Epic Encounters: Symbaroum - The Corrupted Coloss review in progress

I've tried to break into the bleak woodland of Davokar for a long time, but Epic Encounters: Symbaroum – The Corrupted Coloss might be what pushes me into that forest for good. As a boss battle in a box, it sets out to provide the most impressive, tactically-demanding fight possible… and blimey, it follows that brief to a T. This is a much deeper, more satisfying experience than most tabletop scraps.

It's the kind of attention to detail I wish we got from the official D&D Monster Manual. Alongside video game-inspired behaviour loops it features cues your party can pick up on to anticipate attacks. Throw in an impressive model you can use for all manner of homebrew content and Epic Encounters: Symbaroum – The Corrupted Coloss delivers on its promise.

Features & design

• Features a ready-to-run boss battle
• Includes a high-detail (but unpainted) model
• Can be used standalone or in a series

All Epic Encounters packs provide you with a combat scenario, a mat to play on, and miniatures to use in your games. The Corrupted Coloss is no different, but it's a 'boss' box – and that means you get one massive showpiece model rather than multiple foes.

This adventure takes us deep into the forest's heart in pursuit of an enormous tree-being that's gone mad. These creatures – known as Coloss – are normally bound to the witch who created them and seek to protect the Davokar woods. However, that connection is broken when the witch dies, leaving the Coloss to wander aimlessly in search of food. While this can be enough of a headache for locals (the book describes lost Coloss like hungry bears just trying to find a meal), it's so much worse if the tree-being has been corrupted. Then it actively starts hunting people down and twisting the landscape.

I'll give you one guess as to the state of the Coloss you have to fight in this pack.

Because this is designed to work with the best tabletop RPGs (be that the Ruins of Symbaroum or D&D), you get multiple routes into the encounter and have plenty of options to spice it up with more powerful foes. It can also be used by itself or as a sequel to Epic Encounters: Symbaroum – The Gem in the Barrow.

For the miniature itself, you don't need to worry about assembly; it's ready-made. All you need to do is add a lick of paint, should you so desire.

Gameplay

• Monster behaviour loop is a fantastic addition
• Plenty of cinematic moments to shake things up
• Some attacks feel a little unfair

Seeing as this is a boss fight in every sense of the word, it shouldn't come as a surprise that the Corrupted Coloss hits hard. We're talking 'dump truck driving at full speed down a hill' hard; even at lower levels, its legendary action on top of bludgeoning hooves will make short work of the unwary. Meanwhile, versions of the monster for higher-level parties will absolutely wreck shop. This thing has three legendary actions to use on top of mutations that can be used at the GM's discretion.

The latter are particularly exciting, and remind me of mid-battle boss buffs in video games. Oh, so you thought you'd gotten the hang of this? Sorry, the big bad evil guy is gonna throw in an extra attack or effect to kick your ass. Happy birthday! Anyway, the Corrupted Coloss has the ability to boost its armor class, regain health, get an extra attack for a limited number of turns, and more.

This video game-style approach is one of the best things about this encounter, if you ask me. Alongside the above, single-use mega-attacks (called 'Cinematic Moments' here) can pull the rug from under your players in a suitably epic way. Equally, Coloss Abilities are available if you want to keep the party on the edge of their seat and ensure "the combat doesn't just become a series of rolls." GMs are advised to use these sparingly because they're so powerful.

The downside? I'm not sure these are always fair. Don't get me wrong, characters can almost always avoid these attacks if they roll well. One Cinematic Moment sees the Coloss crash to the ground in death, for example, crushing whoever is in the way with 10 times standard bludgeoning damage if they fail a Dexterity save. That seems entirely reasonable, and you could probably anticipate it if you think things through. But anyone within 30 feet also receives five times bludgeoning damage from falling debris if they fail a Dexterity save. I understand the logic, but it feels somewhat underhand after your characters have survived what will probably be a tricky fight. There's no way to predict that this will happen, either.

Similarly, the 'Seething Corruption' ability deals damage even if you succeed the associated Wisdom save. I know these are to shake your players up, but I'm personally not a fan of attacks that automatically get you regardless of skill, tactics, positioning, or rolls.

Still, that's the only complaint I have – and these issues can be easily modded with minimal effort.

The way the creature's behaviours are laid out is top-tier, too. You're given a flowchart describing what the Corrupted Coloss will do in specific situations, like when characters stay at range (meaning you break out the ol' Wooden Darts) or are obviously the most heavily-armed (it tries to take out the biggest threat quickly with multiattacks). These are all accompanied by flavor text describing what the monster does or sounds like at that moment, so canny adventurers can start to work out what's coming before it hits. I love this. It makes the encounter so much more alive, and provides a far more structured fight that avoids the monotony of "I roll to hit you, you roll to hit me." It's reminiscent of Monster Hunter World: The Board Game – Wildspire Waste, and I wish we had more of this in the D&D Monster Manual.

Should you buy Epic Encounters: Symbaroum - The Corrupted Coloss?

If you're looking for a good boss fight with high stakes, a memorable foe, engaging combat, and vibes all the way down, The Corrupted Coloss will be your jam. Thanks to a comprehensive guide to monster behaviour and plenty of surprises to keep your party on their toes, it'll serve as the perfect cap to an adventure.

Is it perfect? No, but there aren't any problems that can't be fixed with a quick edit. It can be easily modified to fit with your own homebrew campaign or setting as well, especially if you want a stand-in treeant/woodland fey model.

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...