The Art of the Near TPK

Dice Bags

2010-08-19T17:46:00.003-05:00

Hi everyone,

I know I don't typically post anything here, and that my hubby hasn't really been keeping up with it either, but I wanted to point out that I'm offering some fun reversible dice bags for sale on eBay. And each dice bag purchased will come with a free random assorted original drawing by myself. :)

You can check out my eBay store here.

http://shop.ebay.com/tsoen-tso/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_from=&_ipg=&_trksid=p3686

- Chaotic Black Sheep

Introducing.... Bryk Shythaus!

2010-02-05T14:00:00.001-06:00

I was inspired recently by the punny name Bryk Shythaus to create a half-orc fighter PC with no campaign to call home. After a discussion with another DM today I decided maybe Bryk would work just as well or better as an NPC, and it sounds like he'd actually see some table time that way. So, for the DM I was talking to and anyone else who could use a big dumb thug around 4th level in 4e, I present...

Bryk Shythaus, Half-Orc Thug
Bryk is, well, Bryk is pretty much just a big dumb thug.

Level 4 Brute
Bryk Shythaus
XP 175
Medium natural humanoid
Initiative +5 Senses Perception +2
HP 66; Bloodied 33
AC 16; Fortitude 17, Reflex 17, Will 14
Speed 6 (8 when charging)
mFlail (standard; at-will) * Weapon
+7 vs. AC; 1d10 + 4 damage.
MTide of Iron (standard; at-will)
+7 vs. AC; 1d10 + 4 damage, and the target is pushed 1 square.
MBrute Strike (standard; encounter)
+7 vs. AC; 3d10 + 4 damage.
CSweeping Blow (standard; recharge 6)
Close burst 1, targets enemies; +9 vs. AC; 1d10 + 4 damage.
Furious Assault (free, when the half-orc thug damages an enemy; encounter)
The thug's attack deals 1d10 extra damage.
Alignment Unaligned Languages Common, Giant
Skills Athletics +11, Endurance+10, Intimidate +6
Str 18 (+6) Dex 17 (+5) Wis 10 (+2)
Con 16 (+5) Int 8 (+1) Cha 8 (+1)
Equipment chain mail, flail, heavy shield

Half-Orc Thug Tactics
A half-orc thug wades into the thick of its enemies, using its sweeping blow to strike as many as possible if it gets surrounded.

Encounter Groups
Half-orc thugs are often found allied with pirates, slavers, or other seedy types.

Level 3 Encounter (XP 737)
* 1 half-orc thug (level 4 brute)
* 3 human bandits (level 2 skirmisher)
* 6 human rabble (level 2 minion)

As an NPC, power-wise, he's still pretty much the fighter I was planning to have built by around 4th level.

Playtesting the Scorpire Vampion

2009-09-17T17:00:00.002-05:00

During hiatus I'm revisiting the WWtH monsters and trying them out in actual 4e combat encounters. With the party at first level we tested out the beelion, the doppelganger freak and the laughing lambchop lizard, then tweaked the latter two and ran them again. After leveling the party up to level 2 and giving them appropriate gear, we completed a couple of level 2 encounters. It turns out the Weekly What the Heck is kinda shy on level 2 sample encounters, so this week we leveled 'em up again and moved on to level 3. The party is still:
A goliath warden
A gnome bard
A longtooth shifter ranger
A deva invoker

The girls decided the gimmicky Teleport Temple was no fun anymore, so they told me their characters were leaving. Fine. They stepped outside into the Dragon Graveyard map from Fantastic Locations: Dragondown Grotto. The last time they were here they almost lost half the party. *evil laughter* My favorite frightened wizard ran by again, yelling 'It's the zombie apocalypse! Aaah!" A half-dozen zombies and guy who kinda looked like a vampire came shambling out of the shadows around them. This was almost the level 3 sample encounter from the scorpire vampion entry, but I replaced the gravehound with a scorpire scuttler.

The girls spotted the minion-ness of the zombie rotters pretty quickly and made short work of the lot of them. The zombie brute put up a little more of a fight but not much. One of the items they picked up for the ranger was a +1 sunblade scimitar, and she was enjoying its radiant damage very much. In fact, a critical from the scimitar in the third or fourth round took the corruption corpse from full hit points to two.

Meanwhile, the WWtH monsters weren't faring much better. The scorpire vampion missed the warden with his hypnotic gaze, and only caught the warden in his confounding stare blast. But the warden made her beginning-of-turn saving throw against the stare and was right back on him. The scuttler leaped out from a hiding place and attacked the bard, but missed with the bite part of its scorpilock attack. The gnome faded away and got behind cover where she could blast the scuttler with impunity. The scuttler tried to daze the invoker but failed due to the bard's misdirected mark, then couldn't hit with its bite either. With their recharge powers spent (and not recharging, despite what felt like a dozen rolls) the scorpires were easily defeated.

The scorpires were obviously created before I read the design advice somewhere that a monster should have one recharge power at most. That advice is dead on. Tracking the multiple possible recharges on just two monsters was a pain. Also, it's a little weird how the hypnotic gaze works differently on the scuttler and the vampion (a minor action for one, standard for the other). A little rework and another playtest is in order, I think. My initial thought is that scorpilock should be at-will, confounding stare should be encounter, and hypnotic gaze should be a standard action for both monsters (and possibly also at-will, at least for the vampion).

Playtesting the Ridgeback

2009-09-11T17:00:00.000-05:00

During hiatus I'm revisiting the WWtH monsters and trying them out in actual 4e combat encounters. With the party at first level we tested out the beelion, the doppelganger freak and the laughing lambchop lizard, then tweaked the latter two and ran them again. After leveling the party up to level 2 and giving them appropriate gear, we've started in on the level 2 monsters. The party is still:
A goliath warden
A gnome bard
A longtooth shifter ranger
A deva invoker

Last week we got through one encounter showcasing the sabre-tooth lycotaur. This week we tried out the ridgeback loper. The map was still Teleport Temple from the War Drums Starter Set. The party started in the top center of the image to the left, hanging out outside the room after their encounter with the lycotaurs. Since I liked the frightened screaming wizard so much last week, he ran by again. "A wizard runs around the corner yelling 'Goblins on giant lizards are attacking! Aaah!' Roll for initiative."

The encounter was two ridgeback lopers and four goblin warriors, with two goblins mounted on each loper in side baskets like in the picture on the monster entry. Oops, looks like in trying to alter the encounter to put in evil enemies I missed the "rider nth level or higher" rule that mounts always have. Oh well, it's a weird rule anyway. The first loper was spotted in the opening just below the square wall/pillar/whatever. The party (except the invoker) won initiative and charged it. Then the second loper came around the corner at the top left of the map and its goblins started throwing things at the invoker.

Surrounded, the bard and invoker ducked for cover and plugged away with their ranged attacks. The ranger and warden pretty quickly dispatched their loper and scattered the two goblins. The goblins moved next to the nearby teleporters and the ranger and warden obliged me by missing each of them, allowing them to use goblin tactics to shift into the teleporter and blink away to the upper right corner where they could join in the harassment of the other two PCs.

Meanwhile, the loper-and-two-riders arrangement was turning out to be quite vulnerable to the invoker's area attacks, but the invoker was pretty vulnerable to their highly mobile return fire. The loper fell first, however, and the deadly bard followed up by using an action point to viciously mock both riders to death in one round. After that the party easily chased down and mopped up the last two goblins.

The lopers were probably too constrained by the tight hallways on the Teleport Temple map. They were pretty effective anyway, granting their two riders hefty attack and damage bonuses almost every round (especially the second one, which had more room to maneuver). If the battle had taken place on a wide open outdoor map, I'm sure the PCs would have taken a lot more damage from bonus-laden missile fire.

The encounter composition raised one interesting question, though. The goblin warriors get +1d6 damage if they move more than 4 squares due to great position, but the loper also grants +1d6 damage with hopping gait if it moves more than 4 squares. I presume the warriors get the bonus even though they're not using their own move since it's just based on distance from starting square, but then do the two damage bonuses stack? I was ruling that they didn't since it seemed like an overwhelming amount of damage if they did, but I'm not sure that was right.

Playtesting the Saber-Tooth Lycotaur

2009-09-08T17:00:00.003-05:00

During hiatus I'm revisiting the WWtH monsters and trying them out in actual 4e combat encounters. With the party at first level we tested out the beelion, the doppelganger freak and the laughing lambchop lizard, then tweaked the latter two and ran them again. Last Sunday we leveled the party up to level 2, gave out appropriate gear as level 1 parcels, and started in on the level 2 monsters. The party is still:
A goliath warden
A gnome bard
A longtooth shifter ranger
A deva invoker

We got through one encounter showcasing the sabre-tooth lycotaur. This time the map was Teleport Temple from the War Drums Starter Set. The party started in the room in the top center of the image to the left. The girls tried pulling some kind of story setup out of me. I wasn't in the mood, so I went with "A wizard runs past the doorway yelling 'Lycanthropes! Aaah!' Roll for initiative."

I like the image of the frightened screaming wizard so much I might use it to start every session from now on.

The encounter was similar to the level 3 lycotaur sample encounter, downgraded to level 2 with only two lycotaurs and one wererat instead of three and two. The monsters started near the teleporters in the upper right corner. They won initiative and charged the party, but only one rat got close enough to actually attack in the first round.

The rats were dropped pretty quickly, but bought the wererat some time to get in position. The lycotaurs stood back and threw invisible logs at the warden for most of the fight, setting her up to take sneak attack damage from the wererat. This synergy worked really well for a few rounds until the ranger and the warden managed to take out the wererat.

While the wererat was being whittled down in melee the invoker was softening up the lycotaurs, so once the wererat fell they followed pretty quickly. The last monster tried the flash the bling/confusing lick combo as a desperation measure, but was foiled by the needed dual attack roll (the burst only affected the ranger and the lick didn't hit her Fortitude). When the lycotaurs fell I forgot about their ferocity power, but it really wouldn't have made any difference.

Everything went pretty well with this fight. I would have liked to see the flash/lick combo actually connect to see what chaos it unleashed, but the fact that three attack rolls against different defenses need to hit for any damage to be done (flash/Will, lick/Fortitude, charge (and maybe OAs)/AC) is really the factor that balances that attack anyway.

