[DF] Golem Boss Stats

[Gnome]

Originally Posted by TJA

Hmm.

Gnome,
how DO you challenge them regulary?

:-O

Restricted movement, multiple battles with little to no chance for rest in between, enemies with crazy special attacks. Occasionally I run lots of fodder at them (fodder being a relative term here--no enemy attack ever does less than 2d of damage unless it's ignoring armor), but I find the bookkeeping gets a little rough with lots of guys on the field, so I'm more likely to have worthy foes or boss fights.

Examples from recent adventures
Worthy foes:

Revenant
A ghostly killer, bent on vengeance against the living.

ST: 11 thr 1d-1 sw 1d+1 HP: 12 Speed: 6.5
DX: 14 BL 24 Will: 16 Move: 7
IQ: 10 Per: 10
HT: 12 FP: 12 SM: 0

Dodge: 10
DR: 0

Ghost-Sword (18): 1d+2 fatigue (ignores DR, can only be dodged)
Ghost-Claw (16): 1d fatigue (ignores DR, can only be dodged) + follow-up HT check at -1 per point of damage taken or experience terrible pain for 1 minute (-6 to all rolls, or -3 with HPT)

Traits: Combat Reflexes, Claws (Blunt); Dark Vision; Doesn’t Breathe, Eat, Drink, Sleep; High Pain Threshold; Immunity to Metabolic Hazards; Indomitable; Injury Tolerance (Diffuse); See Invisible; Unfazeable; Appearance (Monstrous; Universal); Dependency (Mana);
Skills: Stealth-14
Class: Undead/Spirit; Worthy

Tomb Guardian
A great warrior in life, sworn to serve in death as well. Plate armor covers gray skin and black eyes.
ST: 19 thr 2d-1 sw 3d+1 HP: 20 Speed: 7
DX: 14 BL Will: 15 Move: 7
IQ: 10 Per: 12
HT: 14 FP: 12 SM: 0

Dodge: 11
Parry: 14

DR: 10 (3 natural, 7 heavy plate)

Greatsword (20): 3d+11 cut, Reach 1,2 (trademark move: deceptive 1 random location rapid strike at a 16)
Gaze of Fear: Terror (active)—Quick Contest of Will, if the Tomb Guardian wins, victim rolls on Fright Check Table, adds margin of victory to roll

Traits: Combat Reflexes; Doesn’t Breathe, Eat, Drink, Sleep; High Pain Threshold; Immunity to Metabolic Hazards, Mind Control; Magic Resistance 2; Indomitable; Injury Tolerance (No Blood, Brains, or Vitals; Unliving); Single-Minded; Temperature Tolerance 18; Unfazeable; Dependency (Mana; Very Common, Constantly); Disturbing Voice; Duty (Defend Tomb); No Sense of Smell/Taste; Social Stigma (Dead Monster); Supernatural Durability (can only be killed if water is splashed on it with a successful Religious Ritual roll); Unhealing; Weapon Master.
Skills: Greatsword-20; Brawling-16; Innate Attack-16
Class: Undead; Greater Worthy
Notes: Carries fine quality greatsword.

Bosses:

Alveria, Silver Dragon
ST: 45 HP: 50 Speed: 6.5
DX: 13 Will: 15 Move: 6/24
IQ: 15 Per: 15
HT: 13 FP: 23 ER: 20 SM: +4

Dodge: 10
Parry: 13
DR: 15 (3 skin, 12 scales), 5 on eye

Long Talons (18): 5d+4 cutting, 5d+4 impaling, Reach C-4
Fangs (18): 5d+4 Impaling, Reach C-3
Tail (18): 5d+4 Crushing, Reach C-5 (Equivalent to 12 lb weapon)
Frost Breath (16): 4d (5) Burning, follow-up 1d fat, Cone: 1/D 10, Max 20, width 5, 6 uses per day.
Traits: Alternate Form (Elven Spirit); Bad Grip 3, Combat Reflexes, Discriminatory Smell, Eidetic Memory, Extra Attacks (2), Extra Legs (4), Gluttony (12), Horizontal, Miserliness (12), Sense of Duty (Nature), Winged Flight, Hard to Kill +5, HPT, Magery 7, Nictitating Membrane 5, Night Vision 8, Wild Talent (spells only)
Skills: Brawling-18, Innate Attack-16
Spells (all at 20): Nature! (likes Create Animal, Animate Plant, Shapeshifting, Spark Storm)
Class: Dragon Spirit (Epic Boss)
Notes: Alveria’s spirit form is her “true” form, but her dragon form is her “physical” one. If killed in physical form, she reverts to spirit form.

