D&D 5E 5e Updates: Monstrous Compendium

[dave2008]

Lion Attack by deskridge

Lion, Alpha	Challenge 3
Large beast, unaligned	700 XP

Armor Class 15 (natural armor)
Hit Points 68 (8d10 + 24; bloodied 34)
Speed 40 ft.

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
20 (+5)	16 (+3)	16 (+3)	3 (-4)	12 (+1)	12 (+1)

Saving Throws Dex +5, Wis +3
Skills Athletics +7, Perception +5, Stealth +5
Senses Darkvision 120 ft., Passive Perception 13
Languages --
Proficiency Bonus +2 Maneuver DC 15

Feline Speed (2/ Short Rest). When the lion takes the Dash action it can move at 4 times its speed (160 ft.) during this movement.

Keen Senses. The lion has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks.

Pack Tactics. The lion has advantage on attack rolls against a creature if at least one of the lion's allies is within 5 feet of the creature and the ally isn't incapacitated.

Pounce. If the lion moves at least 20 feet straight toward a creature and then hits it with a claw attack on the same turn, that target must succeed on a DC 14 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone.

ACTIONS
Multiattack. The lion makes two claw attacks.

Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 12 (2d6 + 5) slashing damage. Additionally, if the lion hits the same target with two claw attacks on the same turn, the target is also grappled.

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 14 (2d8 + 5) piercing damage.

BONUS ACTION
Feline Agility. The lion can take the Dash or Disengage action.

Ferocious Bite. The lion can make a bite attack against a prone or incapacitated creature or a creature it has grappled.

REACTIONS
Back Bite. If a creature ends its turn grappled by the lion, the lion makes a bite attack against it with advantage. If this attack is a critical hit, the target is paralyzed.

 

[dave2008]

General abilities feel pretty solid, it feels Strahdy.

The damage looks on the low side. I'm calculating a 56 DPR if I assume staggering smite as the bonus action....and that's a CR9 at best.

Also, if you want to make Strahd more unique, you could try a few other mechanics:

• Half his regen instead of negate it. Strahd is more powerful than a normal vampire.
• After a bite, his regen doubles for a few rounds. Really make radiant damage a key factor in stopping him.

I've finally updated Strahd. Let me know what you think when you get a chance.

 

[dave2008]

@Stalker0 , I have taken my first past at a Mummy Lord, the Greater Mummy. I know you think the O5e mummy is weak and I was hopping to get your thoughts on my version.

 

[Stalker0]

Mummy, Greater

You summoned me! Alright lets take a look at this guy.

Lets start with my biggest issue with the original Mummy Lord.... durability. The guy was so darn weak that my party killed a mummy lord in 1 round on two separate occasions. Does this one hold up?

Its clearly got some better adjustments. More hitpoints and a slightly lower CR, some regeneration, and more status effects to keep the party's offense down. And yet....ultimately I'm calculating a defensive CR of 9... that's still just too low. A 12th is level party is still going to kick the crap out of this thing in short order.

I think we can play around with the Regeneration here, lets make this thing really freaking cool. Like regen 20 or 30, and say that in order to stop the regen you have to crit the creature with a slashing weapon (exposing its heart), and then pour holy water on the heart to stop the regen for a round. Now you have a really interesting challenge for the party, and a very memorable encounter. I think that is often missing from legendary creatures....its not just legendary power....its legendary weirdness....killing them isn't just about about applying damage to hitpoints, you have to do something special to really fit the bill.

Alright so now on to offense:

The Negative Energy aura is a nice touch, adds some good fear factor. The kopesh is worded strangely for the crit. So is it the same necrotic damage added to the kopesh, or is it all slashing now.... its a bit unclear. Also, I'm not sure the Kopesh is really needed, I mean the rotting fist gives mummy rot, and with two you grapple and can drain max life.... I'm not really sure what having the kopesh really brings to the table, personally I think you could remove it to make the statblock tighter and lose nothing.

Dreadful Glare: So this ability is actually really really bad. Frightered is a weak effect for consuming your action, and the DC is far too low to consider the paralysis a thing, especially with the very short duration. the ONLY reason the Orig ML can work with it, is you can use the effect as a legendary action, so its cost was lower. Without that, I would never use this ability in combat. I would either drop it entirely, or change it to all creatures within X, that way it could possibly have some punch.

Animate Dead: A nice add in to common mummy flavor.

Death Ray: Honestly nothing really exciting here, its just some range damage with nothing really all that special, and doesn't have the same cool flavor as some others. I would drop this one.

Desert Petrification: This is the coolest addition in the statblock. The idea of a mummy turning someone to sand is just horrendously awesome! My one change here, it should be constitution...I just can't accept the flavor of a dex save here it just doesn't make sense to me.

Putrid Cloud: The effect is pretty useful, but instead of gas I would go with a swarm or something, something biblical I think you could do a straight flavor swap and keep the effect.

Sandstorm Breath: It works I guess, I don't know something about just doesn't give with me. If nothing else, I don't see a good reason to go with both force and slashing, I think just pick one or the other.