Post-Revision Playtest: Success!

2009-08-31T17:00:00.000-05:00

Last Sunday night I ran encounters with the doppelganger freak and the updated laughing lambchop lizard. The map was still Dwarven Outpost from the Miniatures Game Starter Set. The party started in the outpost building after their rest.

To showcase the freak I used a simple wolf pack style encounter with two freaks and three goblin warriors (all skirmishers). The group of monsters tried to sneak up on the party but blew a stealth check. We rolled initiative with the monsters creeping up on the side of the outpost away from the water. The warden won initiative and got between the party and the monsters, then got swarmed.

The two freaks spent pretty much all their time trying to get sneak attacks on the warden. Their confusing shift power worked nicely, targeting the warden's weak Will. Once in melee, the combination of confusing shift and combat advantage gave them sneak attack damage on most every hit, and they also used it to simply shift around into flanking positions. The last one almost managed to prolong his pitiful life by hitting the ranger with confusing shapeshift, but the warden just dragged it to its doom when the ranger found herself unable to both move and attack. Overall the freaks felt interesting and threatening without being overwhelming.

For the lizards I used the same sample encounter with the updated stats. They also didn't start the encounter all crammed in the outpost like last time (they started by crawling out of the water and over the bridge as the party came around the building again). Befitting their new status as soldiers, the regular lizards formed a wall around the party while the lightning lizards stood back and threw directed shocks. With the updated stats, a pack of lizards now makes a good double line style encounter.

The lightning lizards never got into a good position to use their lethal shock bursts, but they managed to do a lot of damage one target at a time anyway. Again, I forgot to use cheshire fade when I should have, but that's a minor issue. None of them used sideburn flare, either, but the fight was pretty static once joined so immobilizing party members wouldn't have changed much. I'm not quite as happy with the lizards as I am with the freaks, but they're miles better than they were.

Playtesting the Laughing Lambchop Lizard

2009-08-24T17:00:00.006-05:00

I want to say up front that if anyone has used the laughing lambchop lizard sample encounter as written on a low level 4e party, I'm really sorry if I wiped your party out (and I probably did).

During hiatus I'm revisiting the WWtH monsters and trying them out in actual 4e combat encounters. So far I've done a beelion test and a doppelganger freak test. I ran the sample encounter for the laughing lambchop lizard last week (this post is late because I've been dreading how much rework the monster was going to need). The party is still:
A goliath warden
A gnome bard
A longtooth shifter ranger
A deva invoker

The sample encounter for the laughing lambchop lizard is 4 regular lizards and 2 lizards of lightning. Again, the map was Dwarven Outpost from the Miniatures Game Starter Set. This time the monsters were inside the ruined outpost building and the PCs were coming across the bridge toward it. The party heard the lizards and the ranger managed to sneak up and get a look at them without alerting them.

The ranger used her surprise round to fire arrows at the lizards, but then the lizards won initiative and swarmed her. Before I even rolled the first attack I realized that letting each of the six lizards catch her with a lethal shock would result in instant nasty electrical death. So the first change to the lizards, before they rolled their first attack, was to remove the lethal shock power from the plain laughing lambchop lizards. As a result, most of the lizards didn't attack this round, but moved into better positions. The party moved closer and got in a few hits.

In round 2, one lizard of lightning had the ranger and warden in range for a lethal shock, while the other moved into position to catch the entire party. I quickly realized that adding an attack bonus and damage for each lizard in the burst would spell instant TPK, so lethal shock was toned back to only add bonuses for other lizards of lightning in the burst. Even with that nerf, since the ranger was hit by two bursts she was going to die instantly, so the 2d8 damage per lizard was nerfed to 1d8. The ranger went down anyway, but at least wasn't instantly dead.

With lethal shock nerfed and spent, the rest of the fight was pretty dull, mostly because I forgot to use the cheshire fade power so my lizards never pulled back when damaged like they were supposed to. I think I'll make that one "when bloodied" so there's no question of when to use it. I'm also changing the plain lizards from lurkers to soldiers since they no longer have a big boom attack and their job will be to shield the artillery lightning lizards.

Updated stat blocks:

- Level 1 Soldier
- Laughing Lambchop Lizard
- Small natural magical beast
- XP 100
- Initiative +5
- Senses Perception +1
- HP 29; Bloodied 14
- AC 17; Fortitude 12, Reflex 14, Will 12
- Immunities Resist 10 lightning
- Speed 7, climb 5
- Bite (standard; at-will)
- +6 vs. AC; 1d10 damage.
- Sideburn Flare (move; at-will) • Fear
- +4 vs. Will; the target is immobilized until the end of the laughing lambchop lizard's next turn.
- Annoy the Weak
- The laughing lambchop lizard possesses the cat's abnormal talent for finding out who, in a group, will be most annoyed by its presence and targeting that person. The DM should feel free to use all available knowledge of the party members' weaknesses and defense numbers to decide who will be most vulnerable to its attacks, and attack that PC.
- Cheshire Fade (free, when first bloodied; encounter)
- The laughing lambchop lizard disappears except for its grin, shifts 4 squares and turns invisible until it attacks or until the end of its next turn.
- Align. Unaligned
- Lang. Common
- Skills Stealth +8
- Str 10 (0)
- Dex 16 (+3)
- Wis 13 (+1)
- Con 13 (+1)
- Int 7 (--2)
- Cha 12 (+1)
- Equipment ---
- Tactics A laughing lambchop lizard will seek out enemies with low Will defenses and exploit their vulnerability to sideburn flare.
  Source Weekly What the Heck
- Created with DungeonMastering.com's DM Tools

- Level 2 Artillery
- Laughing Lambchop Lizard ... of Lightning
- Small natural magical beast
- XP 125
- Initiative +4
- Senses Perception +3
- HP 32; Bloodied 16
- AC 14; Fortitude 14, Reflex 15, Will 14
- Immunities Resist 10 lightning
- Speed 7, climb 5
- Bite (standard; at-will)
- +9 vs. AC; 1d10 damage.
- Sideburn Flare (move; at-will) • Fear
- +6 vs. Will; the target is immobilized (save ends).
- Directed Shock (standard; at-will) • Lightning
- Ranged 10; +8 vs. Fortitude; 2d6 + 3 lightning damage.
- Lethal Shock (standard; recharge 6) • Lightning
- Close burst 5; laughing lambchop lizards are immune; +1 (+1 for each other laughing lambchop lizard ... of lightning in the burst) vs. Reflex; 1d8 lightning damage (+1d8 for each other laughing lambchop lizard ... of lightning in the burst).
- Annoy the Weak (standard; at-will)
- The laughing lambchop lizard possesses the cat's abnormal talent for finding out who, in a group, will be most annoyed by its presence and targeting that person. The DM should feel free to use all available knowledge of the party members' weaknesses and defense numbers to decide who will be most vulnerable to its attacks, and attack that PC.
- Cheshire Fade (free, when first bloodied; encounter)
- The laughing lambchop lizard disappears except for its grin, shifts 4 squares and turns invisible until it attacks or until the end of its next turn.
- Align. Unaligned
- Lang. Common
- Skills Stealth +8
- Str 10 (+1)
- Dex 17 (+4)
- Wis 14 (+3)
- Con 14 (+3)
- Int 7 (--1)
- Cha 12 (+2)
- Equipment ---
- Tactics A laughing lambchop lizard ... of lightning will target enemies with low Fortitude defenses with directed shock. If forced into close combat it uses the same tactics as a laughing lambchop lizard.
  Source Weekly What the Heck
- Created with DungeonMastering.com's DM Tools

Testing Out the Doppelganger Freak

2009-08-14T17:00:00.004-05:00

During hiatus I'm revisiting the WWtH monsters and trying them out in actual 4e combat encounters. We tested out the beelion earlier in the week. I ran another encounter Wednesday evening. The party is still:
A goliath warden
A gnome bard
A longtooth shifter ranger
A deva invoker

We got through one encounter again: this time the sample encounter for the doppelganger freak. Again, the map was Dwarven Outpost from the Miniatures Game Starter Set. This time the monsters were scattered around on the far side of the water from the PCs.

This starting position was an abject tactical fail for the monsters. Even though they won initiative, only two of the monsters had any ranged attacks, and they started too far away for even those guys to get a good shot without moving closer. The only advantage the monsters had was that since they were spread out the invoker couldn't mow down all the minions in one blast, but that really didn't matter since the minions came trickling in one or two at a time anyway as their initial position allowed.

The goblins managed to nickel and dime the ranger down by concentrating their ranged attacks on her, but the bard got her right back up. By the time the doppelganger even got near the fight it was basically over. The doppelganger tried to daze the ranger with confusing shapeshift but only got its minion ally and spoiled his ability to flank. The doppelganger also missed its sole good shot at a sneak attack due to a well-timed blades of astral fire from the invoker. After that it got pulled into a flank by the warden and beaten like a red-headed stepchild.

As a fight, this gave the party a chance to kick some ass and take some names, and after the tough beelion battle I think they appreciated that. As a playtest for the doppelganger, it wasn't worth much. I'll probably have to throw another doppelganger encounter at them in closer quarters and with more freaks to get a good test.

Weekly What the Heck Monsters - Now With Playtesting!

2009-08-13T17:00:00.004-05:00

I thought during hiatus would be a good time to revisit the WWtH monsters and try them out in actual 4e combat encounters. I've used a few of them before, but probably less than half a dozen out of the over 40 the feature has generated.

So Monday evening the girls whipped up a four-PC party covering the four 4e roles and all four power sources. They brought to the table:
A goliath warden
A gnome bard
A longtooth shifter ranger
A deva invoker

We got through one encounter: the sample encounter I whipped up for the beelion (3 kobold skirmishers and a beelion). The map was Dwarven Outpost from the Miniatures Game Starter Set, with the fight concentrated around one of the corner start areas as the bad guys came at them from ambush. The bad guys won initiative and used all their shifting abilities (the kobolds' shifty and the mounted beelion's guided frenzy) to surround the party and get some hits in on the softer targets (the bard and the ranger).

