NAD = Non-AC Defense (Fort, Ref, Will).
CdC = Coup de Grace.
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Dragon 376 - Creature Incarnations: Fell Taints
- Thread starter Shroomy
- Start date
CdC = Coup de Grace.
Not to be confused with the polyps your proctologist might find.
fissionessence
First Post
Setting aside their name, man I am digging this article. The first page and a half is just de-licious. It really gets my brain going.
Dormant tentacle monster balloons just loitering in the ceiling? Floating by and attacking on ledges or bridges? Mmyes. And, just the way they feed (pure psychic energy) and that might allow them to be opportunistic feeders, or simply put, scavengers that follow the party, make them really interesting monsters.
Also that's a great mention of utilizing their flight - I'd have never thought of having a monster a square above the battlefield = it having access to 9 squares. Not to mention it avoiding flanks. That's mean. Although, it does prevent the FT itself from getting a flank unless it wants to come down to earth.
Two quibbles though. 1) The monsters have Fly X (hover). But the article mentions rope bridges/ledges multiple times. As I understand it, when a monster has a Fly X speed, that is it's altitude limit (unless otherwise specified); so a fell taint must hover along the bridge, instead of outside of it. It does limit their movement (and doens't make a lot of sense that they need to float along bridges, instead of beyond them).
The other is that FT are opportunists, and might attack both sides of an ongoing battle. Which makes me wonder, "How do you account for that, challenge/xp wise?" How do you account for a monster that might help, or hinder? At that point it's a hazard, but just adding it to the XP total seems unnecessary.
Also, I find it a disapointment the article didn't mention how these things are beacons for more powerful Far Realms entities/they weaken the barrier between worlds. Touching on what's in MM2 would have been nice, perhaps expanding on it or tossing an idea or two at you.
Even so, I'm rather pleased with the article in and of itself.
Dormant tentacle monster balloons just loitering in the ceiling? Floating by and attacking on ledges or bridges? Mmyes. And, just the way they feed (pure psychic energy) and that might allow them to be opportunistic feeders, or simply put, scavengers that follow the party, make them really interesting monsters.
Also that's a great mention of utilizing their flight - I'd have never thought of having a monster a square above the battlefield = it having access to 9 squares. Not to mention it avoiding flanks. That's mean. Although, it does prevent the FT itself from getting a flank unless it wants to come down to earth.
Two quibbles though. 1) The monsters have Fly X (hover). But the article mentions rope bridges/ledges multiple times. As I understand it, when a monster has a Fly X speed, that is it's altitude limit (unless otherwise specified); so a fell taint must hover along the bridge, instead of outside of it. It does limit their movement (and doens't make a lot of sense that they need to float along bridges, instead of beyond them).
The other is that FT are opportunists, and might attack both sides of an ongoing battle. Which makes me wonder, "How do you account for that, challenge/xp wise?" How do you account for a monster that might help, or hinder? At that point it's a hazard, but just adding it to the XP total seems unnecessary.
Also, I find it a disapointment the article didn't mention how these things are beacons for more powerful Far Realms entities/they weaken the barrier between worlds. Touching on what's in MM2 would have been nice, perhaps expanding on it or tossing an idea or two at you.
Even so, I'm rather pleased with the article in and of itself.
Mouseferatu
Hero
That's not correct; you have it backwards. Flying creatures only have an altitude limit if said limit is specifically called out. (See, for example, the gibbering abomination on page 126 of the MM.)
Last edited:
Mouseferatu
Hero
Many of the WotC staff have related degrees and/or writing experience with fiction. I'm just a freelancer, but I've got a BA in Creative Writing, myself.
Whoever comes up with these names needs to be punched. In the face.
For the good of the world.
For the good of the world.
Huh. So nothing's stopping these guys from peppering at the maximum of their distance. Or while standing over big holes. Yikes.
Mouseferatu
Hero
Huh. So nothing's stopping these guys from peppering at the maximum of their distance. Or while standing over big holes. Yikes.
Yep. Flying creatures with ranged attacks are nasty, especially against a melee-oriented party.
Leatherhead
Possibly a Idiot.
They are like some kind of biological tank destroyer, and low level aberrations to boot. These are exactly what I have been looking to unleash upon my group.
Pity about the name though, perhaps they should have been called something like "Vitiators"
Pity about the name though, perhaps they should have been called something like "Vitiators"
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