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

[Casimir Liber]

Yeah sound good. I guess using spike growth or some variant thereof?

 

[Cleon]

Yeah sound good. I guess using spike growth or some variant thereof?

Well the original text used "Plants are encouraged to grow in a thick defensive screen about the Chthon for protection" which to me suggests some kind of wall of stone like barrier made out of wood rather than an area of spikey ground that's harmful to walk across.

Hmm… I'll mull it over and see if I can come up with something.

 

[Casimir Liber]

like wall of thorns?

 

[Cleon]

like wall of thorns?

Similar, but a undamaging version.

Hmm…

Barrier of Branches. A wall of tangled vegetation springs from the ground within 120 feet of the chthon. The barrier is composed of six panels, each 10 feet tall and either 10 feet long and 4 feet thick or 20 feet long and 2 feet thick. Each panel must be contiguous with at least one one other panel. The barrier remains standing for 1 hour before withering and collapsing into fragments of punk and mold. The barrier blocks line of sight.​

​

If the barrier cuts through a creature's space when it appears, the creature must make a Dexterity saving throw. If it fails, the branches wrap tightly around the creature's body or limbs and it is restrained. On a success, the target is not restrained and can use its reaction to move up to its speed so that it is no longer in contact with the barrier. A creature restrained by the barrier can escape with a successful DC ## Strength or Dexterity check, by doing at least 10 slashing damage to the barrier at one time, or by destroying the panels they are trapped in.​

​

A creature can move through the barrier, albeit slowly and painfully. For every 2 foot a creature moves through the branches, it must spend 5 feet of movement. Furthermore, the first time a creature enters the wall on a turn or ends its turn there, the creature must make a DC ## Strength or Dexterity saving throw or be momentarily snagged by the branches, becoming restrained for their next turn.​

​

The barrier is an object made of wood that can be damaged and thus breached. Each panel has AC ## and 10 hit points per foot of thickness, with resistance to bludgeoning and piercing damage. Reducing a panel to 0 hit points destroys it but does not cause connected panels to collapse.​

I'm thinking the other version would be some kind of "thorny attack roots" that trips and maybe does a small amount of piercing or bludgeoning damage if it his.

 

[Cleon]

The barrier blocks line of sight.

Incidentally, the barrier blocking line of sight may cause difficulties with the Chthon's control of its minions, since.

If the chthon can see a controlled beast or plant within 120 feet, it can send telepathic orders the creature follows to the best of its natural ability.

My idea was the chthon would normally just order its beasts to "kill the humans" and if they went out of its eyesight then it'd just wait until the screaming stopped. If it needed to change its orders and the creature's already gone it must use its telepathic Call to get them to return and receive new instructions.

However that'd be unworkable if the chthon is surrounded by dense vegetation that blocks its view so I'm know thinking its ability to issue orders should not require line-of-sight. How about modify that to basically match the format of the message spell.

If a controlled beast or plant is within 120 feet of the chthon, it can send telepathic orders the creature follows to the best of its natural ability. These telepathic messages don't have to follow a straight line and can travel freely around corners and through openings, but cannot pass through solid barriers of wood, stone, or metal.​

Is that OK by you?

 

[Casimir Liber]

Alternative is that vegetation is thick but just obscures (rather than blocks) vision.

On the other hand, I do think the last para is good as undoubtedly after 60 ft the creatures and the chthon can't see each other.

 

[Cleon]

Alternative is that vegetation is thick but just obscures (rather than blocks) vision.

So maybe under 5 feet of thickness is lightly obscured, and over 5 feet is heavily obscured? So they can see with disadvantage through a regular 10-foot-long-by-4-foot-thick panel or two thicknesses of stretched 20-foot-long-by-2-foot-thick panels, but two thicknesses of regular panels (8 ft. total) or a regular panel plus a stretched panel (6 ft. total) block vision?

On the other hand, I do think the last para is good as undoubtedly after 60 ft the creatures and the chthon can't see each other.

Agreed.

 

[Casimir Liber]

So maybe under 5 feet of thickness is lightly obscured, and over 5 feet is heavily obscured? So they can see with disadvantage through a regular 10-foot-long-by-4-foot-thick panel or two thicknesses of stretched 20-foot-long-by-2-foot-thick panels, but two thicknesses of regular panels (8 ft. total) or a regular panel plus a stretched panel (6 ft. total) block vision?

yep

 

[Cleon]

yep

Right-ho, I'll draft something a bit more formal for the obscurement in my next post in this thread which hopefully will be sometime soon.

It's time to call it a night since I've got things to do tomorrow.

Ciao for now.

 

[Cleon]

On the other hand, I do think the last para is good as undoubtedly after 60 ft the creatures and the chthon can't see each other.