Blasphemous Word: If your going to keep this, I would give the mummy some kind of life sense, aka that they can detect hp. This allows them to target creatures more exactly, and I think a life sense concept makes good sense for a mummy.

Dreadful Curse: Frankly I think the desert petrification is so much neater, I wouldn't mind this ability just being "recharge and use desert petrification again". between the petrification and the mummy rot, I think you already have enough cursing going on.

 

[dave2008]

You summoned me! Alright lets take a look at this guy.

That I did - and thank you as always for your comments.

Lets start with my biggest issue with the original Mummy Lord.... durability. The guy was so darn weak that my party killed a mummy lord in 1 round on two separate occasions. Does this one hold up?

Its clearly got some better adjustments. More hitpoints and a slightly lower CR, some regeneration, and more status effects to keep the party's offense down. And yet....ultimately I'm calculating a defensive CR of 9... that's still just too low. A 12th is level party is still going to kick the crap out of this thing in short order.

I think that is about what I got for defensive CR too (I didn't save the calculation). I tired to give it a lot of other things besides HP (lots of saves, magic resistance, parry, regeneration), but ultimately it is probably best to bump its HP a bit too. Maybe enough to get it back to CR 15 like the original.

PS - IMO a CR 15 legendary monster is a solo challenge for a level 9-10 party of 3-4 PCs, not a lvl 12 party. And if remember correctly, your groups tend to be pretty tricked out.

I think we can play around with the Regeneration here, lets make this thing really freaking cool. Like regen 20 or 30, and say that in order to stop the regen you have to crit the creature with a slashing weapon (exposing its heart), and then pour holy water on the heart to stop the regen for a round. Now you have a really interesting challenge for the party, and a very memorable encounter. I think that is often missing from legendary creatures....its not just legendary power....its legendary weirdness....killing them isn't just about about applying damage to hitpoints, you have to do something special to really fit the bill.

I'm not personally in favor of overly wordy/complicated descriptions in stat blocks - though I did do something like that for rotting grasp. I will think about it. Also, its heart is not in its body, that is the point of the rejuvenation trait. The body reforms adjacent to the heart (which is kept elsewhere like a lich phylactery

Alright so now on to offense:


The Negative Energy aura is a nice touch, adds some good fear factor. The kopesh is worded strangely for the crit. So is it the same necrotic damage added to the kopesh, or is it all slashing now.... its a bit unclear. Also, I'm not sure the Kopesh is really needed, I mean the rotting fist gives mummy rot, and with two you grapple and can drain max life.... I'm not really sure what having the kopesh really brings to the table, personally I think you could remove it to make the statblock tighter and lose nothing.

The kopesh as added because it was in the art I found! However, I did feel that it was means to separate it from a standard mummy. These aren't just dumb brutes who bash you with their fists. I definitely see your point but I am a bit reluctant to drop it. I will think about it.

Dreadful Glare: So this ability is actually really really bad. Frightered is a weak effect for consuming your action, and the DC is far too low to consider the paralysis a thing, especially with the very short duration. the ONLY reason the Orig ML can work with it, is you can use the effect as a legendary action, so its cost was lower. Without that, I would never use this ability in combat. I would either drop it entirely, or change it to all creatures within X, that way it could possibly have some punch.

It is a free attack as part of the mummy's multiattack (just like O5e). It would never use it separately from multiattack. Though I could drop it or at it to the LA.

Animate Dead: A nice add in to common mummy flavor.

I will keep it.

Death Ray: Honestly nothing really exciting here, its just some range damage with nothing really all that special, and doesn't have the same cool flavor as some others. I would drop this one.

I will get rid of it.

Desert Petrification: This is the coolest addition in the statblock. The idea of a mummy turning someone to sand is just horrendously awesome! My one change here, it should be constitution...I just can't accept the flavor of a dex save here it just doesn't make sense to me.

I based these effects on beholder eye rays and it was a dex save there, but this isn't a ray so I will get it changes.

Putrid Cloud: The effect is pretty useful, but instead of gas I would go with a swarm or something, something biblical I think you could do a straight flavor swap and keep the effect.

I like that idea. A plague cloud if you will.

Sandstorm Breath: It works I guess, I don't know something about just doesn't give with me. If nothing else, I don't see a good reason to go with both force and slashing, I think just pick one or the other.

I was thinking about a water jet cutter that uses pressurized water (the force here) and sand to cut through steel and such. I took the idea from PF2 mummy pharaoh, but it had heated sand: fire and slashing. Maybe I should have stuck with that. I will think about it.

Blasphemous Word: If your going to keep this, I would give the mummy some kind of life sense, aka that they can detect hp. This allows them to target creatures more exactly, and I think a life sense concept makes good sense for a mummy.

I like that. I will think about how to add that. I am thinking as part of its aura or maybe a revamped dreadful glare or maybe a "ka" sense LA.

Dreadful Curse: Frankly I think the desert petrification is so much neater, I wouldn't mind this ability just being "recharge and use desert petrification again". between the petrification and the mummy rot, I think you already have enough cursing going on.

