Level Up (A5E) Monster preview thread!

[Faolyn]

However, this versions doesn't it all, it just has damage. Additionally, though I haven't run the numbers 14 DPR seems low for a CR 3 monster.

I think it at least needs the multiattack action and I would have liked to see a less istun-lock version of devour intellect.

So far, very, very few LU monsters have multiattack. Even monsters that really should have them. I don't know why.

Don't forget that the o5e intellect devourer basically causes infinite stun. I think there's a rule in one of the books that says that a lowered attribute is restored by 1 point for every three days or a week of rest, or something, but I'm having a really hard time finding that rule again. Beyond that, there's greater restoration, which requires a 9th-level caster--and you're still out of luck if you only have one caster in the party who can cast that, and that's the PC that gets its intellect devoured.

Which reminds me... @Morrus, the Body Thief ability is pretty vague here. It says that the ID eats the brain, but there's no damage listed. It also says that the ID will leave the body if the body is reduced to 0 hp--but eating the brain should cause the body to die. The text indicates that the body is dead.

May I suggest using the information for the dybbuk in Mordenkainan's as a template? In effect, the ID gains a number of temp hp equal to the body's hp max, retains its own mental attributes, saves, skills, resistances, and immunities, and uses the body's physical attributes. When the ID runs out of temp hp, it can no longer control the body and has to leave it.

 

[dave2008]

So far, very, very few LU monsters have multiattack. Even monsters that really should have them. I don't know why.

That is odd, I haven't pay close enough attention I guess!

Which reminds me... @Morrus, the Body Thief ability is pretty vague here. It says that the ID eats the brain, but there's no damage listed. It also says that the ID will leave the body if the body is reduced to 0 hp--but eating the brain should cause the body to die. The text indicates that the body is dead.

May I suggest using the information for the dybbuk in Mordenkainan's as a template? In effect, the ID gains a number of temp hp equal to the body's hp max, retains its own mental attributes, saves, skills, resistances, and immunities, and uses the body's physical attributes. When the ID runs out of temp hp, it can no longer control the body and has to leave it.

Actually I think you want Paul Hughes , think he might be @duneguy

 

[Faolyn]

Actually I think you want Paul Hughes , think he might be @duneguy

Sadly, I’m really bad at remember who else is working on this. Thanks for tagging him!

 

[dave2008]

Sadly, I’m really bad at remember who else is working on this. Thanks for tagging him!

Paul is definitely the stat block guy, not sure about story/lore

 

[Darkwynters]

And I thought the “I”s were a small group… jackeweres anyone.

 

[Morrus]

You're not wrong. J, indeed, has to be for Jackalwere.

 

[Faolyn]

They're fiends now! I kind of like this. (I hope this means that gnolls got turned into fiends as well.) The inability to tell the truth is an interesting addition.

I also noted that the jackalwere gets a d6 expertise die in Deception. That's a useful bit of info for later monster design.

If you're looking for the next monster to post (starting with a K, presumably), I'd like to ask for kobolds--if only so I can hone my kobold heritage.

Edit: If I were to change anything, I'd make the sleep gaze last an hour or longer (1d6 hours, maybe), since you are giving the target two chances to save against it and the target can be woken up easily.

 

[Darkwynters]

I have loved these guys since the ‘90s when I read Heart of Midnight with Harkon Lucas… I mean he is a wolfwere, but these guys are cool too!

 

[Darkwynters]

As much as I wanna see a big monster like the Kraken… I am biased… kobolds. Been my favs since Pool of Radiance.

 

[Kinematics]

In the Jackalwere stat block, it has:

Damage Resistances damage from nonmagical, non-silvered weapons

It just reads really awkwardly. It's not a complete sentence, and it doesn't have a separator (like a colon) to mark the description (which isn't capitalized) as separate from the title. Similar for the Senses entry. Other entries seem to use a period at the end of the title descriptor, and/or capitalize the description block.