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 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. For any entity that gains a new or modified action, the game must be on Tactician difficulty before combat is initiated in order for the change to take effect.

Racial bonuses

These are bonuses implemented to every member of a specific playable or non-playable race. Some specific creatures or characters encountered within those races may gain additional bonuses, as detailed later.

Racial Bonuses on Tactician

Race	Bonuses
Intellect Devourers	Synaptic Discharge
Phase spiders	24 +1  24 +1
Goblins	Fury of the Small
Ogres	24 +1
Bugbears	Savage Attacker
Githyanki	Psionic Empowerment
Minotaurs	Savage Attacker  Brutal Critical
Kobolds	24 +2  Evasion
Merregon	Sentinel: Vengeance  Sentinel: Opportunity Advantage  Sentinel: Snare
Meenlocks	24 +1  24 +4
Death Shepherd	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.

Group Bonuses on Tactician
Group	Bonuses
Githyanki Raider (Level 5)	Archery
Githyanki gish (Level 5)	War Caster: Concentration  War Caster: Opportunity Spell
Githyanki warrior (Level 5)	Great Weapon Fighting
Githyanki ardent (Level 5)	Potent Cantrip
Redcap Blood Sage	Wisdom +3  War Caster: Concentration
Agile Guardian	Colossus Slayer
Robust Guardian	Improved Critical Hit
Mimic
Shadow-Cursed Vine Blight	Tanglevine Form
Shadow-Cursed Raven	Pack Tactics  Evasion  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.

Act One

For any entity first encountered in Act One:

Group Bonuses on Tactician
Group	Bonuses
Commander Zhalk	Extra Attack  Opportunity Attack
Gandrel	Scar of the Dunes
Hyena	Alert and additional +4 initiative, for a total +11 Initiative
Dror Ragzlin	Extra Attack
Buthir	Buthir's Wrath provides .
Sarth Baretha	Great Weapon Master: All In  Great Weapon Master: Bonus Attack  Great Weapon Fighting
Kith'rak Voss	24 +2  24 +1
Bulette
Bernard	24 +2  Alert  Magical Plate Supported by two additional Animated Armours
Ancient Giant Eagle	24 +2  24 +2  Signalling Cry summons 5 Giant Eagles, instead of 3
Kith'rak Therezzyn	War Caster: Concentration  War Caster: Opportunity Spell
Ur'uth and D'hak	Extra Attack
Varsh Ko'kuu	Affected by  Mage Armour  Crossbow Expert: Point-Blank  Crossbow Expert: Wounding
Sa'varsh Kethk	Archery
Ghustil Stornugoss	Affected by  Mage Armour

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:

• Creatures with >30% hit point difference, i.e. Grym and Oathbreaker Knight.
• Creatures with unchanged hit points, i.e. Marcus.

Behavior Changes in AI

NPC behavior is more aggressive in combat and prioritizes spellcasters and soft targets more often.