The gnome used fade away to get clear and the invoker slowly backed off as the warden marked almost all the enemies on the field and pulled the mounted kobold off the beelion. The beelion used lion's frenzy to get another hit on the ranger even while marked. The warden soon managed to mark all four enemies at once and got hit by all four for lots of sneak attack damage for her trouble. Impressively, she was still standing. After that round the PCs' attacks started taking a toll and kobolds started to drop. Unfortunately, the beelion's alluring gaze dazed the warden, leaving her unable to get out of the blast area of the invoker's next attack, and that coupled with more hits from the kobolds managed to take the warden down. After the warden had failed one death save, the last kobold (4 hp left) mounted the beelion (11 hp) and they flew away.

I need to make two small tweaks to the beelion. The alluring gaze is way too powerful to be at-will. I'll make it recharge 5 or 6 and drop the attack bonus by 1. Since I don't want two recharge powers on one monster, and lion's frenzy is only useful in specific circumstances anyway (next to 3 or more foes) I'll make that one at-will. The updated stat block is below:

- Level 1 Elite Skirmisher
- Beelion
- Medium natural magical beast (mount)
- XP 200
- Initiative +5
- Senses Perception +1
- HP 62; Bloodied 31
- AC 17; Fortitude 16, Reflex 16, Will 13
- Saving throws+2
- Speed 6, fly 8
- Action points1
- Bite (standard; at-will)
- +6 vs. AC; 2d6 + 1 damage.
- Bee's Frenzy (standard; at-will)
- The beelion makes two bite attacks.
- Alluring Gaze (minor 1/round; recharge 5 6) • Gaze, Psychic
- Close blast 3; targets enemies; +1 vs. Will; the target is pulled 1 square and dazed until the end of the beelion’s next turn.
- Lion's Frenzy (standard; at-will)
- Close burst 1; targets enemies; +6 vs. AC; 2d6 + 1 damage.
- Guided Frenzy (while mounted by a friendly rider of 1st level or higher; at-will) • Mount
- A beelion with a rider may shift 2 squares between bite attacks when using bee's frenzy.
- Align. Evil
- Lang. Common
- Skills
- Str 13 (+1)
- Dex 16 (+3)
- Wis 13 (+1)
- Con 15 (+2)
- Int 6 (--2)
- Cha 8 (--1)
- Equipment ---
- Tactics A beelion prefers to begin a fight in the air, choosing a landing spot that gives it a positional advantage. It tries to stay in a flanking position with its allies while surrounding itself with enemies to target with its lion's frenzy.
  Source Weekly What the Heck
- Created with DungeonMastering.com's DM Tools

Two other things I took away from this fight:
1) Goliath wardens can soak sick amounts of damage.
2) Maxed-Cha bards make clerics and warlords look like healing amateurs.

Jeffs Phrase of the Day

2009-08-12T14:50:00.004-05:00

This is a response to Jeff Rients phrase of the day on Jeffs Gameblog on August 6. Here are some "supplementary amounts of wild ass"...
- ChaoticBlackSheep

The Weekly What the Heck: An Updated Overview

2009-07-26T17:00:00.005-05:00

Since I'm on hiatus, this seems like a good time to update the master Weekly What the Heck monster list.

Here's the updated level/role breakdown of all the monsters. The names that are links link to the original post on this site. The level/role links link to the reformatted stat card at tools.dungeonmastering.com (free login required) for easy printing. My plan is to update this post as often as I can until all the monsters have been put in Yax's database and all the names and levels/roles are links:

Laughing Lambchop Lizard		Level 1 Lurker
Eye Mite Midge		Level 1 Minion
Saeggan Genesis		Level 1 Soldier
Beelion		Level 1 Elite Skirmisher
Doppelganger Freak		Level 1 Skirmisher

Laughing Lambchop Lizard ... of Lightning		Level 2 Artillery
Pixie of the Styx		Level 2 Elite Artillery
Emo Monkey		Level 2 Controller
Saber-Tooth Lycotaur		Level 2 Controller
Pixie Trickster		Level 2 Lurker
Ridgeback Loper		Level 2 Skirmisher
Archaic Gastropod		Level 2 Soldier

Trimandibular Praying Mantelope		Level 3 Brute
Saeggan Dreamcaster		Level 3 Controller
Scorpire Vampion		Level 3 Controller
Scorpire Scuttler		Level 3 Lurker
Sapient Sloth Commoner		Level 3 Minion
Nutrition Bulb		Level 3 Minion

Xenomoeba Larva		Level 4 Brute
Goth Emo Monkey		Level 4 Controller
Pyrosphynx Cub		Level 4 Lurker
Spore Bulb		Level 4 Minion
Student of the Path		Level 4 Skirmisher
Undead Chicken		Level 4 Skirmisher

Turkatrice		Level 5 Brute
Wallowing Merhog		Level 5 Elite Brute
Wraithpunzel		Level 5 Lurker

Dire Orcish Knucklewalker		Level 6 Brute
Emo Ghoul		Level 6 Brute
Ridgeback War Machine		Level 6 Brute
Greholdusa		Level 6 Controller
Orcish Knucklewalker Swarm		Level 6 Skirmisher
Merdragoblinborn Ecclesiastic		Level 6 Soldier

Necrotic Xenomoeba		Level 7 Elite Brute
Ravenous Pelicgizard		Level 7 Brute
Monkicore		Level 7 Controller
Scorpire Viscount		Level 7 Lurker (L)
Jamuzavdu (Speed Demon)		Level 7 Skirmisher

Pyrosphynx Sun Lion		Level 8 Brute
Stumper		Level 8 Controller
Sextuple-Finned Hammerhead Fish		Level 8 Lurker
Merdragoblinborn Follower		Level 8 Minion
Were Saber-Tooth Lycotaur		Level 8 Skirmisher

Fireblooded Monkicore		Level 9 Artillery
Merdragoblinborn Schoolmaster		Level 9 Controller (L)
Snake Mahjicocl Soloist		Level 9 Controller
Christmas Treant Shrub		Level 9 Lurker

Cycloptic Elephantaur Gawker		Level 10 Artillery
Treefling Leafwielder		Level 10 Artillery
Conflagrating Pelicgizard		Level 10 Controller
Aquatic Wraithpunzel		Level 10 Lurker
Shellsong Siren		Level 10 Lurker

Green Toothnip		Level 11 Lurker

Embryomace		Level 12 Artillery
Cycloptic Elephantaur Trumpeter		Level 12 Controller
Piscean Tempest		Level 12 Skirmisher
Quizacoatl Contestant		Level 12 Skirmisher
Greholdusa Scourge		Level 12 Soldier
Merhog Steed		Level 12 Soldier

Christmas Treant Bush		Level 13 Controller
Snaketongue Rampant		Level 13 Minion
Snaketongue Restrainer		Level 13 Minion

Firebred Pyrosphynx		Level 14 Artillery
Chanavan Serpent		Level 14 Solo Brute
Piscean Evolutionary		Level 14 Controller
Snake Mahjicocl Principal		Level 14 Skirmisher
Yuan-ti Rampant		Level 14 Skirmisher
Yuan-ti Restrainer		Level 14 Soldier

Demodracosauralisk		Level 15 Elite Artillery
Hemi-Demodracosauralisk		Level 15 Artillery
Abolderithicus Starme		Level 15 Controller
Quizacoatl Host		Level 15 Controller
Treefling Leafmaster		Level 15 Controller

Eye Mite Berserker		Level 16 Brute
Frieghboranean Slimemaster		Level 16 Controller
Frieghboranean Tempest		Level 16 Elite Skirmisher
Squiglet Caretaker		Level 16 Soldier

Sextuple-Finned Scintillating Hammerhead Fish		Level 17 Controller
Ripe Toothnip		Level 17 Soldier

Kruthiguid		Level 18 Elite Brute
Eye Mite Mindraper		Level 18 Controller
Abolderithicus Staryu		Level 18 Minion

Abolderithicus Wistar		Level 19 Artillery

Triclops Manipulator		Level 20 Soldier

Aspect of the Ultimate Dungeon Master		Level 26 Elite Controller

Ultimate Dungeon Master		Level 35 Solo Brute

And here's the updated list of all the commenters and how many times each has contributed.

Name	Comments
Ripper	21
Scott	15
ReverendMike	12
greywulf	10
Gomez	8
Jeff	7
wyattsalazar	7
benpop	5
ChaoticBlackSheep	3
jermwar	3
dicemonkey	2
DoctorCheckmate	2
joeskythedungeonbrawler	2
mthomas768	2
RPGIke	2
AlexSchroeder	1
Ameron	1
Anonymous	1
Bartoneus	1
BenPop	1
d7	1
DawnRaven	1
Donny_the_Dm	1
FatAlibert	1
icosahedron	1
JeffRients	1
Jerm	1
Ravyn	1
rcarbol	1
Rekres	1
TheRecursionKing	1
thievescant	1
Viriatha	1
Will	1
Wyatt	1

I only had to add one new name for the past two months, which doesn't give me a warm fuzzy feeling.

Weekly What the Heck - Hiatus

2009-07-25T10:00:00.002-05:00

I got no comments on last week's What the Heck, and it's been over a month since I got more than two (but props to Scott and Ripper for hanging in there with me). I'm going on hiatus for a while. If everything goes according to plan there will still be WWtH-related content popping up on the blog from time to time, and I might finally get around to updating the master list of WWtH monsters and moving/converting all the stat blocks to the dungeonmastering tools site/format.

I've felt like a fraud keeping it going as long as I have, actually. I haven't DMed a game in almost six months and have played once in the past four months. The good news is, that might change today. We'll see.

Why, that's a Doppelganger Freak!

2009-07-18T19:00:00.001-05:00

There was only one comment on last week's What the Heck, but I really didn't expect a barefoot dude in a wig and miniskirt to really generate much interest anyway. Now an angry plant, on the other hand...

I'd like to thank Ripper for his ideas, which have been mashed together with some brainstorming by me and the missus to create:

Doppelganger Freak
Sometimes a doppelganger just.... fails.