Updated the Chthon.

Right-ho, I'll draft something a bit more formal for the obscurement in my next post in this thread which hopefully will be sometime soon.

How's this:

The area of the barriers is lightly obscured; but sight through the barrier becomes heavily obscured if the total thickness is 5 feet or more (e.g. two 4 ft. thick panels or one 4 ft. thick panel plus one 2 ft. thick panel).​

Finally, I believed I mentioned wanting to limit how often/frequently the Chthon can use this ability. Either a very slow Recharge of 6 or 4-5 or a timed once-per-encounter basis such as Recharge on a Short Rest.

Basically, I don't want the Chthon spamming vegetable walls to trap its opponents while its retinue slowly gnaws them to death.

My current preference is Once per Short Rest for the branches and a Recharge for the other plant protection I'm thinking about.

 

[Casimir Liber]

Basically, I don't want the Chthon spamming vegetable walls to trap its opponents while its retinue slowly gnaws them to death.

My current preference is Once per Short Rest for the branches and a Recharge for the other plant protection I'm thinking about.

Yes sounds reasonable/agree

 

[Cleon]

Yes sounds reasonable/agree

Updating the Chthon.

Oh, and it needs an Armour Class. It's only wood, so it oughtn't to be that high. Maybe AC 12 or thereabouts? A wall of stone is only AC 15. I'd even go down to AC 10 like the web of a Giant Spider.

For the other action, how about:

Rise of the Undergrowth (Recharge 5-6?). Thorny vines and gnarly roots rise from the ground in a 10-foot-radius circle centered on a point within 60 feet of the chthon, turning the area into difficult terrain. The undergrowth remains aroused for 1 minute and then reverts to its natural state. When the undergrowth rises, the chthon chooses which creatures within the affected area the vines and roots will target; each target must succeed at a DC ## Dexterity saving throw or take 3 (1d6) bludgeoning damage plus 3 (1d6) piercing damage and be restrained until the undergrowth returns to normal. If a target fails the saving throw by 5 or more, it also falls prone. Creatures that successfully save take no damage and remain upright. As an action, a restrained target can make a DC ## Strength or Dexterity check, escaping the restraint on a success. The undergrowth holding each creature can also be attacked (AC 12, 5 hit points, resistant to bludgeoning and piercing damage), freeing the creature if the patch of plants restraining them is destroyed.​

I decided to throw in a bit of damage just to mix it up a bit.

Did wonder about making the AoE a 20 foot radius instead of 10 foot.

 

[Casimir Liber]

let's go with AC 12. 10 just seems too easy

20 ft is better to impede the progress of attackers. 10 ft doesn't impede much

(NB: didn't we decide speed 5 ft., burrow 5 ft.?)

I cant imagine it using Rise of the Undergrowth more than once a combat either. Also, presuming we're making the DC save charisma-based so that makes all DC saves 13?

 

[Cleon]

Oh, and it needs an Armour Class. It's only wood, so it oughtn't to be that high. Maybe AC 12 or thereabouts? A wall of stone is only AC 15. I'd even go down to AC 10 like the web of a Giant Spider.

Oh, and we need some DCs for the saving throws and the DEX/STR checks to break free.

Hmm… a spider's Web is STR-based for the burst DC, which'd be DC 14 for a Chthon. But I could also see it being CON-based for DC 15 or CHA-based for DC 12.

Decisions decisions!

let's go with AC 12. 10 just seems too easy

20 ft is better to impede the progress of attackers. 10 ft doesn't impede much

Works for me.

 

[Cleon]

(NB: didn't we decide speed 5 ft., burrow 5 ft.?)

I refer you to the Rooted trait.

 

[Cleon]

20 ft is better to impede the progress of attackers. 10 ft doesn't impede much

Hmm, we could make it a chthon-declared area rather than a radius of effect. Maybe six patches of ground, each 10 ft. by 20 ft. square, that must be contiguous.

However that'd make the wording more complex and the Barrier of Branches is already rather wordy so I'm leaning towards the simplicity of a circle.

 

[Casimir Liber]

However that'd make the wording more complex and the Barrier of Branches is already rather wordy so I'm leaning towards the simplicity of a circle.

agreed

 

[Cleon]

agreed

Updating the Chthon.

That just leaves the DCs.

Currently lean towards CHA for the saving throw (DC 12) and STR for the escape check (DC 14) so it's not that hard to avoid a root coiling around your ankle but tough to burst free or wriggle out of one if it gets you.

 

[Casimir Liber]

For some reason I thought we buffed the CHA to 17....., making DC 13 save...?

 

[Cleon]

For some reason I thought we buffed the CHA to 17....., making DC 13 save...?

I'd rather stick to CHA 15 and DC 12.