Dodkong minions

[Casimir Liber]

Better update the Enworld Cairn Wight (Undead Stone Giant) while we're at it!

The two now match apart from the Stone Camouflage description. The D&D Beyond version has "cairn wight" while the Enworld version just has "cairn" on the basis that all cairns have the trait.

Hold on, I spoke too soon. The D&D Beyond version has the spells in Death Grip capitalized: they should be lesser restoration and greater restoration without any Capitals.

here it is fixed

 

[Cleon]

here it is fixed

That's one finished then.

Will update the Indexes and deblue the Enworld Version "soonish".

Soonish happened sooner than expected. The Completed Fifth Edition Creatures Index has been updated.

 

[Cleon]

So getting back to the Dodkong, I just asked what powers and attributes of the 5E Lich would be worth adding, such as its resistances, immunities, Legendary Actions, or lack of Sunlight Sensitivity.

 

[Casimir Liber]

as discussed - ditched sunlight sensitivity, added disrupt life and frightening gaze - I like idea of adding paralysis to death grip. finally pondering about some sort of souped up shadow ball missile or something (it is a stone giant after all)

 

[Cleon]

as discussed - ditched sunlight sensitivity, added disrupt life and frightening gaze - I like idea of adding paralysis to death grip.

It'd be worth considering cutting off some abilities if you add things, just to avoid giving the creature so many options it's confusing. Or to reduce the risk of forgetting some of them in the heat of play!

finally pondering about some sort of souped up shadow ball missile or something (it is a stone giant after all)

Maybe a missile that causes necrotic damage plus paralysis?

Like the Phantom Boulder of the Cleon Special Cairn Wraith I rough drafted.

It could have a longer duration for the Dodkong considering it's a more powerful opponent.

 

[Casimir Liber]

Yeah - I like phantom boulder. Also will get to souped up wraith soon. And agree on maybe de-busying statblock...but what to lose

 

[Cleon]

Yeah - I like phantom boulder. Also will get to souped up wraith soon. And agree on maybe de-busying statblock...but what to lose

Well, star by thinking what's essential to make it a "Stone Giant Lich" and then seeing what's left.

For the basic block, we've got:

Dodkong
Huge undead, neutral evil
Armor Class 17 (natural armor)
Hit Points ## (#d# + ##)
Speed 40 ft.

STR​	DEX​	CON​	INT​	WIS​	CHA​
23 (+6)​	15 (+2)​	22 (+6)​	14 (+2)​	18 (+4)​	20 (+5)​

Saving Throws CON +, INT +, WIS + [I'd add DEX + since Stone Giants have that save prof]
Skills Athletics +, Perception +, Stealth + [I'd add Arcana +, History +, Insight +]
Damage Resistances cold, lightning, necrotic
Damage Immunities poison; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks
Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, frightened, paralyzed, poisoned
Senses truesight 120 ft., passive Perception ##
Languages Giant [would throw in a few more, TBD]
Challenge LOTS! (### XP) Proficiency Bonus [+7 or +8?]

[Rejuvenation. ???.
 I think we need a custom version of this trait, a standard Lich has "If it has a phylactery, a destroyed lich gains a new body in 1d10 days, regaining all its hit points and becoming active again. The new body appears within 5 feet of the phylactery."
 If it is destroyed but its ]

Stone Camouflage. The dodkong has advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks made to hide in rocky terrain.

[Spellcasting. ???.
 I'm OK with that the current Innate Spellcasting and its spell selection. It's worth pointing out that the original monster was a 10th level sorcerer and a standard lich is an 18th level wizard, so the 3E Dodkong wasn't exceptionally hot at magic. It was powerful but no archmage.]

Turn Resistance. The dodkong has advantage on saving throws against any effect that turns undead.

 

[Casimir Liber]

agree with the extra skills, and DEX to saves

add terran and undercommon (languages)

Was aiming for CR 25 so proficiency +8

as discussed - disrupt life, frightening gaze, dread counterspell all added

 

[Cleon]

agree with the extra skills, and DEX to saves

Speaking of DEX, is Dexterity 15 like a regular Stone Giant enough?

A Lich has DEX 16 (+3), which is quite decent for a spellcaster, so I'd consider giving the Dodkong DEX 17 (+3) which'd also bump its AC up to 18.

add terran and undercommon (languages)

Makes sense.

The 5E Lich has five extra languages, but it also has a much higher INT than the Dodkong. Terran and Undercommon makes two languages, so its INT bonus matches the number of bonus languages like the Lich's five does.

You might have noticed I didn't mention the rough draft's Saved by the Shadows in the above.

The descriptive text for that is identical to Legendary Resistance so what's the point in renaming it? Just give it Legendary Resistance (5/Day) instead.

Or alternatively, tweak the ability so the "Shadows" has some relevance.

Like, it doesn't work if the Dodkong is in sunlight, or it works like the Sacrifice Minion idea I came up with for souped-up version of the Cleon Special Cairn Wraith.

Thus:

Saved by the Shadows (X/Day) A. If the dodkong fails a saving throw while in dim light or darkness, it can choose to succeed instead.​

​

Saved by the Shadows (X/Day) B. If the dodkong is hit by an attack or fails a saving throw, it can choose to sacrifice a shadow under its control that is within [60 (or more?)] feet. The shadow is destroyed, but the attack misses the dodkong or its saving throw succeeds.​

The latter would require the Dodkong have a retinue of shadows to burn up to make saving throws.

However, if it has the Cairn Wight version of Death Grip it already creates shadow minions, plus it's easy enough to add some trait and/or ability so it usually has a retinue of shadows around it.

Or just give it standard Legendary Resistance (X/Day).

 

[Casimir Liber]

Will go with A - prefer it over vanilla "legendary resistance", and B is a bit fiddly

yeah went with dex 17 too