| Wyran Tegus |
I am preparing to run the 4th book in the War for the Crown AP, which includes a creature called the Hyaleth, a CR 10 aberration. The entry in the book gives information about advancing the base creature to a Hyaleth Queen by advancing the size from Large to Gargantuan, adding +8 to all of its mental abilities, and adding *at least* 5 HD. I think I have done that fairly well, but I'm trying to figure out 1) if I advanced it correctly, and 2) what the approximate CR of this monstrosity is.
The base creature can be found here, along with the advancement guidelines.
Before even getting to the two feats I could add to the creature, it looks to me like it might be CR 15 or 16 (comparing to other aberrations and looking at the Monster Advancement rules). I don't know if I should post a whole statblock, but here's my summary of what Large --> Gargantuan, adding 5 HD, and advancing its mental scores by 8 each did:
- Str +16 [and +1 at 16 HD] [Str 38]
- Dex -2 [and +1 at 20 HD] [Dex 14]
- Con +8 [Con 26]
- Natural AC +7 [AC 27]
- Base Attack Bonus +3 [BAB +15]
- Base Fort +1 [Fort +16]
- Base Reflex +1 [Reflex +8]
- Base Will +3 [Will +18]
In summary, Initiative +6, Perception +29, AC 27, Touch 9, Flat-Footed 24, HP 250 (20d8+160), Fort 16, Reflex 8, Will 18, BAB +15, CMB +33, CMD +46, Engulf DC 34, Poison DC 28, Sting +26 2d8+14 plus poison & probe intellect, 3 Tentacles +24 2d6+7 plus grab, Str 38, Dex 14, Con 26, Int 20, Wis 22, Cha 19
(I put its new skills in Intimidate and Knowledge (arcana, dungeoneering, history), while keeping its existing skills at full.)
So I have two questions:
1) Did I advance this creature correctly? I'm most concerned about the size adjustment.
2) What is the CR of this abomination? Am I right in my initial guess of ~15/16?
I'm trying to figure out whether it would even be reasonable to insert this creature into the sewers of Yanmass or if it would unceremoniously murder my players if they tried to attack it. The book already has a built-in CR 13 gargantuan aberration that they aren't *intended* to fight, but if I know my players, once they discover the sewers they'll want to explore. I've grown fond of the hyaleth as a creature and I could see a little diversion for a monster hunter in the party. So I want to make sure that I'm getting this right instead of slapping something together haphazardly. Then, if anyone else is interested, I would be happy to post the full stat block once I finalize it.