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

[Cleon]

Eh? Isn't calling a type of animal a "Nandi Bear" no more objectionable than calling a breed of dog a "Welsh Corgi"?

Oh I see, it's the Nandie "simian carnivores" from Halls you want to rename as being insensitive, not the Nandie Bear. That makes more sense!

Some Cryptozoologists theorize the term Nandie Bear covers two species of unknown animal, one being a Giant Baboon and the other a Giant Hyena.

So Albie Fiore was probably trying to cover both his bases and have stats for both versions, the simian "Nandie" and canine "Nandie Bear".

You could call the Baboon version a "Nandie Ape" I suppose, so it's clearer it's not meant to be one of the Nandi People, or use one of the many "other names" (Chemisit, chemosit, chimiset, dubu, engargiyar, geteit, kabiniro, kerit, kibambangue, kichwa mutwe, koddoelo, Mubende beast, ngargiya, ntebagarnyar, nyangau, rwujigar, sabrookoo, shivuverre).

From a brief rummage around the internet Koddoelo looks like a good choice, as it's a cryptid giant baboon from the same region that has often been lumped together with the Nandi Bear.

 

[Casimir Liber]

Heh, good find..."Koddoelo" runs off the tongue a mite easier than "dinopithecus" I think....

 

[Cleon]

From a brief rummage around the internet Koddoelo looks like a good choice, as it's a cryptid giant baboon from the same region that has often been lumped together with the Nandi Bear.

Okay, let's consider the writeup and worry about the name later.

In 5E Baboons are weaker than in earlier editions, which gives a decent justification for statting up a giant version.

The original "Nandie Baboon" was a lot closer in power to the AD&D version of a Baboon:

Stats​	Nandie​	Baboon​
AC:	6	7
Movement:	6", 12" in trees or rocks	12", climbing
Hit Dice:	1D8	1D8+1
Attacks:	two 1d2 claws and 1d3 bite	1d4 bite (1d4+1 if large male)
Intelligence:	Semi	Low
Alignment:	Chaotic neutral	Neutral

Note that compared to a regular 1E Baboon, the "Simian formerly named Nandie" is dumber (Int 3-4 vs Int 5-7), slower over ground (Move 6 vs 12), and a bit weaker (HD 1d8 vs 1d8+1, so HP & THAC0 a point lower), but made up for it by being slightly tougher to hit (6 vs 7) and deals out twice as much damage on average (2d2+1d3 vs 1d4 being 5 vs 2½).

 

[Casimir Liber]

I mean, I like the idea of keeping them somewhat weak as it then means one can DM the chaining of more nandies without overwhelming a party of low level characters....re the stats...maybe Albie Fiore hadn't really registered the baboon stats...I dunno....

 

[Cleon]

Now for the stats:

Looks pretty good.

Rather than including that fluff about them doubling their normal ground speed over rocks & trees, I'd use:

Speed 20 ft., climb 30 ft.

Rock Bounding. A [name] can effortlessly leap from rock to rock, it moves across rocky terrain at its climb speed and ignores difficult terrain caused by boulders.

Rather than two claws and a bite, I'd prefer the Black Bear's approach:

Multiattack. The [name] makes two attacks: one with its bite and one with its claws.

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +2 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 3 (1d4 + 1) piercing damage.

Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +2 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d6 + 1) slashing damage.

As for attacks, the Ape throws a rock for 1d6, so you could use that damage as it's also Medium size simian, after all.

Rock. Ranged Weapon Attack: +2 to hit, range 25/50 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d6 + 1) bludgeoning damage.

However, I prefer the current 1d4 + 1 damage. If the "throwing rocks, lumps of wood, large nuts, etc." was an effective tactic it would have a damage listed in the original monster's Attack line!

Besides, the standard D&D Ape is a far stronger variety of simian, the original version being called a Giant Carnivorous Ape.

 

[Cleon]

I mean, I like the idea of keeping them somewhat weak as it then means one can DM the chaining of more nandies without overwhelming a party of low level characters....re the stats...maybe Albie Fiore hadn't really registered the baboon stats...I dunno....

It's fine keeping them at CR 1/4, since 5E Baboons are way weaker than the 1E version at CR 0.

EDIT: I've added a link to the 5E Baboon to the post above yours.

EDITED EDIT: Added a link to the Black Bear in the above post.

 

[Cleon]

I'll combine all the above proposals in a post here to show what they all look like together.

