D&D 5E (2014) 5e EPIC MONSTER UPDATES

[CapnZapp]

Dave, sorry, I meant to ask how does rank replace the "resistant to +2 or lower" thing in your system. I did know about the concept in general, yes.

As for your ranks, I really recommend you go with as few as you possibly can. Why use 10 when 6 will do?

 

[dave2008]

Dave, sorry, I meant to ask how does rank replace the "resistant to +2 or lower" thing in your system. I did know about the concept in general, yes.

Well, I'm still working on it, but it goes something like this (this WIP and no values have been determined yet):

A Divine Rank (DR) of 5 is resistant to attacks from a DR of 3 or lower and immune to attacks of DR 0 or lower. In addition, a DR 5's attacks ignore resistance of DR 3 or lower and immunities of DR 0 or lower.

Please note that I have not set these values or the delta between them yet. I'm still thinking them through.

As for your ranks, I really recommend you go with as few as you possibly can. Why use 10 when 6 will do?

It is something I am still thinking about. I did a check after my post and I came up with 7-8 ranks, depending on whether or not I have a rank 0. To use the categories I listed in a previous post.


[TABLE="width: 300"]
[TR]
[TD]Category[/TD]
[TD]Divine Rank[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Primordial Entities[/TD]
[TD]6-7[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Greater Gods[/TD]
[TD]5[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Intermediate Gods[/TD]
[TD]4[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Lesser Gods[/TD]
[TD]3[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Demigods[/TD]
[TD]1-2[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Quasigods/exarchs[/TD]
[TD]0[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]

The reason for the demigods and Primordial Entities have a range is that I see these as broader categories, but I could take it down to 5+0 without to much trouble

However, Divine Rank is separate from the categories above. There are many creatures that could have divine ranks that don't fall into those categories (Arch-Fiends, Arch-Fey, Aberrations, Dragons, etc.). So I think there is some value to having more, but I am not sure yet.

 

[Blacklight85]

Personally, in my fiction, I don't like the concept of AO or overdeities in general. I prefer something like this:

Primordial Entities
Greater Gods
Intermediate Gods
Lesser Gods
Demigods
Quasigods/exarchs

All of these entities can be challenged by creatures of the category directly below them (at least). However, with my limited understanding of AO, it is unchallenged and thus would warrant its own level of divine rank.

But I wouldn't do that (there is no overdeity in my project), I would make it a primordial entity and since that doesn't fit the lore, I am not likely to make a stat block for it. If I tired to fit Ao into my system it would be a bit of a slap in the face of the existing lore. I don't think I want to do that, better to just ignore it.

Glad to know we're on the same boat, dragon, airship? Anyway since story plots, i mean overdeities, will not have statblocks will beings such as the lady of pain statted?

 

[dave2008]

Glad to know we're on the same boat, dragon, airship? Anyway since story plots, i mean overdeities, will not have statblocks will beings such as the lady of pain statted?

Yes, I'm not sure if she will be in the 1st draft or held off to the 2nd draft. I currently see her as a primordial entity

 

[SkidAce]

I used to have lots of divine ranks in my campaign, but found that level worked well for differentiating between creatures within a rank. So I reduced then down to 4ish.

For example, an exarch may be more powerful (higher level) than a demi god, or less powerful, but they both fall into the quasi deity category.


Primordials (technically pre-divine)
Greater Gods
Lesser Gods
Quasidieties (demigods, exarch, godlings)

As another example, there are several primordials, who still have that divine rank, but have fallen in power and are no more powerful than say a dragon, but still have their "divine" powers.

 

[dave2008]

I used to have lots of divine ranks in my campaign, but found that level worked well for differentiating between creatures within a rank. So I reduced then down to 4ish.

For example, an exarch may be more powerful (higher level) than a demi god, or less powerful, but they both fall into the quasi deity category.


Primordials (technically pre-divine)
Greater Gods
Lesser Gods
Quasidieties (demigods, exarch, godlings)

As another example, there are several primordials, who still have that divine rank, but have fallen in power and are no more powerful than say a dragon, but still have their "divine" powers.

I think we are of similar thoughts. To be clear, in your example (Primordials, Greater Gods, Lesser Gods, Quasi) I don't call those Divine Ranks, they are simply categories, and there are many more: Arch-Fiends, Arch-Fey, Eldritch Titans (Old Ones), etc. I should probably rename them Epic Ranks to avoid confusion.

By separating Epic Ranks from the CR and to some extent the categories you can have a primordial that is CR 24, but still a high Epic Rank. So I could have 20 Epic Ranks and just 2 categories (God and Demigod) if I wanted and it works. I don't think I want that many, I just need to figure out how much flexibility I want to differentiate the various epic monsters.

 

[ehenning]

Oops!

That looks like a mistake to me - thank you for catching it! I will have to get it corrected in a future update.

Any timeframe when you will be updating Acererak? Would love to use this version instead of the one in ToA

[correction] Oops! my fault, just took a bit for the graphic to load. Thanks for the Epic version!

 

[dave2008]

Any timeframe when you will be updating Acererak? Would love to use this version instead of the one in ToA

[correction] Oops! my fault, just took a bit for the graphic to load. Thanks for the Epic version!

Just to be clear, the version I posted here is for Acererak as a demilich, were as he is a lich in ToA. Not sure if I will update a lich version of him or not. To be honest I don't know that I would add too much to the ToA version, except give him better equipment maybe and you can always tinker with spell selection.

FYI, the current version should already be included in the PDF download

 

[Rubies]

Which sections of monsters are you doing after the Fey?

 

[dave2008]

Which sections of monsters are you doing after the Fey?

I'm not sure. I had a request for a lich god and then I was thinking about finishing the lesser gods. Concurrently, I am editing the wyrm & great wyrm dragons (which are being written by a contributor), which will lead into updates of the Dragon Hall of Fame and the dragon gods.

If there is a particular monster of category you would like me to work on, just let me know and I will try to move it up the que.