D&D 5E 5e Updates: Monstrous Compendium

[dave2008]

Essentially a Beholder goddess, but not a goddess of beholders.

They really changed / added to the beholder lore in 5e. Not sure what I am going to do with the great mother.

 

[Stalker0]

Ok throwing out a different paradigm idea. Right now the 5e dragon is defined by its strong multiattack, and assumes that the breath weapon is a "special add on" that gets used periodically to shake things up.

So what if instead of that, what if the breath weapon was assumed part of the core legendary action routine? Aka the dragon's weapon is not some special thing its got to build up to....its as easy for a dragon as breathing....a truly integrated part of how it fights.

With this model, we can assume the breath is used every round. Then perhaps we can add in some special 1/rest abilities that increase the breath or shake it up, for fun tactical options. We can have some of these special breath options consume more legendary actions, to ensure they add flexibility but not raw power that messes with the CR. This also has the advantage of consistency...you don't have to rely on the whim of a recharge role which can have a very large impact on a dragon fight (no recharge rolls = much weaker dragon. All recharge rolls hit = very deadly dragon).

Here's an example to show case it:

Multiattack: The dragon can use its frightful presence. It can then make either a bite or a tail attack. (so a weaker multiattack routine)

Legendary Actions (3/round)
Breath Weapon (2 legendary actions): The dragon releases a cone of XYZ.
Tail Swipe (1 legendary action): The dragon makes a tail attack.
Detect (1 legendary action): The dragon makes a perception check and XYZ.

Special Breath Options (vary per dragon type, age, etc etc).

Heighten Breath (1/rest): Opponents are at disadvantage to their saving throws against the dragon's breath weapon. The breath weapon requires 1 additional legendary action.

Divine Breath (1/rest): Half of the breath weapon damage is changed to radiant damage.

Breath of the Mind (1/rest): The dragon's breath weapon damage changes to psychic, and it uses an intelligence saving throw.

Empowered Breath (1/rest): The dragon may reroll any 1s on its breath weapon damage, and must take the new result. The breath weapon requires 1 additional legendary action.


With this dragon, you can allow for the breath to equal the offense damage of 2 claws and 2 tails every round (compared to the vanilla dragon) .... giving you a lot of design space to make it truly strong and fearful, and backed by consistency...without the whims of a d6 roll... for easy CR assessment and integration.

 

[Stalker0]

Doesn't Medium Armor be definition mean that you get Dex modifier to a max of +2 to your armor class?

"Medium Armor offers more Protection than Light Armor, but it also impairs Movement more. If you wear Medium Armor, you add your Dexterity modifier, to a maximum of +2, to the base number from your armor type to determine your Armor Class. "

I will add it if people feel it is needed, but it seems redundant to me.

The core armor tables list the ACs with the dex bonus....so as a player I would naturally assume any other Armor tables work the same way, so if an armor didn't list a dex bonus, I would assume it doesn't get one.

 

[dave2008]

The core armor tables list the ACs with the dex bonus....so as a player I would naturally assume any other Armor tables work the same way, so if an armor didn't list a dex bonus, I would assume it doesn't get one.

Well that shows you how rarely I look at the PHB! I've corrected the table.

 

[dave2008]

Ok throwing out a different paradigm idea. Right now the 5e dragon is defined by its strong multiattack, and assumes that the breath weapon is a "special add on" that gets used periodically to shake things up.

So what if instead of that, what if the breath weapon was assumed part of the core legendary action routine? Aka the dragon's weapon is not some special thing its got to build up to....its as easy for a dragon as breathing....a truly integrated part of how it fights.

With this model, we can assume the breath is used every round. Then perhaps we can add in some special 1/rest abilities that increase the breath or shake it up, for fun tactical options. We can have some of these special breath options consume more legendary actions, to ensure they add flexibility but not raw power that messes with the CR. This also has the advantage of consistency...you don't have to rely on the whim of a recharge role which can have a very large impact on a dragon fight (no recharge rolls = much weaker dragon. All recharge rolls hit = very deadly dragon).

