Trilloch XP

[gryphonlotr]

A minor one considering how few there are, but I remembered this from a bit ago, so:

Trillocks seem to give the same XP as Skeleton Knights, but I think are clearly a more dangerous foe.

In addition to their death effect and other abilities, they have a confusion bolt that is rather difficult to deal with.

Note that the confusion bolt has no save: it's just a touch attack that is pretty easy for the creature to make. (and this is using Lillia as a reference point, despite her getting a good amount of her AC as dodge via divine shield)

The only real defense is to use clarity, which with it's short duration, value of the consumable items, and spell level, makes it something that's impracticable to protect a whole party against at the levels where they still give XP (keeping in mind that the party also has to worry about death effects only makes this worse).


Keep in mind, also, that in the 3.5 monster manual, they're CR8 (& level 8 I think was when I stopped getting XP from them, same as the Knights) and their mind-affecting ability is a self-centered AOE that has a save instead of a touch-attack bolt.


Switching their confusion bolt for a confusion howl ability would make them more in line with their PnP version, make their effects able to be defended against in more than one way (as opposed to clarity or you're basically unprotected) while still leaving it dangerous, and generally making them more interesting to fight against IMO since there would be more uncertainty.


I'd probably still up their XP reward though, but as I said, there's so few the difference isn't that big.

(also probably give them automatic quicken spell and epic combat casting for their invisibility if they don't have those already so they can spend more of their time invisible like their PnP counterparts)

[Syl]

A minor one considering how few there are, but I remembered this from a bit ago, so:

Trillocks seem to give the same XP as Skeleton Knights, but I think are clearly a more dangerous foe.

In addition to their death effect and other abilities, they have a confusion bolt that is rather difficult to deal with.

Note that the confusion bolt has no save: it's just a touch attack that is pretty easy for the creature to make. (and this is using Lillia as a reference point, despite her getting a good amount of her AC as dodge via divine shield)

The only real defense is to use clarity, which with it's short duration, value of the consumable items, and spell level, makes it something that's impracticable to protect a whole party against at the levels where they still give XP (keeping in mind that the party also has to worry about death effects only makes this worse).


Keep in mind, also, that in the 3.5 monster manual, they're CR8 (& level 8 I think was when I stopped getting XP from them, same as the Knights) and their mind-affecting ability is a self-centered AOE that has a save instead of a touch-attack bolt.


Switching their confusion bolt for a confusion howl ability would make them more in line with their PnP version, make their effects able to be defended against in more than one way (as opposed to clarity or you're basically unprotected) while still leaving it dangerous, and generally making them more interesting to fight against IMO since there would be more uncertainty.


I'd probably still up their XP reward though, but as I said, there's so few the difference isn't that big.

(also probably give them automatic quicken spell and epic combat casting for their invisibility if they don't have those already so they can spend more of their time invisible like their PnP counterparts)

Aren't those the buggers that can insta kill you and are under terg?!

[Miuo]

Yurp

[julienchab]

Get a clarity to fight them and you are good. If you are unprepared, yes you will die, but that's part of the  game. If you fight a trilloch with clarity on, they aren't much of a problem

[Nemesis 24]

I think the main gist of the post is that for the threat posed, Trillochs give insufficient xp.  They are the prime party wiper in tergs.  One mistake and your front liner is suddenly butchering the party before dying themselves.

[Miuo]

That and if you kill one close to your party, specially a low level party it can kill most of you when you fail to save against its death effect.

[Syl]

I prefer to stay FAR away from those buggers unless I have to. Annoying. lol besides there are only like what... 2 in that whole dungeon?

[gryphonlotr]

Get a clarity to fight them and you are good. If you are unprepared, yes you will die, but that's part of the  game. If you fight a trilloch with clarity on, they aren't much of a problem

For the whole party? Through the entire middle of that section for the dungeon?
A lot of characters to safely fight one need both a clarity potion and a death ward potion, which is a bit much for the xp they give.

Having (high) saves be possible against the effect would give another interesting option when fighting them and, like I said, an AoE would be closer to the printed material.

I think the main gist of the post is that for the threat posed, Trillochs give insufficient xp.  They are the prime party wiper in tergs.  One mistake and your front liner is suddenly butchering the party before dying themselves.

Yes, having the main party-wiper in an area being the same xp as a skeleton knight seems a bit off is the main point.

I prefer to stay FAR away from those buggers unless I have to. Annoying. lol besides there are only like what... 2 in that whole dungeon?

Hence why, as I said, it's a minor issue.

Just throwing it up for the record in case someone's already working in the section of the module changing something else and wanted to hit them quickly as well while their at it.


(that said, tweaking them before the NCE characters get to them would help freshen up the area a bit....but since I'm hoping to play an AMPC this time it's not like it really affects me, personally)