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<blockquote data-quote="Geron Raveneye" data-source="post: 3835819" data-attributes="member: 2268">I think the Bodak is an example for the &quot;no fluff to regulate crunch&quot; philosophy that 3E took biting it in the ass something painful. Reading the entry in the 1E MM2, you'll notice that the Bodak is usually only found in the Abyss, except if summoned by an evil or stupid (one doesn't exclude the other, though <img src="http://www.enworld.org/forum/images/smilies/laugh.png"&nbsp; class="smilie" loading="lazy" alt=":lol:" title="Laughing&nbsp; &nbsp; :lol:" data-shortname=":lol:" /> ) spellcaster to do some service. It doesn't appear on the Random Monster Tables I - X in the appendix, and is only listed as a &quot;Very Rare&quot; monster for Dungeon Levels VII+.As such, a group wasn't supposed to meet a bodak as a silly random encounter around the corner. It also wasn't supposed to be lairing in a dungeon for the kicks of it. If placed in a dungeon, it had a purpose and somebody who put it there. As such, if you go down into the &quot;Dungeon of Shrieking Doom&quot; and you start collecting some info around it, there should be a chance to hear about the horrible monster than the wizard who is entombed there, and whose sceptre you are after, conjured to guard his sarcophagus, and that it can kill you just by looking at you. Even a newbie group of players would be wary to simply stroll into the tomb without at least SOME precautions (mirrors, wards against gaze attacks, blind fighting, etc).Looking at the 3E entry, there is nothing of that left to the Bodak, so it's no surprise it is &quot;misused&quot; and in turn overpowering to some groups. It's one of the features of 4E that I hope will counter that, namely the institution of &quot;roles&quot; that monsters can take. I really hope there will be a &quot;Guardian&quot; monster role, meaning a monster that guards a place/treasure/whatever, doesn't move away from its duty much, and has a good chance of being known in rumors and stories. That would be a pretty good use of this whole new concept of monster roles, in my opinion...making it clear to new DMs what role a monster fulfills, and why it has the abilities it has.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Geron Raveneye, post: 3835819, member: 2268"] I think the Bodak is an example for the "no fluff to regulate crunch" philosophy that 3E took biting it in the ass something painful. Reading the entry in the 1E MM2, you'll notice that the Bodak is usually only found in the Abyss, except if summoned by an evil or stupid (one doesn't exclude the other, though :lol: ) spellcaster to do some service. It doesn't appear on the Random Monster Tables I - X in the appendix, and is only listed as a "Very Rare" monster for Dungeon Levels VII+. As such, a group wasn't supposed to meet a bodak as a silly random encounter around the corner. It also wasn't supposed to be lairing in a dungeon for the kicks of it. If placed in a dungeon, it had a purpose and somebody who put it there. As such, if you go down into the "Dungeon of Shrieking Doom" and you start collecting some info around it, there should be a chance to hear about the horrible monster than the wizard who is entombed there, and whose sceptre you are after, conjured to guard his sarcophagus, and that it can kill you just by looking at you. Even a newbie group of players would be wary to simply stroll into the tomb without at least SOME precautions (mirrors, wards against gaze attacks, blind fighting, etc). Looking at the 3E entry, there is nothing of that left to the Bodak, so it's no surprise it is "misused" and in turn overpowering to some groups. It's one of the features of 4E that I hope will counter that, namely the institution of "roles" that monsters can take. I really hope there will be a "Guardian" monster role, meaning a monster that guards a place/treasure/whatever, doesn't move away from its duty much, and has a good chance of being known in rumors and stories. That would be a pretty good use of this whole new concept of monster roles, in my opinion...making it clear to new DMs what role a monster fulfills, and why it has the abilities it has. [/QUOTE]

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