflex save or Acrobatics check to cut/break the ropes and then grab onto one), and if they fail they go falling 150-200 feet.
So they get two chances at the "Save or be screwed" scenario. I've also given them some stuff that'll help up to two fallen buddies get back up, at a price. I told them the Chymickal Zombie fluid they found could make Chymickal zombies (or possibly functioned as a potion of Reincarnate) and if the former their Cleralchemist could make the sustaining fluid for them.
I don't really WANT to kill them but I don't like fudging dice so there's all possibility they will, therefore I at least give them a shot to recover. Makes me feel better and probably will for them too.
Well the good news is, nobody died. The Cleric was the only one to fail his Will save. Neither of the Barbarians failed.
I just realized the Intellect Devourer should have eaten the Cleric but I was half asleep and let the Barbarian full attack on the AoO for some reason.
That same Barbarian was eaten, but the other one killed the Froghemoth, and our new Paladin/Ranger whipped the Mummy's ass.
Bad news is everybody disappeared on me for various reasons (food, unexpected business, etc.) after that battle and didn't come back, so the session ended after one encounter.
Considering everyone disappeared afterward and there were already people missing, I think I may just roll it back and pretend the session never happened. Especially since I dungoofed.