Creature Collection III out
Graf
Explorer
Shockingly late responce, I know. Having taken a break from D&D for a while the sudden and unexpected arrival of my author's copies pulled me back to check the boards and reviews.
I was the Dark Trumvirate and what became the Intercessor, Robed Pacifier.
Have to admit I was pretty pleased that they kept the over-the-top-cheezy text I wrote for the DT basically word for word.
(yeah, I found writing about good and evil its kind of hard to avoid being over-the-top. I sat there laughing at what it sounded like but I really wouldn't change a thing. I think D&D does well with some of that.)
Two things were siginficantly different for the Robed Pacifiers (not really sure why, though it makes them more combat-D&D-style monsters I suppose)
1. aura originally was a Santuary like effect that protected EVERYBODY within the aura (and it had a big radius). I liked the idea that Order was inforced magically and if a riot broke out somewhere suddenly a pacifier would appear overhead and there was Order. Just having them hover over central places (and people pass through the aura and feel the compulsion every day) would send a strong message about want was acceptable and what was unacceptable.
Now they just have santuary cast on them? Why bother with keeping the power... just say: Spell like ability (always active) and use the paragraph for something else....
(Answer: The power is just another not-so-special monster power now, you can plunk the creature into any dungeon and go....)
2. The monk hand to hand combat powers were weird.... if they're always carrying lamps when do they fight emptyhanded? Why monk powers... the Pacifiers aren't connected to monks in any way? If the monster isn't a combat creature, and it always avoids melee combat (and it has lots of at will spell like abilities that are perfectly useful in combat) why give it lots of monk hand to hand attacks?
(The answer probably is.... because it's D&D. But they should have turned the indestrucable lanterns into weapons or something then.)
At first I thought it was an intercessor thing but the other intercessor doesn't have any monk abilities.
(originally the did have a touch attack that was 1d10 subdual but I didn't bother to do anything else except note it in the attack line)
Still I'm glad they were included. I liked a couple of the other monsters a bit.... The remembrances, spontanious golems. The Sharkfolk and the Soulless have good pictures. After looking at the boards I double checked a few and was impressed (especially the dark pheonix and the Herald of Ossall's gaze attack).
I didn't think I liked a lot of the monsters in the CC2 when it came out but after running a game I got very attached a lot of them. I expect it would be similar for 3.
I was the Dark Trumvirate and what became the Intercessor, Robed Pacifier.
Have to admit I was pretty pleased that they kept the over-the-top-cheezy text I wrote for the DT basically word for word.
(yeah, I found writing about good and evil its kind of hard to avoid being over-the-top. I sat there laughing at what it sounded like but I really wouldn't change a thing. I think D&D does well with some of that.)
Two things were siginficantly different for the Robed Pacifiers (not really sure why, though it makes them more combat-D&D-style monsters I suppose)
1. aura originally was a Santuary like effect that protected EVERYBODY within the aura (and it had a big radius). I liked the idea that Order was inforced magically and if a riot broke out somewhere suddenly a pacifier would appear overhead and there was Order. Just having them hover over central places (and people pass through the aura and feel the compulsion every day) would send a strong message about want was acceptable and what was unacceptable.
Now they just have santuary cast on them? Why bother with keeping the power... just say: Spell like ability (always active) and use the paragraph for something else....
(Answer: The power is just another not-so-special monster power now, you can plunk the creature into any dungeon and go....)
2. The monk hand to hand combat powers were weird.... if they're always carrying lamps when do they fight emptyhanded? Why monk powers... the Pacifiers aren't connected to monks in any way? If the monster isn't a combat creature, and it always avoids melee combat (and it has lots of at will spell like abilities that are perfectly useful in combat) why give it lots of monk hand to hand attacks?
(The answer probably is.... because it's D&D. But they should have turned the indestrucable lanterns into weapons or something then.)
At first I thought it was an intercessor thing but the other intercessor doesn't have any monk abilities.
(originally the did have a touch attack that was 1d10 subdual but I didn't bother to do anything else except note it in the attack line)
Still I'm glad they were included. I liked a couple of the other monsters a bit.... The remembrances, spontanious golems. The Sharkfolk and the Soulless have good pictures. After looking at the boards I double checked a few and was impressed (especially the dark pheonix and the Herald of Ossall's gaze attack).
I didn't think I liked a lot of the monsters in the CC2 when it came out but after running a game I got very attached a lot of them. I expect it would be similar for 3.
