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

[Cleon]

aaand here...(making sure they align)

I've also increased the Resin Hound's Speed to 40 ft. like a standard canine and corrected the Passive Perception which is now 12.

Oh, and I decided to put the Special Traits in alphabetical order, since that seems to be the rule.

okay - have updated jarl to AC16 but not pasted in new version as I figure the create pine kindred is going elsewhere out of lair action...

Yes, there's little point posting a new Hero Forge version every time we tweak it.

It's easier editing a text version and posting the PNG once it's finished or we've agreed on a major revision.

 

[Cleon]

oka - wail added

There's a fair few differences to the text version of the Resin Hound:

Speed 40 ft.
Damage Resistances Cold, Poison
Condition Immunities Exhausted
Senses should have Passive Perception 12
Languages —

Which take do you prefer?

Note that the Resin Hound Text Version has no Damage Immunities.

 

[Cleon]

Oh, I used "Resin Hound" without the hyphen, not the "Resin-Hound" that's in the current draft's Title, Ferocity, Keen Scent and Pounce.

Mostly because I copy-pasted "Pine" to Resin" for the name change, but doing the same for "Resin Hound" to "Resin-Hound" in the Resin Hound Text Version will be just as easy.

We'd better change both versions so the name's consistent.

Which do you prefer, hyphenated or non-hyphenated?

 

[Casimir Liber]

Have switched to your for stats - I had used thrall template origially - I prefer hyphenated I think

 

[Cleon]

Have switched to your for stats - I had used thrall template origially - I prefer hyphenated I think

Fine by me.

Updating the Resin-Hound Text Version.

Speaking of the Thrall.

okay, first up, here's the thrall - ditched the multiattack. just left it with a slam. Insanely annoyingly - in DnDbeyond template, there is no option for resistance to nonmagical piercing weapons only ..so left like ofther kindred

Well we know in our hearts that it's nonmagical piercing!

Since DnDBeyond wouldn't let you do that resistance to nonmagical piercing weapons, perhaps we could either drop the weapon resistance and give them vulnerability to slashing instead?

i.e.:

Damage Vulnerabilities Fire, Slashing
Damage Resistances Lightning, Poison

EDIT: Hmm, how about renaming them "Resin Thrall" (without a hyphen?) to distinguish them from true Pine Kindred?

 

[Casimir Liber]

Fine by me.

Updating the Resin-Hound Text Version.

Speaking of the Thrall.



Since DnDBeyond wouldn't let you do that resistance to nonmagical piercing weapons, perhaps we could either drop the weapon resistance and give them vulnerability to slashing instead?

i.e.:

Damage Vulnerabilities Fire, Slashing
Damage Resistances Lightning, Poison

Hmm, how about renaming them "Resin Thrall" to distinguish them from true Pine Kindred?

Yes I like this idea - makes them more like 4e minions - they're only thralls after all - twaeked

 

[Cleon]

Yes I like this idea - makes them more like 4e minions - they're only thralls after all - twaeked

Hold on while I update the Resin Thrall Text Version.

EDIT: Done!

 

[Casimir Liber]

Yes I like this idea - makes them more like 4e minions - they're only thralls after all - twaeked

also - yes resin t hrall is good name - I'd prefer both hyphenated but silly to have one hyphenated only. I can drop the hyphen in hound.

 

[Cleon]

Hold on while I update the Resin Thrall Text Version.

EDIT: Done!

Do you think that's enough to lower them to CR 1/8? The Resin Hound is a more dangerous opponent.

 

[Cleon]

also - yes resin t hrall is good name - I'd prefer both hyphenated but silly to have one hyphenated only. I can drop the hyphen in hound.

It's easier putting a hyphen in Resin-Thrall.

EDIT: Personally, I'm fine using both.

Then the Resin-Hound comes after Resin Hound alphabetically:

Pine Kindred
Pine Kindred Jarl
Pine Kindred Thane
Pine Kindred, Resin Thrall
Pine Kindred, Resin-Hound

Or drop the hyphen and call it a "Resinhound", but I don't much care for that.

