Source
r/DMAcademy•
BionicJuice

Best monsters for a level 8 player to 1v1?

A trap I made will likely end up with one player locked in a room with a monster. I have 7 level 8 players of multiple classes and don’t know who is going to draw the short straw. I was thinking something around CR4-5. I am only mostly trying to kill them cause they’re steam rolling pretty well, but the point is that the rest of the players will have to decide to open up the room and help or help someone else deal with another problem. I was thinking a wyrmling if some sort.

Posted Nov 26, 2018, 3:05 AM UTC

1812
AlbinoOkie•

A sleeping rust monster?

3 phase spiders?

2 ettins playing chess and checkers?

2 manticores mating angrily?

17
Salty_Swordsman•

And a partridge in a pear tree.

29
Jdavis624•

At level 5 I put my paladin up against a medusa, a cr 5 creature. He had enough info to know that his shiny shield could help him against its gaze but it was still a cloooose fight.

In another situation I had my shadow monk 1v1 an adult oblex at lvl 6, it's a cr 5 or 6 I forget and he actually stun locked and killed it, only getting hit once

I designed these fights specifically for them knowing their class and abilities.

It would be much harder to do if I didn't know which one was going to face off. That medusa would've killed the monk, and the oblex would've killed the paladin

Designing a very difficult fight that they can win against?

A wyvern would obliterate any player with a low con save and low ac, if they're locked close together

Maybe do a captured hill giant? Let it speak broken common and then if a player you're concerned about gets locked in, you could have it speak and they could stall for a bit and buy time. Or You could have it be unarmed so it's only doing 3d4 plus 5 damage if you need to.

7
Kalarian_Reborn•

In 1v1 I like to increase stun resists after each stun so a monk can’t do this. It’s not fun for anyone.

2
SongMonster•

Kobold is suggesting things around cr4, if you think they can handle it a hill giant might be an impressive fight. I know my players tend to overshoot w/e regular cr suggests, which is why I'm suggesting cr 5's. Maybe a fire elemental?

A weretiger feels very doable and might lead to interesting after effects! You could have the thing come in as a villager or a regular guard but then transform.

5
BionicJuiceOP•

You know I have all these DM tools and I totally forgot about KFC. Thanks.

3
elf25•

you know your players, make a short list of different monsters , each related to each player. Whoever falls in the trap gets a monster specifically for them.

4
BionicJuiceOP•

Riverfalls? But that’s a good idea

2
elf25•

Edited comment above to fix Siri crap I didn’t notice and make it readable and comprehensible

1
DeadKing67•

7 lvl 8 players?? Dude you'd need like a CR 12 to even get close to 'mostly trying to kill them.' I run a game with 4 lvl 5 players who can mop the floor with a CR 8 creature

3†
BionicJuiceOP•

Yeah I know. The trap will be separating them so it’ll be a 1v1. The next room has a beholder and like 5 trolls.

4
studmuffffffin•

CR 12 isn't going to be even close. Need to get like 3 CR 12 creatures.

2