D&D 5E 5e Hardcore: Monster Manual

[Sacrosanct]

So I've been skimming through the AiME Loremaster's guide that just came out, and maybe you could take an approach like they did. Rather than create all new statblocks for each monster, what they did (which is similar to what I did with Monstrous Leaders) was have a whole new list of traits. Some good, some weaknesses, etc that you can add to any monster. They also have a section on new bonus actions/reactions that you can assign to monsters as you see fit. For example:

Long Arms. This creature’s extended limbs allow it to
unexpectedly lash out at unwary opponents. This creature
may take a bonus action to effectively add 5 feet to its reach
till its next turn. In most cases, this gives the creature a
reach of 10 feet with any following melee attacks or attacks
of opportunity.


Then they had a list of monster specific traits you could add.

For example, add or replace any orc or goblin trait with one or more from the following:

Cruel Lash. An Orc with this ability can take an action to
“encourage” all its allies within 10 feet. Whip-encouraged
creatures gain +1 damage on their next attack.

Drums (Recharge after a short or long rest). This Orc
can take an action to beat their war drum in order to break
their foes’ spirits. Foes hearing the drums must make a
Wisdom saving throw at DC 12 or suffer disadvantage
on all their attacks against Orcs until they succeed at
drawing blood from one, e.g. causing 1 or more hit points
of damage. Any given foe can only be affected by Drums
once per day.

Foul Liquor. This Orc carries a flask of disgusting yet
invigorating brew. As an action the Orc may take a swig,
regaining 1d6 hit points. Typically this flask is broken when
the Orc is slain, however if recovered it can be used by
Player-heroes, and the flask will contain 1d4 swigs. They
gain one Shadow point for each swig taken, but also recover
1d6 hit points per dose.

Grim Banner (Recharge after a short or long rest).
A Goblin bearing such a banner may take an action to
encourage their allies. This acts as a variation of the Help
action for all of the Goblin’s allies within 30 feet who can
see the banner, giving all of them advantage on their next
attack roll.

It just might save you a lot of time and space as opposed to creating individual stat blocks. Also might give you more tools, since players can mix and match.

 

[dave2008]

So I've been skimming through the AiME Loremaster's guide that just came out, and maybe you could take an approach like they did. Rather than create all new statblocks for each monster, what they did (which is similar to what I did with Monstrous Leaders) was have a whole new list of traits. Some good, some weaknesses, etc that you can add to any monster. They also have a section on new bonus actions/reactions that you can assign to monsters as you see fit. For example:

Long Arms. This creature’s extended limbs allow it to
unexpectedly lash out at unwary opponents. This creature
may take a bonus action to effectively add 5 feet to its reach
till its next turn. In most cases, this gives the creature a
reach of 10 feet with any following melee attacks or attacks
of opportunity.


Then they had a list of monster specific traits you could add.

For example, add or replace any orc or goblin trait with one or more from the following:

Cruel Lash. An Orc with this ability can take an action to
“encourage” all its allies within 10 feet. Whip-encouraged
creatures gain +1 damage on their next attack.

Drums (Recharge after a short or long rest). This Orc
can take an action to beat their war drum in order to break
their foes’ spirits. Foes hearing the drums must make a
Wisdom saving throw at DC 12 or suffer disadvantage
on all their attacks against Orcs until they succeed at
drawing blood from one, e.g. causing 1 or more hit points
of damage. Any given foe can only be affected by Drums
once per day.

Foul Liquor. This Orc carries a flask of disgusting yet
invigorating brew. As an action the Orc may take a swig,
regaining 1d6 hit points. Typically this flask is broken when
the Orc is slain, however if recovered it can be used by
Player-heroes, and the flask will contain 1d4 swigs. They
gain one Shadow point for each swig taken, but also recover
1d6 hit points per dose.

Grim Banner (Recharge after a short or long rest).
A Goblin bearing such a banner may take an action to
encourage their allies. This acts as a variation of the Help
action for all of the Goblin’s allies within 30 feet who can
see the banner, giving all of them advantage on their next
attack roll.

It just might save you a lot of time and space as opposed to creating individual stat blocks. Also might give you more tools, since players can mix and match.

I love these ideas and suggestion, and think they are needed. However, my purpose here is to make full statblocks, and that is what I'm sticking to. Now, if this was every to get polished and published, I definetly think that is something that should be added to such a product. But for now, I want to make ready to use stat blocks.

 

[Sacrosanct]

I love these ideas and suggestion, and think they are needed. However, my purpose here is to make full statblocks, and that is what I'm sticking to. Now, if this was every to get polished and published, I definetly think that is something that should be added to such a product. But for now, I want to make ready to use stat blocks.

Fair enough. You've got a clear scope for what you want. Didn't mean to suggest you should change, and I apologize if it came across like that.

 

[monsterworkbench]

Dave and monsterworkbench.com teamed up and Monster Workbench Patch v1.2 now has all these monsters incorporated. Check it out!

 

[FormerlyHemlock]

Drums (Recharge after a short or long rest). This Orc
can take an action to beat their war drum in order to break
their foes’ spirits. Foes hearing the drums must make a
Wisdom saving throw at DC 12 or suffer disadvantage
on all their attacks against Orcs until they succeed at
drawing blood from one, e.g. causing 1 or more hit points
of damage. Any given foe can only be affected by Drums
once per day.

Uh-oh, here comes a HP debate on meat vs. karma vs. life force!

 

[Zardnaar]

Thank you for the suggestions Zardnaar. I really like the idea of the Marilith aura. I was thinking they need some buffs ( I did add one, but the aura might be better)

In 5E inflating hit points doesn't work.

Maybe 5E conversions of monsters in the 3.0 Epic Level Handbook might be a good place to start.

