D&D 5E Archdruid Into Arch Diviner?

[Zardnaar]

In Volos Guide to Monsters there is an Archdruid CR12 who is an 18th level caster.

There's also a Diviner CR 8 casts spells as a 15th level caster.

I want to make a CR 12 Arch Diviner merging the two critters. The Druid doesn't have the best spell list but that's fine. Produce flame can become fire bolt.

Wizard spells deal more damage but I don't won't to load up on the best spells in the phb. Or I use the Diviner spell list and add in the high level spells.

Thoughts in this? The level 9 spell will be foresight.

 

[Unwise]

Personally for special adversaries I don't tend to stick to RAW much. I would just use the Archdruid stats, swap wis for int and swap the spells over.

My bad guys have a lot of abilities that fit their themes, but don't match any known mechanics. I would also give the Diviner spell slots, but not define what spells he has. He prepared the exact ones that he needed today, he saw all of this coming. Since we are talking about an arch diviner here, I would also give him some ability to do stuff off-screen or in the past.

I'd give him a type of legendary actions that screw with players based on things he foresaw e.g. Legendary action "he took a cold resistance potion earlier". A particularly annoying ability could be to save vs charisma or he scryed you and got somebody to steal your potions, poison you, kidnap a relative, lay an explosive rune where you are standing now etc.

Arch diviners in my campaign are pretty close to the Critical Role time magicians, so they can somewhat mess with the past and future, not just see it.

 

[Zardnaar]

Might make chain lightning one of the spells. To quite the Emperor "I have foreseen it zap".

 

[Seramus]

They foresaw their loss, and didn't show up.

 

[ccs]

You're a DM! Just give your NPCs/monsters whatever powers, stats, etc you like.

 

[Zardnaar]

You're a DM! Just give your NPCs/monsters whatever powers, stats, etc you like.

I want to keep the CR kinda low around 12.

 

[ccs]

I want to keep the CR kinda low around 12.

So?
You know what you want the NPC to do/be capable of. You know what'll make a decent challenge for the people sitting around your table. And you know how much of a reward you want to hand out when they beat it.
So pick stuff & call it CR12.

 

[NotAYakk]

I'd be tempted to make an arch-diviner ridiculously defensive.

So start with a low offensive per round budget.

High CR/ATK for its damage output too.

Say, CR 6 damage with +4 DC/ATK above target for CR 8 total. That gives you a defensive CR of 16-17.

Not a bag of HP; having resistance to everything the PCs throw at him is reasonable to start (halving the HP budget). Glyohs that buff her/heal her as lair actions. A contngency spell with one of 5 effects/triggers (picked by divination). 3 pre-rolled d20s; what more, he pix=cked a good
day of rolls to fight the PCs.

A simulacrum chain that shows up, does something, then leaves for no apparent reason.

Evidence he has a clone set up somewhere after the PCs win, together with notes giving them instructions about what to do next.

 

[Bacon Bits]

Isn't that what the Archmage is for?

 

[NotAYakk]

So numbers. 40 DPR budget. +10 to hit/DC 19 saves. 8 offensive CR.

Mage armor (13 AC), 6 save proficiencies (effective) and 340/2=170 HP give a defensive CR of 18.

Split HP over self and runes that heal/protect the diviner. Contingent resiliant sphere is fun, together with hampster-ball rune activation.

Control effects that don't deal damage. Truesight and darkness and counterspells.