D&D 5E Here's some 5E monsters

[trentonjoe]

I thought the formula was 10 + prof. bonus + ability modifier? It's 8 + that stuff?

Special monsters must get a extra +2 then.

They said this stuff will get explained somewhere right? DMG or MM?

 

[trentonjoe]

It depends on whether the 'starting' DC is 8 or 10, I guess.

AH, I bet it is considered an "Attack" which starts at 10.

Do spells start at 8?

 

[TwoSix]

AH, I bet it is considered an "Attack" which starts at 10.

Do spells start at 8?

They do for PCs, so it's fairly likely, at least for "caster" NPCs.

 

[trentonjoe]

Yeah, spells start at 8. I just checked the Flame Skull who has save DC's at 13.

I bet the dragon's breath is considered some sort of physical attack and starts at 10 for them to get the DC to 16.

 

[ren1999]

There are contradictions in the Basic Rules because of lack of editing. Some say a +5 to the spell attack. I also found this in the Skills rules. If a character has the Perception skill, it is a +5 to the passive perception check. Not so.

physical attacks
1d20+ability modifier+proficiency bonus versus AC

spell attacks
1d20+ability modifier+proficiency bonus versus AC

spell Difficulty Class (usually when targets of the spell are dodging)
DC8+ability modifier+proficiency bonus versus the 1d20+ability modifier+proficiency bonus applied to the save if applicable of the target

The DC went from 10 to 8 so that the spell caster could add +2 with his or her holy symbol or arcane focus item. But I see very little in the Basic Rules, unless I just skipped over it.

Nothing about a +5 unless there is advantage.

 

[JEB]

[MENTION=1210]the Jester[/MENTION] [MENTION=7175]jadrax[/MENTION] Cool, thanks for the advice! I reworked the astral searcher with your suggestions.

[sblock=Astral Searcher]
Astral Searcher
Medium aberration, Unaligned

AC 10
Hit Points 10 (2d8 HD)
Speed fly 40 ft

STR 6 (-2), DEX 10 (+0), CON 10 (+0), INT 1 (-5), WIS 10 (+0), CHA 14 (+2)

Damage Resistances non-magical weapons that aren't made of astral driftmetal or a githyanki's silver sword
Condition Immunities grappled, paralyzed, petrified, prone, restrained
Senses darkvision 60 ft, passive perception 10
Languages none (see Possession)
Challenge 1/2 (100 XP)

Phasing: The astral searcher can move thru objects and people, but can't stop there.

Possession: If the astral searcher reduces a creature to 0 HP, they fall comatose and the following turn the astral searcher enters their body, possessing the victim and gaining their stats (but not their personality). Speech, skills, spells, and special abilities at first aren't possible, but gradually become available as the searcher adapts to its new body. In most cases the victim is now dying, but in rare cases it may take several days for the victim's psyche to be destroyed (at the DM's discretion). During this time it is possible to save the victim by exorcising the astral searcher with greater restoration, heal, banishment, or wish. It is also conjectured astral projection could work. The victim will remember little of their ordeal.

ACTIONS
Melee Attack - Psychic Claw: +4 to hit (5' range; one creature). Hit: 7 (1d8+2) psychic damage and target must make a DC 12 Charisma saving throw. Failed Save: Loses a precious memory, and along with it a skill proficient and a spell slot (if any) until their next short rest.

