# Shealis as Solo - comments? (spoilers)



## Skyscraper (Jul 12, 2010)

My idea is that Shealis appears presently very hard to hit but otherwise not very strong.

I wanted for her to pack some extra punch, still be hard to hit but yet hittable, and keep to the original design flavor . I also wanted to add some options for her in case she's swarmed by melee opponents, so I've added the wizard spell expeditious retreat and also thunderwave as an at-will which might help her in that respect. The flame aura (that pulses to a burst every once in a while) also helps her against melee opponents.

Any thoughts?

Sky


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## RangerWickett (Jul 12, 2010)

How do you see this fight going down? Do the PCs all gang up on her in the dueling ring? I don't have the 4e version of the adventure available, but if I were to run a fight with several PCs (and Diogenes) vs. one mage, I'd make her fragile, but with a lot of control effects.

You want to use the new 4e solo guidelines. 280 hit points is crazy, especially when the party will be, what, 2nd or 3rd level? You could get away with making her a level 3 solo if you give her enough tricks, and make the battlefield interesting.

Like, it's a dueling ring. When I wrote up a narrative version of this scene, the ring was split into four quadrants - air, fire, earth, and water. If you're standing in one of those quadrants, you can draw some magical power from it.

Maybe try something like:

10 square diameter ring/diamond. Four quadrants colored white, red, brown, and blue. Each quadrant provides a benefit to certain attacks, or a penalty to certain saves.

White quadrant (air). +2 to lightning and thunder attacks that originate in the quadrant. Creatures in the quadrant take a -2 penalty to saves against effects that include the dazed and stunned conditions.

Red quadrant (fire). +2 to fire attacks that originate in the quadrant. Creatures in the quadrant take a -2 to saves to end ongoing damage.

Brown quadrant (earth). +2 to attacks from summoned creatures whose controller are in the quadrant. Creatures in the quadrant take a -2 penalty to saves to end effects that include the immobilized, restrained, or slowed conditions.

Blue quadrant (water). ??? Not sure yet.

Then give Shealis a variety of attacks. Thunderwave at will as a minor action 1/round, some sort of fiery area burst as a standard, maybe a 'recharges when bloodied,' sustain minor summon. And something for water. Maybe illusions that immobilize or something.


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## Skyscraper (Jul 12, 2010)

Thanks for the comments.

I designed her according to the 4E solo rules, I used the DDI monster generator though I boosted her defenses a bit. A level 6 solo for a party of 5 or 6 level two PCs is very strong, but theoretically winnable. That's the impression I got from the 4E module: if the PCs opt to fight her, it's likely they'll all die, unless the fight goes well for them. However, the 4E design in the module was that she will likely win because the PCs can't hit her mostly because of very high defenses, not as much because of her powers. She's a level 10 Elite according to the 4E module and has about 200 hit points.

Sky


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## Talysian (Jul 13, 2010)

You may want to scale her down to a level 4 solo, using the new damage expressions wotc just put out. (not in the monster builder yet)


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## Skyscraper (Jul 13, 2010)

The two posters that replied appear to suggest that Shealis be put at a level that would make her beatable by a level 2 party. The 4E module suggests that it would be a bad idea to take on Shealis (who just had a party to underline her paragon status, according to the module, IIRC).

Of course all answers are acceptable, but did most DMs aim to provide a combat-adequate Shealis?


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## Bercilak (Jul 13, 2010)

I played her as written, but the group didn't fight her anyway. They convinced her it was a good idea to work with them and not against them.


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## Daern (Jul 14, 2010)

I liked her at  paragon level.  The players figured out that she was far out of their league and that was good for negotiations (they didn't fight her either).


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## Talysian (Jul 14, 2010)

Durn said:


> I liked her at  paragon level.  The players figured out that she was far out of their league and that was good for negotiations (they didn't fight her either).




My guys are diplomancers so I wasn't worried about it. 

I more suggested it because After seeing the new damage expressions in a fight, I'm not sure they could take a level +2 Solo with them. Especially one with as much control as her. 

Here is the thing, if you are creating dead ends in how your players deal with stuff... You may not have to prep for long. I don't mind character death, but a tpk caused by stubborness on either sides to me is just silly. Not sure how 4e fluent your folks are, but my thoughts are this, if you stat it they will try and kill it... if you don't they usually don't, at least that's been my experience.


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## Skyscraper (Jul 14, 2010)

Fair enough, thanks for the thoughts Talysian. And the others also.


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## Daern (Jul 14, 2010)

Talysian:  At low levels you are certainly right.  My thinking was that Shealis would be merciful given the diplomatic situation.  The whole waking up in a cell scenario that the module suggests a few times.  Interestingly, as the campaign has closed in on Paragon level I have begun to throw higher and higher level opponents at them and that has worked well for us.  Level +4-6...  
also, "Diplomancers"  I like that.  My players often try to "Diplomatize" npcs.


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## Neonchameleon (Jul 16, 2010)

I'd have run her straight out of the book.  Mostly because for her to not have been negotiated would have taken really bad luck (the party leader's a Cha 18 Warlord who'd rather talk than fight).


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## Skyscraper (Jul 24, 2010)

To be clear, my idea is to represent a paragon level Shealis, as a level 6 Solo. The 4E rules state that PCs shouldn't battle creatures that are X levels over them (I think it's 5 or 6) not because it would be unfair to them; but because the system isn't built for battles between a level 10 creature and level 2 PCs. In the Shealis example, if they opt to fight her as written in the module, she won't deal a whole lot of damage, she'll just be almost untouchable due to her high defenses. I doubt that she would be able to beat the PCs at all with her single attack per turn - she only has 2 strong encounter powers, after that she has nothing worthwhile offensively. It would be a grind fest until either the PCs are out of healing surges and they decide to flee, or they roll well enough to eventually beat her. In either case, they would not be seriously threatened and I see no fun in this kind of battle. And a paragon level wizard should threaten a level 2 party IMO.

In the proposed redesign, the situation is different because her aura, her pulsating flames rechargeable minor action, her higher damage output per attack, make her more of a threat offensively. But her defenses are lower and make her hittable. At least, that was my intention in redesigning her. If I had wanted the battle to be fair, I would have made her a level 2 or 3 solo. As a level 6 solo, she's on the verge of being out of the PCs' league.

The way I interpret 4E is that when the PCs are level 2, Shealis is a level 6 solo _for them_. However, if the PCs were level 8-12, Shealis would be a paragon level wizard, say level 10 standard creature. It is the exact same creature, only her strength relative to the PCs changes. Likewise, for level 1 PCs an ogre might be an elite or solo monster; for level 6 PCs the ogre is a standard monster; and for level 10+ PCs the same ogre might be a minion.

Sky


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