D&D 5E 5e Updates: Monstrous Compendium

[imeannoharm]

I'm getting ready to head out for a long weekend, but I may try to sneak in a few request before I do. After that, I really will be taking a hiatus for a while before I tackle updating the fiends and dragons (I never made any hardcore Fey and I already posted all of the Elementals).

Here are more fiend swarm suggestions using the hardcore guidelines. CRs are yours to decide, but they are broadly outlined.
-Demons-
Babau Troop- CR 19 ~21 Babaus
Hezrou Rampage- CR 23 ~12 Hezrous
Echo Earsplit- CR 18 ~18 Echoes (Creature Codex)
Vrock Hurricane- CR 19 ~24 Vrocks
Marilith Writhing- CR 25 ~15 Mariliths
Adaru Scuttling- CR 17 ~18 Adaru
Klurichir Nightmare- CR 30 ~8 Klurichir
Chasme Droning- CR 15- ~14 Charmed
-Daemons & Yugoloths-
-Devils-

 

[dave2008]

I really enjoyed the super big elementals. Quick question, is it intended that the Elder Elements summoned by an ancient elemental could then summon more elementals...or should I assume that summons cannot perform more summoning?

There are no restriction on what the summoned elemental can do. So a primal could summon an ancient which could summon an elder which could summon standard elementals. They are independent creatures that of their own will and initiative.

 

[dave2008]

IMO based on the suggested power level of Demogorgon (e.g one that would actually challenge epic players) we have the Aspects at the bottom.
CR 9- 103 HP based on 3.5's rendition, 191-205 based on Hardcore.
View attachment 126084
Aspects would range up to the 500 HP of Out of the Abyss and Fiendish Codex.
Then come the avatars, basically as powerful as Orcus is in Rappan Athuk, at 855 HP. Only a few exist. This would be about CR 30 in the hardcore system, though making them mythic and halfing their HP to water down the CR is a good idea. Ranging up to the Mythic Demogorgon at up to 1000 HP. Then are the stats for @dave2008 5E Epic Monster demon princes. He confessed that greater gods such as Bane are too easy to kill for intended levels so I'd expect the same of demon princes. That's why I'd classify them as "favored avatars" (the most powerful outpouring of the demon prince's essence, even passing for a demon lord itself).
Then are the actual demon princes. I'd basically just make them the normal favored avatar stats with double damage, better spells, and other things unique to the demon prince only, and Mythic Rank 2. That would give Mythic Epic Demogorgon 4320 HP based on my calculations (1,440 x 3) which would be a hard fight for up to 34th level characters.

I don't think I am going to get into the details of aspects and avatars for this project. However, my gut felling would be make it simple (Using Demogorgon as an example):

Avatar: use OotA stat block
Aspect: Use pre-Mythic stat block (CR 34+/-)
Greater Aspect: Use Mythic stage 1 stat block
True Form: Use Mythic stage 2 stat block (full mythic stat block)
Home Plane: Use mythic stage 2 +1 stat block

 

[dave2008]

Jotund Troll- Elite Monster!

Jotund Troll - Monsters - Archives of Nethys: Pathfinder 2nd Edition Database

Jotund trolls are gigantic, nine-headed horrors who prowl frigid moors, marshes, and wastelands, always alone and always enraged. While each of the jotund troll's nine heads possess their own brains and senses, they work much more in tandem than the dual-minded nature of the two-headed troll...

2e.aonprd.com

Troll, Jotund – d20PFSRD

www.d20pfsrd.com

View attachment 126077

I don't have an issue with the concept, but I think I have trolls covered pretty well at the moment. Design wise I am not to found of what PF has done here and prefer my Mountain troll (another Huge troll). I am not real familiar with the PF2 rules set (been about a year since I looked at it closely), but a lot of Jutond Troll's design doesn't make sense to me.

• bite does more damage than a claw despite the fact that each head is Large sized (or smaller, but definitely not Huge)
• bite attacks for a Huge humanoid make no sense (especially when targeting a Medium creature)
• It has fast swallow, but the bite attack doesn't have the grab trait?
• Ravenous Jaws (great name), doesn't make sense logically to me (not mechanics - just thinking about how it would actually work)

I do like a diversity of trolls though

 

[dave2008]

Here are more fiend swarm suggestions using the hardcore guidelines. CRs are yours to decide, but they are broadly outlined.
-Demons-
Babau Troop- CR 19 ~21 Babaus
Hezrou Rampage- CR 23 ~12 Hezrous
Echo Earsplit- CR 18 ~18 Echoes (Creature Codex)
Vrock Hurricane- CR 19 ~24 Vrocks
Marilith Writhing- CR 25 ~15 Mariliths
Adaru Scuttling- CR 17 ~18 Adaru
Klurichir Nightmare- CR 30 ~8 Klurichir
Chasme Droning- CR 15- ~14 Charmed
-Daemons & Yugoloths-
-Devils-

Well that will add a lot to my list! I think I would cover yugoloths before I get into a bunch of swarms. But I do think they are useful for giving epic level groups a challenge.

 

[imeannoharm]

Well that will add a lot to my list! I think I would cover yugoloths before I get into a bunch of swarms. But I do think they are useful for giving epic level groups a challenge.

Here is my W.I.P General of Gehenna. I don't have many ideas for special attacks or region and lair effects, any suggestions? Of course the lair and regional effects will not be lumped up with abilities in the finished version, but I can't do that yet.

 

[imeannoharm]

• It has fast swallow, but the bite attack doesn't have the grab trait?

"bite +15 (2d6+5 plus grab)" From PF 1e

 

[imeannoharm]

• bite attacks for a Huge humanoid make no sense (especially when targeting a Medium creature)

Yeah, that would look a bit awkward.

Spoiler: Mildly Irrelevant

 

[dave2008]

"bite +15 (2d6+5 plus grab)" From PF 1e

I was looking at the PF2e version which does not:

Clearly they forgot it.

 

[dave2008]

Yeah, that would look a bit awkward.

Spoiler: Mildly Irrelevant

View attachment 126111

To clarify, I don't mind animals / creatures having bite attacks. But making a standard attack for most humanoids, and the Juton Troll in particular is pretty ridiculous to me. The MM has this problem too.