Radiant vs Witherlings?

[msherman]

Witherlings (in the MM2) are supposed to be undead, but they don't seem to have any vulnerability to Radiant. Is that an error? Or is there some kind of intentional design change behind that?

The laser cleric in my game will certainly feel ripped off if none of his radiant powers are spectacular against witherlings, so I think I'm going to add the standard vuln radiant/resist necrotic to witherlings. Does that change the threat level significantly?

 

[Ryujin]

Only to a party that's heavy on radiant damage. In this case it would.

Our Laser Cleric was rather disappointed when we faced undead that had been twisted by The Far Realm and weren't vulnerable to radiant damage, but not everything needs to be. He shouldn't be able to walk into a room and blow everything away like chaff on the wind, in every encounter.

 

[fba827]

(I haven't read the monster in question, but having said that) ...
we're talking one example of undead that doesn't have radiant vulnerability.

It isn't as though you throw that particular monster at them _all_ the time, do you?
If not, I think it is fair to not have vulnerability (radiant) in an encounter or two.

The cleric can feel ripped off -or- he/she might actually fear an undead creature for once making it an actual memorable undead encounter rather than "just anouther undead encounter"

maybe (as ryujin said it) there is something more to this undead's background -- the magic that created it is different/twisted in a new way than "usual."

of course, if this is a creature that you will -focus- on for the entire campaign, then, yes the cleric should (rightly or wrongly) feel a little miffed.

 

[Khur]

It's intentional. Any creature can be different from an established norm, and some of them should be.

Maybe the cleric will feel better about it if he makes his knowledge check and knows the witherlings aren't vulnerable. He shouldn't expect all creatures with a certain keyword to be the same, though.

 

[DracoSuave]

It's not like they're the first, nor the last undead to have no vulnerability to radiant. Sure, the zombies and skeletons do, and some other types, but it's hardly universal, just common--a cursory look through the MM1 shows that much.

 

[Ryujin]

(I haven't read the monster in question, but having said that) ...
we're talking one example of undead that doesn't have radiant vulnerability.

It isn't as though you throw that particular monster at them _all_ the time, do you?
If not, I think it is fair to not have vulnerability (radiant) in an encounter or two.

The cleric can feel ripped off -or- he/she might actually fear an undead creature for once making it an actual memorable undead encounter rather than "just anouther undead encounter"

maybe (as ryujin said it) there is something more to this undead's background -- the magic that created it is different/twisted in a new way than "usual."

of course, if this is a creature that you will -focus- on for the entire campaign, then, yes the cleric should (rightly or wrongly) feel a little miffed.

Witherlings read like a necromantic construct, of a sort; gazelle horns for claws, hyena head, poison....