Goodman Games

New DM here trying to wrap my head around the basics of monster creation. I am trying to build an encounter that takes place in an underground river that flows through the caverns of a mountain. I was thinking that a giant electric eel might provide just the "shock" that the adventuring company was looking for...

Giant Electric Eel
Level 3 Brute

Large natural beast (aquatic) XP 150

Initiative +3; Perception +3; low-light vision

HP 42; Bloodied 21

AC 15; Fortitude 16; Reflex 15; Will 15

Resist 10 lightning

Speed 3 (swim 6)

(m) Bite (Standard, at-will)
+6 vs Armor Class; 2d6+3

(c) Shocking Strike (recharge on 5 or 6) • lightning
Close burst 2; +4 vs Reflex; 2d10+3 lightning damage. Miss: Half damage.

Str 18 (+5) Dex 14 (+3) Wis 14 (+3)
Con 13 (+2) Int 8 (0) Cha 8 (0)

I am interested in feedback on a couple of fronts: first, does this work mechanically. I tried to eyeball this against 4e monsters of similar level while following the monster-building guidelines in the DMG. Second, is there something that you would tweak from a flavor perspective?

Thanks in advance!

Not a big deal, I think it's a cool idea but the intelligence may be a bit high IMO. Not sure if it even matters, but when I think of eels I think animal intelligence, and I think though it's a mechanical element (stat) I think it's more in the flavor of an eel to be a bit dumber LOL.

Looks cool, but I think maybe it could use and aura of +X vs. Reflex or take X electricity damage would be cool IMHO.