D&D General Modrons should be terrifying

And then the Slaad try to introduce their version of the laws:
  • An object in motion will be going in the wrong direction.
  • An object at rest will be in the wrong place.
  • The energy required to change either of these states is more than you want to expend, but not so much as to be infeasible.

If anything is consistent, even consistently inconsistent, that's too much of a pattern for Slaad!
 

log in or register to remove this ad

I think it works nicely? Just 'cause it means the DM can have them literally do anything, no matter -how- nonsensical or evil or good it might seem on the outset, and have it be part of "The Plan" that we just don't get.

Wanna know something that occurred to me while writing this?

The most ordered possible condition of the Prime Material Plane is Heat Death of the Universe. All matter and energy spread out evenly and eventually falling still once all systems have completely broken down.
IIRC, the heat death of the universe describes a pure entropic state. I get your gist, but it seems a little antithetical to the common understanding of "order". Who's to say if modrons feel similarly though.
 


More ideas.

It's not that modrons aren't easy to kill.

Every time you fight a modron, the entire collective observes you and learns from it.

I could very easily use this to justify a resistance the next time you fight the modrons, as well as tactics, strategies that literally go for your weak points.
I'm sort of opposed to this. In classic D&D cosmology, change and adaption is the province of chaos.

So, adapting tactics, I'm good with. But modrons should be unchanging and interchangeable (at each level). Every duodrone should be exactly the same as every other duodrone.

I like the inevitability idea proposed more. You killed a modron trying to do something? Tomorrow there will be two of them doing the same thing. You kill those? Next day there will be four, supervised by a higher-ranking modron. And so on.
 

And then the Slaad try to introduce their version of the laws:
  • An object in motion will be going in the wrong direction.
  • An object at rest will be in the wrong place.
  • The energy required to change either of these states is more than you want to expend, but not so much as to be infeasible.

I always thought the Slaadi were always portrayed as more evil than chaotic. They're usually antagonistic to the party and trying to do bad and dangerous things--shouldn't they be doing completely random things that are occasionally beneficial?
 

I always thought the Slaadi were always portrayed as more evil than chaotic. They're usually antagonistic to the party and trying to do bad and dangerous things--shouldn't they be doing completely random things that are occasionally beneficial?
that is the problem they might as well be demons, they need a rework
 

Hiya!

In a nutshell, they are terrifying in my games. Basically, they are the fantasy equivalent of "A.I.". They don't think of themselves as 'individuals', have no sense of self-preservation past the most basic (re: don't walk off a cliff), do exactly what they are commanded to do, regardless of what it is or how it may affect others or pretty much anything.

A platoon of Modron's marching towards your city should be the equivalent of yelling "RUN!". Absolutely NOTHING you, or anyone else, can say is going to stop them from doing what they were commanded to do. There is no such thing as "diplomacy" once a decision on their part has been made. The only hope someone has to save their skin, city, country, etc, is to find out about the Modron's plans, then pre-emptively set up a meeting with the leader. That's about it. Once a Modron "collective" has made it's decision or gotten it's commands...that's it. No amount of "diplomacy" is going to work...they won't even acknowledge you in all likelihood; they will simply carry out their task or die trying.

Modrons: If they are acting already, you can't reason with them. They have their orders, and that's all that matters. Period.
 

I always thought the Slaadi were always portrayed as more evil than chaotic. They're usually antagonistic to the party and trying to do bad and dangerous things--shouldn't they be doing completely random things that are occasionally beneficial?
Yes, but people keep associating law with goodness (probably why modrons are often depicted as adorable) and chaos with evil. There really should be a life slaad to go with the death slaad.
 

It doesn't help that Slaad are essentially a species of John Carpenter's the things with a healthy does of invasion of the body snatchers.

I'm of the belief that any outer plane should be a threat and therefore be gamable, otherwise why waste the page content?

edit: hey question. the modron cameos are in out of the abyss and tomb of annihilation? trying to see if that can shed any insight.
 
Last edited:


Trending content

Remove ads

Top