5E: Converting Monsters from White Dwarf Magazine for Fifth Edition

[Casimir Liber]

Noticed an error with the Fircarl. Its WIS saving throw should be +1 not +0.

Also thinking the Resin-Thrall should be stupider than INT 7 (−2) since it's little better than a Zombie, so have changed it to 5 (−3) so it's halfway between a Fircarl and the Resin-Hound's INT 2.

ok done on my end...

 

[Cleon]

Better get on with that description for the Jarl!

Okay! Here's what I've come up with:

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A pine kindred jarl is a mighty undead chieftain who rules a tribe of pine kindred. These spellcasters look like pine kindred thanes but often have elaborate crowns, horned headdresses, carved staffs and other complex paraphernalia that reflect their status, especially when the jarl performs spells or ceremonies.​

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 Pine Kindred Creation. The jarl is usually the only pine kindred in a tribe able to create full-blooded pine kindred using the Pine Kindred Initiation power. Due to this, the tribe’s pine kindred view the jarl not just as their ruler and prophet, but as their parent; considering themselves all to be daughters or sons of the jarl (Note this disregards the gender of the humanoid the tribe member was when alive: thus, If the jarl is viewed as female, all the tribe members are “daughters”). Powerful jarls are also able to produce full-blooded pine kindred using a Dark Druidic Mystery spell called create pine kindred, similar to the necromancy spell create undead.​

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 Groves of Death. A jarl performs most of their important magics, especially the Pine Kindred Initiation ritual, in an unholy grove. These are gruesome places where ancient living and dead pine trees loom over blood-soaked altars, ancient stones and wooden idols, all carved with occult runes. The jarl and their attending thanes dwell nearby in the Jarl’s Hall.​

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 Jarldoms. The territory of a jarl is called a jarldom. A pine forest may contain a single jarldom, but large and ancient forests may have multiple jarls within them. If two or more pine jarldoms exist in close proximity, they will either be deadly rivals or one of the jarls will rule over the others. Such a pine king may be no more powerful personally than its subordinate jarls, although it often is, and is almost always the ruler of the oldest and largest pine kindred tribe. The jarls under the king’s command are usually former thanes of his that progressed far enough in the Dark Druidic Mysteries they became jarls in their own right. Once a pine kindred becomes a jarl they found their own tribe of pine kindred apart from their parent community. Relations between jarldoms can be as complex as mortal politics, with much jockeying for power and prestige, which often includes espionage to try stealing the magical secrets of a rival jarl. It’s rare for a subordinate jarl to not be a descendant of the king’s sapline, such jarldoms are effectively conquered territories and far more likely to rebel.​

I think that'll do.

 

[Casimir Liber]

ok in

Okay! Here's what I've come up with:

​

A pine kindred jarl is a mighty undead chieftain who rules a tribe of pine kindred. These spellcasters look like pine kindred thanes but often have elaborate crowns, horned headdresses, carved staffs and other complex paraphernalia that reflect their status, especially when the jarl performs spells or ceremonies.​

​

 Pine Kindred Creation. The jarl is usually the only pine kindred in a tribe able to create full-blooded pine kindred using the Pine Kindred Initiation power. Due to this, the tribe’s pine kindred view the jarl not just as their ruler and prophet, but as their parent; considering themselves all to be daughters or sons of the jarl (Note this disregards the gender of the humanoid the tribe member was when alive: thus, If the jarl is viewed as female, all the tribe members are “daughters”). Powerful jarls are also able to produce full-blooded pine kindred using a Dark Druidic Mystery spell called create pine kindred, similar to the necromancy spell create undead.​

​

 Groves of Death. A jarl performs most of their important magics, especially the Pine Kindred Initiation ritual, in an unholy grove. These are gruesome places where ancient living and dead pine trees loom over blood-soaked altars, ancient stones and wooden idols, all carved with occult runes. The jarl and their attending thanes dwell nearby in the Jarl’s Hall.​

