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5E: Converting Monsters from White Dwarf Magazine for Fifth Edition
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<blockquote data-quote="Cleon" data-source="post: 8470059" data-attributes="member: 57383"><p>While</p><p></p><p></p><p>I've just posted a first draft of the Pine Kindred Initiation, but re-reading it the thing's way way too over-complicated.</p><p></p><p>I can see numerous ways to tighten the text.</p><p></p><p>Anyhow, I could do with something else to think about while some Pine Kindred ideas percolate (together with a pot of coffee), so will have a look at the Enslaver…</p><p></p><p>… … …</p><p></p><p>…okay, the main problem with the Enslaver from a 5E point of view is that it's a physically very fragile "Save or Suck" monster with a high-DC permanent domination-by-touch ability.</p><p></p><p>Its opponents either easily kill it or one of them gets dominated in the first round or two making it the fight against their pal that matters, not the struggle against Enslavement.</p><p></p><p>How about making the Enslaver a bit more combat capable - faster perhaps, somewhat tougher, et cetera and, instead of an "enslaved or nothing" attack it has the following:</p><p></p><p>[HR][/HR]</p><p></p><p><span style="font-size: 22px">Actions</span></p><p></p><p><strong><em>Dominating Touch</em></strong>. <em>Melee Spell Attack</em>, +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. <em>Hit:</em> ## (#d#+4) psychic damage, if the damage reduces the target to 0 hit points or less they are <em>Enslaved</em> (see Reactions).</p><p></p><p><span style="font-size: 22px">Reactions</span></p><p></p><p><strong><em>Enslave</em></strong>. If an enslaver is in contact with a target reduced to 0 hit points or less by <em>Dominating Touch</em>, the target must succeed at a DC 16 Wisdom check or be dominated for as long as the enslaver remains in contact with them. When an enslaver dominates a target, its new slave immediately regains any hit points of psychic damage they took from <em>Dominating Touch</em>. If the target makes the save, they must save again every round the enslaver is in contact with them.</p><p></p><p>[HR][/HR]</p><p></p><p>That way, the PCs will actually have a fight with the nasty ball of slime that's trying to mindrape one of them. Plus if it uses actual damage rather than a save-or-suck, you can set the Dominating Touch damage to something appropriate for whatever Challenge you want the critter to be, rather just hope the Wisdom save DC is high enough.</p><p></p><p>It seems a bit more "Fifth Edition like" to me.</p><p></p><p>Have you seen the 1994 version of <strong><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0111003" target="_blank"><strong>The Puppet Masters</strong></a></strong>? While not a very good movie and a poor adaptation of Heinlein's novel (which I've read a few times, but not recently), the brainslugs in that film could jump about to land on people's backs rather than only be capable of slowly slithering like in the book. I also vaguely recall the movie aliens could shoot their "mind-control stinger" out on the end of a mucus-coated tentacle that was far longer than their bodies would actually be able to contain, and they could use that mucus-string to swing and rappel about as it they were tiny invertebrate versions of Batman.</p><p></p><p>Might not want to go that far with the Enslaver, but it's an idea!</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Cleon, post: 8470059, member: 57383"] While I've just posted a first draft of the Pine Kindred Initiation, but re-reading it the thing's way way too over-complicated. I can see numerous ways to tighten the text. Anyhow, I could do with something else to think about while some Pine Kindred ideas percolate (together with a pot of coffee), so will have a look at the Enslaver… … … … …okay, the main problem with the Enslaver from a 5E point of view is that it's a physically very fragile "Save or Suck" monster with a high-DC permanent domination-by-touch ability. Its opponents either easily kill it or one of them gets dominated in the first round or two making it the fight against their pal that matters, not the struggle against Enslavement. How about making the Enslaver a bit more combat capable - faster perhaps, somewhat tougher, et cetera and, instead of an "enslaved or nothing" attack it has the following: [HR][/HR] [SIZE=6]Actions[/SIZE] [B][I]Dominating Touch[/I][/B]. [I]Melee Spell Attack[/I], +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. [I]Hit:[/I] ## (#d#+4) psychic damage, if the damage reduces the target to 0 hit points or less they are [I]Enslaved[/I] (see Reactions). [SIZE=6]Reactions[/SIZE] [B][I]Enslave[/I][/B]. If an enslaver is in contact with a target reduced to 0 hit points or less by [I]Dominating Touch[/I], the target must succeed at a DC 16 Wisdom check or be dominated for as long as the enslaver remains in contact with them. When an enslaver dominates a target, its new slave immediately regains any hit points of psychic damage they took from [I]Dominating Touch[/I]. If the target makes the save, they must save again every round the enslaver is in contact with them. [HR][/HR] That way, the PCs will actually have a fight with the nasty ball of slime that's trying to mindrape one of them. Plus if it uses actual damage rather than a save-or-suck, you can set the Dominating Touch damage to something appropriate for whatever Challenge you want the critter to be, rather just hope the Wisdom save DC is high enough. It seems a bit more "Fifth Edition like" to me. Have you seen the 1994 version of [B][URL='https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0111003'][B]The Puppet Masters[/B][/URL][/B]? While not a very good movie and a poor adaptation of Heinlein's novel (which I've read a few times, but not recently), the brainslugs in that film could jump about to land on people's backs rather than only be capable of slowly slithering like in the book. I also vaguely recall the movie aliens could shoot their "mind-control stinger" out on the end of a mucus-coated tentacle that was far longer than their bodies would actually be able to contain, and they could use that mucus-string to swing and rappel about as it they were tiny invertebrate versions of Batman. Might not want to go that far with the Enslaver, but it's an idea! [/QUOTE]
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