Does anybody actually like Desmodu?

[Gez]

Don't like'em. The concept is not sillier than most other anthropomorphic animals (and I would have IMC an explanation for their existence, so I could plug'em if I wanted to), and sure more usable than several of the things in the MM2 (Avolakia ? And they're considered playable so they have an ECL ?), but...

12 base HD ? ECL 15 ? This just mean, unusable. I would prefer a 1-4 HD desmodu that can actually have class levels. Easier to use in a campaign, whether as PC or NPC.

They just smoked something hard when they came up with them. Or they fell in the same pit than 2e, where monsters didn't had levels, and so you had kobold, goblin, orc, hobgoblin, bugbear, ogre, hill giant, etc. One race by level.

Frankly, had I designed the Desmodu, I would have gave them 2 HD. If they were nigh exterminated by wussy elves (dark or not), they can't be undestructible creatures with 102 hit points average. Hey, the entire race is immune to Power Word, Kill ! Don't you find that wrong ?

 

[Dinkeldog]

I like them. They're cute, and they have blindsight, and actually scared the PCs a bit.

 

[Kahuna Burger]

I wasn't happy they were in MM2. Pretty stupid creatures... and the they wasted space on their riding bats too.

The bats were awesome! Wildshape into something with blindsight at 5th level? s'alright! And the wounding ability was a perfect translation of a real world concept.

Plus they mention in passing that they breed tons of other bats. So next time your cocky party wanders into the underdark, lets try a swarm of tiny bats with anticoagulant spit. One hit point per hit, but it just keeps bleeding...

Ok, fine, I just like bats. (in RPG settings that is).

Kahuna Burger

 

[Lars Frehse]

I like them, of course. And when I played the adventure, one of my players took a Desmodu as a henchman. They look good and they have a bunch of interesting abilities and gadgets.

 

[Numion]

Another thing: why are they so powerful? I mean lots of HD. They would surely kick drows' arses. 102 HP for standard Desmodu?

Some designer has bat-issues

 

[Numion]

Hey, the entire race is immune to Power Word, Kill ! Don't you find that wrong ?

Well, then you'll have lots of power words reserved for those friggin' bats they breed (I mean bats other than themselves )

 

[Piratecat]

I like 'em! They're tremendously fun to roleplay.

 

[JacktheRabbit]

Don't like'em. The concept is not sillier than most other anthropomorphic animals (and I would have IMC an explanation for their existence, so I could plug'em if I wanted to), and sure more usable than several of the things in the MM2 (Avolakia ? And they're considered playable so they have an ECL ?), but...

12 base HD ? ECL 15 ? This just mean, unusable. I would prefer a 1-4 HD desmodu that can actually have class levels. Easier to use in a campaign, whether as PC or NPC.

They just smoked something hard when they came up with them. Or they fell in the same pit than 2e, where monsters didn't had levels, and so you had kobold, goblin, orc, hobgoblin, bugbear, ogre, hill giant, etc. One race by level.

Frankly, had I designed the Desmodu, I would have gave them 2 HD. If they were nigh exterminated by wussy elves (dark or not), they can't be undestructible creatures with 102 hit points average. Hey, the entire race is immune to Power Word, Kill ! Don't you find that wrong ?

I have no real problem with them other than the simple concept problem.

Why arent these bad boys taking over the Underdark? They really are too powerful to be losing a war to the Drow.

 

[Katerek]

I dislike them merely because I think we do not need anymore humanoid races.

Earth only has the one, humans, and look at the diversity there.

I am strongly against the niche humanoid race. If you are writing a module and need people that ride bats to make your story work, find a race that already exists and make a tribe that rides bats.

Also, the Desmodu are FAR too powerful, by all rights they should be handing out drow ass like candy at halloween.

They don't exist in my world. I didn't get to run the module, but I made plans to. I was going to use Derro. Derro (read: Morlocks) are great anytime you need non-drow underground ickyness.

 

[Gez]

I dislike them merely because I think we do not need anymore humanoid races.

Earth only has the one, humans, and look at the diversity there.

That annoyed me too. In fact, I had to build my homebrew cosmology around the fact you have maybe 30 humanoid or near-humanoid races, plus dragons, and other mythical beasts.

Also, the Desmodu are FAR too powerful, by all rights they should be handing out drow ass like candy at halloween.

Totally agree. They were artificially boosted to be "creatures for level 10-15 encounters". Hence my comments on the 2e thinking. If you need tough humanoids, give them levels, not monsters HD...

They don't exist in my world. I didn't get to run the module, but I made plans to. I was going to use Derro. Derro (read: Morlocks) are great anytime you need non-drow underground ickyness.

Read Dero. I saved this thread a while back, before one of the shuffle.