 

[Casimir Liber]

Do you think that's enough to lower them to CR 1/8? The Resin Hound is a more dangerous opponent.

yes. agreed

 

[Cleon]

yes. agreed

I'll update the Resin Thrall Text Version, might as well hyphenate it to Resin-Thrall in while I'm at it.

 

[Casimir Liber]

Right - had started making Circle of Nightmares:

"Adherents of this circle hold that all planes are part of nature, and none more so than the Far Realm, which they believe to be linked to the material plane in a similar fashion to how adherents of the Circle of Dreams view a connection between the material plane and the Feywild. The name by which they call themselves is unknown, but the term "Circle of Nightmares" has become the de facto name as an abhorrent analogue of the Circle of Dreams."

Ichor of Entropy
At 2nd level, you become imbued with the entropic aberrant vitality of the Far Realm. You are a font of energy that offers respite from injuries. You have a pool of outre energy represented by a number of d6s equal to your druid level.

As a bonus action, you can choose one creature you can see within 120 feet of you and spend a number of those dice equal to half your druid level or less. Roll the spent dice and add them together. The target regains a number of hit points equal to the total. The target also gains 1 temporary hit point per die spent.

You regain all expended dice when you finish a long rest.

6th lvl: Create Pine Kindred

Extra spells learnable include misty step, arms of hadar, hunger of hadar.....

work in progress - need to sleep now...will be back on in 6-7 hours...

 

[Cleon]

Right - had started making Circle of Nightmares:

"Adherents of this circle hold that all planes are part of nature, and none more so than the Far Realm, which they believe to be linked to the material plane in a similar fashion to how adherents of the Circle of Dreams view a connection between the material plane and the Feywild. The name by which they call themselves is unknown, but the term "Circle of Nightmares" has become the de facto name as an abhorrent analogue of the Circle of Dreams."

Ichor of Entropy
At 2nd level, you become imbued with the entropic aberrant vitality of the Far Realm. You are a font of energy that offers respite from injuries. You have a pool of outre energy represented by a number of d6s equal to your druid level.

As a bonus action, you can choose one creature you can see within 120 feet of you and spend a number of those dice equal to half your druid level or less. Roll the spent dice and add them together. The target regains a number of hit points equal to the total. The target also gains 1 temporary hit point per die spent.

You regain all expended dice when you finish a long rest.

6th lvl: Create Pine Kindred

Extra spells learnable include misty step, arms of hadar, hunger of hadar.....

work in progress - need to sleep now...will be back on in 6-7 hours...

Not keen on tying them directly to the Far Realm. I have no objection to the flavour saying they consider the Far Realm as being part of the "natural order" but that the Pine Kindred's druidic practices seem to be about "Trees and Undeath", while the Far Realm is more "Madness and Tentacles".

Remember, it's not necessary to write out a whole Circle, we can just give the Pine Kindred Thane and Jarl a few "Circle like" abilities. That means we won't restrict our thinking that they can only a few Circle specified alternative spells or abilities from Dark Druidic Mysteries as opposed to my preference of "give them whatever seems appropriate, so long as it's roughly balanced".

Since we've got all those Scandinavian titles, could we tie the "Circle" to Norse myth?

Hmm…

The mythic dragon Nidhogg or Nidhug (see Níðhöggr) is a terrible monster that lives in Náströnd (literally "Corpse Shore", a place in Hel). When not chewing corpses he gnaws at the root of the World Tree (Yggdrasil) with his venomous teeth.

Maybe this Druid Circle was once a cult of Nidhogg, and (according to their legends at least) the first Pine Kindred was created with the poisonous sap that bled from Yggdrasil were Nidhogg was chewing it?

Well it's got a tree, sap, hell and corpses in it, that's most of the elements we need!

 

[Cleon]

work in progress - need to sleep now...will be back on in 6-7 hours...

Good night!

 

[Cleon]

I've just updated the White Dwarf Conversion Index with links to the Text Versions.

Once we've finalized the DnDBeyond versions I'll add links to those as well, and I'm thinking maybe I should put a link to the D&DBeyond version at the start of the text versions too, for ease of access?

 

[Cleon]

Okay, I've re-edited the White Dwarf Conversion Index so it has links to both the DnDBeyond version attachments and the post they appeared in, with the version number included.

