He's a CR 40 creature, which means your PCs probably shouldn't fight him in face to face combat.
They also have him listed as a CR 40, but when you actually look at the stuff they have listed for him, he's not even that bad for something that high. He doesn't even have spellcasting ability besides his spell-like abilities, and they are all at caster levels below 20 for some reason, somewhat odd for something called the Sorcerer-Fiend. At CR 40 he should have epic spellcasting, anyone able to actually fight against him would....
I can understand that they don't want people fighting him, but if they do actually make stats for him, they should at least go to the trouble of making them complete.
The reason he isn't stated for some things is that since he is trapped, no one can actually reach him to roll an attack on him, so why make up an AC. I assume its the same for his limited spellcasting ability (as he can only cast 1 spell a year at the moment).
This is what I'm talking about, if you can't fight him, even if you wanted to for some reason, then they shouldn't have printed any stats for him at all. The way it is now doesn't make any sense either. They have no AC because you can't reach him with anything, but they have his HP listed. Having his HP total implies you can reduce that total to zero, but you can't ever hurt him??
Furthermore, in his description, it states that if he ever got out, its game over for Ravenloft, so it really wouldn't matter either way.
Just about any CR 40 running around could probably have free reign, there isn't really anything that could oppose them. That's still not a reason to make his stats all screwy. If they want him to be CR 40, they should have just made a CR 40 creature and wrote down what limitations he has while trapped in the Obsidian Gate.
The fact he is entraped within himself, so to speak, doesn't make him immune to anything cast at him.
Joël
You do not need stat only for physical combat, there are spells that affect people at a distance, and psionics too.
The fact he is entraped within himself, so to speak, doesn't make him immune to anything cast at him.
I guess you're right there, although the gate would stop line of effect for most stuff.
Still, the stats they give are incomplete, he might even have abilities that aren't listed that he can't access because he's stuck. As I said before, the best way they could have done it would be to list all his stuff and say what doesn't work as a result of his entrapment. Or they could have left him without stats at all and just wrote that he so powerful nothing can oppose him so stats would be worthless or something to that effect. As it stands, all they've done is tease you with some sketchy numbers that don't really mean jack, leaving people who want to fight him face-to-face (the only reason to give an NPC stats at all) with basically nothing to work with except a CR of 40.
I guess I just either want nothing at all so I can make the guy myself, or his complete stats so I know what he is. This halfway thing they've done is a total failure if you ask me.
So lets give him some stats.
AC:
- Well, his dex is 17, so thats +3 right off the bat.
- As he is colossal, thats a -8.
- Reading from the monster manual, a good 'rule of thumb' is to aim for an AC of 13+CR. So lets give him his Charisma to AC (special ability called Unholy Grace I believe). Theres a +10 deflection.
- Natural armor. This is a big ol' demon after all. Lets say +30.
So we've got 10+30+10+3-8= 45 AC.
- BAB/Grapple: Not hard: his base attack would be his HD, as hes a demon, so thats 48. a +16 modifier for being colossal, and his strength mod of +15, hes a monstrosity at +79.
- Attacks. Thats tricky, as he apparently has a whole lotta tentacle things jutting out of his body, plus standard bite and claw attacks.
- Lets say 10 Tentacles at +55, 2 Claws at +55, and a bite at +53, typical damage for all.
- Honestly, I think his DR should be something other than magic. Who's going to face a CR 40 creature with a stick? Lets make it DR 15/Epic.
Well, theres my take. Even with all this, I don't think he justifies a CR 40, unless you made his saves higher (and by special ability rules, they certainly should be).
thnx..
Burningspear
Well, theres my take. Even with all this, I don't think he justifies a CR 40, unless you made his saves higher (and by special ability rules, they certainly should be).
Yeah, his save DCs for his abilities should be higher, at least 34 (with an ability modifier of +0). And his Spell like abilities should be caster level at least 20.
His Spell resistance is a total joke.....30? For a CR 40 it should be somewhere in the 50's.
Fast Healing 10 is somewhat low as well. The Tarrasque has a much better fast healing, and has regeneration....yeah it's a unique monster, but so is Gwydion. Plus the Tarrasque is half the CR.
I said it before and will say it again, he NEEDS some kind of spellcasting ability. Not only is it something he would need just to justify that CR, it makes sense for him to have it.
Anyway, that's all I can think of right now......
Can somebody give me a general update as to who this "guy" actually is?
thnx..
Burningspear
The darklord of the Shadow Rift, permanently trapped between the Demiplane of Dread and the Demiplane of Shadow.
In said adventure, the description never went further than "Sorcerer Fiend". He has lots of tentacles, IIRC (with eyes, hooves, and all).
Though how you coud update him without destroying everything is another matter.