Level 1 Skirmisher
Doppelganger Freak
XP 100
Medium natural humanoid (shapechanger)
Initiative +5 Senses Perception +0
HP 29; Bloodied 14
AC 15; Fortitude 13, Reflex 15, Will 13
Speed 6
mShort Sword (standard; at-will) * Weapon
+6 vs. AC; 1d6 + 3 damage.
MConfusing Shift (move; at-will)
The doppelganger freak shifts 2 squares then makes a melee attack; +4 vs. Will; the doppelganger freak gains combat advantage against the target until the end of the doppelganger’s next turn.
CConfusing Shapeshift (minor; recharge 6)
Close burst 2; +1 vs. Will; the target is dazed until the end of the doppelganger’s next turn.
Combat Advantage
The doppelganger freak deals an extra 1d6 damage against any target it has combat advantage against.
Alignment Unaligned Languages Common
Skills Insight +8
Str 11 (+0) Dex 16 (+3) Wis 11 (+0)
Con 13 (+1) Int 10 (+0) Cha 13 (+1)

Doppelganger Freak Tactics
A doppelganger freak moves among its enemies, using its confusing shapeshift to daze as many as possible if it gets surrounded.

Doppelganger Freak Lore
A character knows the following information with a successful Nature check.
DC 17: Occasionally a doppelganger will lose control over its shapeshifting abilities, like a human with a degenerative disease losing motor skills. These doppelganger freaks change shape constantly and randomly.

Encounter Groups
Doppelganger freaks are often found aiding lower humanoids like goblins that will hang out with anybody.

Level 1 Encounter (XP 500)
* 1 doppelganger freak (level 1 skirmisher)
* 2 goblin warriors (level 1 skirmisher)
* 1 goblin blackblade (level 1 lurker)
* 4 goblin cutters (level 1 minion)

Creative DMs can probably have a lot of fun with this one describing its random changes in shape from round to round...

Weekly What the Heck

2009-07-18T10:00:00.001-05:00

Welcome to the thirty-eighth installment of my regular feature here at the Near TPK. With continuing apologies to one of my favorite blogs, the Daily WTF, I present... The Weekly What The Heck.

Each Saturday at 10 AM Central Time I'll post one of Jen's drawings of some kind of whacked-out creature, and ask my readers: "What the heck IS that?"

I hope my readers will approach the challenge in the spirit of "Yes, and ..." - building on previous responses so everyone's ideas can be used in the final writeup. Comments are now closed on last week's entry, and I hope to have the final writeup posted tonight. Comments will be accepted on this week's entry until I post next week's entry.

So... What the heck is that? What should it do? Why does it look so irritated?

Charles G. Wilbur (the "Proprietor") does not claim ownership of information, data, text, comments, graphics, messages or other materials ("Content") you submit or make available for inclusion on The Art of the Near TPK (the "Service"). However, with respect to Content you submit or make available for inclusion on the Service, including without limitation comments you post to the Service, you grant the Proprietor world-wide, perpetual, irrevocable, royalty free, non-exclusive, fully sub-licensable license(s) to use, distribute, reproduce, modify, adapt, publish, translate, publicly perform and publicly display such Content (in whole or in part) and to incorporate such Content into other works in any format or medium now known or later developed.

Why, that's an Embryomace!

2009-07-11T19:00:00.003-05:00

The final comments are in from last week's "Weekly What the Heck". The result is the embryomace, a sentry/guardian sort of critter.

I'd like to thank Ripper and Scott (with special thanks to Ripper for the inspiration for the name) for their ideas, all of which have been mashed together to create:

Embryomace
An embryomace looks like a combination of a bee and a lobster, with a vaguely human face. Its innocent face lures enemies into range of its deadly bite.

Level 12 Artillery
Embryomace
XP 700
Medium elemental beast
Initiative +12 Senses Perception +8
HP 97; Bloodied 48
AC 24; Fortitude 24, Reflex 27, Will 23
Speed 4, fly 8
mBite (standard; at-will)
+19 vs. AC; 1d8 + 4 damage.
REye Ray (standard; at-will) * Necrotic, plus see text
Requires orb. The embryomace possesses one of the eye ray powers in the list below as long as it is holding one of its orbs. An embryomace adjacent to its nest can swap orbs as a move action, thus changing which power it has. Getting an embryomace to drop its orb requires a melee Str attack against its Reflex.
1-Fire Ray (Fire): Ranged 10; +17 vs. Reflex; 1d6 + 6 fire damage, 1d6 necrotic damage, and the target takes ongoing 5 fire damage (save ends).
2-Cold Ray (Cold): Ranged 10; +17 vs. Reflex; 2d6 + 6 cold damage, 1d6 necrotic damage, and the target is slowed (save ends).
3-Electric Ray (Lightning): Ranged 10; +17 vs. Reflex; 1d6 + 6 lightning damage, 1d6 necrotic damage, and the embryomace makes a secondary attack against two targets within 5 squares of the target. Secondary Attack: +15 vs. Reflex; 1d6 + 6 lightning damage.
CEye Blast (standard, usable only while bloodied; recharge 6) * Fire, Cold, Lightning, Necrotic
Close blast 5; +12 vs. Reflex; 1d10 each of fire, cold, lightning and necrotic damage.
Alignment Unaligned Languages -
Str 19 (+10) Dex 22 (+12) Wis 14 (+8)
Con 19 (+10) Int 2 (+2) Cha 19 (+10)

Embryomace Tactics
An embryomace prefers to stay by its nest. It switches orbs randomly after hitting once or twice with its eye blast or eye rays.

Embryomace Lore
A character knows the following information with a successful Nature check.
DC 15: Embryomaces are generally harmless unless encountered guarding a nest of their orbs.
DC 20: A nest of orbs will typically have a variety of elemental types - the embryomace can switch between orbs. Its attacks pull some of the victim's life force into the orb, and the creature tends to switch orbs often to pull some life force into each of them.

Encounter Groups
Powerful wizards sometimes abduct embryomaces and their nests. They then place the nests where they want something guarded, surrounded by constructs and/or undead that the beast will ignore.

Level 12 Encounter (XP 3,500)
* 1 embryomace (level 12 artillery)
* 1 shield guardian (level 14 soldier)
* 2 skeletal tomb guardians (level 10 brute)
* 1 helmed horror (level 13 soldier)

The idea, in case it's not clear, is that the orbs are eggs and once enough life force has been pulled into them they hatch into baby embryomaces...

Weekly What the Heck

2009-07-11T10:00:00.001-05:00

Welcome to the thirty-seventh installment of my regular feature here at the Near TPK. With continuing apologies to one of my favorite blogs, the Daily WTF, I present... The Weekly What The Heck.

Each Saturday at 10 AM Central Time I'll post one of Jen's drawings of some kind of whacked-out creature, and ask my readers: "What the heck IS that?"

I hope my readers will approach the challenge in the spirit of "Yes, and ..." - building on previous responses so everyone's ideas can be used in the final writeup. Comments are now closed on last week's entry, and I hope to have the final writeup posted tonight. Comments will be accepted on this week's entry until I post next week's entry.

So... What the heck is that? What should it do? Can anything wearing a cheerleader skirt really be that fearsome?

Charles G. Wilbur (the "Proprietor") does not claim ownership of information, data, text, comments, graphics, messages or other materials ("Content") you submit or make available for inclusion on The Art of the Near TPK (the "Service"). However, with respect to Content you submit or make available for inclusion on the Service, including without limitation comments you post to the Service, you grant the Proprietor world-wide, perpetual, irrevocable, royalty free, non-exclusive, fully sub-licensable license(s) to use, distribute, reproduce, modify, adapt, publish, translate, publicly perform and publicly display such Content (in whole or in part) and to incorporate such Content into other works in any format or medium now known or later developed.

A Real Life "Dungeon"

2009-07-07T17:00:00.004-05:00

Last week I happened to take a trip to an old lead mine an hour south of St. Louis. I've been in a few natural tourist caverns and used them for D&D inspiration, but the mine was a whole different ballgame. I would encourage any midwestern DMs to find the time to take a trip to the Bonne Terre Mine. At least take the walking tour. If you're planning on running any adventures involving aboleths, kuo-toa or other underground aquatic horrors, take the boat tour (which includes the walking tour). Picture a giant aquatic monstrosity bursting out of the waters at the bottom of this deep, dark, dank pit and get a feeling for just how doomed you'd be.

This was the closest thing I've ever seen to a standard D&D dungeon. Granted, there were no 10' x 10' rooms with red dragons in them, but what surprised me was the opposite extreme. All the rooms were huge, and there were no natural caverns. Everything had been dug out over nearly a century by men, mules and machines. The tour guide said this was a "room and pillar" style mine dug completely from solid rock. It was astounding how much space had been carved out. Any dragon would have felt right at home in this place. It even had distinct levels (five of 'em). They have a slide show. The second image will give you a sense of the scale.

According to the guides, the mine extends out over about a 3 mile by 3 mile area. Suddenly the huge cities of the D&D underdark don't seem so far fetched. And the whole structure of the place, with gigantic stone pillars holding up the ceilings of these gargantuan rooms, reminded me of the mines of Moria in the Fellowship of the Ring movie. I'd always thought that place looked way too big to be true, but there I was standing somewhere that looked awfully similar.

Highly recommended as a field trip. Take your whole group and let them get a feel for crawling the underdark in real life. If you and/or your group are exceedingly crazy, you can sign up to go scuba diving in the mine.

Why, that's a Greholdusa!

2009-07-04T19:00:00.006-05:00

I only got one comment on last week's "Weekly What the Heck", but it inspired me so I'm going to run with it. The result is the greholdusa, the offspring of... well, probably best not to think about it too hard.

I'd like to thank Scott for his ideas (and the name), which have been mashed together with a couple of my own to create:

Greholdusa
A greholdusa looks like the offspring of a grell, a beholder, and a medusa. It's probably as confused as you are.