I will drop it.

 

[dave2008]

You summoned me! Alright lets take a look at this guy.

OK, I took some of your suggestions and give you version 2: the Greater Mummy

 

[Eubani]

Didn't Mummies have the organs removed and then displayed in jars in their tomb? Could this be used like providing higher regen which is reduced as each jar is destroyed. This could be a good reason to make immune to crits. May I also suggest the addition of lair action whilst in their tombs/pyramids.

 

[dave2008]

Didn't Mummies have the organs removed and then displayed in jars in their tomb? Could this be used like providing higher regen which is reduced as each jar is destroyed. This could be a good reason to make immune to crits. May I also suggest the addition of lair action whilst in their tombs/pyramids.

Mummy lords (my greater mummy) have their organs removed. The heart specifically is kept in a jar and as long as that is not destroyed the mummy creates a new body within 24 hours. I do like the no-crit idea. I will add that. Yes it should have a lair and lair actions, but I didn't see the need to change the ones that are in the MM.

FYI:
Heart of the Mummy Lord

Spoiler

As part of the ritual that creates a mummy lord, the creature’s heart and viscera are removed from the corpse and placed in canopic jars. These jars are usually carved from limestone or made of pottery, etched or painted with religious hieroglyphs.

As long as its shriveled heart remains intact, a mummy lord can’t be permanently destroyed. When it drops to 0 hit points, the mummy lord turns to dust and re-forms at full strength 24 hours later, rising out of dust in close proximity to the canopic jar containing its heart. A mummy lord can be destroyed or prevented from re-forming by burning its heart to ashes. For this reason, a mummy lord usually keeps its heart and viscera in a hidden tomb or vault.

The mummy lord’s heart has AC 5, 25 hit points, and immunity to all damage except fire.

A Mummy Lord's Lair

Spoiler

A mummy lord watches over an ancient temple or tomb that is protected by lesser undead and rigged with traps. Hidden in this temple is the sarcophagus where a mummy lord keeps its greatest treasures.

A mummy lord encountered in its lair has a challenge rating of 16 (15,000 XP).

Lair Actions​

On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), the mummy lord takes a lair action to cause one of the following effects; the mummy lord can’t use the same effect two rounds in a row.

• Each undead creature in the lair can pinpoint the location of each living creature within 120 feet of it until initiative count 20 on the next round.
• Each undead in the lair has advantage on saving throws against effects that turn undead until initiative count 20 on the next round.
• Until initiative count 20 on the next round, any non-undead creature that tries to cast a spell of 4th level or lower in the mummy lord’s lair is wracked with pain. The creature can choose another action, but if it tries to cast the spell, it must make a DC 16 Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, it takes (1d6) necrotic damage per level of the spell, and the spell has no effect and is wasted.

Regional Effects​

A mummy lord’s temple or tomb is warped in any of the following ways by the creature’s dark presence:

• Food instantly molders and water instantly evaporates when brought into the lair. Other nonmagical drinks are spoiled — wine turning to vinegar, for instance.
• Divination spells cast within the lair by creatures other than the mummy lord have a 25 percent chance to provide misleading results, as determined by the DM. If a divination spell already has a chance to fail or become unreliable when cast multiple times, that chance increases by 25 percent.
• A creature that takes treasure from the lair is cursed until the treasure is returned. The cursed target has disadvantage on all saving throws. The curse lasts until removed by a remove curse spell or other magic.

If the mummy lord is destroyed, these regional effects end immediately.

 

[IloveD&D]

Will you make a Celestial, Angel like monster with a CR above 30? Maybe an elite Celestial above CR 30?

 

[dave2008]

Will you make a Celestial, Angel like monster with a CR above 30? Maybe an elite Celestial above CR 30?

I have plans to make a choir of angels at some point. Currently, the most powerful celestial in the list is the Seraphim, which at an Elite CR 26 is actually more powerful than a regular CR 30. This will probably change in my crack at high-end celestials.

I am currently undecided on how exactly I will do it, but probably something like this:

Highest orders

• Seraphim (ER 2,* CR 35-36)
• Cherubim (ER 2,* CR 33-34)
• Thrones (ER 2,* CR 31-32)

Middle orders

• Dominions (ER 1,* CR 29-30)
• Virtues (ER1,* CR 27-28)
• Powers (ER 1,* CR 25-26)

Lowest orders

• Principalities (solars)
• Archangels (planetars)
• Angels (devas)

* ER = Exalted Rank. These will be detailed in my ASECENSION series of threads. One ER is similar to what I call "elite" here by a little different. ER 2 is 2x as strong as ER 1 of the same CR (roughly). A ER 1 Power with is equivalent to two CR26 standard monsters, while an ER 2 Throne is equivalent to four CR 32 monsters. Or something like that.

ASCENSION, The Codex of Exalted, Book 1: Player's Guide
ASCENSION, The Codex of Exalted, Book 2: GM's Guide
ASCENSION, The Codex of Exalted, Book 3: Friends & Foes