MMV love from a MMIV hater

[Glyfair]

...(why are Arcadian avengers still called that in the Eberron and Faerun paragraphs, given that those cosmologies don't have Arcadia, etc.) ...

Arcandian has other meanings. This could apply - "rural, rustic, or pastoral, esp. suggesting simple, innocent contentment."

 

[RodneyThompson]

Funny enough.. I wrote that one too. I was aiming to create some creatures that caused the combat to shift mid-stream. Far too often, imho, combats tend to degrade into a boring routine, with the heavy hitters exhanging blows for round after round until one falls.

Aye, I did something similar with some of my monsters (including the magmacore golem). My playtesters really liked the monsters that caused a dynamic shift mid-combat, or ones that did strange and unusual things that altered the way you had to fight it. The shardsoul slayer, for example, was one where my players always want to make sure that they were ready when one died, so they could handle the surge the other shardsoul slayers got.

 

[+5 Keyboard!]

Thanks for posting this review, Shade. I had heard from some inside sources that contributed to it that it was going to be much better than MMIV and its encouraging to see that WotC listend to the compaints about MMIV and tried (and succeeded) to address the issues people had with it. I'll definitely go out and purchase this one thanks to your post.

 

[Nightchilde-2]

I guess there always has to be one dissenter, so I'll be it. Caveat: I am only halfway through MM V.

I liked IV a lot better. I would like *more* classed humanoids, not less, personally - I find them a lot more useful than a lot of the new monsters (I never. ever. need to see another new ooze again.) I also actually liked the various spawn of Tiamat for the most part.

While I agree that a book full of classed humanoids would be useful, I think that should be something than in an MM which, IMHO, should be for new beasties. That's why I get MMs.

YMMV.

 

[frankthedm]

While I agree that a book full of classed humanoids would be useful, I think that should be something than in an MM which, IMHO, should be for new beasties. That's why I get MMs.

YMMV.

Exactly. Let wotc make a 3.5 Enemies and Allies book. I know I won't buy it.

 

[frankthedm]

Carnage demons are kinda cool. Nasty buggers in groups. Kinda like MtG Slivers.

I kinda feel like advancing one...

Carnage demon Brutalizers allow their brethren to strike first, attacking surrounded foes with their reach weapons taking the -4 to hit due to other carnage demons granting cover and trying to move to where it can claim a flanking bonus. [sblock=Carnage demon brutalizer] Carnage Demon Barbarian 1 Medium Outsider (Chaotic, Evil, Extraplanar)
Hit Dice: 3d8+1d12+16 (36 hp) [44 raging]
Initiative: +1
Speed: 40 ft. (8 squares)
Armor Class: 17 [ Raging 15] (+1 Dex, +3 natural, +3 masterwork studded leather, touch 11, flat-footed 16
Base Attack/Grapple: +4/+12
Attack: Masterwork large cold iron glaive +11 Melee (2d8+12 crit x 3 Chaos, Evil) or Slam +12 melee (1d4+8 Chaos, Evil, Special)
Full Attack: Masterwork large cold iron glaive +11 Melee (2d8+12 crit x 3 Chaos, Evil) or 2 Slams +12 melee (1d4+8 Chaos, Evil, Special )
Raging Full Attack: Masterwork large cold iron glaive +13 Melee (2d8+15 crit x 3 Chaos, Evil ) or 2 Slams +14 melee (1d4+10 Chaos, Evil, Special )
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft., 10' with glaive
Special Attacks: Aligned strike, Carnage, Reaving fists
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., destructive appetite, DR 5/silver, immune to electricity, immune to poison, resist acid 10, resist cold 10, resist fire 10
Saves: Fort +9, Ref +4, Will +1
Abilities: Str 26*, Dex 13, Con 18, Int 6, Wis 6, Cha 4
Skills: Climb +15[raging +17], Jump +19[raging +21], Listen +4, Spot +4, Survival +4, swim+12[raging +14].
Feats: Combat reflexes, Monkey grip
Challenge Rating: 5
Treasure: Victim's possessions & 1st level NPC gear:MW Studded leather, MW large cold iron glaive
Alignment: Always chaotic evil

Carnage demons speak abyssal.