Nightfall
Sage of the Scarred Lands
Congrats Graf. Hope you enjoy my only entry. So far I just see like five-ten Infernal Sentinels marching to war with a small band of charduni-slain under their command. 
But the Dark Tiruvumate were pretty awesome (just a tad disappointed that Fear Devil is kind of weak compare to the other two.) Robed Intercessor is very nice also.
But the Dark Tiruvumate were pretty awesome (just a tad disappointed that Fear Devil is kind of weak compare to the other two.) Robed Intercessor is very nice also.
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Graf
Explorer
Nightfall said:Congrats Graf. Hope you enjoy my only entry. So far I just see like five-ten Infernal Sentinels marching to war with a small band of charduni-slain under their command.
I'll look at the infernal sentinel when I get home. (same for the phase mass).
And because I'm a bit of a motor mouth....
[I haven't done anything D&D related in several months so if I say something wrong forgive me.]
As I'm sure you recall: the open call focused on "monsters under CR10". Originally it was Anger 10, Pride 9 (though I may have pushed it to 10) & Fear 8.... they all got bumped a bit.
The way they got bumped as a group has to do with the cloaks and the auras/multiple attacks. I am fine with the changes, as it was before it was even more "super-hero"ish.
Basically if the cloaks are on they got the immunity to divinations and the profane bonus to disguise checks. However they can't use their auras or make multiple attacks with extra limbs (or in the pride daemon's case use the master of wands "multiple-charged item in a round" attack power). So basically to fight at their CR level the monster had to "reveal themself" (also meaning they're scryable, etc). In addition to giving them a strong incentive to be subtle it allowed the party to "win" by forcing the creature to reveal itself, without necessarily requiring a physical confrontation to end in victory.
It's more flexible for the DM now and simpler. Though whether the aura is always on or switchable hasn't been addressed.
Pride daemons got the biggest bump, but that's really "adding the spell casting of an 8th level sorcerer" thing.
As for Fear:
Basically I think it's just as powerful as the other two... but deliberately weaker in terms of toe to toe combat. CRs are tricky for assassin monsters... especially assassin monsters with spell like abilities. Depending on the DMs ability to run the monster a handful of medium strength abilities can be combined to form "the perfect storm".
I went into a fair amount of detailing one kind of perfect storm.... but basically if a DM turns the strategy into a playbook it's pretty vicious at almost any level, while still not guaranteeing death. (that's why it doesn't have sneak attack... it was going to be too wrong).
Wait until the target is asleep, in bed.
Prepare: Assassin's senses, etc.
(I think it should also have silence cast on it, but I'm not sure if that was a spell like I gave them. If not it needs a 2nd level cleric ally)
Surprise round: Greater Teleport* (even without slience the odds of success are low unless you have a house rull about teleports and noise or the target has a really good listen check). If the DM doesn't think the surprise round starts with Teleport you get to do something else: probably move next to target and cast Darkness (as devils they see in darkness).
Round 1: (activate fear power) Attack with 6 short swords of wounding.
Round 2: Target wakes up, gets to roll initiative. It's pitch black, target has to make a saving throw (vs. Fear aura). If they can act maybe they move and give the devil an an AoO, maybe they try to cast a spell (if they have any memorized/prepared). The Fear Devil uses the spell-like ability that blocks magical healing unless you use remove curse (it's mentioned specifically in the tactics part, totally forget the name).
Round 3: If the spell sticks the devil can keep attacking, or they can teleport away. If the target makes the save the devil tries the spell-like ability again (3/day as I recall).
* I think sneaking in (after having set up some kind of diversion) is cooler, but teleporting makes the example simpler.
As soon as the spell takes the clock is ticking. The target is left bleeding (in 3.0 wounding attacks stacked... so that's probably at least 4-5 points a round, more with crits, extra rounds spent attacking, etc).... they probably run to a cleric, and waste a round or two using healing magic that doesn't work.
Magic healing's not working, they have to come up with something, and quickly; Hypothetically it's exciting and challenging for the party without being "You go to sleep... and then the rest of the group finds your body in the morning".
What CR is the attack...? it really depends on non-character intangibles. A teleport proof lair, contengency spell, guardian constructs programmed to attack on sight, familiars, the character staying up later than usual (and in their armor/with their gear on), whether the DM allows the Fear Devil to have access to an ally with silence, whether the party has any warning or not, the list goes on.
