Remathilis
Legend
Without spell slots, healing is pretty anemic beyond very low levels. I wager it would be a trap option to heal 1d4+cha at the CR level it is.
D&D 5E Let’s Read Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse.
Without spell slots, healing is pretty anemic beyond very low levels. I wager it would be a trap option to heal 1d4+cha at the CR level it is.
This is a severe underrated review of the Cloud Giant Smiling One, and I cannot agree with the bulk of this assessment.
Let's start with the ranged option. A Smiling One could toss a rock at 60ft. for 30 damage on average. If it somehow got advantage, through cleverly being hidden or invisible (with a terrible +1 to stealth checks) it would deal an additional 14 points of damage once. So either as a DM you force this surprise or none of your players have proficiency in perception, as at that point in the game, their passive perception will probably notice a giant getting ready to throw a rock within 60 ft.
Now? It's ranged attack is only +7 to hit, which is a big difference. A +5 is sometimes compared to having disadvantage which would... be similar to a giant throwing a rock at more than 60 feet away! And it can do it twice, for a whopping total of 50 damage. So instead of getting close, rolling godly on stealth or telling your players that they really are surprised from a squirrel tossing a boulder, the ranged attack is more reliable and deals more damage.
I'm not gonna repeat the story for his morning star, but I would like to point out that there is nothing else on the stat block of the old or new giant that allows it to get advantage without spending a turn setting it up. So instead of +14 damage to maaaybe ONE attack during the whole combat, it now has +5 to EVERY attack, which is a buff!
And then we get to how the Cloud Giant Smiling One has really improved: flight and free teleportation. A flying creature can find cover better, easily move to reach vulnerable enemies and stay out of reach of devastating attacks and effects. Even a 11th level party is not expected to have dependable flying on their melee classes. So in a way, 12 hit points are a low cost for dodging at least 1 attack by being far more mobile without wasting concentration. And then we get to the "misty step". Even if it allows the cloud giant to teleport once per combat, that means that it can get out of grapples or magical confinement and not trigger opportunity attacks for free! If you have ever had a big gribbly monster of yours locked down in the first turn of combat, you will know the immense power boost this is to a monster. The teleport will also give it more reach to get to the squishy spellcasters and ranged attackers, increasing its chances to deal damage.
Oh, and can fly, teleport and still cast a spell in one turn!
The minus to the ranged attack bonus I will agree with to a point, but they have made the Cloud Giant Smiling One more consistent in performance, powerful, easy to run and capable of doing more things in a turn to show what makes it unique. This is exactly what I want from every monster, and it's a shame they didn't do it to all monsters.
I don't want to say you're not doing a great job with going over all the stat blocks, you are. I couldn't let this go by me
Losing Cure Wounds is part of a lot of monsters losing utility spells. Some won't be missed, but this one is curious. Maybe it didn't fit with the concept of a giant trickster?
Leatherhead
Possibly a Idiot.
This is one of those agree to disagree moments. The changes to the Smiling one are so extreme that it arguably changed it's combat role entirely, from a Rogue-ish Controller to a Ranged Skirmisher. Is it better at mobility? Definitely. Is it better at killing? About even at best. Is it better at controlling? No way.
An additional way to make your enemies keep harassing your players long after they are dead and buried, the Corpse Flower is what happens when you combine necromantic energies with the power of plants. An intersection of opposite themes that seems to keep happening in 5e, especially in the M:TG crossover space, though the concept is much older than any of our games.
To make a Corpse Flower, simply put the remains of a necromancer or powerful undead in the ground, and wait for a plant to grow. After it reaches maturity in a few weeks, it will uproot itself and start scouring the area for dead humanoid bodies to consume. If it finds any living humanoid bodies in the meantime, it will make those bodies dead and eat them too. It really is that simple. Given the propensity for dead bodies to attract monsters and other undead creatures, it’s a wonder why more D&D communities don’t practice cremation.
As for why your players would want to pluck this flower, there are a few options. The PCs could simply be cleaning up their mess from that time they killed the necromancer and didn’t dispose of the body properly. Alternatively, the Flower is keen on graverobbing, which could spur the PCs to reclaim some lost weapon or quell a ghost by exterminating the weed. Or maybe the PCs are purposely farming one to harvest for ingredients.
This macabre bouquet comes pre-loaded with 1d6+3 corpses, which may be used to either heal the flower or make a zombie as a bonus action. The Corpse Flower should use one of these bonus actions in combat every round, and figuring out which one to use is kind of tricky. On the one hand, making a zombie provides far more defensive utility and helps with the action economy on the side of the Plant. On the other hand, the Flower is a CR 8 monster, and getting even one more round of action out of them is far deadlier than what a zombie can expect to do. As a general guideline, I would recommend using the first two turns to get a new zombie, and every subsequent turn to heal. If somehow the Flower is back up at full HPs, then make a new zombie until the enemy is dealt with. It is also worth noting that the Zombies animated by this power stink just as bad as the plant that made them, allowing for more area control and potential action denial. Unfortunately for the Flower, once you save against this stick from any source, you are immune to it for 24 hours. Making it impossible to stack multiple auras of stench.
