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Let's Read: Volo's Monsters
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<blockquote data-quote="Leatherhead" data-source="post: 7014683" data-attributes="member: 53176"><p>Between the Sea Spawn, Deep Scion, and Kraken Priest, we have more than enough folk-turned-fish to populate a tier 1 adventure. But if you really want more, the Cultists of the Crushing Wave from Princes of the Apocalypse have a few key members that would work well. Namely the Crushing Wave Priest, Dark Tide Knight, Fathomer, and One-Eyed Shiver.</p><p></p><p>Which gives a healthy selection of NPC roles: stealthy shape-shifters, cavalry, minions, dedicated area denial, and some artillery. </p><p></p><p>As for what to lead them? That depends on your needs:</p><p></p><p>Aboleths clock in at legendary CR10, which should make for a powerful boss to a group of level 5-7 players. And add Chuuls to your enemy roster, giving a bit more meat to the minions.</p><p></p><p>Green Dragons experimenting with the local populace would be an unexpected twist, but not entirely out of left field given their amphibious nature and fondness for corrupting other creatures. Also the Young ones are CR8, which is a nice challenge for a group of 5th level.</p><p></p><p>A Marid could be the source of the problem, stemming either from a <em>wish</em> turned wrong or an ego rubbed the wrong way. Providing an optional cr 11 boss that could be bargained with.</p><p></p><p>A Sea Hag coven could do all the magic you need, while providing a trio of lesser powered bosses instead of one big boss. Also a deadly encounter for a level 5 group, but you might want to give them a bit more backup to make sure they aren't focused down fast. Good thing we have talked pages about how to use fey, eh?</p><p></p><p>There is also the Kraken, of course. But that is a cr23 encounter, and really shouldn't be used until tier 3 or so.</p><p></p><p>Or instead of going for a proper boss, you could simply give them the blessing of the Kuo-Toa, swelling the ranks to the point of overflowing and adding even more insanity to the adventure. Likewise for the Sahuagin, only with more bloodthirst and sharks.</p><p></p><p>Going over this makes me lament the lack of the Eye of the Deep even more. They really dropped the (eye)ball with that <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite7" alt=":p" title="Stick out tongue :p" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":p" /></p><p></p><p>Well I guess now would be the time touch on the Kraken Priest a bit, considering it's an NPC template in Appendix b, and it might not get proper attention otherwise.</p><p></p><p>It's got the defenses of a wet paper bag, a light serving of hp, resistance to non-magic weapons, and only 10 ac with no way to buff it. This means you desperately need to put some distance and meatshields between them and the party. However, it's normal actions are competent enough. A 300' AoE fear, and a melee attack that does 27 average damage. Which means it should never stop being a threat. An important note, it has <em>innate spellcasting</em> instead of the normal <em>spellcasting</em> you would imagine a priest to have. This gives the Kraken Priest access to a potent themed array of spells rather than a normal spell list, not that I am one to find spell lists on npcs sacred and immutable to begin with.</p><p></p><p><em>Chain Lighting</em> will be it's default attack option, which will fry most, if not all, of the PC's round after round for the few turns that the priest will be living.</p><p><em>Control Water</em>, cast before the fight allows for some intimidation factor, and the whirlpool option is a great way to make it hard for the parties melee bruisers to reach the priest.</p><p><em>Evard's black tentacles</em> largely serves the same purpose as <em>control water</em> would in this case, but mostly as a back up option in an area where either there is no water or a different priest is controlling it already.</p><p>It has <em>Darkness</em> as an option, but has no real synergies with it. Perhaps it could be use to hide some fish-people in a dark corner of a room for an ambush at least.</p><p>At-will <em>Command</em> is the least of it's combat options, but it can be used to buy a turn or two when a PC slip past the tentacles, meat shields, and whirlpool to begin turning them into gumbo.</p><p></p><p>As with most of the other casters in Volo's, there are a few more fluff options in the spell list, but they aren't all that important for actually using the Priest. Over all, these fishy-fiends have a solid selection of options to call upon for their 5-round existence. However, if you are interested in giving them more options, the following spells from EEPG cover some bases and fit thematically:</p><p></p><p><em>Shape Water</em>, given all the other aquamancy this priest is capable of, it fits like a glove.</p><p><em>Wall of Water</em> gives disadvantage to PC's flinging ranged weapon attacks at the priest.