[4e] Choker Shadow Wizard (Solo level 4)

[Yakk]

Choker Shadow Wizard + Level 4 Lurker/Controller (Solo)
Small natural humanoid + XP 875
Saves +5
Action Points 2
Initiative +9 Senses Perception +7, Darkvision
HP 156; Bloodied 78
AC 19 (+chameleon hide); Fortitude 15, Reflex 18, Will 21
Speed 6, spider climb 6
Skills: Stealth +10

[M] Tentacle Claw (standard; at-will)
From nowhere, a pitch-black flash grabs your companion. In the darkness, you hear signs of a struggle.
Reach 2; +9 vs. AC; 1d8+3 damage, and the target is grabbed (until escape) and encased in shadowy tendrils. A target trying to escape must make an escape check against will defense of the Shadow Wizard (DC 21). The tendrils prevent the grabbed creature from doing anything except attempting to escape.

Arcane M Shadow Choke (standard; at-will)
Snakes of darkness squeeze your body
Grabbed target only; +9 vs. Fortitude; 1d8+3 damage

Shadow Clasp (special)
The Choker may move and act freely with a single grabbed opponent.

Body Shield (immediate interrupt, when targetted by a melee or ranged attack against Reflex or AC; recharges when the choker makes a successful tentacle claw or choke attack)
Your mighty sword blow bites into your dear friend. Oops.
The cavern choker makes the attacker hit its grabbed victim instead.
The choker cannot use this power to redirect attacks made by a creature it is currently grabbing.

Chameleon Hide (minor; at-will)
The shadows seem to flutter and bend.
The cavern choker gains concealment until the end of it's next turn. It cannot use this power while in either part of a grab.

Orb Mastery (free; per-day)
How can darkness be blindingly bright?
All targets of a single effect gain a -5 penalty to their (save ends) rolls.

Arcane Cloak of Shadows (minor; encounter)
You see ... nothing.
The Choker becomes invisible until the end of it's next turn. This power may not be used in the turn after the Choker takes radiant damage.

Arcane Cloud of Darkness (minor; encounter)
You flinch, as a torrent of darkness descends.
Close burst 1; creates a zone of darkness to which the Choker is immune. The zone blocks line of sight for all creatures except the choker. All creatures within the zone are blinded, except the choker. This power may not be used in the turn after the Cloker takes radiant damage.

Arcane Shadow Retreat (move; daily)
A moment ago, your friend was beside you, grabbed by the creature. All that remains is streaks of darkness.
Leaving a blur of shadow behind, the Chocker shifts up to 12 squares. This can include climb movement.

Arcane Sleep of Shadows (standard; daily)
You yawn, and rub sleep from your eyes, but it seems to stick to your hands. You try to walk, but sleep drips down your legs. Maybe if you sat down for a second, you'd feel better.
As the Wizard 1 power Sleep, except close burst 3.
Attack is +8 vs Will. Hit: Slowed (save ends). On failure, become unconscious (save, or damage from enemy, ends).

Arcane Grasp of Icy Shadows (standard; encounter)
The darkness floods in, and leaves behind black ice encasing your companion. Even from this distance, you can feel the chill.
As the Wizard 3 power Icy Rays, except the power is also necrotic.
Attack is +8 vs Reflex. 1d10+5 damage, 2 targets, range 10. Targets are immobilized until the end of the Chokers next turn.

Arcane Blast of Shadows (standard; at-will)
The Chocker's arm waves out, and .. you seem to have stumbled backwards. How did that happen?
As the Wizard 1 power Thunderweave, but replace Thunder with Necrotic.
Attack is +8 vs Fortitude. Push 5 squares. 1d6+5 damage.

Speed of Shadows (free; once per turn)
Your eyes cannot quite follow the movements in the flicking darkness.
Do a Standard or Minor action Arcane Power, or the Choke Power, as a free action. This may not be used for Shadow Retreat.

Empowerment of Shadows (free; once per turn)
You hear a chuckle behind you... Wait, I thought you where following it?
Only works if the Choker is in darkness, shadow or otherwise hidden. Roll a d6. On a 6, recharge a Daily Arcane power. On a 4 or 5, recharge a per-encounter Arcane power.