The Corpse Flower has two actions in combat, its 3 tentacle Multiattack, and a power that lets them stuff a corpse into their roots for later eating. This decision is much easier to make, Multiattack makes more corpses, so it should nearly always be attacking, unless it is near death, at which point it’s trying to pop corpses like healing potions as it makes an escape. The Flower also has a climb speed, which may be harder to tactically employ in a graveyard, but it could come in handy if they are inside a crypt.
In the changeover, the Corpse Flower’s Tentacle attack was made more deadly, it deals less maximum damage, but no longer requires a saving throw in addition to their attack roll. Creatures like this make me wonder how they are going to change the Zombie, if at all.
Corpse Flower (MToF)
An additional way to make your enemies keep harassing your players long after they are dead and buried, the Corpse Flower is what happens when you combine necromantic energies with the power of plants. An intersection of opposite themes that seems to keep happening in 5e, especially in the M:TG crossover space, though the concept is much older than any of our games.
To make a Corpse Flower, simply put the remains of a necromancer or powerful undead in the ground, and wait for a plant to grow. After it reaches maturity in a few weeks, it will uproot itself and start scouring the area for dead humanoid bodies to consume. If it finds any living humanoid bodies in the meantime, it will make those bodies dead and eat them too. It really is that simple. Given the propensity for dead bodies to attract monsters and other undead creatures, it’s a wonder why more D&D communities don’t practice cremation.
As for why your players would want to pluck this flower, there are a few options. The PCs could simply be cleaning up their mess from that time they killed the necromancer and didn’t dispose of the body properly. Alternatively, the Flower is keen on graverobbing, which could spur the PCs to reclaim some lost weapon or quell a ghost by exterminating the weed. Or maybe the PCs are purposely farming one to harvest for ingredients.
This macabre bouquet comes pre-loaded with 1d6+3 corpses, which may be used to either heal the flower or make a zombie as a bonus action. The Corpse Flower should use one of these bonus actions in combat every round, and figuring out which one to use is kind of tricky. On the one hand, making a zombie provides far more defensive utility and helps with the action economy on the side of the Plant. On the other hand, the Flower is a CR 8 monster, and getting even one more round of action out of them is far deadlier than what a zombie can expect to do. As a general guideline, I would recommend using the first two turns to get a new zombie, and every subsequent turn to heal. If somehow the Flower is back up at full HPs, then make a new zombie until the enemy is dealt with. It is also worth noting that the Zombies animated by this power stink just as bad as the plant that made them, allowing for more area control and potential action denial. Unfortunately for the Flower, once you save against this stick from any source, you are immune to it for 24 hours. Making it impossible to stack multiple auras of stench.
The Corpse Flower has two actions in combat, its 3 tentacle Multiattack, and a power that lets them stuff a corpse into their roots for later eating. This decision is much easier to make, Multiattack makes more corpses, so it should nearly always be attacking, unless it is near death, at which point it’s trying to pop corpses like healing potions as it makes an escape. The Flower also has a climb speed, which may be harder to tactically employ in a graveyard, but it could come in handy if they are inside a crypt.
In the changeover, the Corpse Flower’s Tentacle attack was made more deadly, it deals less maximum damage, but no longer requires a saving throw in addition to their attack roll. Creatures like this make me wonder how they are going to change the Zombie, if at all.
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Rabulias
the Incomparably Shrewd and Clever
Their tentacles automatically hit and poison? Yikes! Their CR should go up with that.
I don't imagine zombies will change very much in the anniversary edition updates. They might change or do away with Undead Fortitude, but it is an evocative feature of zombies (though it is difficult to remember in a fight). They might just beef them up with more HP.
Leatherhead
Possibly a Idiot.
Edited for clarity, they need just an attack roll, the saving throw was removed.
Cranium Rats (VGtM)
The Secret of NIMH returns to haunt us in the form of Mind Flayer pet rodents, who are created by blasting a normal rat with psionic energies.
A single Cranium Rat is smarter, tougher, and faster than a regular rat. It also has better eyes, the ability to avoid magical detection, and a glowing brain should it need to see something more clearly in the dark. But even accounting for all that, it is a CR 0 creature that is only a CR 0 creature because there is nothing weaker than CR 0. Meaning you are not using Cranium Rats as combat creatures.
These brainy lab rats can function as disposable scouts for their mind flayer masters, or really anyone who manages to get them under their control. The advantages to doing so are the relatively inconspicuous form factor, the immunity to magical detection, and the high intelligence that can easily be linked up to a hivemind. Or even linked up to a daisy-chain of hiveminds leading all the way back to an elder brain (or someone else)
Said hivemind is what you are really using Cranium Rats for. In their swarm form, they gain a massive boost in intelligence, and the ability to control other minds, making them ideal for infiltrating cities on behalf of whomever (Perhaps even themselves, if they are far enough away from any other hivemind). Interestingly enough, the Swarm still has Psionic casting, even though the Alhoon ostensibly does not. A Swarm of Cranium Rats should almost always be aware of an approaching PCs (due to having innumerable spy drone rats), and how it prepares for a confrontation is largely up to how the PCs have been behaving. If the PCs are bent on extermination, traps are a good countermeasure (maybe they dominated a Kobold or some street urchins for manual labor and access to thumbs), and you get to gloat about the irony of the situation. If the PCs are more talkative, encourage it. The Swarm has Telepathy and Comprehend Languages just for this kind of situation. It might be a good idea to have a bunch of psionic sewer rats as your ally instead of whatever else can live down there.