Might not be today, since I've got a lot on.

 

[Casimir Liber]

I'll combine all the above proposals in a post here to show what they all look like together.

Might not be today, since I've got a lot on.

ok cool...actually maybe I'll just call 'em nandie baboons...I dunno. Like the ideas. Gotta sleep. late here. Take yer time

 

[Cleon]

Nandie-Ape (Koddoelo)
Medium beast, chaotic neutral
Armor Class 13 (natural armor)
Hit Points 9 (2d8)
Speed 20 ft., climb 30 ft.

STR​	DEX​	CON​	INT​	WIS​	CHA​
12 (+1)​	15 (+2)​	11 (+0)​	6 (–2)​	12 (+1)​	7 (–2)​

Saving Throws Dex +4
Skills Athletics +6, Perception +3
Senses passive Perception 13
Languages Kerit (spoken & sign language)
Challenge 1/4 (50 XP) Proficiency Bonus +2

Bounding. A nandie-ape can make casual leaps of up to 10 feet as free actions when it moves. If a nandie-ape crosses broken terrain with obstacles it can climb or leap onto (boulders, tree limbs, roof beams, cage bars, et cetera), it moves at its climb speed and ignores difficult terrain caused by the obstacles.

Call to Arms. A nandie-ape can use its bonus action to make screeching calls. This gives it advantage on melee attack rolls against a creature if at least one of the nandie-ape's allies is within 5 feet of the creature and the ally isn't incapacitated.
 In addition, any members of the nandie-ape's colony within earshot of Call to Arms (about 300 feet) will come to aid the nandie-ape. Typically, 1d4 nandie-apes will arrive per round for 1d3 + 1 rounds, for a total of between 2 and 16 nandie-apes. (alternatively, use 1d6 per round for 1d4 rounds; 1d8 per round for 1d3 rounds; or 1d12 per round for 1d2 rounds)
 If a nandie-ape is close to its colony, one dice worth of nandie-apes will arrive every round until the colony's entire population is accounted for. The largest available dice arrive first (see Screeching Colonies in Description).
 If more than one nandie-ape makes a Call to Arms, the number of creatures that arrive does not increase.
 Boss nandie-apes who hear a Call to Arms always arrive last. If a nandie-bear is within earshot, it arrives after all available nandie-apes have turned up.
 Should a nandie-ape hear multiple summoning calls it gives priority to a nandie-bear's Haunting Howl, otherwise it responds to the loudest Call to Arms it hears.

 Example: A nandie colony contains 10d4 + 10d6 nandie-apes and three nandie-ape bosses. A party of adventurers encounter a foraging patrol of 2d6 nandie-apes and fight them; the patrol makes a Call to Arms and rolls 3, so 3d4 apes answer the call over 3 rounds of combat. This leaves 7d4 + 8d6 unaccounted for.
 The adventurers continue and discover 5d6 nandie-apes plus a mated pair of bosses in the colony's lair, who immediately Call to Arms. This leaves 7d4 + 3d6 nandie-apes and 1 boss unaccounted for. Over eleven rounds of screeching conflict, 1d6 ape reinforcements will arrive each round for three rounds (3d6), followed by 1d4 apes per round for seven rounds (7d4), and finally a single boss ape on the last round.

Actions

Multiattack. The nandie-ape makes two attacks: one with its bite and one with its claws.

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 3 (1d4 + 1) piercing damage.

Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d6 + 1) slashing damage.

Rock. Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, range 25/50 ft., one target. Hit: 3 (1d4 + 1) bludgeoning damage.


Description

A koddoelo, commonly called a nandie-ape, resembles an oversized tailless baboon with mangy black-brown fur. They normally scamper on all fours but can walk and fight on their hind legs, standing around 5 feet tall on average. Male and female koddoelos are equal in size and status. Particularly large nandie-apes are called bosses (see Nandie-Ape Boss) and can exceed 6 feet in height. Nandie-ape colonies are usually led by boss nandies or a loathsome monster called a kerit or nandie-bear (see Nandie-Bear).
 Nandie-apes simians are omnivores who inhabit rocky hills, thick forests and jungles. While they would rather eat meat, most make do with a mostly vegetarian diet supplemented by bugs, lizards, and other small animals.
 A nandie-ape has a magpie-like fascination with anything shiny. Their lairs contain piles of brightly colored or sparkling objects they often squabble over. Few of these "treasures" are actually valuable.

