D&D 5E Wandering Monsters: Morons and Salads

[Celebrim]

Considering that modrons & Slaadi had their strongest showing in Planescape, a setting with an artistic theme crossing Cirque du Soleil and The Necronomicon, I would describe them as fringe elements in D&D. Probably the best thing to do with fringe monsters of the game is to present them in MM2 or MM3 (or whatever the equivalent will be for 5e) in a "true to their roots" form that maintains their whimsy.

That said, I think both monsters have had enough undefined or ambiguous things (e.g. Modron's aphasia toward other modrons more than a caste above them), that there is some room for interpretation or re-imagining. For example, what if mortals suffer aphasia when confronting modrons? Whimsical doesn't mean they can't be terrifying and nasty.

I love the way you are thinking. As I see it though, the problem is more in common with prosopagnosia.

Actually, after reading [MENTION=4937]Celebrim[/MENTION]'s take on the Slaadi, I think "aphasia" might be a good angle to take both races. Slaadi experience aphasia toward pretty much all other life forms - they can't explain it because of their general inability to distinguish fantasy from reality. Modrons on the other hand are so regimented that their field of mental perception narrows to include only a limited bandwidth of reality.

What would be interesting is if both these monsters could "inflict" this aphasia on mortals in some way, in essence sharing their point of view.

I'm going to really have to think about that, because I think you could be on to something. In my universe, Modron's don't appear much, but it is established that Modrons don't believe that they are 'alive' in the sense that most humans would use the term. Modrons believe that they are machines, and that everything else that is alive in the universe is also just a machine. (Modrons would respond to the claim that they are constructs by saying, "Isn't everybody?"). Modrons believe that what humanity calls 'Free Will' is simply a defect in their being, the failure to recognize that they are simply machines. Likewise, that humanity considers the idea of everyone being reduced to a machine horrorfic, they also consider just a flaw in their being. They are also rather upset with the gods for even creating the Free Peoples (humanity, elves, dwarfs, goblins, etc.) because they believe the Gods overstepped their authority. One of their goals is to alter the nature of the free peoples so that they recognize their inherent machine nature and are content with it. The believe that as machines, they should perform like machines - reliably, fulfilling a purpose, without complaint, and without expectation of reward or payment. This is the modron ideal world, or at least one step on that quest. The main thing that keeps them from being terrors is that they are held back by their own intensely rational natures. They are uncertain of their reasoning, and there is a nagging worry that the themselves may have been tainted by the flaw (what they call chaos). Indeed, there is a nagging worry that thinking that they may have been tainted by the flaw is itself a flaw. They don't actually 'debate' these issues. Everyone agrees that this is a problem. Feeling the need to debate or explain yourself would be evidence of the flaw. So the modrons are mostly content to catalogue, record, analyze and predict the results of different courses of action that they could take.

So, a mortal implanted by a Slaad begins to experience aphasia toward other life forms...Just a thought.

A really good one though. I hadn't thought about how exposure to the Slaad or the Modrons might spread their world view, something both are actively trying to do. I'll have to think about how to represent this mechanically.

 

[Quickleaf]

[MENTION=4937]Celebrim[/MENTION]

Totally. What makes Slaad and Modrons unique from other mysterious/alien monsters like the fey, IMO, is this urge to "share their world view." For Slaad this might include implantation, a maddening aura, destructive acts to perpetuate chaos, etc. For Modrons this might include philosophical debate, abducting mortals to the courts of Mechanus, constructing machines that tamper with physics/perception/cognition, and so on. I think this is a nice direction to go as it lends itself to a greater range of adventure hooks.

So the main threat from the Slaad is the implanted individual being a threat to others (and themself), or the "spreading of the chaos seed". The main threat from Modrons might be the strange machines they construct which alter the laws of nature (to make them more in line with Mechanus), or "unveiling the clockwork universe."

