Rakshasa

[Welleran]

A question for the wise ones - under the Monster Manual description for Rakshasa, it says they are "capable of using magic-user spells (up to 3rd level) and Cleric spells (1st level)..."

I've always interpreted that to mean they had the spells of a 3rd level MU and a 1st level Cleric, but it suddenly occurs to me that it could easily be interpreted that they can cast any MU spell up to 3rd level and any 1st level Cleric spell. I have a strong suspicion I've been wrong on this for a long time!

So, how do others handle these critters? (they're were always one of my favorites, thanks to the Trampier art)

[grodog]

I usually roll to see what level of MU caster they are (1st through 6th), but I've also just rolled to see what levels spells they can cast, and give them two spells per level accordingly (I think I did that because I'd just re-read the titan entry, perhaps....).

Anyway, they're vicious, nasty, wonderful monsters, Keith. What did you have in mind for yours?

[Welleran]

I'm stocking level 8 of my megadungeon in preparation for the players getting bored with the 7th level (which is essentially an underground sandbox). The players are getting up in level (9-10 range) and have proven to be quite resourceful and resilient, so I'm upping the difficulty level a bit. The Rakshasa are in a relatively quiet corner and aren't integrated into the level's theme (mass graves, pits full of writhing undead with a few levers that, if toyed with improperly, lower chains that allow the undead to climb out in huge numbers -- not sure how that will play out if it happens!).

Anyway, there'll be one male and three female Rakshasa, with the females in a room controlling access to the male for his security. My thought is that they prowl the level as hunters and may provide a short-term, but on-going, threat (I usually put in some critters/NPCs with the idea that they'll be long term threats, some others that are shorter-term threats that might span a couple of sessions, and then some that are just one-shots -- of course, the players always ruin that thinking and sometimes my one-shots become long-term threats and vice versa).

Beyond that, I have not given them too much thought. The level has 250 rooms and I'm mainly working on coming up with some creative set pieces to punctuate the basic bread-and-butter encounters.

Oh, FYI, despite what the MM says, I think "Rakshasa" sounds better as the plural!

[genghisdon]

For about 20-30 years it was any number of L3 or less MU spells & L1 cleric spells. They were nightmarish, if unfair, foes casting things like fireball or stinking cloud on top of themselves whilst in melee.

These days I go with L7 caster, so MU 432 & Cleric 3, plus I throw in ESP & illusion (as wand) & change self, at will, plus veil (once per day)

One might as well move this to homebrew, nobody is going to accept any "offical" ruling on these monsters today.