Dragon #354

[kenmarable]

At work, I only have the electronic draft I submitted, and I'm sure there were changes, so I'll double check the actual magazine when I get home. But originally I had acid, cold, and fire resistance 2, and +2 Nat AC, plus being a Living Construct is probably overall a good benefit (since there's good and bad with it, and a lot of both are rare things, so it's hard to judge), and being not a humanoid is certainly a major benefit. Having played a telepath, and in another campaign having my wife play an enchanter, I can attest that there are A LOT of commonly-used spells and psionic powers that are "humanoid only" that modrons would still be immune to.

But I also had the LA at +2 in the my draft, which looking back is definitely too high. Whoops! Not sure how I talked myself into that. I'll have to check and see what changes were made by Jason or the other editors. Being a non-humanoid construct (even a living construct) is certainly a big benefit, and if any of the resistances and/or natural AC were preserved, then I am definitely comfortable with them as LA +1. However, campaigns and groups vary, and Level Adjustment is one of those things I can see some groups decreasing depending on both their style of play, what classes the race is taking, and what sort of encounters would be typical in the campaign.

 

[Shade]

If you were following the Savage Species guidelines, you were spot on at LA +2.

"A natural armor bonus is worth at least a +1 level adjustment"
"Resistance to Energy: This special ability is worth a level adjustment of +½ per energy type (rounded up)."

By those guidelines, the construct type would also add +1, but since living constructs hadn't been invented yet, that would have probably offset it.

Of course, these are just guidelines, and actual comparisons to other races would make the +1 seem more attractive.

 

[kenmarable]

Is it the idea that all races (except those that slip through the cracks) that could give a mental ability score bonus require at least a +1 LA? That is what happened to the Blue in XPH, to my disappointment.

I can tell you that wasn't my thinking at all, especially since I agree with you on the Blue. I really scratched my head at that one. It's never come up in my campaigns, but I'd house rule Blues as LA +0. The perks they get (good speed for small creature, +4 skill bonus to a commonly used skill, and single power point once) really don't outweigh the unbalanced ability score adjustments (even if Int is more beneficial than Cha 90% of the time, but a Str penalty to a small creature is a very common double whammy) and lack of any other real bonus (+4 to Ride ain't exactly munchkin). Heck, kalashtar receive a power point at every frelling level. And the dromites, duergar, and half-giants manage to get a psi-like power with their LA +1!

As a tangent to that tangent, does anyone else think kobolds should be LA -1?

 

[Reese]

This certainly sounds like an iteresting issue. I'm gonna have to send out the husband for a copy today.

 

[kenmarable]

I'm still upset over the reply in #355 about the Hierarch Modrons. Their whole "if, but most likely not" answer to doing them. I sure would like to know the point of being teased with the Base Modrons with no looking forward to the rest of the race.

That was like Fiend Folio 3E leaving out the other three of the rilmani. :\ I say if you do an outsider race, do all the ones from 2E before moving on. You'll just get a lot of disappointments if you don't.

Can't comment on anything in #355 (hopefully that one arrives faster than #354 did for me) and I am admittedly biased, but I tend to agree. I realize that Dragon magazine is under greater space constraints than the Fiend Folio, however, so the rilmani thing irks me more than the hierarch modrons.

However, I'd still love to see some re-envisioning of the hierarch modrons whoever does it. I'm not just talking about making their stats 3.5 or changing them to Constructs. I mean actually re-envisioning them to help each individual rank stand out as interesting rather than currently how there's a dud or three that just fill in the progression. For example, I'm glad that Paizo kept in the Climb speed I had for tridrones, but was a bit chagrined that they cut out their skirmish ability (right out of Complete Adventurer +1d6 skirmish). I suppose it could be easily abused with their multiple attacks, so I understand mechanically why it might be cut, but I really liked the flavor that ability gave to tridrones, and how it gave them a unique combat role.

It's that sort of thing that I'd love to see happen with the hierarchs that matters more to me than getting them '3.5'ed or altered to Constructs. If I have time and Paizo doesn't come to me begging for a follow-up article or two (I can dream, can't I?) I'll see about working on them here and there to see what people think. However, it won't be anytime soon since I'm kinda booked at the moment. As an aside, however, I do have a couple UNofficial web enhancements to post almost ready. One is a cut part of the article discussing altering modrons to fit into Forgotten Realms and Eberron, and the other is a Savage Species style monster class for a true modron, where you begin as a monodrone and advance to pentadrone. I did that up for a PC I hope to play someday.

The only other thing that was significantly cut from the article were three new feats. Two were partially worked into the modron traits, and were pretty bland to begin with anyway. They were one of those "good idea at the time, but execution wasn't exciting" things that was a good cut they made.