Level 6 Controller
Greholdusa
XP 250
Medium aberrant magical beast
Initiative +7 Senses Perception +6; darkvision
HP 72; Bloodied 36
AC 20; Fortitude 18, Reflex 19, Will 19
Immune petrification
Speed 1 (clumsy), fly 6 (hover)
mTentacle Bite (standard; at-will) * Poison
+11 vs. AC; 1d6 + 2 damage, and the greholdusa makes a secondary attack against the same target. Secondary Attack: +8 vs. Fortitude; the target is slowed (save ends). First Failed Save: The target is immobilized instead of slowed (save ends). Second Failed Save: The target is petrified (no save).
MTentacle Grab (standard; at-will)
+10 vs. Fortitude; 1d6 + 2 damage, and the target is grabbed. The greholdusa can grab only one creature at a time.
MVicious Bite (minor 1/round; at-will) * Poison
Grabbed target only; +11 vs. AC; 1d10 + 2 damage, and the greholdusa makes a secondary attack against the same target. Secondary Attack: +10 vs. Fortitude; the target is slowed (save ends). First Failed Save: The target is immobilized instead of slowed (save ends). Second Failed Save: The target is petrified (no save).
RCentral Eye (minor; at-will)
Ranged 5; +10 vs. Will; the target is dazed until the end of the greholdusa’s next turn.
Alignment Evil Languages Deep Speech
Skills Stealth +12
Str 14 (+5) Dex 18 (+7) Wis 16 (+6)
Con 16 (+6) Int 14 (+5) Cha 19 (+7)

Greholdusa Tactics
A greholdusa grabs one target at a time, releasing them once it uses vicious bite on them, and then repeats on a different target.

Level 12 Soldier
Greholdusa Scourge
XP 700
Medium aberrant magical beast
Initiative +13 Senses Perception +10; darkvision
HP 123; Bloodied 61
AC 28; Fortitude 24, Reflex 25, Will 26
Immune petrification
Speed 1 (clumsy), fly 6 (hover)
mTentacle Bite (standard; at-will) * Poison
+19 vs. AC; 1d8 + 3 damage, and the greholdusa makes a secondary attack against the same target. Secondary Attack: +15 vs. Fortitude; the target is slowed (save ends). First Failed Save: The target is immobilized instead of slowed (save ends). Second Failed Save: The target is petrified (no save).
MTentacle Grab (standard; at-will)
+17 vs. Fortitude; 1d8 + 3 damage, and the target is grabbed. The greholdusa can grab only one creature at a time.
MVicious Bite (minor 1/round; at-will) * Poison
Grabbed target only; +19 vs. AC; 2d6 + 3 damage, and the greholdusa makes a secondary attack against the same target. Secondary Attack: +17 vs. Fortitude; the target is slowed (save ends). First Failed Save: The target is immobilized instead of slowed (save ends). Second Failed Save: The target is petrified (no save).
RCentral Eye (minor; at-will)
Ranged 5; +17 vs. Will; the target is slowed until the end of the greholdusa’s next turn. If the target is hit by the secondary attack of either of the greholdusa scourge’s bite attacks while slowed, it is immobilized instead of slowed and considered to have failed its first save.
Alignment Evil Languages Deep Speech
Skills Stealth +16
Str 16 (+9) Dex 21 (+11) Wis 18 (+10)
Con 19 (+10) Int 16 (+9) Cha 22 (+12)

Greholdusa Scourge Tactics
A greholdusa scourge uses central eye and then tentacle grab on one target at a time, releasing them once it uses vicious bite, and then repeats on a different target.

Greholdusa Lore
A character knows the following information with a successful Dungeoneering check.
DC 15: Greholdusae are horrific creatures that combine the eye rays of a beholder, the grasping tentacles of a grell and the petrifying power of a medusa.
DC 20: The eye ray of a greholdusa scourge begins the petrification process and the poisonous bite finishes the job.

Encounter Groups
Greholdusae bring together the three creature types they're related to, spawning horrifically evil plots.
Level 7 Encounter (XP 1,500)
* 2 greholdusae (level 6 controller)
* 1 grell (level 7 elite soldier)
* 1 beholder gauth (level 5 elite artillery)
Level 13 Encounter (XP 4,200)
* 2 greholdusa scourges (level 12 soldier)
* 1 medusa warrior (level 13 elite soldier)
* 1 grell philosopher (level 11 elite controller)

It would sure be nice to get more than one comment on this week's What the Heck (hint hint).

Weekly What the Heck

2009-07-04T10:00:00.002-05:00

Welcome to the thirty-sixth installment of my regular feature here at the Near TPK. With continuing apologies to one of my favorite blogs, the Daily WTF, I present... The Weekly What The Heck.

Each Saturday at 10 AM Central Time I'll post one of Jen's drawings of some kind of whacked-out creature, and ask my readers: "What the heck IS that?"

I hope my readers will approach the challenge in the spirit of "Yes, and ..." - building on previous responses so everyone's ideas can be used in the final writeup. Comments are now closed on last week's entry, and I hope to have the final writeup posted tonight. Comments will be accepted on this week's entry until I post next week's entry.

So... What the heck is that? What should it do? Can it fly or just hop really well?

Charles G. Wilbur (the "Proprietor") does not claim ownership of information, data, text, comments, graphics, messages or other materials ("Content") you submit or make available for inclusion on The Art of the Near TPK (the "Service"). However, with respect to Content you submit or make available for inclusion on the Service, including without limitation comments you post to the Service, you grant the Proprietor world-wide, perpetual, irrevocable, royalty free, non-exclusive, fully sub-licensable license(s) to use, distribute, reproduce, modify, adapt, publish, translate, publicly perform and publicly display such Content (in whole or in part) and to incorporate such Content into other works in any format or medium now known or later developed.

Why, that's a Stumper!

2009-06-27T19:00:00.001-05:00

There was only one comment on the "Weekly What the Heck" from two weeks ago, even after I extended it. I'm going to call it done and write something up. Hopefully this morning's illustration will fire more imaginations than the poor mustached squirrel guy did.

I'd like to thank Ripper for his ideas, which have been mashed together with some brainstorming by me and the missus to create:

Stumper
These curious fey creatures befuddle travelers with their strange ramblings and enjoy watching their confusion.

Level 8 Controller
Stumper
XP 350
Small fey magical beast
Initiative +9 Senses Perception +5; low-light vision
HP 89; Bloodied 44
AC 22; Fortitude 19, Reflex 21, Will 19
Speed 6, climb 6
mSpur Kick (standard; at-will)
+13 vs. AC; 2d6 + 2 damage.
MKick to the Jimmy (standard; encounter)
+12 vs. Fortitude; 3d10 + 5 damage and the target is dazed (save ends). Male humanoid targets are stunned instead of dazed.
CStumping Drawl (free, once on its turn before it takes other actions; at-will) * Psychic
Close burst 3; deafened creatures are immune; +9 vs. Will; the target is dazed until the end of the stumper’s next turn.
Alignment Unaligned Languages Elven
Skills Athletics +11, Arcana +14, Stealth +14
Str 15 (+6) Dex 20 (+9) Wis 13 (+5)
Con 17 (+7) Int 20 (+9) Cha 17 (+7)

Stumper Tactics
A stumper moves among its enemies, hoping to daze as many as possible with its stumping drawl.

Stumper Lore
A character knows the following information with a successful Arcana check.
DC 15: Stumpers enjoy sowing confusion in mortals unfortunate enough to cross their paths.

Encounter Groups
Stumpers are often found near other fey beasts.

Level 9 Encounter (XP 1,900)
* 2 stumpers (level 8 controller)
* 3 displacer beasts (level 9 skirmisher)

No really, Ripper's comment is in there - Wild West and cowboy boots became the drawl and the spurs.

Weekly What the Heck

2009-06-27T10:00:00.002-05:00

Welcome to the thirty-fifth installment of my regular feature here at the Near TPK. With continuing apologies to one of my favorite blogs, the Daily WTF, I present... The Weekly What The Heck.

Each Saturday at 10 AM Central Time I'll post one of Jen's drawings of some kind of whacked-out creature, and ask my readers: "What the heck IS that?"

I hope my readers will approach the challenge in the spirit of "Yes, and ..." - building on previous responses so everyone's ideas can be used in the final writeup. Comments are now closed on last week's entry, and I hope to have the final writeup posted tonight. Comments will be accepted on this week's entry until I post next week's entry.

So... What the heck is that? What should it do? How does it decide whether to grab you with pincers or tentacles?

Charles G. Wilbur (the "Proprietor") does not claim ownership of information, data, text, comments, graphics, messages or other materials ("Content") you submit or make available for inclusion on The Art of the Near TPK (the "Service"). However, with respect to Content you submit or make available for inclusion on the Service, including without limitation comments you post to the Service, you grant the Proprietor world-wide, perpetual, irrevocable, royalty free, non-exclusive, fully sub-licensable license(s) to use, distribute, reproduce, modify, adapt, publish, translate, publicly perform and publicly display such Content (in whole or in part) and to incorporate such Content into other works in any format or medium now known or later developed.

Why, that's still a Yuan-ti Rampant! Kind of...

2009-06-20T10:00:00.004-05:00

There's only one comment so far on last week's "Weekly What the Heck", so I'm leaving it up for another week to see if I can get any more. Since last week's monster seemed pretty popular, and I got a great suggestion for a variant, I'm going to stat that up instead for this week.

I'd like to thank Ripper and ChaoticBlackSheep for the idea:

Yuan-ti Restrainer
A yuan-ti restrainer is created by a ritual known to the yuan-ti malisons. It is usually performed on snaketongue cultists, implanting the restrainer seed in them which gestates and eventually hatches into a completely snakelike creature.

Level 13 Minion
Snaketongue Restrainer
XP 200
Medium natural humanoid
Initiative +9 Senses Perception +8
HP 1; a missed attack never damages a minion.
AC 29; Fortitude 25, Reflex 24, Will 23
Speed 6
mBite (standard; at-will)
+19 vs. AC; 6 damage, and the target is grabbed (until escape). The snaketongue restrainer can grab only one creature at a time.
MConstrict (standard; at-will)
Affects a target the snaketongue restrainer has grabbed; +17 vs. Fortitude; 12 damage.
Acid Blood (when reduced to 0 hit points) * Acid
Close burst 1; automatic hit; 6 acid damage, and ongoing 3 acid damage (save ends).
Alignment Chaotic Evil Languages -
Str 19 (+10) Dex 16 (+9) Wis 15 (+8)
Con 16 (+9) Int 10 (+6) Cha 11 (+6)

Snaketongue Restrainer Tactics
Snaketongue restrainers are usually crazed with the pain of the transformation and attack mindlessly.

