Sterling Vermin presents the Soul Reaver - the monster for all your DM's soul sucking needs!

[coolgamertagbro]

Over a violent night of feasting, the soul reaver can turn entire settlements into ghost towns - quite literally. Soul reavers appear as if zombies but with distended portals to a nether realm hanging from their upper jaw to their navel. These creatures hunger for nothing more than mortal souls, passing them through their portals and into the Border Ethereal where most are damned to remain until they die and join the restless dead themselves.


Gaze into the abyss...

 

[dave2008]

Interesting & flavorful - I like it, thought the stat block could be cleaned up a little.

 

[coolgamertagbro]

Interesting & flavorful - I like it, thought the stat block could be cleaned up a little.

Thanks! What would you like to see cleaned up on the stat block? I don't do the layout stuff myself but it looks like the MM stat blocks to me!

 

[dave2008]

Thanks! What would you like to see cleaned up on the stat block? I don't do the layout stuff myself but it looks like the MM stat blocks to me!

Here is what I caught/thought:
Hit Points: should be 90 (12d8 + 36) you multiply # of HD (12) x Con bonus (+3), maybe you meant 78 (8d12 + 24), but then your size is wrong
CR: By the stats it more a CR 3 or 4.

Actions: The order is off, it should probably be:
Multiattack (this is always listed first):
Slam
Grab: seems overally complex. MM tpyical makes it an attack with a hit being a grapple and provides an escape DC. Same idea but simplified.
Katabasis: typical wording is: ...make a DC 14 Strength saving throw..; average damage should be listed - 19 (3d12). The failure and success of the save is oddly worded, but these are difficult and I'm not sure of the correction of the top of my head.

 

[coolgamertagbro]

Here is what I caught/thought:
Hit Points: should be 90 (12d8 + 36) you multiply # of HD (12) x Con bonus (+3), maybe you meant 78 (8d12 + 24), but then your size is wrong
CR: By the stats it more a CR 3 or 4.

Actions: The order is off, it should probably be:
Multiattack (this is always listed first):
Slam
Grab: seems overally complex. MM tpyical makes it an attack with a hit being a grapple and provides an escape DC. Same idea but simplified.
Katabasis: typical wording is: ...make a DC 14 Strength saving throw..; average damage should be listed - 19 (3d12). The failure and success of the save is oddly worded, but these are difficult and I'm not sure of the correction of the top of my head.

Oh, yeah, those are totally on me.

Using the DM's Guide as a baseline for creature stats, this creature is defensively weaker than a normal CR 5 but since it regains hit points throughout the average encounter, I felt that was okay. Offensively he relies more on ketabasis than on HP damage to be a threat to parties so it's a bit hard to compare him there.

The math on the HP...taking a look through the MM it looks like you determine monster HP by taking the average die roll of their hp die and multiplying it by the number of hp die they get, round down. But, yes, what I did wrong was I did the HP values before taking a final pass over the ability scores and improving Constitution. So it should have 12 more hp!

I was trying to find an example of a grab attack in the MM. I'm actually relieved it's normally just part of an attack. I will revise the stat block to remove that ability and make his normal attack grab.

Thanks so much for all the feedback!

 

[Yunru]

Only complaint I have is I had to click a link to click a link to get the stats.
That is my only complaint however.

 

[dave2008]

Oh, yeah, those are totally on me.

Using the DM's Guide as a baseline for creature stats, this creature is defensively weaker than a normal CR 5 but since it regains hit points throughout the average encounter, I felt that was okay. Offensively he relies more on ketabasis than on HP damage to be a threat to parties so it's a bit hard to compare him there.

The math on the HP...taking a look through the MM it looks like you determine monster HP by taking the average die roll of their hp die and multiplying it by the number of hp die they get, round down. But, yes, what I did wrong was I did the HP values before taking a final pass over the ability scores and improving Constitution. So it should have 12 more hp!

I was trying to find an example of a grab attack in the MM. I'm actually relieved it's normally just part of an attack. I will revise the stat block to remove that ability and make his normal attack grab.

Thanks so much for all the feedback!

No problem, glad to help! Yes the DMG and MM don't agree 100% on CR and things like ketabasis and situational HP regen hard hard to figure. I typically go conservative as I find the MM monsters are typically low powered for their CR. Do keep in mind that the cantrip "Chill Touch" can easily negate any HP regen.