Help me tweak and run the Smilodon Cat

[sukael]

So, I ran the monster... even without much use of its combat feats, the players had a heck of a time fighting it... until the monk stunned it, everyone backed off, and the bard Fascinated it. A few rounds later, simultaneous inflict critical wounds and monk flurry of blows made it decide to vanish onto the Ethereal.

The players ran into a few times after that, though they managed not to get into combat again, since it was "playing nice" with the other NPCs around... this isn't the last they'll see of Smilodon, though. They'll probably encounter him again once there's a proper wizard-type with the group, next week...

 

[BASHMAN]

I know this is a bit off-topic, but could you tell me, did you use a program to create that stat-block, or did you just do it by hand? I really like the new stat block, but find it very cumbersome to write up NPCs by hand that way. If you used a program, or an excel macro, could you please share it with me?

In regards to your question, I think that your writeup looks good. However, I believe a creature in the Ethereal realm cannot heal, as time does not pass there normally (I may be wrong), so it'd have to use the jaunt to get away, reappear, then heal, then come after them. Btw, Dungeonland is one of the better Gygax Modules. Using an ethereal jaunting "Smile"odon in place of the chessire cat and other things like that made it a great mod-- people who knew the book would get totally thrown off by some of the translations from literature to encounters.

 

[sukael]

I know this is a bit off-topic, but could you tell me, did you use a program to create that stat-block, or did you just do it by hand? I really like the new stat block, but find it very cumbersome to write up NPCs by hand that way. If you used a program, or an excel macro, could you please share it with me?

All by hand, actually. I personally find it a lot easier to handle NPCs in this format, now that I've gotten used to it. (The bolding was all by hand, via search-and-replace from the code I'm using on the local-run wiki I use to manage my campaign stuff.)

However, I believe a creature in the Ethereal realm cannot heal, as time does not pass there normally (I may be wrong), so it'd have to use the jaunt to get away, reappear, then heal, then come after them.

Time passes on the Ethereal, just not on the Astral.

Btw, Dungeonland is one of the better Gygax Modules. Using an ethereal jaunting "Smile"odon in place of the chessire cat and other things like that made it a great mod-- people who knew the book would get totally thrown off by some of the translations from literature to encounters.

That sort of thing is why I picked it. It took more than fifteen minutes for someone to finally realize the reference when the Duchess' baby turned into a boar and ran off.

 

[moritheil]

All by hand, actually.

As expected! I salute you!

I'm curious as to why you have:

Feats Combat Expertise, Dodge, Mobility, Multiattack, Spring Attack, Whirlwind Attack

When it seems the ability to shift to/from the ethereal plane obviates the need for them. Do you have the restriction that it can only shift to or from once per round?

 

[sukael]

As expected! I salute you!

I'm curious as to why you have:

Feats Combat Expertise, Dodge, Mobility, Multiattack, Spring Attack, Whirlwind Attack

When it seems the ability to shift to/from the ethereal plane obviates the need for them. Do you have the restriction that it can only shift to or from once per round?

I hadn't put that explicitly, but thinking about it, that's how I was running it. I'll look at changing those feats.

 

[moritheil]

I'm curious as to what replacement feats you selected.