Level 14 Soldier
Yuan-ti Restrainer
XP 1,000
Medium natural magical beast (blind, reptile)
Initiative +14 Senses Perception +12; blindsight 10
HP 140; Bloodied 70; see also acid blood
AC 30; Fortitude 27, Reflex 26, Will 26
Speed 7, climb 7
mBite (standard; at-will)
+21 vs. AC; 2d6 + 6 damage, and the target is grabbed (until escape). The yuan-ti restrainer can grab only one creature at a time.
MConstrict (standard; at-will)
Affects a target the yuan-ti restrainer has grabbed; +19 vs. Fortitude; 2d8 + 12 damage, and the target is dazed until the end of the yuan-ti restrainer’s next turn.
Acid Blood (when first bloodied; encounter) * Acid
Close burst 1; automatic hit; 3d8 acid damage, and ongoing 10 acid damage (save ends).
Alignment Chaotic Evil Languages -
Str 23 (+13) Dex 20 (+12) Wis 20 (+12)
Con 20 (+12) Int 8 (+6) Cha 8 (+6)

Yuan-ti Restrainer Tactics
A yuan-ti restrainer singles out prey even in the middle of large groups. The restrainer bites its chosen victim, grabs him, and then tries to squeeze him to death in subsequent rounds.

Yuan-ti Restrainer Lore
A character knows the following information with a successful Nature check.
DC 20: A yuan-ti restrainer gestates inside a humanoid, gradually transforming it into a fully reptilian creature. In the final stage of gestation the few remaining vestiges of mammalian tissue are shed violently.
DC 25: The yuan-ti restrainer has acidic blood that burns those who dare to harm it.

Encounter Groups
Yuan-ti encounters usually consist of a mixed group of yuanti malisons, yuan-ti rampants, yuan-ti restrainers, and snaketongue cultists.

Level 12 Encounter (XP 3,500)
* 2 snaketongue restrainers (level 13 minion)
* 2 snaketongue rampants (level 13 minion)
* 1 yuan-ti abomination (level 14 soldier)
* 1 snaketongue celebrant (level 11 controller)
* 4 snaketongue zealots (level 12 minion)
* 1 snaketongue assassin (level 9 lurker)

Level 14 Encounter (XP 5,000)
* 2 yuan-ti restrainers (level 14 soldier)
* 1 yuan-ti rampant (level 14 skirmisher)
* 1 yuan-ti malison sharp-eye (level 13 artillery)
* 3 snaketongue restrainers (level 13 minion)
* 3 snaketongue rampants (level 13 minion)

Yes, I'm being kinda lazy this week. Sue me (or, better, go leave lots of comments on last week's "Weekly What the Heck").

Why, that's a Yuan-Ti Rampant!

2009-06-13T19:00:00.002-05:00

The final comments are in from last week's "Weekly What the Heck". The result is the yuan-ti rampant, a fairly disgusting reptilian thing that gestates inside a humanoid host before bursting out in a whirlwind of acid and nasty pointy teeth.

I'd like to thank Ripper, d7, joeskythedungeonbrawler and Scott (with special thanks to Ripper for the name) for their ideas, all of which have been mashed together to create:

Yuan-ti Rampant
A yuan-ti rampant is created by a ritual known to the yuan-ti malisons. It is usually performed on snaketongue cultists, implanting the rampant seed in them which gestates and eventually hatches into a completely snakelike creature.

Level 13 Minion
Snaketongue Rampant
XP 200
Medium natural humanoid
Initiative +9 Senses Perception +8
HP 1; a missed attack never damages a minion.
AC 27; Fortitude 25, Reflex 24, Will 23
Speed 6
mBite (standard; at-will) * Poison
+18 vs. AC; 6 damage, and the snaketongue rampant makes a secondary attack against the same target. Secondary Attack: +16 vs. Fortitude; ongoing 3 poison damage (save ends).
Acid Blood (when reduced to 0 hit points) * Acid
Close burst 1; automatic hit; 6 acid damage, and ongoing 3 acid damage (save ends).
Alignment Chaotic Evil Languages -
Str 19 (+10) Dex 16 (+9) Wis 15 (+8)
Con 16 (+9) Int 10 (+6) Cha 11 (+6)

Snaketongue Rampant Tactics
Snaketongue rampants are usually crazed with the pain of the transformation and attack mindlessly.

Level 14 Skirmisher
Yuan-ti Rampant
XP 1,000
Medium natural magical beast (blind, reptile)
Initiative +14 Senses Perception +12; blindsight 10
HP 140; Bloodied 70; see also acid blood
AC 28; Fortitude 27, Reflex 26, Will 26
Speed 7, climb 7
mBite (standard; at-will) * Poison
+19 vs. AC; 1d8 + 6 damage, and the yuan-ti rampant makes a secondary attack against the same target. Secondary Attack: +18 vs. Fortitude; 1d10 poison damage, and ongoing 10 poison damage (save ends).
MSpinning Frenzy (standard; at-will)
The yuan-ti rampant shifts up to 4 squares and makes two basic melee attacks.
Acid Blood (when first bloodied; encounter) * Acid
Close burst 1; automatic hit; 3d8 acid damage, and ongoing 10 acid damage (save ends).
Alignment Chaotic Evil Languages -
Str 23 (+13) Dex 20 (+12) Wis 20 (+12)
Con 20 (+12) Int 8 (+6) Cha 8 (+6)

Yuan-ti Rampant Tactics
A yuan-ti rampant whirls around the battlefield with spinning frenzy, changing targets as often as possible to spread its poison damage around. It tries to stay adjacent to multiple enemies at all times so its acid blood will catch as many targets as possible.

Yuan-ti Rampant Lore
A character knows the following information with a successful Nature check.
DC 20: A yuan-ti rampant gestates inside a humanoid, gradually transforming it into a fully reptilian creature. In the final stage of gestation the few remaining vestiges of mammalian tissue are shed violently.
DC 25: The yuan-ti rampant has acidic blood that burns those who dare to harm it.

Encounter Groups
Yuan-ti encounters usually consist of a mixed group of yuanti malisons, yuan-ti rampants, and snaketongue cultists.

Level 12 Encounter (XP 3,500)
* 4 snaketongue rampants (level 13 minion)
* 1 yuan-ti abomination (level 14 soldier)
* 1 snaketongue celebrant (level 11 controller)
* 4 snaketongue zealots (level 12 minion)
* 1 snaketongue assassin (level 9 lurker)

Level 14 Encounter (XP 5,025)
* 2 yuan-ti rampants (level 14 skirmisher)
* 1 yuan-ti abomination (level 14 soldier)
* 1 yuan-ti malison sharp-eye (level 13 artillery)
* 7 snaketongue zealots (level 12 minion)

Is the rampant ritual a blessing or a curse? Depends on the recipient's point of view, I guess...

Weekly What the Heck

2009-06-13T10:00:00.002-05:00

Welcome to the thirty-fourth installment of my regular feature here at the Near TPK. With continuing apologies to one of my favorite blogs, the Daily WTF, I present... The Weekly What The Heck.

Each Saturday at 10 AM Central Time I'll post one of Jen's drawings of some kind of whacked-out creature, and ask my readers: "What the heck IS that?"

I hope my readers will approach the challenge in the spirit of "Yes, and ..." - building on previous responses so everyone's ideas can be used in the final writeup. Comments are now closed on last week's entry, and I hope to have the final writeup posted tonight. Comments will be accepted on this week's entry until I post next week's entry.

So... What the heck is that? What should it do? Which is deadlier, the eyebrows or the moustache?

Charles G. Wilbur (the "Proprietor") does not claim ownership of information, data, text, comments, graphics, messages or other materials ("Content") you submit or make available for inclusion on The Art of the Near TPK (the "Service"). However, with respect to Content you submit or make available for inclusion on the Service, including without limitation comments you post to the Service, you grant the Proprietor world-wide, perpetual, irrevocable, royalty free, non-exclusive, fully sub-licensable license(s) to use, distribute, reproduce, modify, adapt, publish, translate, publicly perform and publicly display such Content (in whole or in part) and to incorporate such Content into other works in any format or medium now known or later developed.

Why, that's a Sextuple-Finned Scintillating Hammerhead Fish!

2009-06-06T19:00:00.003-05:00

The final comments are in from last week's "Weekly What the Heck". The result is the sextuple-finned scintillating hammerhead fish, a creature that swims through the earth and is considered a tasty snack by the bulette.

I'd like to thank Ripper and Scott (with special thanks to Ripper for the name) for their ideas, all of which have been mashed together to create:

Sextuple-Finned Hammerhead Fish
Generally harmless, these elemental earth creatures can become dangerous when frightened by predators, lashing out at anything nearby.

Level 8 Lurker
Sextuple-Finned Hammerhead Fish
XP 350
Medium elemental beast (earth)
Initiative +11 Senses Perception +9; tremorsense 10
HP 71; Bloodied 35
AC 22; Fortitude 19, Reflex 19, Will 21
Speed 2, burrow 8
mSlam (standard; at-will)
+13 vs. AC; 2d6 + 3 damage.
MEarthcrest Charge (standard; at-will)
Before it attacks, the sextuple-finned hammerhead fish can burrow up to its speed and make a running long jump (as a free action) without provoking opportunity attacks; +14 vs. AC; 2d6 + 6 damage.
CEarthshock (standard; recharge 6)
Close burst 2; +11 vs. Fortitude; 1d8 + 5 damage, and the target is pushed 1 square and knocked prone.
Alignment Unaligned Languages -
Skills Athletics +12, Stealth +12
Str 17 (+7) Dex 17 (+7) Wis 20 (+9)
Con 17 (+7) Int 2 (+0) Cha 16 (+7)

Sextuple-Finned Hammerhead Fish Tactics
A sextuple-finned hammerhead fish goaded into battle will flail about madly, using earthshock as often as possible but otherwise leaping from target to target with earthcrest charge.