​

 Jarldoms. The territory of a jarl is called a jarldom. A pine forest may contain a single jarldom, but large and ancient forests may have multiple jarls within them. If two or more pine jarldoms exist in close proximity, they will either be deadly rivals or one of the jarls will rule over the others. Such a pine king may be no more powerful personally than its subordinate jarls, although it often is, and is almost always the ruler of the oldest and largest pine kindred tribe. The jarls under the king’s command are usually former thanes of his that progressed far enough in the Dark Druidic Mysteries they became jarls in their own right. Once a pine kindred becomes a jarl they found their own tribe of pine kindred apart from their parent community. Relations between jarldoms can be as complex as mortal politics, with much jockeying for power and prestige, which often includes espionage to try stealing the magical secrets of a rival jarl. It’s rare for a subordinate jarl to not be a descendant of the king’s sapline, such jarldoms are effectively conquered territories and far more likely to rebel.​

I think that'll do.

ok incorporated

 

[Cleon]

ok in

ok incorporated

Updating the Pine Kindred Jarl.

We appear to have forgotten to assign the Jarl its spells. For that matter, the Pine Kindred Thane is still short two spells, since it just has a "third spell" listed as its last 1st and 2nd level spells. Oops!

Any preferences for filling those gaps?

 

[Casimir Liber]

Currently at an airport masquerading as a sauna. Will think and answer when at a desktop in several hours...

 

[Casimir Liber]

Updating the Pine Kindred Jarl.

We appear to have forgotten to assign the Jarl its spells. For that matter, the Pine Kindred Thane is still short two spells, since it just has a "third spell" listed as its last 1st and 2nd level spells. Oops!

Any preferences for filling those gaps?

for the thane - darkness for the 2nd level spell, and faerie fire and shield as the extra 1st level spells

I guess we assume the jarl has the same 1st and 2nd level spells...and then add sleet storm, call lightning....and...I initially had hunger of Hadar but keeping to open source rules am tossing up between fear, counterspell, dispel magic....open to spitballing here....vampiric touch maybe..?

 

[Cleon]

for the thane - darkness for the 2nd level spell, and faerie fire and shield as the extra 1st level spells

That'd leave it a bit low on damage dealing spells though. I'd think we'd want at least one in there if not one 1st-level and one 2nd-level.

Also, we seem to be overloading it on area denial/obscuring spells - does it really need darkness, entangle, faerie fire, fog cloud AND spike growth!

How about charm person as a subtle way to capture sacrificial victims?

Will get back to you on this.

 

[Cleon]

Will get back to you on this.

Okay, how's this. We where talking about making the Dark Druidic Mysteries some equivalent to Druid Circles.

A 4th-level druid spellcaster like the Pine Kindred Thane has one Circle, and normally a Circle grants two bonus spells and a cantrip at 3rd-level. The base 4th-level druid gets 2 cantrips plus spells equal to their caster level + Wisdom modifier (which is 6 spells for a Thane).

That means the Thane has 3 cantrips and 8 spells in total.

Going by examples like the Circle of Burning, Circle of the Lost and Circle of Oaks, the bonus Circle spells can be a 1st plus a 2nd or two 2nd-level spells.

We might as well give it spells that aren't on the SRD druid list as its "Circle" spells.

Why did we give it gust as the bonus cantrip again? It doesn't seem very "dark evil druid" to just puff a bit of air at a creature. Plus it's effects are really feeble.

Hmm, that Circle of the Lost seems a good source of ideas, as their powers are connected to death and undeath.

How about this for the Thane:

• Cantrips (at will): druidcraft, mending, toll the dead*
• 1st level (4 slots): charm person, entangle, fog cloud, inflict wounds*
• 2nd level (3 slots): enhance ability, misty step*, moonbeam, spike growth

* Some pine kindred know spells from outside the druid's spell list (see Dark Druidic Mysteries in Pine Kindred).

 

[Cleon]

I guess we assume the jarl has the same 1st and 2nd level spells...and then add sleet storm, call lightning....and...I initially had hunger of Hadar but keeping to open source rules am tossing up between fear, counterspell, dispel magic....open to spitballing here....vampiric touch maybe..?

I'd rather mix it up a bit and give the Jarl some different spells. Maybe flaming sphere instead of spike growth?

Also, a 6th level druid gains a second Druid Circle, so the jarl might have another set of Dark Druidic Mystery bonus spells.

 

[Cleon]

Cantrips (at will): druidcraft, mending, toll the dead*

Hmm, D&D Beyond says toll the dead isn't SRD but part of Xanathar's Guide to Everything. Perhaps we should swap it back to produce flame or use poison spray instead, as that's definitely SRD.