Editing User:HarveyPekar/Differences between Tactician and Balanced

'''Tactician difficulty,''' as a harder [[difficulty]] option, carries with it many differences gameplay. Chief among these are enhanced statistics and abilities for [[creatures]]. These can be increased [[ability scores]], new [[Passive feature|passives]], permanently applied [[conditions]], or even new or improved [[actions]]. This is a list of all such noted differences.

== Flat bonuses ==
These are clearly defined changes that are implemented across races of creatures, subsets within those races, or upon individual creatures.

=== Racial bonuses ===
These are bonuses implemented to every member of a specific playable or [[:Category:Non-playable races|non-playable race]]. Some specific creatures or characters encountered within those races may gain additional bonuses, as detailed later.
{| class="wikitable"
|+Racial Bonuses on Tactician
!Race
!Bonuses
|-
|[[Intellect Devourer|Intellect Devourers]]
|
* {{SAI|Synaptic Discharge}}
|-
|[[Phase spiders]]
|
* {{Ability|Strength|24}} '''+1'''

* {{Ability|Dexterity|24}} '''+1'''
|-
|[[Goblins]]
|
* {{SAI|Fury of the Small}}
|-
|[[Ogres]]
|
* {{Ability|Strength|24}} '''+1'''
|-
|[[Bugbear|Bugbears]]
|
* {{SAI|Savage Attacker}}
|-
|[[Githyanki]]
|
* {{SAI|Psionic Empowerment}}{{Note|Gith that already had this ability on Balanced or Explorer, such as [[Kith'rak Voss]], retain the ability. Playable gith such as [[Lae'zel]] do not gain this ability.}}
|-
|[[Minotaur|Minotaurs]]
|
* {{SAI|Savage Attacker}}
* {{SAI|Brutal Critical}}
|-
|[[Kobolds]]
|
* {{Ability|Dexterity|24}} '''+2'''

* {{SAI|Evasion}}
|-
|[[Merregon]]
|
* {{SAI|Sentinel: Vengeance}}
* {{SAI|Sentinel: Opportunity Advantage}}
* {{SAI|Sentinel: Snare}}
|-
|[[Meenlocks]]
|
* {{Ability|Dexterity|24}} '''+1'''
* {{Ability|Constitution|24}} '''+4'''
|-
|[[Death Shepherd]]
|
* {{SAI|No Rest for the Wicked}} revives targets with full HP
|}
=== Creature and archetype bonuses ===
Some bonuses are applied to subsets of creatures within a race. This can include named NPC's, as long as the group they belong to can be easily generalized. For example, githyanki NPC's who wield a crossbow and have the "Raider" title {{-}} even if their name is Hi'so'ka or Ki'llua {{-}} in [[Act One]] can expect to get the same Tactician bonuses. These apply in addition to any other racial or individual bonuses.
{| class="wikitable"
! colspan="2" |Group Bonuses on Tactician
|-
!Group
!Bonuses
|-
|[[Githyanki raider|Githyanki Raider]] (Level 5)
|
* {{SAI|Archery}}
|-
|[[Githyanki gish]] (Level 5)
|
* {{SAI|War Caster: Concentration}}
* {{SAI|War Caster: Opportunity Spell}}
|-
|[[Githyanki warrior]] (Level 5)
|
* {{SAI|Great Weapon Fighting}}
|-
|[[Githyanki ardent]] (Level 5)
|
* {{SAI|Potent Cantrip}}
|-
|[[Redcap Blood Sage]]{{Note|Including [[BOOOAL]]}}
|
* {{Ability|Wisdom}} '''+3'''
* {{SAI|War Caster: Concentration}}
|-
|[[Agile Guardian]]
|
* {{SAI|Colossus Slayer}}
|-
|[[Robust Guardian]]
|
* {{SAI|Improved Critical Hit}}
|-
|[[Mimic]]
|
* {{Resistance|Bludgeoning|resistant}}{{Resistance|Piercing|resistant}}{{Resistance|Slashing|resistant}}
|-
|[[Shadow-Cursed Vine Blight]]
|
* {{SAI|Tanglevine Form}}
|-
|[[Shadow-Cursed Raven]]
|
* {{SAI|Pack Tactics}}
* {{SAI|Evasion}}
* {{SAI|Dazzling Blows}}
|}
=== Unique individual bonuses ===
For any uniquely-occurring creature or NPC that gets their own bonuses. If a named NPC doesn't neatly fit into a generic group, as described above, they'll be included here.
{| class="wikitable"
! colspan="2" |Group Bonuses on Tactician
|-
!Group
!Bonuses
|-
|[[Commander Zhalk]]
|
* {{SAI|Extra Attack}}
* {{SAI|Opportunity Attack}}
|-
|[[Gandrel]]
|
* {{SAI|Scar of the Dunes}}
|-
|[[Hyena]]{{Note|Found on [[The Risen Road]] at {{coords|9|522}}}}
|
* {{SAI|Alert}} and additional '''+4 initiative''', for a total '''+11 Initiative'''
|-
|[[Dror Ragzlin]]
|
* {{SAI|Extra Attack}}
|-
|[[Buthir]]
|
* {{SAI|Buthir's Wrath}} provides {{Resistance|Bludgeoning|resistant}}{{Resistance|Piercing|resistant}}{{Resistance|Slashing|resistant}}.{{Note|The game must be on Tactician difficulty from the moment the barn doors are opened in order for this to be true.}}
|-
|[[Sarth Baretha]]
|
* {{SAI|Great Weapon Master: All In}}
* {{SAI|Great Weapon Master: Bonus Attack}}
* {{SAI|Great Weapon Fighting}}
|-
|[[Kith'rak Voss]]
|
*{{Ability|Strength|24}} '''+2'''