 

[Klaus]

[MENTION=4937]Celebrim[/MENTION]

Totally. What makes Slaad and Modrons unique from other mysterious/alien monsters like the fey, IMO, is this urge to "share their world view." For Slaad this might include implantation, a maddening aura, destructive acts to perpetuate chaos, etc. For Modrons this might include philosophical debate, abducting mortals to the courts of Mechanus, constructing machines that tamper with physics/perception/cognition, and so on. I think this is a nice direction to go as it lends itself to a greater range of adventure hooks.

So the main threat from the Slaad is the implanted individual being a threat to others (and themself), or the "spreading of the chaos seed". The main threat from Modrons might be the strange machines they construct which alter the laws of nature (to make them more in line with Mechanus), or "unveiling the clockwork universe."

That, right there, gave me more ideas on how to include slaadi and modrons in a game than I've had in ages. Kudos!

 

[Cyberen]

... Without even really departing from the most stripped down versions of these creatures ! Very nice.

 

[Weather Report]

Well, here's hoping they don't screw them up in the hopes of reaching a broader audience. Let's face it, creatures that are the embodiment of law or chaos in D&D aren't exactly a major draw. Law and chaos, as D&D moral orientations, aren't nearly as compelling as the divide between good and evil.

I totally disagree, I find the divide/battle between Law and Chaos much more sophisticated and less trite than Good vs Evil.

Eladrin at one point would sooner help an Obyrith than an Archon. Modrons were once on the side of the Baatorians/Baatezu/Devils.

 

[I'm A Banana]

[MENTION=4937]Celebrim[/MENTION]

Totally. What makes Slaad and Modrons unique from other mysterious/alien monsters like the fey, IMO, is this urge to "share their world view." For Slaad this might include implantation, a maddening aura, destructive acts to perpetuate chaos, etc. For Modrons this might include philosophical debate, abducting mortals to the courts of Mechanus, constructing machines that tamper with physics/perception/cognition, and so on. I think this is a nice direction to go as it lends itself to a greater range of adventure hooks.

So the main threat from the Slaad is the implanted individual being a threat to others (and themself), or the "spreading of the chaos seed". The main threat from Modrons might be the strange machines they construct which alter the laws of nature (to make them more in line with Mechanus), or "unveiling the clockwork universe."

The cut of your jib.

We likes it, my precious.

 

[Kobold Avenger]

The 4e Eladrin should have just been called the Sidhe, but I know that WOTC wanted to use a name that was copyrighted by them instead of something from celtic mythology.

 

[Klaus]

IMHO, turning the eladrin from "elf angels" into "Lords of Faerie" was a brilliant move (and gray elves have been called "Faerie" since 1e). Plus, with the notion that tulani, ghaele, bralani, coure, etc, are noble titles among the eladrin, you have a way of including the "elf angels" of 2e/3e easily.

 

[Celebrim]

IMHO, turning the eladrin from "elf angels" into "Lords of Faerie"...

On that level, I'm not sure that there was an actual change. Both 'elf angels' and 'lords of Faerie' would have been suitable ways to describe the 2e Eladrin. The Firre for example seem inspired by fairy muses (Leanan sídhe), the Shiere are trooping fairies, and the Tulani have always been described as 'Lords of Faerie'.

 

[I'm A Banana]

On that level, I'm not sure that there was an actual change. Both 'elf angels' and 'lords of Faerie' would have been suitable ways to describe the 2e Eladrin. The Firre for example seem inspired by fairy muses (Leanan sídhe), the Shiere are trooping fairies, and the Tulani have always been described as 'Lords of Faerie'.

Yeah, this is part of what I mentioned above. I don't really think this is much of a change. The Feywild = Arborea, y'know? Same thing, slightly different concept of placement, cornier name...

4e eladrin and pre-4e eladrin are pretty close kindred, all things considered. I would not be astonished if the 5e eladrin have a PC-race-capable low-caste version of them.

In fact, you could take the pre-4e eladrin, call them "The Court of Stars," and make up a bunch of other eladrin courts that include things like the 4e eladrin ("The Court of Seasons," perhaps, since 4e fiction was big on the winter and summer courts) and that like to build cities that occasionally cross worlds, and no one would be left out, and it would all be internally consistent. That's pretty much what I did for my short-lived PS4e game, and it worked solid.