 

[dave2008]

In 5E inflating hit points doesn't work.

I'm not sure what you are saying. I was talking about Mariliths buffing their allies as a leader type ability.

Maybe 5E conversions of monsters in the 3.0 Epic Level Handbook might be a good place to start.

I've already done that in my 5e Epic Monster Updates thread.

 

[dave2008]

Fair enough. You've got a clear scope for what you want. Didn't mean to suggest you should change, and I apologize if it came across like that.

No, you're all good. I just wanted to be clear what my goal was.

 

[Rune]

[MENTION=83242]dave2008[/MENTION] Thoughts on trolls? They're one of the monsters I seem to use in my games, and also are sort of one-trick ponies. Any subsequent battles with trolls after the first combat are likely to end in judicious application of fire. Narratively, D&D lore on trolls has been kind of scant. And while VOLO'S provides variety for several of the more common humanoid monsters, there's just one Troll stat block in the MM.

I'll frame some of my thoughts and strategies for making trolls more interesting...

First, there's something about the 4e troll art that I find appealing. Artwork from 5e, 3e, and AD&D paints trolls as having very little facial expression - dumb brutes with no expression beyond a grimace or a snarl. What's interesting about the 4e art IMO is there's expression of malign cunning, a dim evil light in their brooding eyes and lips pulled back into an almost shark-like grin. To me, that speaks to the fairytale/mythological origins of trolls. They're just smarter than ogres after all (Int 7 vs. ogres 5). An ogre may be subjugated by stronger evil monsters, serve reliably as a mercenary, or be outwitted with a simple ruse...but a troll not so much. Ogres may smash you up out of stupid curiosity and hunger...but for a troll there's something truly malicious there.

So how does a troll's appetite (one of their signature traits) compare to other "hungry monsters" like ogres, hill giants, and ghouls? What makes a troll's appetite unique?

Ogres play with their food, essentially, chasing them and tormenting them and asking them how to best season elves-in-a-blanket. They eat people because they find people tasty. People usually kill ogres unless the civilization is evil in which case they may be made into a mercenary force.
Hill Giants aren't picky, going for the easiest pickings like herds of animals first. Eating is just what an idle hill giant does, perhaps in macabre imitation of other culture's meal time traditions. They are just hungry, and don't think about who their eating might hurt. Hill giants are given a wide berth, but if one wanders into the lowlands, people will either organize a giant-hunting party or seek to "go over the giant's head" to a more senior giant in the Ordning to get the hill giant out of their hair.
Ghouls are ravenous and go into a blood frenzy like sharks, biting on the fingers of the living, and feasting on dead bodies right then and there unless dissuaded. People don't tolerate ghouls and kill them.

Trolls, in my way of imagining them, are a bit more about the psychology of their meal. Their appetites are "horrific" not in that they desire human or demihuman flesh like ogres, but that they crave specific things like "marrow from a blushing maiden full of fear" or "the knee-bone of Saint what's-his-name who trespassed in our caves." When not hunting animals, they want to be given tribute of food or manipulate humans/demihumans to their downfall in the troll's maw. Trolls keep that eternal craving for flesh just ever so slightly in check...like they're playing a wicked game...hoping that the humans/demihumans they're interacting will slip up and give the troll the "excuse" it wants to eat them alive. Why not just kill outright? Two reasons: (1) Because trolls are smart enough to know that humans/demihumans command that magical substance known as fire, and (2) Trolls enjoy the wicked thrill of mounting dread as a creature realizes the troll now has an "excuse" to eat them. And humans/demihumans, for their part, know how dangerous a hungry pack of trolls can be, so either give them a wide berth, hire adventures to kill them, or set up barely tolerated offerings of tribute (hence the "bridge troll" phenomenon). At least, that's how I run trolls!

Brainstorms on trolls that could influence stat blocks...

• Trolls regenerate and have a weakness which undermines that regeneration, like the ones in Poul Anderson's Three Hearts and Three Lions. However, in D&D there are several variants which have a different weakness than fire (e.g. desert trolls being vulnerable to water/acid).
• Their regenerative ability doesn't just lead to the Loathsome Limbs optional trait; it can also lead to trolls mutating. In The Gates of Firestorm Peak troll mutates have a trait that causes them to regrow unpredictable body parts after sustaining a certain amount of damage. Definitely sounds like another sidebar optional trait akin to Loathsome Limbs.
• Trolls adapt to every environment imaginable, leading to many varieties from ice trolls to desert trolls.
• They live in caves or "trollholes" with entrances that are basically covered pit traps.
• A troll pack will be led by a dominant female who acts as shaman/chieftain and has 7th level spellcasting ability (from the priest spheres of Charm, Divination, Sun (Darkness only), and Weather). She maintains her position by regularly fighting for it, and has an especially fierce appetite for sentient flesh.
• Some trolls worship Vaprak the Destroyer, the ogre deity.
• Trolls are always on the look-out for an opportunity to get more food, so dropping supplies can be a way for PCs to distract a troll from chasing them. To the troll mindset, this is just "tribute" by another name.
• They don't speak the pure Giant tongue, instead speaking "Trollspeak" which is a polyglot of Common, Giant, Goblin, and Orc. Moreover, "Trollspeak" is highly regional so not all trolls will be mutually intelligible even to each other.
• Their green blood can be used to make potions of healing.

I've had the idea of a troll covered in brown mold, living in a symbiotic relationship. The mold protects the troll from fire. And the troll regenerates the damage the mold deals by feeding on (and just being close to) it.

 

[Zardnaar]

I'm not sure what you are saying. I was talking about Mariliths buffing their allies as a leader type ability.



I've already done that in my 5e Epic Monster Updates thread.

Hmmn maybe I will get some use out of it after 15 years.