Homebrew Making a time gargoyle (weeping angel)

[Morrus]

I'm designing a weeping angel (yes, them from Doctor Who) for a chronomancy article in the form of the time gargoyle.

The whole quantum 'can't move while observed' feature of the monster is the tricky part. So far this is what I have, though I'm not happy with ut.

Quantum State. A time gargoyle cannot move or take actions while it is being observed. A creature may attempt to keep a time gargoyle under observation, which requires the creature to maintain concentration as though casting a spell. A creature can only concentrate on observing one time gargoyle at a time.

If the time gargoyle is not under observation it may act normally. If it is under observation, and a creature observing it fails to maintain concentration, it uses its lunge reaction to close and attack its target.

Timelocked. While frozen due to being observed, a time gargoyle is immune to any attack or effect not of the time school of magic. A creature may avert its gaze, attacking at disadvantage, as long as no other creature is also observing the time gargoyle. While the observer's gaze is averted, the time gargoyle may act normally and is affected by attacks and other effects as normal.

I don't think it quite works as-is. Feedback or ideas welcomed!

 

[Corinnguard]

Chief O' Brien (in chorus):"I hate temporal mechanics..."

 

[Atomoctba]

It's been a while since I last saw the weeping angels episodes, but was not there something about "forgetting they were there" when you got distracted? Maybe that makes the mechanics more interesting overall.

 

[Morrus]

It's been a while since I last saw the weeping angels episodes, but was not there something about "forgetting they were there" when you got distracted? Maybe that makes the mechanics more interesting overall.

No that was the Silence. Different monster--you can only remember them while you can see them.

 

[aco175]

When I first read the title I was thinking of a saving throw instead of concentration. I guess concentration works since eventually you will fail but I might give a +1 to the roll difficulty since you can stare only so long.

I do not like the timelocked part from a player's POV. I mean if I have a hammer or shatter spell I would think it is something that should work or do something. If the only choice is to avert my eyes and attack with disadvantage then it seems forced. Maybe something with one PC making saves to keep their eyes on it uses their action. This takes one of the party's action economy out this round.

If I recall the show, the PCs kept running from these things while the NPCs kept getting killed. There was nothing that could be done to stop them physically, so they needed to get them to look at each other. Seems a bit railroady if I was a player. I suppose if they were just guardians of something and this was more of a puzzle/trap and not a monster to overcome it might be cool. Players could be rewarded for using their shield or something to make them look at themselves.

 

[Corinnguard]

I'm designing a weeping angel (yes, them from Doctor Who) for a chronomancy article in the form of the time gargoyle.

The whole quantum 'can't move while observed' feature of the monster is the tricky part. So far this is what I have, though I'm not happy with ut.

Quantum State. A time gargoyle cannot move or take actions while it is being observed. A creature may attempt to keep a time gargoyle under observation, which requires the creature to maintain concentration as though casting a spell. A creature can only concentrate on observing one time gargoyle at a time.

If the time gargoyle is not under observation it may act normally. If it is under observation, and a creature observing it fails to maintain concentration, it uses its lunge reaction to close and attack its target.

Timelocked. While frozen due to being observed, a time gargoyle is immune to any attack or effect not of the time school of magic. A creature may avert its gaze, attacking at disadvantage, as long as no other creature is also observing the time gargoyle. While the observer's gaze is averted, the time gargoyle may act normally and is affected by attacks and other effects as normal.

I don't think it quite works as-is. Feedback or ideas welcomed!

What Challenge Rating are you aiming for with regards to the Time Gargoyles? Gargoyles and Drainpipe Gargoyles have a CR of 2. These guys sound like they are going to be significantly more powerful than these two, but these two features are huge drawbacks. Especially when there is more than one of them. As we saw in the Doctor Who episode Blink, they can accidentally timelock themselves if their prey were to somehow teleport away while being surrounded by them.

 

[nevin]

I'm designing a weeping angel (yes, them from Doctor Who) for a chronomancy article in the form of the time gargoyle.

The whole quantum 'can't move while observed' feature of the monster is the tricky part. So far this is what I have, though I'm not happy with ut.

Quantum State. A time gargoyle cannot move or take actions while it is being observed. A creature may attempt to keep a time gargoyle under observation, which requires the creature to maintain concentration as though casting a spell. A creature can only concentrate on observing one time gargoyle at a time.

If the time gargoyle is not under observation it may act normally. If it is under observation, and a creature observing it fails to maintain concentration, it uses its lunge reaction to close and attack its target.

Timelocked. While frozen due to being observed, a time gargoyle is immune to any attack or effect not of the time school of magic. A creature may avert its gaze, attacking at disadvantage, as long as no other creature is also observing the time gargoyle. While the observer's gaze is averted, the time gargoyle may act normally and is affected by attacks and other effects as normal.

I don't think it quite works as-is. Feedback or ideas welcomed!

well I dont' ever see it working well with DND rules. You can only fight it effectively if you have blind fighting. If you have martials with blindfighting it just becomes an annoying but relatively normal encounter and if they don't have blindfighting it becomes overly powerful. as most spells require you to see what you are targeting you effectively take most spell casting off the table and force the party to guess where he's going. And once a party is high enough level to face something like this then looking at it and casting something like forcecage or a dome shaped wall of force just stops it. Or a multiple walls of stone or iron to make a box. Weeping angels themselve's are so scary because they can move back and forth in time so pinning them down is nearly impossible. If you are going for that then I'd give the ability to step back in time to a point that no beings werent there, then move one full round then reappear in the appropriate spot on the battlefield. Say 3 times a day.

 

[Selganor]

To me the weeping angels are somewhat of a kitchen sink with regards to their abilities. Every time they appeared they had different motivations/powers/...

But timelocked and quantum state look good.

Timelocked might just be the answer why people don't just destroy the angels while someone carefully watches it. I'm guessing this also applies to other effects like gravity (since they are frozen in time and no time passes that they can fall down)

 

[Corinnguard]

Slightly OT, are the Time Gargoyles from Ascetia, the Esoteric Plane of Time? Planes | Level Up

 

[nevin]

To me the weeping angels are somewhat of a kitchen sink with regards to their abilities. Every time they appeared they had different motivations/powers/...

as with everything in modern Dr who continuity means nothing thus everything you've ever learned will be contradicted at some point because it's easier than having a living breathing universe with rules.