Bring Back Modrons

TylerDurden · Oct 2, 2009

I would love to see the classic Modrons upgraded to 4e and expanded upon. I was flipping through an old Dragon magazine that had some great artwork and fluff around these creatures. Would love to see a revisit/expansion of that material.

Any other thoughts?

caudor · Oct 2, 2009

I second that! I'd also love to see something creative done with Primus (The One and the Prime). Perhaps a return?

Dice4Hire · Oct 2, 2009

I always liked them, but where would they fit? In a domain in the Astral Sea?

Derulbaskul · Oct 2, 2009

Dice4Hire said:
I always liked them, but where would they fit? In a domain in the Astral Sea?

Why not as a bulwark between the Elemental Chaos and the Astral Sea? Their fundamental Law-based function is to restrain the primordials and prevent their escape and perhaps Primus exists to restrain Tharizdun in particular.

They're immortal animates but otherwise the astral counterpart of archons, created on great astral forges as creatures of perfect Order so that they might more perfectly oppose Chaos.

Silverblade The Ench · Oct 2, 2009

Agreed!

I think WOTC screwed up by removing Law/Chaos from the D&D system of alignments/outlooks. See the maruts how now "collect favours"...meh?!
modrons were great in their mad way

FireLance · Oct 2, 2009

I think the re-introduction of modrons could tie in nicely with the implied setting's plotline element of the increasing encroachment of the Far Realm into the material world and the subsequent rise of psionics and the appearance of the wilden (further detailed in PH3).

In a remote corner of the Astral Sea, a strange, metallic ball appears, apparently out of nowhere. It lies motionless for a while, but suddenly, with a soft "snick", a panel slides open, revealing a single, large eye.

For a few moments, the eye stares blankly ahead. Then slowly, it looks around, and sees nothing but emptiness around it. It blinks, once, and with a faint whirring sound, the ball extends arms and legs, feet and hands.

Cautiously at first, but with rapidly growing confidence, the creature moves its limbs, flexes its joints. Then, apparently satisfied, the creature stands still. It holds up its empty left hand and a lump of metallic substance appears on it. It holds up its empty right hand and a strange tool materializes there. With precise, regular movements, it begins building another creature like itself.

Some sages speculate that just as the wilden were the natural world's response to the Far Realm's gradually growing incursion, the modrons were similarly birthed by the Astral Sea.

Although no god has claimed responsibility for their creation, some argue that their apparently mechanical nature suggests that they are creatures of Moradin. Others believe that their highly regimented and ordered society points to Erathis or even Bane. A more chilling line of speculation is that they were birthed not to counter the Far Realm, but because the growing influence of the Far Realm is slowly driving one or more of the gods insane. Those who believe this fear that the single-minded obsession displayed by the modrons in their battles against creatures of chaos and madness is a form of madness in itself...

JohnRTroy · Oct 2, 2009

I always hated the planescape "reboot" of these creatures.

The original MM2 shows them as geometric shapes, not clockwork robots. I thought it was a lot weirder and more original than going to the clockwork/steampunk cliche. Biological creatures of order so alien the masses appear as near-perfect geometric shapes, while the leaders are humanoids that can't pass the Uncanny Valley.

If they were ever to come back, I'd like them to consider this aspect.

avin · Oct 2, 2009

Modrons! Modrons! Modrons! Make Mechanus an astral dominion and we're done.

The only thing I'd change is Primus appearance...

Oryan77 · Oct 2, 2009

I missed the Modrons so much that it inspired me to do a 3d cinematic still of my own version of Quadrones:

I entered this image in a statewide contest but was not the winner.

malraux · Oct 2, 2009

If I were doing it, I might make the modrons an experiment in order by the primordials. To me, Mechanus just doesn't fit as an Astral Dominion, it's too single minded. The primordials are much more single minded. You could even make Primus some sort of renegade primordial, dedicated to being as opposed to the chaotic nature of the Elemental chaos as possible.