worlds and monsters is in my hands

[Raduin711]

I'm worried about the Mind Flayer. They always come out before the PsiHB, and they never work just the same way. I find this annoying.

 

[Fallen Seraph]

Hmm, the Type/Origin thing could lead to interesting bonus type stuff. Ie: You have a weak bonus if you specialize in Humanoids (you know the slice off the head, or cut the hamstring,etc.) but you get a larger bonus for a Origin, since that is more specific to that creature, (you know that fire-elementals are weak against water, etc.)

 

[Stilvan]

Hmmm, so maybe the Far Realm is not the source of star-pact warlocks?

Nothing is said about this in that section, but my feeling is that even if the Far Realm isn't the source for star-pact Warlocks, it must be a source for some Warlocks. It's a concept too cool to pass up.

Did they say what that was, or did they leave the source of conflict uncertain?

Well yeah they did but it's better read in context; to summarize: the aboleth want the Far Realm to consume all, the Mind Flayers would prefer to rule all.

 

[Fallen Seraph]

Hehe, I can just imagine a lonely human accidently wandering into the Far Realm through one of these "layers" and that standing frozen in fear as a aboleth and a illithid agrue over whether to kill him or brainwash/dominate him.

 

[JohnSnow]

I'm worried about the Mind Flayer. They always come out before the PsiHB, and they never work just the same way. I find this annoying.

With their new "exceptions-based approach" to monster design, I think you'll see Mind Flayers work from the start in 4E.

Rather than just having "spell-like abilities," I imagine the Mind Flayer will offer a significant preview of some of the powers that we'll see when the Psion is ready for "prime-time."

Make sense?

 

[Plane Sailing]

Finally there's a page and a half or so on the mind flayer: in short: they are essentially the same as in the previous edition just with fewer powers (taken from the set of those that most define them) that are easier and clearer to run.

I'm not sure that I like this approach, since it sounds like it turns monsters into 'cookie cutter' monsters - whereas creatures which can make long term cunning foes deserve a wider array of tactical and strategic abilities.

In my last campaign, Mindflayers maintained some of their traditional abilities which were removed in 3.5 - most especially Astral Projection. So all the mind flayers working in the prime material were actually astrally projecting here from their home plane... kill the body and a week later they are ready to astrally project again and start a new plan, with the advantage of knowing their opponents strengths...

Still, modifying Mindflayers to suit my campaigns will be a trivial thing I'm sure.

The book itself sounds interesting. Evocative even.

Cheers

 

[Plane Sailing]

Hmmm, so maybe the Far Realm is not the source of star-pact warlocks?

We are not even sure that they exist though... Races and Classes mention them, but in a more recent reveal about warlocks it talked about them having "a fundamental choice of a pact with one of three varieties of supernatural patron"

These were later identified as Feral, Shadow and Infernal (although I can't place the reference at the moment).

It looks as if star-pact disappeared...

 

[Incenjucar]

I just hope the Far Realms don't become a catchall for "We had this cool idea for a monster but couldn't be bothered to make it make any sense outside of combat."

 

[Sir Brennen]

Well yeah they did but it's better read in context; to summarize: the aboleth want the Far Realm to consume all, the Mind Flayers would prefer to rule all.

Sounds almost exactly like the motivations I ascribe to demons vs. devils in my campaign.

 

[Wepwawet]

I just hope the Far Realms don't become a catchall for "We had this cool idea for a monster but couldn't be bothered to make it make any sense outside of combat."

Well, I'm sure it will be the case
At least then all of those weird monsters and creatures we see in the Monster Manuals could make more sense!
I mean, I know it's fantasy, but having all sorts of weird beasts appearing everywhere without much reason... That's some truly messed up ecology (even for fantasy)