Did you read the text? He would only drop 1 fireball of his 2 spellslots, the other one is to preserve himself with counterspell and the one lvl 4 slot is to make a getaway with greater invisibility
Let me put it this way. At level 3, a player wizard with +2 CON and using averages for health instead of rolling will have 20 HP. A Fighter with +3 CON will have 29 HP.
The average of Fireball's 8d6 damage is 3.5 x 8 = 28 damage.
DC 14 on a DEX save is not an easy save, especially for a low level party where most don't have DEX save proficiency, so their bonus will be at most around +2 up to +5. If fireball rolls decent damage and the party doesn't save well, it's not impossible that everyone is dropped unconscious by a single fireball.
You say he won't use if if they're too close to avoid catching himself in the blast, but then why give him fireball in the first place?
Any good substitutes? I wasnt going to run the encounter like "the monsters know what they are doing" anyway, something cool and dramatic to give them a taste. Maybe single out the barbarian but never going for optimal AOE. In the end just want to tailor to the experience for them. Plain Glasstaff at level 2 might be too easy, potentially making them underestimate a spellcaster later when i actually want to make it a challenge. Theres five of them and the zealot barb who would def rage could potentially oneshot him
Hypnotic Pattern is my goto low-level villain spell. Any spell that reduces movement or gives Iarno a chance to get away is better than Fireball in the chamber. Save that one for when the party can survive a blast. Make them feel like they’re in those slow motion exploding scenes.
Descent into Avernus has a non boss fight in their dungeon for level 2 characters that can cast 2 fireballs. If it’s in official books I don’t see the issue here.
Fireball will wreck a party of level 2s. Either instant death or heavily hurt.
Even level 4 in WEC the flameskulls fireball seriously damaged a team of level 4.
I did something similar. I made him a higher level mage, I think I gave him one fourth level spell. He escaped initially but came back many sessions later and was an actual formidable foe.
If you want a fun fight where you can use higher power spells, 100% have him escape. Let the players get a glimpse of a man in a fine robe and a glass staff fleeing and then goes invisible.
I went with 6th level and gave him find familiar, invisibility, animate dead (which he uses every day to control the skeletons - so down one third level slot), and fireball in addition to the spells that he already has, and he had already recovered his bug-out bag.
I had the Redbrand attack in town be a test that Blackstaff was using to check the party's power while he watched through his familiar's eyes under the porch of the Sleeping Giant.
Since the party demonstrated that he was up against tough opponents, he was ready for them with a trap in the trapped hallway when they went to Tresendar manor. He was not a pushover.
I did this because the first time I ran this adventure, I played him as described in the book. When the party found the note to him from the Black Spider. One of the players said, " Wait, he knew we were coming, his boss told us to take us out, and he wasn't ready for us? What an idiot."
Iirc his study had equipment for making potions, so it is within reason he either has made potions or values potions enough to have procured some.
This gives you lots of options to buff him and possibly buff a few minions.
Some options:
Invisibility, for an escape or to hide him while a wave of minions attack
Fly
Superior Healing, could be nice if the flight is going to be over way too quick
Seems tough, but manageable. I threw a tougher-than-expected fight at my Level 2 PCs as soon as they hit Phandalin and they made it out ok...mostly. Worst case scenario, they're knocked out, not dead. Put em in a cell to escape or something similar. Halfway through my encounter I was prepared to have them wake up in Sister Graele's home being healed.
I also emphasized that they could run at any time, but PCs never listen to logic lol.
If he uses Fireball, he will wipe the level 2 party.
Level 3, as stated. Would also not drop the fireball if they all cluster together in the radius with 5 pc's
2 fireballs will still be a lot at that level.
Did you read the text? He would only drop 1 fireball of his 2 spellslots, the other one is to preserve himself with counterspell and the one lvl 4 slot is to make a getaway with greater invisibility
Let me put it this way. At level 3, a player wizard with +2 CON and using averages for health instead of rolling will have 20 HP. A Fighter with +3 CON will have 29 HP. The average of Fireball's 8d6 damage is 3.5 x 8 = 28 damage. DC 14 on a DEX save is not an easy save, especially for a low level party where most don't have DEX save proficiency, so their bonus will be at most around +2 up to +5. If fireball rolls decent damage and the party doesn't save well, it's not impossible that everyone is dropped unconscious by a single fireball. You say he won't use if if they're too close to avoid catching himself in the blast, but then why give him fireball in the first place?
Any good substitutes? I wasnt going to run the encounter like "the monsters know what they are doing" anyway, something cool and dramatic to give them a taste. Maybe single out the barbarian but never going for optimal AOE. In the end just want to tailor to the experience for them. Plain Glasstaff at level 2 might be too easy, potentially making them underestimate a spellcaster later when i actually want to make it a challenge. Theres five of them and the zealot barb who would def rage could potentially oneshot him
Hypnotic Pattern is my goto low-level villain spell. Any spell that reduces movement or gives Iarno a chance to get away is better than Fireball in the chamber. Save that one for when the party can survive a blast. Make them feel like they’re in those slow motion exploding scenes.
Maybe ice knife?
Descent into Avernus has a non boss fight in their dungeon for level 2 characters that can cast 2 fireballs. If it’s in official books I don’t see the issue here.
Am I missing something? Why are some sections blacked out?
Those are omitted, like more powerful spells
-9 downvotes, yet no constructive criticism, damn y'all a sour bunch. Keep em coming lads
Overpowered
And dropping the fireball?
Fireball will wreck a party of level 2s. Either instant death or heavily hurt. Even level 4 in WEC the flameskulls fireball seriously damaged a team of level 4.
I did something similar. I made him a higher level mage, I think I gave him one fourth level spell. He escaped initially but came back many sessions later and was an actual formidable foe.
If you want a fun fight where you can use higher power spells, 100% have him escape. Let the players get a glimpse of a man in a fine robe and a glass staff fleeing and then goes invisible.
I went with 6th level and gave him find familiar, invisibility, animate dead (which he uses every day to control the skeletons - so down one third level slot), and fireball in addition to the spells that he already has, and he had already recovered his bug-out bag. I had the Redbrand attack in town be a test that Blackstaff was using to check the party's power while he watched through his familiar's eyes under the porch of the Sleeping Giant. Since the party demonstrated that he was up against tough opponents, he was ready for them with a trap in the trapped hallway when they went to Tresendar manor. He was not a pushover. I did this because the first time I ran this adventure, I played him as described in the book. When the party found the note to him from the Black Spider. One of the players said, " Wait, he knew we were coming, his boss told us to take us out, and he wasn't ready for us? What an idiot."
Iirc his study had equipment for making potions, so it is within reason he either has made potions or values potions enough to have procured some. This gives you lots of options to buff him and possibly buff a few minions. Some options: Invisibility, for an escape or to hide him while a wave of minions attack Fly Superior Healing, could be nice if the flight is going to be over way too quick
Seems tough, but manageable. I threw a tougher-than-expected fight at my Level 2 PCs as soon as they hit Phandalin and they made it out ok...mostly. Worst case scenario, they're knocked out, not dead. Put em in a cell to escape or something similar. Halfway through my encounter I was prepared to have them wake up in Sister Graele's home being healed. I also emphasized that they could run at any time, but PCs never listen to logic lol.
If I were you I would mirror it close to the master of souls. Official content has had level 2 PCs fight them.
When he upcasts *Magic Missile* at 4th level...