Level 17 Controller
Sextuple-Finned Scintillating Hammerhead Fish
XP 1,600
Medium elemental beast (earth)
Initiative +13 Senses Perception +15; tremorsense 10
HP 165; Bloodied 82
AC 31; Fortitude 28, Reflex 28, Will 30
Speed 2, burrow 8
mSlam (standard; at-will)
+22 vs. AC; 2d8 + 5 damage.
MEarthcrest Charge (standard; at-will)
Before it attacks, the sextuple-finned hammerhead fish can burrow up to its speed and make a running long jump (as a free action) without provoking opportunity attacks; +23 vs. AC; 2d8 + 8 damage.
CEarthshock (standard; recharge 6)
Close burst 2; +20 vs. Fortitude; 1d10 + 7 damage, and the target is pushed 2 squares and knocked prone.
CScintillating Burst (standard; recharge 5 6) * Radiant
Close burst 3; sextuple-finned scintillating hammerhead fish are immune; +19 vs. Fortitude; 3d8 radiant damage, and the target is dazed (save ends).
Alignment Unaligned Languages -
Skills Athletics +18, Stealth +18
Str 21 (+13) Dex 21 (+13) Wis 24 (+15)
Con 21 (+13) Int 2 (+4) Cha 18 (+12)

Sextuple-Finned Scintillating Hammerhead Fish Tactics
A sextuple-finned scintillating hammerhead fish uses the same tactics as a sextuple-finned hammerhead fish, with the addition of preferring scintillating burst over earthshock when both are available.

Sextuple-Finned Hammerhead Fish Lore
A character knows the following information with a successful Arcana check.
DC 15: The sextuple-finned hammerhead fish "swims" through earth, leaving no tunnel behind, and congregates in schools. Its greatest natural predator is of course the bulette, or "land shark".

Encounter Groups
Sextuple-finned hammerhead fishs are often found in small schools. They are usually only dangerous when fleeing a predator.

Level 9 Encounter (XP 2,200)
* 4 sextuple-finned hammerhead fish (level 8 lurker)
* 1 bulette (level 9 elite skirmisher)

Level 18 Encounter (XP 10,400)
* 4 sextuple-finned scintillating hammerhead fish (level 17 controller)
* 1 dire bulette (level 18 elite skirmisher)

I feel like I should write some kind of "Ecology of the Bulette" post where these guys play a prominent part. Some Steve Irwin-style D&D naturalist is out in the field...
"That rumbling is the approach of the bulette, or land shark. Sounds like a big one, must be quite a beauty. Here she comes, let's see WAIT, WHAT ARE THESE THINGS? AGH, THE LIGHT, IT BURNS!"
Nature check - success. Arcana check - FAIL.

Weekly What the Heck

2009-06-06T10:00:00.002-05:00

Welcome to the thirty-third installment of my regular feature here at the Near TPK. With continuing apologies to one of my favorite blogs, the Daily WTF, I present... The Weekly What The Heck.

Each Saturday at 10 AM Central Time I'll post one of Jen's drawings of some kind of whacked-out creature, and ask my readers: "What the heck IS that?"

I hope my readers will approach the challenge in the spirit of "Yes, and ..." - building on previous responses so everyone's ideas can be used in the final writeup. Comments are now closed on last week's entry, and I hope to have the final writeup posted tonight. Comments will be accepted on this week's entry until I post next week's entry.

So... What the heck is that? What should it do? How does it see?

Charles G. Wilbur (the "Proprietor") does not claim ownership of information, data, text, comments, graphics, messages or other materials ("Content") you submit or make available for inclusion on The Art of the Near TPK (the "Service"). However, with respect to Content you submit or make available for inclusion on the Service, including without limitation comments you post to the Service, you grant the Proprietor world-wide, perpetual, irrevocable, royalty free, non-exclusive, fully sub-licensable license(s) to use, distribute, reproduce, modify, adapt, publish, translate, publicly perform and publicly display such Content (in whole or in part) and to incorporate such Content into other works in any format or medium now known or later developed.

A New Kind of Feat for 4e?

2009-06-04T17:00:00.002-05:00

I had a flash of inspiration the other day that might turn into a whole new class of feats for D&D 4e - power source feats. Rather than being tied to a single race or class, these would be tied to power source. That way multiple classes, including some not yet created, would qualify. I don't think anything quite like this currently exists in either Player's Handbook.

The specific genesis of this particular feat was some general worrying about how effective Kain's Cadre will be against the impending zombie apocalypse (see last paragraph of that link). I was trying to think of ways to amp up the dragonborn cleric so he could really shine against the undead (as a cleric should). I figured one simple way that probably wouldn't break the game would be to somehow add the radiant keyword to his breath weapon. The best way to do that seemed to be with a feat.

Since I was adding something to a breath weapon, dragonborn would be a prerequisite. I thought about making the cleric class a prerequisite but that seemed really restrictive (except to the single character I intended this for, in which case it's not a restriction at all). On the other hand, it didn't seem like a feat the dragonborn rogue should qualify for. Thus, the idea of adding "divine power source" as a prerequisite:

Radiant Breath

Prerequisite: 11th level, dragonborn, divine power source
Benefit: You add the radiant keyword to your breath weapon.

Posted for review and comment. Great idea? Terrible idea? Want to see more? Didn't want to see this one? This feat should be heroic tier? This feat should be epic tier?

Battle Journal of Kain Gaa'zaith - Spider Ambush

2009-06-02T17:00:00.004-05:00

Since my last entry the cadre has had another opportunity to enter battle. This combat more closely resembled the kind of encounter the battle plan was developed for, with some minor exceptions. It was a medium range engagement, but the humanoids possessed some strange abilities and were augmented with bestial companions.

Tactical Analysis - Spider Ambush on the Road

Description
As we approached a deep ravine near the side of the road, three spider-people emerged with two scorpions and a large spider and attacked.

The cadre reacted swiftly, forming a front line while slinging dazing magic at one of the spider-people so Hobb could deal a devastating strike with his throwing dagger. I readied my spear to strike a charging scorpion, but missed and it grabbed the cleric. The spider sailed past the front line with a prodigious leap to attack the wizard.

With the cleric in imminent danger, we focused all attacks on the scorpion and killed it swiftly. Hobb managed to get the spider away from the wizard, but it leapt again and landed on the warlock, knocking him to the ground and biting him fiercely. Meanwhile, the second scorpion raced forward to grab the cleric. I'm not sure why these beasts found him to be such a tempting target. Two of the spider-people surrounded Hobb and dealt him vicious blows with their axes.

Hobb slid clear and shoved one of his foes away from us with a tricky maneuver. The wizard blasted the scorpion off the cleric and hurled it into the cluster of spider-people, then unleashed a larger blast that caught them all in its flashing colors. While they stood dazed, Marun and the cleric broke off to rush to the warlock's aid and killed the troublesome spider. The remaining dazed and wounded hostiles were then easily dealt with.

Analysis
The scorpions were worrisome, but the cadre performed admirably by destroying them before they could inflict serious harm on Calibraxis. The spider was far more troublesome. Its mobility allowed it to strike isolated members of the cadre almost at will until Marun shut it down with her martial skills. In fact, the spider's abilities seemed to play directly into the warlock's weaknesses, allowing it to cause him serious grief. Adincari likes to stay clear of the melee fighting, but that made it difficult to get him aid when the spider leaped upon him.

The spider-people, aside from the two lucky strikes on Hobb, are almost not worth dignifying with a comment, so I will not comment on them.

Addendum
My research into the walking dead continues. They are apparently very vulnerable to damage from bright radiance such as that often called down by divine casters such as the cleric. I hope Calibraxis is up to the challenge.

Why, that's a Beelion!

2009-05-30T19:00:00.003-05:00

The final comments are in from last week's "Weekly What the Heck". The result is the beelion, a sort of miniature manticore.

I'd like to thank greywulf and benpop (with special thanks to benpop for the name) for their ideas, all of which have been mashed together to create:

Beelion
A beelion looks like a combination of a bee and a lobster, with a vaguely human face. Its innocent face lures enemies into range of its deadly bite.

Level 1 Elite Skirmisher
Beelion
XP 200
Medium natural magical beast (mount)
Initiative +5 Senses Perception +1
HP 62; Bloodied 31
AC 17; Fortitude 16, Reflex 16, Will 13
Saving Throws +2
Speed 6, fly 8
Action Points 1
mBite (standard; at-will)
+6 vs. AC; 2d6 + 1 damage.
MBee's Frenzy (standard; at-will)
The beelion makes two bite attacks.
CAlluring Gaze (minor 1/round; at-will) * Gaze, Psychic
Close blast 3; targets enemies; +2 vs. Will; the target is pulled 1 square and dazed until the end of the beelion’s next turn.
CLion's Frenzy (standard; recharge 6)
Close burst 1; targets enemies; +6 vs. AC; 2d6 + 1 damage.
MGuided Frenzy (while mounted by a friendly rider of 1st level or higher; at-will) * Mount
A beelion with a rider may shift 2 squares between bite attacks when using bee's frenzy.
Alignment Evil Languages Common
Str 13 (+1) Dex 16 (+3) Wis 13 (+1)
Con 15 (+2) Int 6 (-2) Cha 8 (-1)

Beelion Tactics
A beelion prefers to begin a fight in the air, choosing a landing spot that gives it a positional advantage. It tries to stay in a flanking position with its allies while surrounding itself with enemies to target with its lion's frenzy.

Beelion Lore
A character knows the following information with a successful Nature check.
DC 15: Beelions are small but evil predators that are often allied with small humanoids.

Encounter Groups
Beelions are almost always encountered serving as mounts for small humanoids such as kobolds and goblins. Kobold skirmishers especially like to take advantage of the beelion's alluring gaze.

Level 1 Encounter (XP 500)
* 1 beelion (level 1 elite skirmisher)
* 3 kobold skirmishers (level 1 skirmisher)

It probably counts as a triumph that I could actually turn the comment "I don't know what it is but I want one" into a power (alluring gaze).

Weekly What the Heck

2009-05-30T10:00:00.001-05:00

Welcome to the thirty-second installment of my regular feature here at the Near TPK. With continuing apologies to one of my favorite blogs, the Daily WTF, I present... The Weekly What The Heck.

Each Saturday at 10 AM Central Time I'll post one of Jen's drawings of some kind of whacked-out creature, and ask my readers: "What the heck IS that?"

