5E: Converting Monsters from White Dwarf Magazine for Fifth Edition

[Cleon]

And I might as well working draft the Pine Puppies while I'm at it!

Pine Kindred, Pine Hound

I spent ages vaccillating between a Dog's ferocity and bite-and-grab, a Wolf's pack tactics and pite-to-knock-prone and a Zombie Dog's pounce (which is basically an alternate phrasing of the Wolf's bite attack.

Couldn't decide which I liked better, although I was leaning slightly towards the Dog's version, but eventually concluded that they were (a) all a bit too fiddly and (b) seemed slightly too potent for CR 1/8 so just dropped them in favour of a plain vanilla bite.

What do you think?

Dog Version
Ferocity. When the pine hound drops to 0 hit points, it immediately makes one attack against a creature within 5 feet as a reaction before dying.

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d6 + 1) piercing damage, and a Medium or smaller creature is grappled (escape DC 11). A grappled creature takes 1d6 + 1 piercing damage at the end of its turn.

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

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d6 + 1) piercing damage. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 11 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone.

Zombie Dog Version
Pounce. If the pine hound moves at least 15 feet directly toward a creature, and then hits it with a bite attack on the same turn, the target must succeed on a DC 11 Strength saving throw, or be forced prone.

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d6 + 1) piercing damage.

 

[Casimir Liber]

I think it

I spent ages vaccillating between a Dog's ferocity and bite-and-grab, a Wolf's pack tactics and pite-to-knock-prone and a Zombie Dog's pounce (which is basically an alternate phrasing of the Wolf's bite attack.

Couldn't decide which I liked better, although I was leaning slightly towards the Dog's version, but eventually concluded that they were (a) all a bit too fiddly and (b) seemed slightly too potent for CR 1/8 so just dropped them in favour of a plain vanilla bite.

What do you think?

Dog Version
Ferocity. When the pine hound drops to 0 hit points, it immediately makes one attack against a creature within 5 feet as a reaction before dying.

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d6 + 1) piercing damage, and a Medium or smaller creature is grappled (escape DC 11). A grappled creature takes 1d6 + 1 piercing damage at the end of its turn.

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

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d6 + 1) piercing damage. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 11 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone.

Zombie Dog Version
Pounce. If the pine hound moves at least 15 feet directly toward a creature, and then hits it with a bite attack on the same turn, the target must succeed on a DC 11 Strength saving throw, or be forced prone.

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d6 + 1) piercing damage.

I think it'd be really good to have one of them so they're not so vanilla - my thinking was that the pine kindred pick off hunters and foragers and their pets (hounds)..any wild wolves would flee undead if possble. So like companion pine-mastiffs - either (1) or (3)...slight preference for (1) as (3) possibly too OP...?

I also have to do some adulting for several hours (10am here) - will get back and adjust all corrections later (and do some readiing on druid circles)

 

[Casimir Liber]

PS: I also have an idea for a Circle of Nightmares - (a Far Realm take on Circle of Dreams, which can incorporate the other spells and the kindred creation procedures....watch this space....)

 

[Cleon]

I think it

I think it'd be really good to have one of them so they're not so vanilla - my thinking was that the pine kindred pick off hunters and foragers and their pets (hounds)..any wild wolves would flee undead if possble. So like companion pine-mastiffs - either (1) or (3)...slight preference for (1) as (3) possibly too OP...?

I also have to do some adulting for several hours (10am here) - will get back and adjust all corrections later (and do some readiing on druid circles)

I was thinking that these undead canines need a bit more "life" to them too.

Also think it should have Speed 40 ft. like most dogs rather than being zombie slow.

After due consideration, I've decided the current outline is a little too tough for Challenge 1/8 and is more like 1/4.

What Challenge Rating are we aiming for?

For CR 1/8 I'd use the Mastiff as a model. It only has a single HD for Hit Points 5 (1d8 + 1) and has the "bite knocks prone" of a Wolf.

I can easily see them being CR 1/4 like a Wolf, CR 1/2 like a Worg or even CR 1 like a Dire Wolf.

Now I don't fancy going so crazy as to stat up different levels of resinous canines, so I think we should pick a CR and I'll revise the Pine Hound Text Version to match.

The special abilities would likely be more extensive if we go for a higher Challenge version, since there'll be less to keep track off.

Oh, one idea I was toying with giving them was a canine version of the Pine Kindred's wail. Maybe call it Howling Wail?

 

[Casimir Liber]

Right. the stats are good - 11hp means they'll maybe live for one or two hits, then if they have the death-reaction-hit give the killing character a nasty surprise. To me I conceptualise them as green-black evil-looking rottweiller-type things, that have been considerably toughened from their original 1d8 + 1 hp to the stats you've created. So - these stats + Ferocity + Howling Wail = ...1/4 probably as the death-attack is pretty meaty at their level I suspect.

Also - so the name is less repetitive...how about "Pine Kindred, Resin-hound"?

 

[Cleon]

Right. the stats are good - 11hp means they'll maybe live for one or two hits, then if they have the death-reaction-hit give the killing character a nasty surprise. To me I conceptualise them as green-black evil-looking rottweiller-type things, that have been considerably toughened from their original 1d8 + 1 hp to the stats you've created. So - these stats + Ferocity + Howling Wail = ...1/4 probably as the death-attack is pretty meaty at their level I suspect.

Also - so the name is less repetitive...how about "Pine Kindred, Resin-hound"?

Yes, I like Ferocity too, I was thinking of giving them that plus Howling Wail and the zombie dog's Pounce (I like the idea of them running into people to knock them down rather than just jumping on them).

If we're going for the two hit dice version I reckon they'll be CR 1/4.

Resin Hound's fine by me!

Updating the Pine Resin Hound Text Version.

 

[Casimir Liber]

aaand here...(making sure they align)

 

[Cleon]

aaand here...(making sure they align)

Hadn't finished the Resin Hound Text Version update yet!

The Howling Wail took a bit longer than I expected:

Howling Wail. The resin hound bays a terrifying hunting call as a bonus action. Every humanoid and giant within within 300 feet of the resin hound that can hear the wail must succeed on a DC 8 Wisdom saving throw or be compelled to flee in panic until the wail ends; acting as if they had failed their save against a suggestion spell telling them to "run in terror". The hound must take a bonus action on its subsequent turns to continue wailing. It can stop wailing at any time. The wail ends if the hound is incapacitated or if the resin hound makes a bite attack. While affected by the wail, a target ignores the wails of other pine kindred (including resin hounds). If the target is within 300 feet of the kindred, the target must move on its turn away from the hound by the most direct route, trying to get as far away as possible. The target tries to circumvent opportunity attacks and obvious damaging terrain, such as lava or a pit. Whenever it takes damage, the target can repeat the saving throw. The target can also repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns. If the saving throw is successful, the suggestion effect ends on it. The suggestion also ends if the target stops hearing the wail or flees outside ear shot (i.e. more than 300 feet away from the wailing hound). A target who successfully saves is immune to the wails of any pine kindred with the same or fewer Hit Dice as the resin hound they saved against, but can be affected by the wails of pine kindred with more Hit Dice, such as the shrieking wails of standard Kindred and Thanes.

 

[Casimir Liber]

okay - have updated jarl to AC16 but not pasted in new version as I figure the create pine kindred is going elsewhere out of lair action...

 

[Casimir Liber]

oka - wail added