The links to the Text and Graphics stat also states whether the version is Completed or Working.

Hmm, might as well post a text version of the Argorian Wormkin conversion while I'm at it.

 

[Cleon]

Argorian Wormkin
Tiny construct, neutral
Armor Class 14 (natural armor)
Hit Points 10 (3d4 + 3)
Speed 20 ft., climb 20 ft., swim 20 ft.

STR​	DEX​	CON​	INT​	WIS​	CHA​
4 (−3)​	16 (+3)​	12 (+1)​	2 (−4)​	10 (+0)​	1 (−5)​

Damage Immunities poison, psychic
Condition Immunities blinded, charmed, deafened, exhaustion, frightened, poisoned
Senses blindsight 60 ft. (blind beyond this radius), passive Perception 10
Languages —
Challenge 1/4 (50 XP) Proficiency Bonus +2

Special Traits

Cannot Be Killed. If an Argorian wormkin is damaged but not destroyed, it will fully recover from its injuries in an hour, regardless of the form of damage it took.

Actions

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 3 (1d4 + 1) slashing damage. Plus poison – DC 11 Con save or be poisoned for 1d8 rounds, during which time violent retching reduces their speed to half (round up to the nearest 10 ft., minimum speed 5 ft.). If a target is poisoned multiple times by wormkin venom, they become incapacitated with nausea while within the duration of two or more doses of poison.

Reactions

Division. When a wormkin is subjected to hit points of damage, it splits into two wormkin if it has at least 2 hit points. Each wormkin has hit points equal to half the original wormkin's, rounded down. These wormkins rejoin into a single wormkin with full hit points an hour later (see Cannot Be Killed).

Description
These foot-long creatures where first produced by an evil cleric-assassin from Argor. They are worm-like creatures resembling a reddish pink lamprey with a sucker-like rasping mouth.

 Treasure Guardians. These worm-constructs were originally created to protect their master's treasure and are instinctively attracted to shiny valuables, which they rest beside while waiting for intruders to attack.

 Immortal Worms. Argorian wormkin are not truly alive and do not need to eat, drink, or drink. They can fully recover from any damage that doesn't kill them and can even survive being torn apart, which usually only separates them into two fragments each capable of attacking.

(Originally created by Barney Sloane; appeared in White Dwarf Magazine #29 (Feb/Mar 1982) as part of the Fiend Factory mini-module "The Desert Light", edited by Albie Fiore.)

 

[Casimir Liber]

Argorian Wormkin
Tiny construct, neutral
Armor Class 14 (natural armor)
Hit Points 10 (3d4 + 3)
Speed 20 ft., climb 20 ft., swim 20 ft.

STR​	DEX​	CON​	INT​	WIS​	CHA​
4 (−3)​	16 (+3)​	12 (+1)​	2 (−4)​	10 (+0)​	1 (−5)​

Damage Immunities Poison, Psychic
Condition Immunities Blinded, Charmed, Deafened, Exhaustion, Frightened, Poisoned
Senses Blindsight 60 ft. (blind beyond this radius), Passive Perception 10
Languages —
Challenge 1/4 (50 XP) Proficiency Bonus +2

Special Traits

Cannot Be Killed. If an Argorian wormkin is damaged but not destroyed, it will fully recover from its injuries in an hour, regardless of the form of damage it took.

Actions

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 3 (1d4 + 1) slashing damage. Plus poison – DC 11 Con save or be poisoned for 1d8 rounds, during which time violent retching reduces their speed to half (round up to the nearest 10 ft., minimum speed 5 ft.). If a target is poisoned multiple times by wormkin venom, they become incapacitated with nausea while within the duration of two or more doses of poison.

Reactions

Division. When a wormkin is subjected to hit points of damage, it splits into two wormkin if it has at least 2 hit points. Each wormkin has hit points equal to half the original wormkin's, rounded down. These wormkins rejoin into a single wormkin with full hit points an hour later (see Cannot Be Killed).

Argorian wormkin looks all in order...I'll publish on DnDbyeond in a few hours

 

[Casimir Liber]

Okay - resin-hound and resin-thrall match now with mine on dndbeyond. Anylast tweaks to them