In combat, a Cranium Rat Swarm is going to employ its Psionic Confusion against a group of targets or Dominate Monster on someone who is likely to fail that save, like a Fighter. Afterwards, it will pick a target and start biting for massive damage. Once a swarm hits half HP, it will lose both its psionics and a significant chunk of melee damage. This is a good time for the swarm to consider retreating, as it might not be able to maintain higher brain functions for very long when forced to retreat at low HP.
A swarm that can’t get away as a whole, will try to get at least one rat to escape. Eventually, that rat might become part of a new swarm and share the memories.
Cranium Rats were changed from Beasts to Aberrations in the changeover, a change I do not particularly like. However I do understand that giving Druids a form that could connect to a hive mind would require massive amounts of DM interpretation. Mostly because I had to deal with that in one of my home games. The Swarm more than doubled its HP, and gained a massive amount of psionic damage on their bites.
Quickleaf
Legend
Thanks for doing this @Leatherhead!
WotC sure has gained the Inscrutable trait with these changes. So many small tweaks in multiple directions, I just can't figure out what the design goal is.
WotC sure has gained the Inscrutable trait with these changes. So many small tweaks in multiple directions, I just can't figure out what the design goal is.
Leatherhead
Possibly a Idiot.
Darklings (VGtM, WBtW)
Darklings are fey creatures with a very peculiar curse. They absorb light, but instead of getting tan when they do so, they become wrinkly. Much like how we become wrinkly with age. I think Fey are technically immortal in this edition, but being old forever has got to be one of the worst forms of immortality. Fortunately they can significantly mitigate the effects of this curse by simply wearing clothes. Unfortunately, clothing isn’t typically 100% light-proofed, and they can still be hindered while in bright light.
Darklings like to live in the dark. Typically below the ground, underneath cities, where they find themselves drawn to lives of crime. As such, most of the plot hooks you can imagine for a typical thieve’s guild would apply. There are, however, a few unique things you can do. PC’s try to uncover the identity of a masked person, going so far as to unmask them, only to see the creature scream and age before their eyes. Or perhaps the PC’s need to generate a lot of light in a short amount of time, leading them on a quest to break the curse, which would presumably release the light that was once bound inside the darklings.
In combat, Darklings act much the same way a Rogue would, albeit streamlined a bit. Sticking to the shadows (or else they suffer disadvantage) and attacking with daggers. Remember that daggers can be thrown, and that Monsters have an arbitrarily high number of them so they can keep tossing them in combat as the need arises. The major difference is their Death Flash ability, which incinerates their body and all of their (non-magical) worn equipment, and blinds anyone caught within the blast. I would imagine that Darklings who are near death become reckless, doing anything they can to keep their comrades away from the horrific explosion of light that is about to engulf their soon to be pile of ash. Which when you think about it, is the absolute worst part of the curse. When they are finally confronted with death, their kin cannot offer comfort in those final moments, lest they become victims themselves.
Darkling Elders
The bigger and badder relatives of the Darklings, Darkling Elders undergo a ritual to make them taller. If the ritual succeeds, they siphon off some of that accumulated light energy, and gain some new powers in the process. If it fails, they die.
In combat the Elder will cast Darkness, mostly because it’s a great offensive and defensive tool to any creatures that have Blindsight. However, they actually lack the Light Sensitivity trait that the other Darklings have, meaning they don’t suffer disadvantage in bright light, should that situation arise. Elders are a melee creature, and sport a Multiattack to back that up. Like the standard Darkling, they have a Death Burn, which will burn their corpse to ash. Unlike the Darkling, they also do radiant damage to anyone unlucky enough to be within the blast, which could set off a chain reaction of death if a bunch of wounded Darklings are standing next to each other.
Darklings really do live up to their name.
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I wouldn’t say that. Instead of dealing 2d6 damage on attacks where they have advantage, they now always do the damage. Just like the Cloud Giant Smiling One, this makes them far more reliable and powerful.
Leatherhead
Possibly a Idiot.
Holy Guacamole!
I'm going to let you in on a secret, I've been using the D&D Beyond stat blocks to save time when looking up the previous stat blocks for the monsters. D&D Beyond has officially stated that they will be keeping the old stat blocks up on their servers for access to for anyone who bought the previous books.
Unfortunately, it looks like they actually updated the Darkling's stat blocks! Here is the Dagger attack from D&D Beyond:
In the printed VGtM book (which I will now have to keep by my desk to cross-reference), they do, in fact, require advantage.
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