* {{Ability|Dexterity|24}} '''+1'''
|-
|[[Bulette]]
|
* {{Resistance|Bludgeoning|resistant}}{{Resistance|Piercing|resistant}}{{Resistance|Slashing|resistant}}{{Resistance|Acid|double}}
|-
|[[Bernard]]
|
* {{Ability|Strength|24}} '''+2'''
* {{SAI|Alert}}
* {{SAI|Magical Plate (-1)|Magical Plate}}
* Supported by two additional [[Animated Armour|Animated Armours]]
|-
|[[Ancient Giant Eagle]]
|
* {{Ability|Strength|24}} '''+2'''
* {{Ability|Wisdom|24}} '''+2'''
* {{SAI|Signalling Cry}} summons 5 [[Giant Eagle|Giant Eagles]], instead of 3
|-
|[[Kith'rak Therezzyn]]
|
* {{SAI|War Caster: Concentration}}
* {{SAI|War Caster: Opportunity Spell}}
|-
|[[Ur'uth]] and [[D'hak]]
|
* {{SAI|Extra Attack}}
|-
|[[Varsh Ko'kuu]]
|
* Affected by {{SAI|Mage Armour}}
* {{SAI|Crossbow Expert: Point-Blank}}
* {{SAI|Crossbow Expert: Wounding}}
|-
|[[Sa'varsh Kethk]]
|
* {{SAI|Archery}}
|-
|[[Ghustil Stornugoss]]
|
* Affected by {{SAI|Mage Armour}}
|-
|
|
|}Act 3

* Viconia DeVir: Sentinel buffs + protector, Tenacity 5
* Houndmaster Pol, Zina, Rocky, and Gordis: Hunter's Camouflage. The dogs also get Evasion.

=== Exception(s) ===
The enemies in one specific encounter, the goblin raiding party at the [[Druid Grove]] gate, are exempt from buffs. The goblins, led by [[Za'Krug]], and the [[bugbear]] are missing the passive bonuses that are found elsewhere on otherwise identical creatures on Tactician. They retain, however, the Tactician HP bonus.

== Variable increases ==
These are changes that are implemented to varying or uncertain degrees across enemies in the game.

=== Health ===
NPC hit points are generally increased by 30%, or close to 30%, with some exceptions. These exceptions include but are not limited to [[Grym]] and [[Oathbreaker Knight]].

=== Behavior Changes in AI ===
NPC behavior is more aggressive in combat and prioritizes spellcasters and soft targets more often.

== Footnotes ==
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<references group="note" />
{{noteend}}{{Noteend}}