Low-level giant monster

[Chronos]

OK, so I know that you can't always get what you want in the editor, but I want to see how close I can get.  What I want is a Devouring Earth giant monster (preferably Strophoria, the fungus), in a level 30ish mission.  The problem is that Strophoria only goes down to level 37.  So far, the options I know of are:

• Use a level 37 Strophoria anyway, and make it one hell of a fight for level 30s.
• Bump up the level of my arc.
• Bump up the level of just that one mission of the arc.
• Replace the giant monster with a normal fungus-monster boss, with normal fungus-monster abilities.
• Create my own custom character with big-boss powers, but with an appearance constrained by the costume creator (which doesn't have a fungus-cap head).

Are there any other options?  Any way to use a fungus model, but customize the powers?  Or make a customized character GM-sized?  Or put a negative level shift on a GM?  Or, well, anything else anyone can think of?

[cranebump]

My first option is to change the level of the arc. "Path of water" is often the best option when working with the editor. My second option would be to make a custom, and fiddle with auras to get something "fungus-y" on the head area.  Other folks can speak to using the powers editor, though I think anything you customize that way grants 0 XPs? (little help here, @Darmian?

[Darmian]

2 hours ago, cranebump said:

My first option is to change the level of the arc. "Path of water" is often the best option when working with the editor. My second option would be to make a custom, and fiddle with auras to get something "fungus-y" on the head area.  Other folks can speak to using the powers editor, though I think anything you customize that way grants 0 XPs? (little help here, @Darmian?

 

You can't custom build a GM, first thing.  Alas.  And adding stuff/powers to a custom means it won't grant XP.  So, use them sparingly, or as part of a team that DOES have members that grant XP. 

 

Also, if editing the powers, you have to remember that the AI is not a player!  So it takes a bit of figuring out what they will and won't do/use.

[Darmian]

Path of water does follow.  If you started at 30, Mission 2 a level or so higher, and the next the same again, until you ease them into a level 37.  Smoother than a sudden jump.

[Chronos]

I figure that I don't have to bring the level quite all the way up to the monster--  It's designed to be a hard fight for a full team, so it's OK if it's a little above the players' level.  A gradual level increase, though, hadn't occurred to me.

 

Doesn't the "customs don't grant any XP" thing only start when you draw from more than two powersets?  You can still have a primary and a secondary, like player-built characters?

 

And do I read your sig right that you've got multiple Praetorian arcs?  I'll have to check those out.  Last I saw (a few years ago), there wasn't really any Praetorian content on AE, which is part of what prompted me to start this one (it's meant to be a Praetorian task force).

[TerroirNoir2]

14 hours ago, Chronos said:

I figure that I don't have to bring the level quite all the way up to the monster--  It's designed to be a hard fight for a full team, so it's OK if it's a little above the players' level.  A gradual level increase, though, hadn't occurred to me.

 

Doesn't the "customs don't grant any XP" thing only start when you draw from more than two powersets?  You can still have a primary and a secondary, like player-built characters?

 

And do I read your sig right that you've got multiple Praetorian arcs?  I'll have to check those out.  Last I saw (a few years ago), there wasn't really any Praetorian content on AE, which is part of what prompted me to start this one (it's meant to be a Praetorian task force).

I'm currently playing through @Darmian's Praetorian arcs on my huge playthrough here, and I thoroughly recommend them.  They're set at level 20 to 25 and are set between Neutropolis and First Ward.  You have to play them in order.

Edited April 7, 2023 by TerroirNoir2

[Darmian]

14 hours ago, Chronos said:

Doesn't the "customs don't grant any XP" thing only start when you draw from more than two powersets?  You can still have a primary and a secondary, like player-built characters?

 

And do I read your sig right that you've got multiple Praetorian arcs?  I'll have to check those out.  Last I saw (a few years ago), there wasn't really any Praetorian content on AE, which is part of what prompted me to start this one (it's meant to be a Praetorian task force).

You're absolutely right on the customs not granting XP only when drawing from more than two powersets.  All other customs give normal AE XP.  I was just figuring that if you wanted to beef up your monster then adding in a few extras might swish up your encounter.  And one of THOSE won't grant XP.

 

Normally the only extras I give a custom character is to an Ally.  Since the feature came in I give allies a rez, to give them a little more life/utility to the player, and an Ally was never going to give XP anyway, so no worries.

 

As for my Praetorian stuff?  @TerroirNoir2 has it right, well them being commendable is subjective! But so far I have one trilogy of Loyalist Power and one Trilogy of Resistance Warden, each going from 20-25 and taking place between the end of Neutropolis and the intro to First Ward.  The order of each is in my signature.

 

There's a few other Praetorian AEs out there too.  Nyx-Astraea's Webb of Destruction trilogy is very interesting!  (She's another Dev Choice writer so is meticulous)  Then there's some stuff by @Shockstorm too, plus "Rewarded as a Loyalist Deserves" is well worth playing, though I hope there's a follow on!

 

Looking forward to seeing how your arc plays out @Chronos!

 

(I am a little Praetorian geeky!  Kam, my avatar there, is my Main Gold 50 and I've been nursing her forward at that level since 2020.  Slow going!)

Edited April 7, 2023 by Darmian

[TerroirNoir2]

7 hours ago, Darmian said:

As for my Praetorian stuff?  @TerroirNoir2 has it right, well them being commendable is subjective! But so far I have one trilogy of Loyalist Power and one Trilogy of Resistance Warden, each going from 20-25 and taking place between the end of Neutropolis and the intro to First Ward.  The order of each is in my signature.

Nearly done!  I only have "The Eve of War" to do and then I have all your Praetorian stuff reviewed/played through. Looking forward to it after I finish @cranebump's seriously heavy Mobius finale!

[Ankylosaur]

The other thing is that GMs may already scale to the level of the player. They do in the "real" game world after all.

 

Because of that, I was never sure what the GM level even really meant except to say that it has attacks that in the original game higher levels would be better able to mitigate.

 

For example, I think the Cap Au Diable demon, DeathSurge, is level 20. Facing him in a level 54 map does not make him a gray pushover, I don't believe.

 

 

Edited April 11, 2023 by Ankylosaur

[Chronos]

I ended up going with a normal (non-giant) boss for this mission.  There's still about a dozen things that aren't quite right in the arc, but I think it's as good as I can get it, within the AE limits.  The arc is #55072, Two Earths Devoured.  If you're going to try it, I recommend bringing a team:  It's designed to be a task force.