 Chattering Beasts. Nandie-apes are often heard before they're seen. They constantly screech and chatter at one another in a primitive language that humanoids call Kerit after the nandie-bear. Kerit is both a spoken language and a sign-language, but can only convey simple concepts of a few words. Nandie-apes prefer to speak and gesture at the same time, but nandie-bears only use the sign-language form of Kerit.
 The most notable sound in Kerit is the summoning screech of a nandie-ape's Call to Arms, which corresponds to the terrifying cry of a nandie-bear's Haunting Howl. A character proficient in Nature can identify the purpose of this call with a DC 12 Nature check.
 Kerit has numerous dialects, and each colony of nandie-apes has a unique summoning screech. A nandie-ape will recognize the Call to Arms of nandie-apes from another colony as being a rival or enemy but can still communicate crude concepts with the simian stranger, such as "go away!"

 Chaotic Mobs. A nandie-ape is an innately chaotic creature. Groups of nandie-apes are unruly bickering mobs, not a disciplined pack like wolves live in. A powerful or charismatic leader can force some temporary cohesion upon a group, but this requires constant enforcement. Arguments and fights are frequent, often triggered when one ape insults or steal from another. Disputes inside a nandie colony are always between individuals, only a pair-bonded partner will help a nandie-ape fight another colony member (see Loyal Pairs).

 Screeching Colonies. Despite their chaotic temperament, nandie-apes are highly gregarious creatures with strong social instincts. They live in colonies that range in size from 10 to 150 adults. The colony will have a lair in a cave or abandoned building.
 The size of a colony is measured in dice; the smallest nandie colonies contain 10d4 (10 to 40) to 15d4 (15 to 60) nandie-apes; bigger colonies usually have between 10d4+5d6 (15 to 70) and 5d4+5d6+5d8 (15 to 90) apes; the largest colonies can have from 5d4+10d6+5d8 (20 to 120) up to 5d4+5d6+5d8+5d12 (20 to 150) nandies.
 Each colony will be led by 1 to 5 nandie-ape bosses or 1 nandie-bear; the commonest leadership is a mated pair of boss nandies. Colonies ruled by a nandie-bear never have bosses, since nandie-bears tolerate no challengers to their tyranny.
 Small groups of nandie-apes numbering a few dice (typically 2d6) will be scattered throughout the colony's territory. If encountered, nandie-apes will either ignore or stare at intruders and then continue about their business, or issue a Call to Arms and follow or attack them. The lair will contain a sizeable group of nandie-apes, perhaps a quarter of the dice of the colony, who will always Call to Arms to gather the rest of the nandie-apes.

 Loyal Pairs. A nandie-ape can form an extremely close bond with one other creature. They are extremely loyal to their pair-bonded partner and may defend them fiercely. The bonded partner is usually the nandie-ape's mate, but a nandie-ape can form platonic pair-bonds with a creature they have no reproductive interest in. Even mated pair-bonds are not necessarily sexually exclusive; bonded koddoelos often have harems or affairs with other nandie-apes. Pair-bonds tend to only be broken by death, betrayal or sustained neglect. Showing another creature more attention than the bonded-partner is likely to provoke a jealous outburst though.
 If a nandie-ape is raised from a young age, with proper training they can form a pair-bond with their owner and become an extremely devoted pet and fierce watchape. They will still be mischievous due to their chaotic alignment. Trained nandie-apes will not know Kerit or be able to use Call to Arms, since that requires an upbringing in a nandie-ape colony.

(Originally named Nandie; first appeared in White Dwarf Magazine #18 (Apr/May 1980) as part of "The Halls of Tizun Thane" by Albie Fiore.)

 

[Cleon]

Description

Text to go in here!

(Based on the Nandie from "The Halls of Tizun Thane" by Albie Fiore in White Dwarf Magazine #18 (Apr/May 1980).)

I'm thinking that the 5D8 versions mentioned in Nandie Rough Draft would be better as a separate stat block. Maybe call them a "Boss Koddoleo"?

While the standard collective noun for baboons is a troop, that just seemed too organized. I'm liking "a mob of koddoleo" or "gang of koddoleo" better.

Needs some stuff about their Chattering Language, and I'm thinking the Kerit (Nandie Bear) can speak the same language, explaining how it can take over gangs of these simians.