OUT OF THE ABYSS Has Derro - Check Them Out!

WotC has sent along a Derro-themed package today. This is a page from Out of the Abyss (the upcoming adventure, September 15th), plus an additional piece of Derro-tastic art. Derro, as you may know, first showed up in 1982's The Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth. Degenerate dwarves, they are evil and sneaky, and often feature powerful magic-wielding savants in their midst. Not only that, though - this page also shows an index of all the new NPCs and monsters in the adventure, sorted by Challenge Rating!

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For my previous coverage of Out of the Abyss, including lots of other previews, click right here!

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[Jefe Bergenstein]

Ixitxachitil CR 1/4? Not in my hands, sir. Not under my watch.

All 5E has been seriously wimped down in terms of monster power. I'm not sure if designers are afraid to publish anything with a CR greater than 5 because they think little Timmy will cry if his 1st level rat stabber can't kill it in the first session. The Pudding King, which seems to be a boss type NPC/monster is a mighty CR 4, and he's the toughest thing listed. I know people griped about the 4E grind, but after they got the formula right, you could actually have a good set piece encounter. Who is going to remember a battle with some chump you obliterate in 1-2 rounds? Unless you fight him at level 1, that's barely a speedbump.

 

[EdL]

Derro, as you may know, first showed up in 1982's The Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth.

I know this is a D&D forum, but please! The Derro first showed up in the 1950s, in Amazing Stories, as part of the Shaver Mystery. Let's get our facts straight, shall we?

 

[Benji]

I am a bit confused because the Zuggtmoy's wedding sequence is in chapter 17 (which I assume is at the end of the book and therefore a hard adventure with a big challenge) and yet her minions are CR 1/8 & 2....this is a little odd. But I hold out faith. I have no problem if the rest of the monsters in the adventure are stuff from the MM.

 

[mflayermonk]

Judging from the released pictures of minis in the Rage of Demons set, the high level monsters are: Chasme, Vrock, Roper, Beholder, Spectator, Drider, Mind Flayer, Efreet, Djinni, and some Dracolichs.

http://www.minisgallery.com/dnd/dnd4.htm

 

[Mirtek]

I am a bit confused because the Zuggtmoy's wedding sequence is in chapter 17 (which I assume is at the end of the book and therefore a hard adventure with a big challenge) and yet her minions are CR 1/8 & 2....this is a little odd. But I hold out faith. I have no problem if the rest of the monsters in the adventure are stuff from the MM.

I expect it to happen early on, with the PCs fighting her minions while trying to not be stepped on by CR20+ Zuggtmoy and Juiblex duking it out in the background

 

[Xavian Starsider]

Ixitxachitil CR 1/4? Not in my hands, sir. Not under my watch.

At first I was inclined to agree, but I think perhaps the low CR is so you can make an effective challenge out of a greater number of them. With a higher CR, you'd maybe only be able to use one or two in a fair battle.

With a CR like this you can throw a dozen of them at a party, or possibly throw in one of those CR 2 vampiric ixitxachitls that are also listed.

At any rate, low CR monsters aren't a problem. It's far easier to scale a monster up than down. Take your basic ixitxachitl and make your greater ixitxachitl, ixitxachitl lord, ixitxachitl abomination and ixitxachitl hunter as suits your whims.

 

[mouselim]

Can't wait for this mega adventure ("Out of the Abyss") and the campaigner on the FR ("Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide") but I just hope that these don't fall flat like the previous books barring the cores (ok, Princes of the Apocalypse wasn't that bad but I already set my bar high after the cores..)

 

[RichGreen]

Huzzah for ixitxachitl!

 

[Psikerlord#]

That hooked spear is terrible.
Just using the trip action promises more success...
if it was a finesse weapon it would make remote sense...

Of course you can use it against larger than large creatures... but chance of success is still low.

In the hands of a high str PC, the hooked spear thing is going to be OP, isnt it? Compared to normal trip, I dunno.

 

[Saplatt]

Huzzah for ixitxachitl!

ixitxachitls represent!