MM4's Bluespawn Godslayer

[Mercule]

If you can't accept that D&D appeals to a wide variety of people, then it's just going to continue to make you unhappy.

It's not the wide variety that bothers me. Actually, I think that's great. I have no problem with people doing things in their game (and enjoying products) that would make me cringe in my game. What bothers me is the possibility of things that strike me as more freakish than fantastic to be an indication of a trend.

Probably a better way of stating what I said is, "If Races of the Dragon and Spawn of Tiamat indicate the sort of products that sell well for WotC, and therefore, the sort of thing on which they'll focus in future releases, I don't think I've find much of value in the future of D&D."

 

[WhatGravitas]

I've got a play that calls them "KOH-bol-oyd". *grin*

EDIT: btw, I agree with jgbrowning - it ought to have been called the Bluespawn Slayer. I'll probably just cross out the God in my book.

Or just change it to "Angelslayer" - has still the same (k3wl!!1!) ring, but it has a connection to the outsider-bane damage.

 

[Mercule]

For christsake, I mean, look at the Eberon entry. They're abandoned in the desert as hatchlings yet most of them still have a Huge +2 bastard sword and dragon-skull shield when encountered? WTF?

The skull shield really doesn't bother me. It's a dragon bone. Conveniently enough, the Spawn have... dragon bones in their skeleton. Tiamat (or whatever powers) just engineered them to grow a detachible "tusk" for looks. If the sword is made of bone, that'd work, too.

Overall, though, I agree that having them use their bare hands would've been better design.

 

[blargney the second]

I think the problem is that there's a disconnect between design and description on the Blue Barney. The designer very obviously wanted a huge dragon-based creature that uses manufactured equipment that you can disarm, sunder, etc. No problem there. (Aside from the fact that the artiste got a little carried away on the lack-of-practicality front.)

The trouble arises with the lack of descriptive text that indicates where the massive stuff comes from. Either it was never written or got editted out. My first thought when I saw the picture was "where the heck does it get the equipment?", and I'm sure others did as well. I think it's a DM's consistency reactions kicking in.

The truth is, that's only information that matters if the players start investigating the source of the beast's stuff. And hey, if they're curious enough to generate plot hooks like that, then so much the better!
-blarg

 

[Klaus]

The Blue Barney (hey, like this!) lacked the following paragraph:

When she decides to create a Bluespawn Godslayer, Tiamat breaks apart the blue dragon embryo, rearranging it at her will. The resulting creature springs forth fully formed. Part of the mass of the dragon is reshaped into a Huge bastard sword and a dragonskull shield. The shield doesn't exactly conform to any species of dragon, being Tiamat's own sick joke on Bahamut's skull shape. Bluespawn Godslayers are extremely possessive of these items, and will go to any lengths to get them back (or to offer those who sunder them as a sacrifice to their goddess).

There, enjoy!

 

[D.Shaffer]

A Bluespawn Slayer with no weapon or shield but still maintaining the same stats would be better design.

And applicable to almost every D&D world.

The point is, you make a big quibble in the design because it doesnt list where it gets its manufactured weapons...but EVERY DnD critter that uses manufactured weapons has them in their stat block, and none of them have flavor text describing where they get them.

Heck, again I point out the Titan. Stat block lists it with a +3 Adamantine warhammer. It's listed as a solitary creature, doesnt have the feats to make them, and not a hint in the fluff as to where it gets the things. So is that a bad design?

 

[Pants]

And you've just hit on why many of have lost all interest in the MMIV and its new format.

FCI proved that the new format works great, MMIV probably won't change any minds for the better (from what I've seen).

Bad logic. Coins, gems, and other forms of worked metal are looted from those who make them.

So all those goblins, trolls, and kobolds that get their loot taken by intrepid adventurers have nice little coin factories and smithies tucked away at the backs of their caves?

It's silly, it was chosen for kewlness factor, and it doesn't make sense.

And you know this for a fact? You went to the designer and asked 'Hey, this was chosen because it was super 1337 k3wl right?' and he said 'lolz it iz teh super 1337 k3wl cuz i gave tehm teh majik weponz lolz'? Or is this just getting pulled from somewhere painful?

Actully the text itself says it has to be "Most are encountered just with their signature weapons and shields."

That's a better argument

 

[Voadam]

So that's a double sword in the picture? I thought the lower part was the sheath hanging from his waist and didn't blink twice.