Blue
Ravenous Bugblatter Beast of Traal
The game I'm running just hit 8th level. The paladin has a in-character connection to unicorns that has been established in play.
He's just reading the Find Steed (2nd level) and asked for a Unicorn. I pointed out how the 4th level version, Find Greater Steed, has CR 2 options as the highest listed, while the Unicorn was CR 5. Also we have a Moon Druid with the party and they can only do CR 2 forms and it's pretty overshadowing to another player.
The player is understanding but bummed, but the rest of the players (except the Moon Druid's player has been silent) think it would be really cool for the unicorn connection to come into play, especially it ties into things from last session.
I am trying to Rule of Cool work out what to do, but cutting down the Unicorn stat block to not be overshadowing really takes away most of what makes it a unicorn. Legendary actions would have to go (esp. the Shimmering Shield, the paladin is AC focused) and the casting.
I don't mind giving "a real unicorn" not from Find Steed, as long as I can get it down to CR 2ish. But when I chop out enough it doesn't feel unicorn-y nor have survivability that a living mount would need. If I do Find Steed it's actually a spirit and I can justify it being a bit different.
I don't want a unicorn NPC with their own agenda to offset the high CR, there are already NPCs that the party has traveling with them and I'd prefer to keep things manageable.
Any suggestions?
He's just reading the Find Steed (2nd level) and asked for a Unicorn. I pointed out how the 4th level version, Find Greater Steed, has CR 2 options as the highest listed, while the Unicorn was CR 5. Also we have a Moon Druid with the party and they can only do CR 2 forms and it's pretty overshadowing to another player.
The player is understanding but bummed, but the rest of the players (except the Moon Druid's player has been silent) think it would be really cool for the unicorn connection to come into play, especially it ties into things from last session.
I am trying to Rule of Cool work out what to do, but cutting down the Unicorn stat block to not be overshadowing really takes away most of what makes it a unicorn. Legendary actions would have to go (esp. the Shimmering Shield, the paladin is AC focused) and the casting.
I don't mind giving "a real unicorn" not from Find Steed, as long as I can get it down to CR 2ish. But when I chop out enough it doesn't feel unicorn-y nor have survivability that a living mount would need. If I do Find Steed it's actually a spirit and I can justify it being a bit different.
I don't want a unicorn NPC with their own agenda to offset the high CR, there are already NPCs that the party has traveling with them and I'd prefer to keep things manageable.
Any suggestions?