Arcane Encounter: Grasp of Icy Shadows, Cloak of Shadows, Cloud of Darkness.
Arcane Daily: Sleep of Shadows, Shadow Retreat

Arcane Snuff (standard; at-will)
Strange -- I thought that was a fresh torch?
Range 10. +8 vs Reflex. Hit: Target creature's light source is suffocated by grasping shadows. This power does not break stealth. This can be reversed by the wielder of the light source with a Standard Action Dex or Move Action Arcane check against the Choker's Will defense (21).

Cantrips: As Wizard power, except Light is replaced with Snuff. In particular, note Ghost Sound.


Str 17(+5) Con 12(+3)
Dex 17(+5) Int 20(+7)
Wis 20(+7) Cha 6(+0)

Equipment: Orb, Pitch-black Robes.

Tactics:
Opens up with an Orb boosted Sleep, with the penalty on the save vs the slow effect. Then grabs a unslowed character, and retreats out of the light. It wants the unslowed members of the party to follow -- the goal is to split the party up into smaller, tasty morsels.

Uses Grasp of Icy Shadows to continue to break the party up.

If cornered, uses Retreat, Spider Climb, Cloud of Darkness or Cloak of Shadows to disengage. Once hidden, can use chameleon to stay hidden.

Attempts to double-back and snuff out the lights of the hindered party members, and grab them. Uses Blast of Shadows to push opponents down shallow pits, or to break up persuit. (each hit knocks a target back 5 squares)

Generally does not want to kill the opponents, as it would rather sacrifice them to its dark gods. On the other hand, failure is not looked upon lightly by said dark gods, and it is contemptuous of the un-endarkened.

May negotiate and offer an opportunity to flee in exchange for the party selecting one member to sacrifice to the dark gods. The treason pleases it.

Inspired by the Crow's attempt to build a solo for this session:
http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showt...=1#post4798886

Cavern Choker, with Shadowborn Stalker and Wizard templates attached.

Light swapped for Snuff.

Extra action power added (to bring offensive damage up to the point that 5 players would be threatened), and recharge powers added (so it doesn't alpha-strike, then be reduced to a single high-HP level 4 monster). Some Wizard powers reflavored with Shadow, and a Shadowborn Stalker powers had Arcane added. Int/Wis boosted to 20 for Wizard powers.

Damage output is still low for Solo monster -- only about twice that of a normal monster -- but it has assloads of defensive powers. The goal is more to scare the party ****less with party members being abducted, hopefully split the party up and get them shaken up.

HP are low for a level 4 solo monster. Fortitude defense is really low. Both Reflex and Will are high (as a small, sneaky wizard-type, that is almost expected).

[JackMage666]

Yikes. This thing would scare the crap out of a low level party.

[Shadow_Elf]

I like it, but one big problem. Monsters don't get daily powers. YOu only meet them in one encounter, so they essentially are getting daily-powered spells as encounter powers. So, to compare to PC spells, something like this sorta works:

At-Will/Weak Encounter Powers = At-Will
Stronger Encounter Powers = Recharge X
Weak Dailies = Encounter

Or something similar.

[Yakk]

The Daily powers are those gained from the Wizard NPC template. Nothing in the template mentions changing the powers from Daily to per-encounter.

Regardless, note that I use it merely to split the powers into two categories, one of which recharges on a 6 (the Daily arcane Sleep and Retreat), the other recharges on a 45 (The per-encounter Ice Ray and the two arcane Stealth powers).

The only thing that makes this creature defeatable in a good environment is:
1> It has relatively low HP for a Solo 4 creature, and
2> It is arrogant and won't accept being forced to retreat for good

So your party gets sniped at constantly. Sometimes a party member is dragged off. Each time this happens, the Shadow Wizard loses HP, and doesn't get them back. . .

If the fight is going easy, the Shadow Wizard can just pull back and recharge, powering up for another burst of destruction. If the fight is going too hard, the Shadow Wizard can retreat less, and engage more.

The goal is the feel of being afraid of the shadows, until eventually the party gets a solid blow on this bugger and takes her out.