The Soulgorger
An Elder God, bent on devouring souls and penetrating the veil between the Astral Plane and the mortal realm. It appears as a huge floating mouth with three eyes on long stalks, translucent feelers that hang down to the ground, and two huge pincers. It has no head, vitals, or neck.
ST: 30 thr 3d sw HP: 65 Speed: 6.5
DX: 13 BL Will: 15 Move: 6
IQ: 13 Per: 14
HT: 13 FP: 13 SM: +2

Dodge: 9
Parry: 11
DR: 5

Words of Madness(18): Malediction 2, Hallucinations, resisted by Will, Hearing-Based, uses its mouth

Gaze of Annihilation (16): 2d corr, Acc 3 Range 10/100 (dodge only, damages shields)
Ray of Weariness (16): 1d fat, Acc 3 Range 10/100 (dodge only, ignores armor)
Death Stare (18): Malediction 2, 1d toxic, ignores armor, resisted by HT

Pincers (16): 3d+3 cut/imp, Reach C-3
Bite (16): 4d+3 imp, Reach C-2

Traits: 360° Vision (Multiple Eye Stalks, -6 to hit), Appearance (Horrific, Universal), Callous, Compartmentalized Mind 2, Confusion (-3 to Confusion Check), Disturbing Voice, Doesn't Breathe, Doesn't Sleep, Double Jointed, Flight (low ceiling, 10’), Extra Eye, Extra Attacks 3, High Pain Threshold, Indomitable, Injury Tolerance (Homogeneous), Invertebrate, Magic Resistance 2, Extreme Regeneration (Total, once/day, requires Concentration), Regrowth, Supernatural Durability (can only be killed if all three eyes are destroyed), Striking ST 4 (Bite only), Psi Talent 3, Unfazeable, Universal Digestion, Vibration Sense.
Skills: Brawling-16; Innate Attack-16
Class: Elder Thing; Epic Boss
Notes: The Soulgorger’s motives are wholly incomprehensible to mortals. Negotiation is impossible.



This last one they didn't actually kill, in fact they barely escaped with their lives. But a good time was had by all...

[TJA]

I am heavily impressed!

Thanx for sharing!

[Kuroshima]

Originally Posted by TJA

Uahhh.

I am totally unclear about a way to put out 20 arrows per second :-O

And while it too years for me to get our converted D&D 36th level characters more down to earth, DF shoots up to levels we never had :D

It's a wood elf scout/Mystic Knight (536 points ATM), that has both templates fully bought (meaning that he gets both templates' power-ups)

Advantages: Weapon Master+Heroic Archer+Extra Attack+Double Draw+Imbue+ST 15+Strongbow+Forest Guardian 4+Eldritch Talent 6
Skills: Bow at obscene levels, Fast Draw, Penetrating Strike at obscene levels, Multishot at obscene levels, Cutting Strike
Gear: Elven Three Arrow Composite Reflex Bow, enchanted with Penetrating Weapon and firing bodkin arrows out of two cornucopia quivers sewn together

The character can easily fast draw two arrows, perform a ranged feint, and dual weapon attack, every turn. Three Arrow Bow makes each shot RoF3, and he ups that to RoF 10 with Multishot. Since the Three Arrow Bow has Rcl 1, he needs to hit by 10 to hit with all arrows, but he has obscene Bow skill due to DX 16, Forest Guardian 4, Heroic Archer and loads of points in Bow, making it easy for him to make that roll. The arrows have Armor Divisor (2) due to being Bodkins, and Penetrating Weapon enchantment adds another (2) for (4). Penetrating Weapon Imbuement often adds (10) for a total if (40). The damage is turned into cut via Cutting Strike Imbuement, so it isn't nerfed by Injury Tolerance: Unliving or Homogeneous when fighting against undeads, contructs and their ilk.

[Kuroshima]

As for what foes work well against my player's characters, well I usually go for worthies with loads of fodder, groups of elite fighters (they recently faced - and lost against - a group of Master Chaos Monks, with the stats given in DF14, except they had striking ST 19, Flying leap 26, Power Blow 36, Karate 26, and maxed flying jump kick), or huge monsters such as the hydra Bruno linked.

I've found that Toxifiers and Odifiers in huge numbers (at least 2 per character, often more) also work well, because they blanketed the area with continuous damage that ignores DR, and Difuse makes them hard to take down.

[Gnome]

Originally Posted by Kuroshima

I've found that Toxifiers and Odifiers in huge numbers (at least 2 per character, often more) also work well, because they blanketed the area with continuous damage that ignores DR, and Difuse makes them hard to take down.

