Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

So I am having my players fight a pack of custom monsters, and I need some help determining what the CR and XP value should be. 6 level 7 characters(rogue, paladin, wizard, bloodhunter(with 3 revolvers, has Sharpshooter and Elven accuracy. Avg damage is 25-30 per shot), warlock, and Druid. They also have a giant combat robot pet/buddy) Only need CR for Druid purposes.


The Nighthowler is a Raptor the size of a draft horse. Str16, Dex17, Con15, Int5, Wis15, Cha6. Proficient on Dex and Wisdom saves. Prof bonus 5.

AC15, 60 hp, Speed 60

Multi-attack 2: Bite and Claws

Bite: 2D8+Str Piercing
Claws: 3D6+Str Slashing

Large Beast Unaligned:
Pack Tactics, Sneak Attack: 3D6

Mimetism: 3 possible bonus actions
Mimetism: Hypnotic Pattern: One chosen creature must make a DC17 wisdom save or be stunned till the end of its next turn.
Mimetism: Active Camouflage: All attacks against it have Disadvantage and it gains +10 to stealth checks till the end of its next turn.
Mimetism: Terrifying Pattern: One creature must make a DC17 wisdom save or be affected by the Fear condition. May make a check at the end of its turns to recover.

Pinning Strike: When the Nighthowler moves at least 10 ft and hits a medium or smaller creature with both its bite and claw attacks the creature is grappled(DC14 escape) and knocked prone

I was thinking CR4 for 1000 xp

They're in a jungle horrors/stay out of the long grass arc right now, so I need some stuff that is legitimately scary.

Interesting monster. It's got low defenses and HP for the CR, but potentially applying disadvantage to all incoming attacks or stunning (!) with a very high DC save will counteract that.

Is the intention to have it have a total +5 bonus to hit? The Str score is not included.+5 proficiency plus strength would also make it's attacks quite accurate. It's got insane damage potential, especially if working in a pack - 6d6 per hit on a claw is going to do a lot when they team up on opponents, or if they stun someone and then sneak attack them.

I might be tempted to bump it to 5. It's got the potential to do insane damage, and a pack all stunning the party before nailing them with attacks will be devastating, but it is fragile. I can see why you'd find it difficult to come up with a CR. Another option would be to reduce some of the extra abilities, maybe put the stun on a recharge or something rather than have it be capable of being used each turn?

It has 5 proficiency plus its Str, so its at +8 to hit with its melee attacks. Its gonna be a pack of 5, maybe 6, attacking the party. The first engagement they'll run away after taking some damage as they're more checking the party out, who were scouting around the jungle around a colony which has been founded on the location of an older colony that was wiped out by these monsters. I suppose its also worth mentioning they have a total bonus of 8 to their Initiative, so they'll probably be going before most of the party except for the wizard and rogue.

The party already took out a Mosasaurus and a T-rex with very little effort(not at the same time). They have a lot of damage potential. I have a house rule allowing 3 bonus actions a turn as long as they are from different sources, so they get a lot more mileage out of their abilities. Even with disadvantage, the blood hunter is probably going to hit with all 3 of his attacks, so he'll drop one a round reliably.

5 might be a safe way to go. It'll keep the druid from using this statblock for a while, but he can still use it eventually.

For reference, the setting is the Warmahordes universe. The party are mercenaries hired to help protect a colony in the southern continent of Zu, so they have guns and a steamjack to help them out.

Woah, with 3 bonus actions a turn things shift in the players favour. I'd still say CR5 is probably a bit safer due to the extra abilities (stun is really very powerful for your Druid) but they will chew through the damage on them quickly. They'll likely be a terrifying encounter, which is what you want, with a real focus on bringing them down before they can close the distance, and really increase the fear of close jungle and so on.

Well, its happening at night time too, and only half the party has darkvision. Plus with speed 60 they can engage from just outside of dark vision anyway, assuming nobody puts Light up.

NPCs and monsters can use multiple bonus actions too, so I've been making a few creatures that could really abuse it. A pistol wraith that could reload its pistols each turn. A cryx steamjack that could beltch poisoned gas, make 2 attacks, and attempt a grapple at the same time.

Its kinda been fun. its a much faster paced deadly combat. I've also upped the damage of most attacks. Enemies are rolling 2-3 dice of damage instead of just one. I've also been throwing lots of trash one hit kill enemies at them too.

The first big combat they killed 50 zombies over like 11 rounds of combat because i made the zombies only have 5 hit points, but they had undead fortitude. So they were mowing them down repeatedly, but lots of them kept swarming. It was fun. meanwhile the Pistol wraith was shooting at them and phasing through walls.

Lots of high level dnd combat just ends up being the party vs a huge blob of HP that just soaks their attacks without much dynamic action. I prefer a bunch of weak enemies and 1-2 semi-dangerous enemies that are frustrating to pin down. Let the players feel powerful by killing 10 dudes with a fireball, then send in the next 10 dudes.

Yeah, especially in 5e the high level monsters as presented can be underwhelming.