COMBAT
Destructive appetite (Ex) After every successful melee attack, a carnage demon must succeed on a DC 14 will save. If it fails, it attacks the nearest creature that is not a carnage demon whenever it is is unable to attack an enemy in a given round

Carnage (Su) For each other carnage de,on within 30 feet, a carnage demon gains a +1 bonus on attack rolls and damage rolls, up to a maximum of +5.

Reaving fists (Ex) A carnage demons' slams overcome any metal based DR, such as silver, cold iron or adamantine.[/sblock]

 

[Evilhalfling]

Spirit riders, ruin chanter, ruin elemental, bonespur, elemental magi and the dryad friend (verdant somthin?) should be appearing in my next two sessions. And the PCs are already exarcs to a dragon they had been running errands for. (After they sent word of a rival party of adventures were coming to kill it.)

I picked up the book on the strength of recomendations from here, and found creatures that fit well into my preexisting game.

Oh and Illriuen - perhaps with a little advancement, works well for the avatar/fragment of the possibly deceased goddess of secrets. Now I need to figure out why she is involved....

 

[Nightchilde-2]

I'm using the Thoon infiltrator, thrall, stormcloud & scyther in my current monthly D&D game & in yesterday's session, the party didn't even know they had two thralls in their midst manipulating them towards their own end...

It was awesomeness.

 

[Particle_Man]

Out of curiousity, could one run a campaign using only the PHB, DMG, MMV and classes/monsters/etc. directly referenced by the MMV (so if there is a 8th level hobgoblin ninja statted up, then both ninja and "ordinary" hobgoblins would be part of the setting)? If not, what else would be needed?

 

[frankthedm]

[sblock=Fully grown Carnage demon] Advanced Carnage Demon Medium Outsider (Chaotic, Evil, Extraplanar)
Hit Dice: 9d8+18+9 (67 hp)
Initiative: +0
Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares)
Armor Class: 13 (+0 Dex, +3 natural, touch 10, flat-footed 13
Base Attack/Grapple: +9/+15
Attack: Two handed weapon +6 Melee (damage by weapon +26, extended crit; Chaos, Evil ) or Slam +15 melee (1d4+6 Chaos, Evil)
Full Attack: Two handed weapon +6/ +1 Melee (damage by weapon +26, extended crit; Chaos, Evil ) or 2 Slams +15 melee (1d4+6 Chaos, Evil )
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Aligned strike, Carnage, Reaving fist
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., destructive appetite, DR 5/silver, immune to electricity, immune to poison, resist acid 10, resist cold 10, resist fire 10
Saves: Fort +8, Ref +6, Will +6
Abilities: Str 22, Dex 10, Con 14, Int 5, Wis 6, Cha 6
Skills: Climb +18, Jump +18, Listen +10, Spot +10, Survival +10
Feats: Improved toughness, Iron will, Power Attack, Improved critical [two handed weapon of choice]
Challenge Rating: 7
Treasure: Victim's possessions
Alignment: Always chaotic evil

Carnage demons speak abyssal.

COMBAT
Destructive appetite (Ex) After every successful melee attack, a carnage demon must succeed on a DC 14 will save. If it fails, it attacks the nearest creature that is not a carnage demon whenever it is is unable to attack an enemy in a given round

Carnage (Su) For each other carnage demon within 30 feet, a carnage demon gains a +1 bonus on attack rolls and damage rolls, up to a maximum of +5.
1 Other Carnage demon: Two handed weapon +7/ +2Melee (damage +27) or 2 Slams +16 melee (1d4+7)
2 Other Carnage demons: Two handed weapon +8/ +3 Melee (damage +28) or 2 Slams +17 melee (1d4+8)
3 Other Carnage demons: Two handed weapon +9/ +4 Melee (damage +29) or 2 Slams +18 melee (1d4+9)
4 Other Carnage demons: Two handed weapon +10/ +5 Melee (damage +30) or 2 Slams +19 melee (1d4+10)
5 Other Carnage demons: Two handed weapon +11/ +6 Melee (damage +31) or 2 Slams +20 melee (1d4+11)

Power Attack (Ex) Being none too smart, advanced carnage demons use power attack to the fullest extent possible when using a two handed weapon. If that proves ineffective, they usually either power attack only for 4 points or throw down their weapons in frustration and return to using their slams.

Reaving fists (Ex) A carnage demons' slams overcome any metal based DR, such as silver, cold iron or adamantine.[/sblock]