Or alternatively Flaming Skulls and Neuroids. In some ways, my Revenant (upthread) is a riff on the same theme. I also like them because they're a chance for wizards to be the "damage-dealers," since they can do more damage to diffuse monsters with spells like Air Jet, Explosive Fireball, etc. Imbuements can handle them pretty well also. I'm starting to think Imbuements can handle anything...

[Kuroshima]

Originally Posted by Gnome

Or alternatively Flaming Skulls and Neuroids. In some ways, my Revenant (upthread) is a riff on the same theme. I also like them because they're a chance for wizards to be the "damage-dealers," since they can do more damage to diffuse monsters with spells like Air Jet, Explosive Fireball, etc. Imbuements can handle them pretty well also. I'm starting to think Imbuements can handle anything...

Yeah, but you need many many more, as they need to actually attack and hit, and can be dodged. Toxifiers and Odifiers have the advantage of being AOE, so the only way to dodge them is dodge and drop, and then you're prone and get killed horribly...

The right imbuements mean that the character can handle anything... while FP holds. The trick is to make it impossible for the character to take the -5 for no FP cost, because they are already taking heavy penalties for other, required, effects, and use strength in numbers.

[Gnome]

Originally Posted by Kuroshima

Yeah, but you need many many more, as they need to actually attack and hit, and can be dodged. Toxifiers and Odifiers have the advantage of being AOE, so the only way to dodge them is dodge and drop, and then you're prone and get killed horribly...

True, although high HT characters will make their HT rolls...

The right imbuements mean that the character can handle anything... while FP holds. The trick is to make it impossible for the character to take the -5 for no FP cost, because they are already taking heavy penalties for other, required, effects, and use strength in numbers.

Vampiric Weapon takes care of the FP problem somewhat. I do need to find more creative ways of assessing penalties for things though. Any suggestions?

[Kuroshima]

Originally Posted by Gnome

True, although high HT characters will make their HT rolls...

It's HT-5 for the Odifier, and HT-4 for the toxifier. Just use enough of them, and they will fail. Use some Chaos Monks on the backside cursing the players to make sure they fail the rolls, if you feel specially cruel.

Vampiric Weapon takes care of the FP problem somewhat. I do need to find more creative ways of assessing penalties for things though. Any suggestions?

Vampiric Weapon only recharges HP or ER. It does not recharge FP. Use twisted mana areas (-2, and every failure is a crit failure). Use Low Mana Areas (-5). Use debuffers inflicting Terrible Pain or Agony. Use Debuffers inflicting reduced DX. Require the characters to wear winter clothing in addition to armor to get into the lair of the frost wyrm, and impose a -1 DX penalty. Make the opposition tough enough that the character needs to take huge penalties for effect, and can't spare them for efficiency. Wait for my super secret project to take off.

[Stripe]

That's a heavy compendium, Gnome! Thanks for laying that on us!

However, everyone should keep in mind that this encounter is intended as an optional boss for the PC group's first dungeon fought at the very conclusion of the adventure. While I want to make certain damaging him until he runs out of hit points is remotely possible, I'd rather this be an encounter that spotlights supporting characters and the player's cunning more than the heavy hitters. Since the boss will be fighting brand new 250-point characters, I can't make him dish out too much punishment; but the sky is the limit for his ability to withstand damage.

Kuroshima, I always find good archer builds fascinating since we discovered the fun of "headshot!" late. Thanks!

Good thread.


As for my golem, I'm trying to get back into the books right now. Since he guards a fantastic treasure, the PC's will remember him and come back late in the game. Trouble with that is, while he'll still be able to take it, he won't be able to dish it out.

I'm now considering some sort of alternate form, where upon "death," his stone shell explodes away revealing a blue fire elemental. He'll have already lost many abilities -- such as regeneration and laser attacks -- by this point due to his magic gem being shattered, making him even less effective as a boss later in the game.

As a super-powered fire elemental, he'll still be tough to harm, but his damage will go through the roof.

This alternate form approach will hopefully make him a good boss for the 250-point PCs and, later, when they are 500-point PCs.

[Anthony]

Originally Posted by Stripe

As for my golem, I'm trying to get back into the books right now. Since he guards a fantastic treasure, the PC's will remember him and come back late in the game. Trouble with that is, while he'll still be able to take it, he won't be able to dish it out.

I wouldn't count on bosses surviving, particularly if you expect the PCs to have damaged him the first time around. I'd consider the design later, once you (a) know if he's survived, and (b) have more idea of the capabilities of your PCs and have more general experience with encounter balance.