The bane of travelers to the Astral Plane, astral searchers are mindless shells created by intense emotions - usually anguish - of travelers from the Prime Material Plane. They appear as vaguely humanoid silvery-blue mist. Violent death, combat, and incredibly destructive spells on the Astral Plane create astral searchers. These beings wrongly believe confusion, fear, horror, a rage under which they are created is the natural state of things. Congregating around astral conduits, they attempt to slip into either the Prime or the outer Planes in order to take a body. In some cases a searcher adapts so well that they remain hidden within a community for a long time before being exposed. Rarely, a searcher in the Astral finds peace in its tortured existence, devoting itself to protecting astral conduits; such searchers don't appear to hunger for physical form like others of their kind and are known as "astral guardians" by planewalkers.
[/sblock]

Looks good! If I may add a little late feedback, however:
- As jadrax noted, the speed should be "0 ft., fly 40 ft."
- I'm not sure the driftmetal and silver sword parts are necessary, since the searcher isn't specifically vulnerable to them; was that from some other take on the monster, [MENTION=7175]jadrax[/MENTION]?
- I would steal the rest of the wraith's resistances (acid, cold, fire, lightning, thunder), since I assume that's also part of the "incorporeal" package.
- I would call Phasing "Incorporeal Movement", like the wraith, just to be consistent.
- I like what you did with Charisma for the attack. As I indicated in my conversion doc, I'm not 100% sure it works that way, but I like it anyway. The bit with memory damage is a nice addition.
- This is a nitpick, but the attack formatting was changed between Next and 5E. It should be "Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 6 (1d8+2) psychic damage, and the target must succeed on a DC 12 Charisma saving throw or lose a precious memory, and along with it a skill proficiency and a spell slot (if any). This effect lasts until the target finishes a short rest."
- Near as I can tell, everything else looks fine.

 

[JEB]

Regarding the DC discussion, spells definitely start at 8, as noted above. But we don't know yet how monsters' other attacks are figured. My theory is 10+ability modifier, which works in most cases, but as was pointed out by [MENTION=84774]surfarcher[/MENTION] and others earlier, there are a few anomalies. Something to keep thinking about, for sure.

(FYI all, I updated my conversions after the proficiency bonus and finesse revelations, and then linked all three from one central index. Thanks for the feedback and ideas so far!)

 

[Grazzt]

My theory is 10+ability modifier, which works in most cases, but as was pointed out by [MENTION=84774]surfarcher[/MENTION] and others earlier, there are a few anomalies.

Could also be a range based around CR. Most follow 10 + ability mod for example, but can be tweaked +/- a few points in either direction. So, if you have a CR 3 monster, it's attack rolls can fall between xxx and yyy. Same for damage. Same for AC. (Kinda like the Pathfinder chart for monster creation, but without the strict 3.x rules for figuring out DCs and such.)

 

[jadrax]

- As jadrax noted, the speed should be "0 ft., fly 40 ft."
- I'm not sure the driftmetal and silver sword parts are necessary, since the searcher isn't specifically vulnerable to them; was that from some other take on the monster, [MENTION=7175]jadrax[/MENTION]?
- I would steal the rest of the wraith's resistances (acid, cold, fire, lightning, thunder), since I assume that's also part of the "incorporeal" package.
- I would call Phasing "Incorporeal Movement", like the wraith, just to be consistent.

On reflection, I agree pretty much with all of this. Although again, until we see a real example of an 'incorporeal astral dwelling creature' (don't hold your breath) its going to be a lot of guesswork.

 

[JEB]

Could also be a range based around CR. Most follow 10 + ability mod for example, but can be tweaked +/- a few points in either direction. So, if you have a CR 3 monster, it's attack rolls can fall between xxx and yyy. Same for damage. Same for AC. (Kinda like the Pathfinder chart for monster creation, but without the strict 3.x rules for figuring out DCs and such.)

This is very possible, and it would certainly explain why there's consistency in most but not all cases. Guess we'll see!

On that note, I am starting to suspect that Challenge rating is chosen first, and everything else gets chosen after that. Which would make monsters more like 4E than many other aspects of this edition...

On reflection, I agree pretty much with all of this. Although again, until we see a real example of an 'incorporeal astral dwelling creature' (don't hold your breath) its going to be a lot of guesswork.

Indeed, the searcher is an odd duck concept-wise. Actually, now I'm wondering if the searcher should have all of the wraith's immunities and resistances except for necrotic and charmed...