MM2: More fluff?

[Drkfathr1]

There does seem to be a "tad" bit more fluff, but not a whole lot. I think they're trying to take some of the criticism to heart and make some positive changes.

But I do have one complaint I have to mention: Erinyes.

We were told that there didn't need to be 2 different female fiends that did similar things, so the Erinyes was out and the Succubus was going to be a devil.

Now in MM2 we get the Erinyes. But a watered-down, no relation to previous lore Erinyes. No wings, no flight, not exclusively female. And what are they? Just fighters. Something new to fight and kill. A soldier of hell. Really not more than a non-minion Legion Devil.

Blecch.

Dare I say this: some of the monster design just seems lazy.

Okay, one more complaint I have to make that's really bugging me: Coatls. Their description mentions several times that they eagerly seek out and fight against Chaos and Evil. They are dedicated champions against Chaos and Evil...yet they are Unaligned.

Really? C'mon!

 

[Inyssius]

Non-humanoid, non-undead, non-animal levels 1-5:

[a list]

Woo.

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

There does seem to be a "tad" bit more fluff, but not a whole lot. I think they're trying to take some of the criticism to heart and make some positive changes.

But I do have one complaint I have to mention: Erinyes.

We were told that there didn't need to be 2 different female fiends that did similar things, so the Erinyes was out and the Succubus was going to be a devil.

Now in MM2 we get the Erinyes. But a watered-down, no relation to previous lore Erinyes. No wings, no flight, not exclusively female. And what are they? Just fighters. Something new to fight and kill. A soldier of hell. Really not more than a non-minion Legion Devil.

Blecch.

Dare I say this: some of the monster design just seems lazy.

I don't know, it seems to bring them closer to the original myth:

n Greek mythology the Erinyes (Ἐρινύες, pl. of Ἐρίνυς Erinys; lit. "the angry ones") or Eumenides (Εὐμενίδες, pl. of Εὐμενής; lit. "the gracious ones") or Furies in Roman mythology were female, chthonic deities of vengeance or supernatural personifications of the anger of the dead. They represent regeneration and the potency of creation, which both consumes and empowers. A formulaic oath in the Iliad (iii.278ff; xix.260ff) invokes them as "those who beneath the earth punish whosoever has sworn a false oath." Burkert suggests they are "an embodiment of the act of self-cursing contained in the oath".[1]

Doesn't really seem like they should be tempters of mortals. Though they might need to have some sex appeal (gracious ones)?

Okay, one more complaint I have to make that's really bugging me: Coatls. Their description mentions several times that they eagerly seek out and fight against Chaos and Evil. They are dedicated champions against Chaos and Evil...yet they are Unaligned.

Really? C'mon!

Maybe the reason is: They fight evil and chaos, but they don't do much to promote good. They don't go out to help someone in need, heal wounded or give food to a beggar, and they certainly don't work to create a fair and just society.

 

[Rechan]

I know I keep going on about the Fell Taints, sorry. I actually think they're mechanically a little weak - too little damage, honestly.

But there's one really cool thing I like about their fluff, that it spells out several times.

Fell Taints are very small predators in the Far Realms, like jackals or foxes. However, they can easily find weak points between the Far Realms and the Real World, and slip out. But here's the cool thing:

The mere presence of Fell Taints weaken the barriers between worlds. They are like a beacon for bigger, badder Far Realms denizens to home in on and slip through.

I just find that really neat; they're tentacled canaries in a mineshaft. The fact that they are precursors to bigger threats, and when you find them, you need to eradicate them ASAP.

 

[Rechan]

Woo.

Oh! Forgot: Bloodthorn vine: 2nd level bloodsucking plant.

 

[Drkfathr1]

I don't know, it seems to bring them closer to the original myth:

Doesn't really seem like they should be tempters of mortals. Though they might need to have some sex appeal (gracious ones)?


Maybe the reason is: They fight evil and chaos, but they don't do much to promote good. They don't go out to help someone in need, heal wounded or give food to a beggar, and they certainly don't work to create a fair and just society.

Oh, I wish the Erinyes were closer to the original myth. I don't really think they need to be tempters of mortals. But the new version isn't closer to the original myth either. They're not exclusively female, nor are they the personification of vengeance or anger. In other words, they might as well have been called something else!

As for the Coatls, that might work, except the description of Unaligned is:

If you’re unaligned, you don’t actively seek to harm
others or wish them ill. But you also don’t go out of
your way to put yourself at risk without some hope
for reward. You support law and order when doing so
benefits you. You value your own freedom, without
worrying too much about protecting the freedom
of others.

That doesn't exactly mesh with someone that goes out of their way to oppose a particular ethos.

 

[chaotix42]

The MM2 does say that couatls will work with unaligned and evil creatures if it is to oppose a greater evil. Sounds pretty unaligned to me! Willing to do anything for the greater good.

@ Rechan - I read that bit of fluff about fell taints weakening the boundaries between the World and the Far Realm. I thought that was one of the better tidbits in the book - low-level monsters that have an impact on the world beyond their statblock, with the ability to snowball into something much bigger.

 

[Phaezen]

I know I keep going on about the Fell Taints, sorry. I actually think they're mechanically a little weak - too little damage, honestly.

But there's one really cool thing I like about their fluff, that it spells out several times.

Fell Taints are very small predators in the Far Realms, like jackals or foxes. However, they can easily find weak points between the Far Realms and the Real World, and slip out. But here's the cool thing:

The mere presence of Fell Taints weaken the barriers between worlds. They are like a beacon for bigger, badder Far Realms denizens to home in on and slip through.

I just find that really neat; they're tentacled canaries in a mineshaft. The fact that they are precursors to bigger threats, and when you find them, you need to eradicate them ASAP.

The more WOTC release this year the more I am thinking about scrapping my 30 level Orcus/Asmodeus plot line and doing a far realms based campaign instead

 

[weem]

Sorry, I didn't see this yet, but I'm curious about the playable races (in the back, etc - aka p276 in MM1).

Anyone mind lettin me know what's available?

 

[Mad Mac]

Maybe the reason is: They fight evil and chaos, but they don't do much to promote good. They don't go out to help someone in need, heal wounded or give food to a beggar, and they certainly don't work to create a fair and just society.

Ah, kind of like this then.

"Mr. Couatl-san, sir, do you think you could help us with these demons that are invading our home and ravishing our cattle?"

"I think you mean ravaging"

"Just...don't ask. Anyway, do you think you could help us, pretty please?"

"Sure, I love killing demons and sundry other evils!"

*wipes away tear* "Wow, that's just...awesome. I never knew you were such a great guy. If only I had known sooner. Say...while I'm here, I'm actually in a bit of a tight spot this month, and my landlord is giving me a hard time with the rent, and I was just wondering..."

"I'm not going to kill your landlord for you."

"Uh...wow! No, I was just wondering if maybe you could loan me a few sps, and I can pay you back sometime, down the road, when I have the money..."

*Glare*

*putting wallet away* "Ok, ok, maybe that was asking too much. We just met afterall. It's just been really hard lately, with the confused demons, and the rent, and...well...have you ever been in love?"

"Shut up now, or I will devour you myself. Slowly."