Here's an example to show case it:

Multiattack: The dragon can use its frightful presence. It can then make either a bite or a tail attack. (so a weaker multiattack routine)

Legendary Actions (3/round)
Breath Weapon (2 legendary actions): The dragon releases a cone of XYZ.
Tail Swipe (1 legendary action): The dragon makes a tail attack.
Detect (1 legendary action): The dragon makes a perception check and XYZ.

Special Breath Options (vary per dragon type, age, etc etc).

Heighten Breath (1/rest): Opponents are at disadvantage to their saving throws against the dragon's breath weapon. The breath weapon requires 1 additional legendary action.

Divine Breath (1/rest): Half of the breath weapon damage is changed to radiant damage.

Breath of the Mind (1/rest): The dragon's breath weapon damage changes to psychic, and it uses an intelligence saving throw.

Empowered Breath (1/rest): The dragon may reroll any 1s on its breath weapon damage, and must take the new result. The breath weapon requires 1 additional legendary action.


With this dragon, you can allow for the breath to equal the offense damage of 2 claws and 2 tails every round (compared to the vanilla dragon) .... giving you a lot of design space to make it truly strong and fearful, and backed by consistency...without the whims of a d6 roll... for easy CR assessment and integration.

Before "publishing" the alternate powers I debated if I should include a lesser breath weapon attack in the alternate actions, or leave it for the individual stat blocks. I decided to leave it with the individual stat blocks. For example:

Vitriolic Spray. The dragon exhales acid in a 60-foot cone. Each creature in the cone must make a DC 22 Dexterity saving throw, taking 24 (7d6) acid damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

I do like the Special Breath Options. I actually prefer them for the alternate actions. Thank you for the suggestions, I will have to incorporate some of these as I go forward. I think I am about ready to update the first dragons now and see what you think.

 

[Protonicmass]

Hey dave! There's a whole pantheon of creatures that need stats: Elder Evils (Eldritch Titans). I understand a few have been done but there are plenty more!
Including the tantalizing Atropus (~CR 40, based on his aspect being Crr 16 and Orcus' aspect being CR 9).

 

[Stalker0]

Aboleth Lasher
Challenge 7 (4,350 XP)

My only note here, 5e really tries to avoid stat adjustments that are not "quasi-permanent" whenever possible. One idea would be to just give the creature the higher dex, but not in the Aquatic Area: If the aboleth is out of water, it has disadvantage on all dexterity checks and saving throws. That covers a lot of what you are looking for in a more "5e ish way". I would honestly expect to encounter an aboleth in water most of the time.

 

[dave2008]

Hey dave! There's a whole pantheon of creatures that need stats: Elder Evils (Eldritch Titans). I understand a few have been done but there are plenty more!
Including the tantalizing Atropus (~CR 40, based on his aspect being Crr 16 and Orcus' aspect being CR 9).

They are in the plans. buy to be honest Elder Evils aren't really a type. It is a generic description of many different types of monsters. So their will not be an "Elder Evil's Traits" section or anything like that. Some are monstrosities, some are Eldritch titans, some are dragons (I'm looking at you Leviathan). The fluff text would describe them as an elder evil, but there are not universal traits that tie them together.

 

[dave2008]

Hey dave! There's a whole pantheon of creatures that need stats: Elder Evils (Eldritch Titans). I understand a few have been done but there are plenty more!
Including the tantalizing Atropus (~CR 40, based on his aspect being Crr 16 and Orcus' aspect being CR 9).

Also, just so you know - there probably isn't a group of high level / hit dice / cr monsters in the history of D&D that I am not at least aware of, if not intimately familiar.

 

[Protonicmass]

Some are monstrosities, some are Eldritch titans, some are dragons (I'm looking at you Leviathan). The fluff text would describe them as an elder evil, but there are not universal traits that tie them together.

"An immense sea monster"
That does not really sound like a dragon, more unique.
But I may be wrong.

Also, just so you know - there probably isn't a group of high level / hit dice / cr monsters in the history of D&D that I am not at least aware of, if not intimately familiar.

That's quite the claim!
I will start on Atropus.