</p><p><em>Watery Sphere</em> may seem a bit redundant with Evard's black tentacles, but it has the advantage of being mobile (and dragging the poor unfortunate souls along with it), using STR saves instead of ability checks, and being a ball of water which the priest and their allies can attack into freely.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Leatherhead, post: 7014683, member: 53176"] Between the Sea Spawn, Deep Scion, and Kraken Priest, we have more than enough folk-turned-fish to populate a tier 1 adventure. But if you really want more, the Cultists of the Crushing Wave from Princes of the Apocalypse have a few key members that would work well. Namely the Crushing Wave Priest, Dark Tide Knight, Fathomer, and One-Eyed Shiver. Which gives a healthy selection of NPC roles: stealthy shape-shifters, cavalry, minions, dedicated area denial, and some artillery. As for what to lead them? That depends on your needs: Aboleths clock in at legendary CR10, which should make for a powerful boss to a group of level 5-7 players. And add Chuuls to your enemy roster, giving a bit more meat to the minions. Green Dragons experimenting with the local populace would be an unexpected twist, but not entirely out of left field given their amphibious nature and fondness for corrupting other creatures. Also the Young ones are CR8, which is a nice challenge for a group of 5th level. A Marid could be the source of the problem, stemming either from a [I]wish[/I] turned wrong or an ego rubbed the wrong way. Providing an optional cr 11 boss that could be bargained with. A Sea Hag coven could do all the magic you need, while providing a trio of lesser powered bosses instead of one big boss. Also a deadly encounter for a level 5 group, but you might want to give them a bit more backup to make sure they aren't focused down fast. Good thing we have talked pages about how to use fey, eh? There is also the Kraken, of course. But that is a cr23 encounter, and really shouldn't be used until tier 3 or so. Or instead of going for a proper boss, you could simply give them the blessing of the Kuo-Toa, swelling the ranks to the point of overflowing and adding even more insanity to the adventure. Likewise for the Sahuagin, only with more bloodthirst and sharks. Going over this makes me lament the lack of the Eye of the Deep even more. They really dropped the (eye)ball with that :p Well I guess now would be the time touch on the Kraken Priest a bit, considering it's an NPC template in Appendix b, and it might not get proper attention otherwise. It's got the defenses of a wet paper bag, a light serving of hp, resistance to non-magic weapons, and only 10 ac with no way to buff it. This means you desperately need to put some distance and meatshields between them and the party. However, it's normal actions are competent enough. A 300' AoE fear, and a melee attack that does 27 average damage. Which means it should never stop being a threat. An important note, it has [I]innate spellcasting[/I] instead of the normal [I]spellcasting[/I] you would imagine a priest to have. This gives the Kraken Priest access to a potent themed array of spells rather than a normal spell list, not that I am one to find spell lists on npcs sacred and immutable to begin with. [I]Chain Lighting[/I] will be it's default attack option, which will fry most, if not all, of the PC's round after round for the few turns that the priest will be living. [I]Control Water[/I], cast before the fight allows for some intimidation factor, and the whirlpool option is a great way to make it hard for the parties melee bruisers to reach the priest. [I]Evard's black tentacles[/I] largely serves the same purpose as [I]control water[/I] would in this case, but mostly as a back up option in an area where either there is no water or a different priest is controlling it already. It has [I]Darkness[/I] as an option, but has no real synergies with it. Perhaps it could be use to hide some fish-people in a dark corner of a room for an ambush at least. At-will [I]Command[/I] is the least of it's combat options, but it can be used to buy a turn or two when a PC slip past the tentacles, meat shields, and whirlpool to begin turning them into gumbo. As with most of the other casters in Volo's, there are a few more fluff options in the spell list, but they aren't all that important for actually using the Priest. Over all, these fishy-fiends have a solid selection of options to call upon for their 5-round existence. However, if you are interested in giving them more options, the following spells from EEPG cover some bases and fit thematically: [I]Shape Water[/I], given all the other aquamancy this priest is capable of, it fits like a glove. [I]Wall of Water[/I] gives disadvantage to PC's flinging ranged weapon attacks at the priest. [I]Watery Sphere[/I] may seem a bit redundant with Evard's black tentacles, but it has the advantage of being mobile (and dragging the poor unfortunate souls along with it), using STR saves instead of ability checks, and being a ball of water which the priest and their allies can attack into freely. [/QUOTE]
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