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

[Casimir Liber]

Ok. Let's go for Hit Points 525 (30d20 + 240) [CON 27] and STR 27

 

[Cleon]

Ok. Let's go for Hit Points 525 (30d20 + 240) [CON 27] and STR 27

I'd lean more towards STR 29, mainly because STR 27 is only 2 points higher than a Mammoth which is a lot smaller beast.

Still, most of the damage will come from the dice and it'll have Proficiency Bonuses to help its attack rolls and, presumably, Strength saves so I guess it doesn't make that much difference.

So I'll leave the final vote on Strength to you (unless someone else wants to join us with this conversion. Assuming There's Anyone Out There!)

Will add Hit Points 525 (30d20 + 240) and CON 27 (+8) to the Gurgohemoth Working Draft.

Oh, and DEX 10 (+0) as well as the AC and Speed.

EDIT: Heck, let's use STR 27 (+8) for now. It can always be changed to 28 or 29 later if we decide that's better.

 

[Casimir Liber]

Forgot about mammoth - this thing is huge so DTR 29. I got this below. Thought about breath weapon - how about dark energy - functions as a hybrid between necrotic and radiant energy, with victims suffering the most unfavourable resistance/vulnerability to each.

 

[Cleon]

Forgot about mammoth - this thing is huge so DTR 29. I got this below. Thought about breath weapon - how about dark energy - functions as a hybrid between necrotic and radiant energy, with victims suffering the most unfavourable resistance/vulnerability to each.

Updating the Gurgohemoth Working Draft with STR 29.

I have a suspicion this thing will end out a little higher than CR 18 once we've finished with it, but I'm fine with that. It is an epic threat. Or should that be Jumbo threat?

Anyhow, I think we can tweak the mental abilities up a bit more from INT 10, WIS 12, CHA 12.

That's not much better than a regular Gurgotch's INT 10, WIS 12, CHA 8. I imagine these things as potentially being hundreds or thousands of years old, with the cunning and wisdom of countless battles.

Let's see, the CR 17 Adult Red Dragon has INT 16, WIS 13, CHA 25 and the CR 19 Balor has INT 20, WIS 16, CHA 22 but those both seem a trifle high to me.

The 5E version of the Tarrasque seems a better comparison. It only has INT 3, WIS 11, CHA 11 but has Proficiency in all three of those stats' Saving Throws to make up for those lackadaisical numbers, presumably representing its ancient experience.

How about doing the same?

Instead of the STR save proficiency I proposed (mainly because that'd give it STR, CON, WIS, CHA saves like a Balor) we give it INT proficiency and leave the mental stats at the current 10/12/12 for saves of CON +12, INT +6, WIS +7, CHA +7.

 

[Casimir Liber]

Yeah I like the idea of proficiency on all those saves

also resistance to Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing from Nonmagical Attacks (though am thinking of making it resistance to all Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing attacks as its hide is really thicc

 

[Cleon]

Yeah I like the idea of proficiency on all those saves

Updating the Gurgohemoth Working Draft with said saves.

also resistance to Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing from Nonmagical Attacks (though am thinking of making it resistance to all Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing attacks as its hide is really thicc

If we did that it'd take AGES to chop through all those hit points.

Guess we could do that if we trimmed down the number of Hit Dice to compensate?

Then again, even 5E Balor with its similar CR only has resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks.

One idea I had was it could have Resistance to damage by creatures much smaller than it who don't have magical weapons.

i.e. "bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks by creatures of size Large or smaller"

So an elephant-sized opponent can fight it normally even without a magical weapon, but it's resistant to the pinpricks of insignificant foes.

Thought about making it immune to nonmagical damage from Medium or smaller opponents, but that seemed a bit extreme. Although it's tempting to make a multi-tiered damage system so its enemies are better off attacking it with siege engines.

Something like:

Damage Immunity: ???; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical damage by creatures of size Medium or smaller.
Damage Resistance #1: ???; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from magical damage by creatures of size Medium or smaller as well as nonmagical damage not caused by siege engines or creatures of size Huge or larger.
Damage Resistance #2: ???; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from magical damage by creatures of size Large or smaller as well as nonmagical damage not caused by siege engines or creatures of size Huge or larger.
Damage Resistance #3: ???; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from magical damage by creatures of size Large or smaller as well as nonmagical damage not caused by siege engines or creatures of size Gargantuan.

I quite like that idea although it'll seriously boost the Challenge.

But as already stated, I have no objection to increasing that.

Would go up as far an Ancient Dragon threat level of CR 24 or so, although I'd aim a bit short of the CR 30 Tarrasque.

 

[Casimir Liber]

Wow, you've given it some thought....been mulling over these.

Starting to DM at higher levels now...characters can really dish out enormous amounts of damage so I have no qualms about jigging it so this thing has the equivalent of >1000 hp functionally.

My preferences (maybe best to carve between up to Large/Huge or larger - goliaths and some other playable races are Large - so this simplifies things for the DM running the combat):

Damage Immunity: bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical damage by creatures of size Large or smaller.
Damage Resistance: bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from magical damage by creatures of size Large or smaller as well as nonmagical damage not caused by siege engines or creatures of size Huge or larger.


Also contemplating adding:

(inspired by the honking great elephants in 2017 film King Arthur: Legend of the Sword)

 

[Cleon]

Wow, you've given it some thought....been mulling over these.

Starting to DM at higher levels now...characters can really dish out enormous amounts of damage so I have no qualms about jigging it so this thing has the equivalent of >1000 hp functionally.

My preferences (maybe best to carve between up to Large/Huge or larger - goliaths and some other playable races are Large - so this simplifies things for the DM running the combat):

Damage Immunity: bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical damage by creatures of size Large or smaller.
Damage Resistance: bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from magical damage by creatures of size Large or smaller as well as nonmagical damage not caused by siege engines or creatures of size Huge or larger.

Works for me.

Updating the Gurgohemoth Working Draft.

I assume it'll still have the fire/lightning/poison protections.

Any other resistances or immunities you fancy adding?

I'm tempted to give it immunity to being paralyzed as an extension of the normal Gurgotch's immunity to their breath weapon.

Also contemplating adding:

(inspired by the honking great elephants in 2017 film King Arthur: Legend of the Sword)

Wouldn't bother if it was up to me. I suspect they were rip offs of the Mûmakil in The Return of the King, although those aren't the only oversized pachyderms in fiction.

 

[Cleon]

Oh, I've just updated the Fircarl with a Description.

Went a bit overboard with it, as per usual!

 

[Casimir Liber]

Works for me.

Updating the Gurgohemoth Working Draft.

I assume it'll still have the fire/lightning/poison protections.

Any other resistances or immunities you fancy adding?

I'm tempted to give it immunity to being paralyzed as an extension of the normal Gurgotch's immunity to their breath weapon.



Wouldn't bother if it was up to me. I suspect they were rip offs of the Mûmakil in The Return of the King, although those aren't the only oversized pachyderms in fiction.

yeah - immune to paralysis sounds good