 

[Razz]

It's that sort of thing that I'd love to see happen with the hierarchs that matters more to me than getting them '3.5'ed or altered to Constructs. If I have time and Paizo doesn't come to me begging for a follow-up article or two (I can dream, can't I?) I'll see about working on them here and there to see what people think. However, it won't be anytime soon since I'm kinda booked at the moment. As an aside, however, I do have a couple UNofficial web enhancements to post almost ready. One is a cut part of the article discussing altering modrons to fit into Forgotten Realms and Eberron, and the other is a Savage Species style monster class for a true modron, where you begin as a monodrone and advance to pentadrone. I did that up for a PC I hope to play someday.

I went and updated the Hierarchs myself for my own games since this recent let-down. I finished all the mechanics but I agree with you on other unique ideas for them rather than one being more physically, mentally, and magically superior than the one below it.

For example, I gave the Decaton a supernatural ability to have a status effect on constantly with all modrons within its telepathy range. This allows it to better adjucate where it is most needed so it can use its greater teleport (something all hierarchs have access to) to go where it is needed to repair damaged modrons. I gave it mass repair moderate damage as opposed to its healing circle it had in 3.0 and I let it keep heal but it only works on constructs.

I am working on Nonatons and Octons. I wasn't sure if I should lose or keep the 50 ft. speed for Nonatons from their 3.0 version but I gave Octons a swim speed, of course, and increased their maneuverability from their 3.0 version according to their descriptive text (which says they can maneuver in the air very well). I also wasn't sure if I should give them improved grab, since they both have tentacles, and was thinking of giving Octon constrict as well.

I read that old Dragon Magazine article called "Modron Magic" written by Monte Cook (who also did Modron March...he really loves modrons I noticed) and read that Septons are the ones in charge of crafting magic items and spells for the modrons. So I gave it two unique abilities. One was based off the Midgard Dwarf from Frostburn where they automatically meet the item creation feat prerequisite for crafting magic items (but they must have access to the spells to enchant them, still, unlike the Midgard Dwarf since modrons are highly magical). The second one was based off of Book of Vile Darkness Grazz't, called Item Mastery where they can use any magic item as if automatically succeeding on their Use Magic Device check.

As for Hextons, I gave them Repetitive Attack as the Quadrone you did, since I figure they'd be fighting machines since they're the generals of the modron armies. I was also thinking of giving them either a sort of summon ability 1/day to summon more modrons or something akin to the Marshal class, where they emit an aura that affects lawful allies into granting them bonuses to attack, damage, saving throws, or temporary hit points and the Hexton can switch between the auras as a swift action. Maybe give them the abilities of a 10th-level Marshal and the auras only affect lawful allies (or maybe just modrons?)

I am not sure what to do with Quintons and Quartons but I definitely gave them Multiweapon Fighting with Large longswords for their melee. Same with hexton, I have it wield two Large longswords and also use its 2 claws as its natural attacks.

Tertians were already done in Dungeon #144 and it was the Tertian that helped me do the ones below it.

The Secundus was the one I had real trouble on. I upgraded it to be a little more tougher than the Tertian's stats but wasn't sure whether to keep it possessing the abilities of a 13th-level Monk as the 3.0 version or lower or raise it. When I left it alone however, I realized it was really powerful, as much as a Solar (which they're compared to you by you in the article for #354 anyway) I may definitely have to decrease their natural armor since they now possess an AC of 50 for their high Wisdom score (I gave them Wisdom 30, 2 more than the Tertian) and +2 AC for being 13th-level Monk. Much higher than the Solar and Pit Fiend and with 20th-level Sorceror spellcasting ability with access to Cleric spells to boot...it may just be a bit too high. Well...it's only 8 higher than a pit fiends, but if they cast mage armor and shield then it's too much lol (though a 1st-level sorceror pit fiend can pull off the same and get 48 AC, and it can wear magic items to beef it up that it possesses and solars may have 35 AC but they cast as 20th-level clerics...so maybe it's not such a big deal a Secundus has 50 AC without buffs...?)

I also gave all hierarchs Improved Toughness as one of their feats along with Great Fortitude, as per the Tertian. It makes them more formidable due to the lack of them being Outsiders (no Constitution score, all poor saves, Medium BAB).

As for their spellcasting I worked it out so Decatons cast up to 5th-level spells, Nonatons and Octons up to 6th-level, Septons and Hextons up to 7th-level, Quintons and Quartons up to 8th-level, Tertian and Secundus 9th-level.

The ones that were psionic got the Psionic subtype and equivalent Psi-Like Abilities to what they had in their 3.0 versions (as per the Expanded Psionics Handbook rules.)

When I am totally complete I plan to share it on the Monster Forums here at ENWorld and you guys are free to use it as you please. Credit due will all I'll be happy for if it's used for publishing.