I hope my readers will approach the challenge in the spirit of "Yes, and ..." - building on previous responses so everyone's ideas can be used in the final writeup. Comments are now closed on last week's entry, and I hope to have the final writeup posted tonight. Comments will be accepted on this week's entry until I post next week's entry.

So... What the heck is that? What should it do? Why does it have fins and a nose?

Charles G. Wilbur (the "Proprietor") does not claim ownership of information, data, text, comments, graphics, messages or other materials ("Content") you submit or make available for inclusion on The Art of the Near TPK (the "Service"). However, with respect to Content you submit or make available for inclusion on the Service, including without limitation comments you post to the Service, you grant the Proprietor world-wide, perpetual, irrevocable, royalty free, non-exclusive, fully sub-licensable license(s) to use, distribute, reproduce, modify, adapt, publish, translate, publicly perform and publicly display such Content (in whole or in part) and to incorporate such Content into other works in any format or medium now known or later developed.

Why, that's a Nutrition Bulb!

2009-05-23T19:00:00.003-05:00

The final comments are in from last week's "Weekly What the Heck". The result is the nutrition bulb, a small plant that uproots itself and starts sprinting randomly until it bumps into something.

I'd like to thank Ripper and ChaoticBlackSheep (with special thanks to both for names) for their ideas, all of which have been mashed together to create:

Nutrition Bulb
It is said that these rare bulbs only appear to those who are kind hearted and in dire need ... of nutrition.

Level 3 Minion
Nutrition Bulb
XP 37
Small natural animate (blind, plant)
Initiative +4 Senses see hungersense
HP 1; a missed attack never damages a minion.
AC 17; Fortitude 15, Reflex 16, Will 15
Speed 8
MEnthusiastic Trip (standard; at-will)
+5 vs. Reflex; the target is knocked prone.
Delicious And Nutritious * Healing
Any attacker who reduces a nutrition bulb to 0 hit points with a melee attack may regain 3 hit points. If the attack is a critical hit the attacker may instead regain 5 hit points and make a saving throw.
Hungersense
The nutrition bulb always knows which creature in the area has the fewest hit points remaining (as a percentage of their maximum) and will run toward that creature.
Alignment Unaligned Languages -
Str 12 (+2) Dex 17 (+4) Wis 14 (+3)
Con 14 (+3) Int 1 (-4) Cha 12 (+2)

Nutrition Bulb Tactics
Nutrition bulbs sprint around seemingly randomly, but they are actually always running toward the creature that is most wounded.

Level 4 Minion
Spore Bulb
XP 43
Small natural animate (blind, plant)
Initiative +6 Senses see hungersense
HP 1; a missed attack never damages a minion.
AC 18; Fortitude 16, Reflex 17, Will 16
Speed 8
MEnthusiastic Trip (standard; at-will)
+6 vs. Reflex; the target is knocked prone.
MUgh, That Tastes Terrible! (when reduced to 0 hit points) * Disease
+7 vs. Fortitude; the target takes ongoing 2 damage (save ends) and contracts seed-spore phage (see below).
Hungersense
The spore bulb always knows which creature in the area has the fewest hit points remaining (as a percentage of their maximum) and will run toward that creature.
Alignment Unaligned Languages -
Str 13 (+3) Dex 18 (+6) Wis 15 (+4)
Con 15 (+4) Int 1 (-3) Cha 14 (+3)

Spore Bulb Tactics
Spore bulbs use the same tactics as nutrition bulbs.

Nutrition Bulb Lore
A character knows the following information with a successful Nature check.
DC 10: The nutrition bulb is a mobile plant that can quickly restore vitality if killed and eaten.
DC 22: Those unfamiliar with nature and wilderness lore may have a hard time distinguishing between the nutrition bulb and the deadly spore bulb, a similar looking plant that spawns by releasing seed-spores into the body of any unsuspecting creature that has ingested it.

Endurance stable DC 17, improve DC 22

Level 4 Disease

Seed-Spore Phage

The target
is cured.

Initial Effect: Seed-
spores are released
into the target.

< >

The target
regains only half
the normal number
of hit points from
healing effects.

The target dies.

It's handy that I picked up the Monster Manual 2 yesterday. The bullywug croaker's nature's release provided inspiration for delicious and nutritious.

I think I'll be avoiding doing any more diseases. The formatting on that was a pain and I'm not terribly happy with how it came out anyway.

Weekly What the Heck

2009-05-23T10:00:00.003-05:00

Welcome to the thirty-first installment of my regular feature here at the Near TPK. With continuing apologies to one of my favorite blogs, the Daily WTF, I present... The Weekly What The Heck.

Each Saturday at 10 AM Central Time I'll post one of Jen's drawings of some kind of whacked-out creature, and ask my readers: "What the heck IS that?"

I hope my readers will approach the challenge in the spirit of "Yes, and ..." - building on previous responses so everyone's ideas can be used in the final writeup. Comments are now closed on last week's entry, and I hope to have the final writeup posted tonight. Comments will be accepted on this week's entry until I post next week's entry.

So... What the heck is that? What should it do? What's up with the finny tail?

Charles G. Wilbur (the "Proprietor") does not claim ownership of information, data, text, comments, graphics, messages or other materials ("Content") you submit or make available for inclusion on The Art of the Near TPK (the "Service"). However, with respect to Content you submit or make available for inclusion on the Service, including without limitation comments you post to the Service, you grant the Proprietor world-wide, perpetual, irrevocable, royalty free, non-exclusive, fully sub-licensable license(s) to use, distribute, reproduce, modify, adapt, publish, translate, publicly perform and publicly display such Content (in whole or in part) and to incorporate such Content into other works in any format or medium now known or later developed.

Sapient Sloth Repeat - Testing the DM Tools Monster Format

2009-05-21T17:00:00.006-05:00

This is a rerun of Saturday night's post to see what the monster cards from http://tools.dungeonmastering.com/ look like embedded into a Weekly What the Heck. Comments are welcome.

The final comments are in from last week's "Weekly What the Heck". The result is the sapient sloth, a small race of bipedal sloths which scratch out a living on the sides of high mountains surrounded by jungles.

I'd like to thank dicemonkey and benpop (with special thanks to benpop for the name) for their ideas, all of which have been mashed together to create:

Sapient Sloth
An upstanding sapient sloth acts with deference, deliberation, and seeks not to draw attention to their self. All bets are off when a clear danger presents itself to their community.

Level 3 Minion
Sapient Sloth Commoner
Small natural humanoid
XP 37
Initiative +2
Senses Perception +4
HP 1; a missed attack never damages a minion.
AC 17; Fortitude 15, Reflex 14, Will 16
Speed 4
Pitchfork (standard; at-will) • Weapon
+7 vs. AC; 4 damage
Rapid Frenzy (standard; at-will) • Weapon
The sapient sloth commoner moves up to 8 squares and makes two basic melee attacks.
Align. Unaligned
Lang. Common
Str 14 (+3)
Dex 12 (+2)
Wis 17 (+4)
Con 14 (+3)
Int 12 (+2)
Cha 14 (+3)
Equipment pitchfork
Tactics Sapient sloth commoners try to surprise foes with a sudden burst of fast movement, trying to get in a good position to aid their allies. They are rarely inclined to fight to the death.
Created with DungeonMastering.com's DM Tools

Level 4 Skirmisher
Student of the Path
Small natural humanoid
XP 175
Initiative +6
Senses Perception +6
HP 55; Bloodied 27
AC 18; Fortitude 15, Reflex 15, Will 17
Speed 4
Claw (standard; at-will)
+9 vs. AC; 1d10 + 3 damage.
Rapid Frenzy (standard; at-will)
The student of the Path moves up to 8 squares and makes two basic melee attacks.
Dazing Strike (standard; encounter)
+8 vs. AC; 1d8 + 4 damage, the target is dazed until the end of the student of the Path’s next turn, and the student of the Path shifts 1 square.
Walk the Middle Path (move; recharge 5 6)
The student of the Path shifts up to 6 squares.
Combat Advantage
The student of the Path deals an extra 1d6 damage on melee attacks against any target it has combat advantage against.
Align. Unaligned
Lang. Common
Skills Insight +11, Stealth +9
Str 15 (+4)
Dex 15 (+4)
Wis 18 (+6)
Con 15 (+4)
Int 13 (+3)
Cha 14 (+4)
Equipment ---
Tactics Students of the Path use the same tactics as sapient sloths.
Created with DungeonMastering.com's DM Tools

Sapient Sloth Lore
A character knows the following information with a successful Nature check.
DC 15: It is of a small race of sapient, bipedal sloths which scratch out a living on the sides of high mountains surrounded by jungles. Their culture straddles a transition between a lowland tribal tradition fraught with spirits at every corner, and a simple, stoic devotion to moderation and the Middle Path of Life.
DC 20: There is little difference between the lay and monastic ways of life, with the chief differences lying in the segregation of the sexes and a more pronounced focus on spiritual (and bodily) excellence in the latter.

Encounter Groups
Sapient sloths are peaceful unless their communities are threatened, in which case they attack fiercely en masse.

Level 5 Encounter (XP 1,000)
* 4 students of the Path (level 4 skirmisher)
* 8 sapient sloth commoners (level 3 minion)

So, any thoughts on the DM tools format above vs. the format I've used up 'til now? Better, worse, indifferent?

Full disclosure (added May 26th): I just became an "affiliate" over at http://tools.dungeonmastering.com/, so in theory if anyone follows the links from here over there and then buys a premium account I get a kickback. We'll see how that goes...

Art of the Near TPK: Now Illustrated by Award-Winning Fantasy Artist

2009-05-19T20:00:00.001-05:00

...and i didn't even have to get a new illustrator.

I'm pleased and proud to announce that my wife Jennifer (ChaoticBlackSheep) was awarded an honorable mention in Fight On!'s recent Erol Otus Art Challenge.

Hopefully the fame and fortune won't go to her head too much.

Why, that's a Sapient Sloth!

2009-05-16T19:00:00.003-05:00

The final comments are in from last week's "Weekly What the Heck". The result is the sapient sloth, a small race of bipedal sloths which scratch out a living on the sides of high mountains surrounded by jungles.

I'd like to thank dicemonkey and benpop (with special thanks to benpop for the name) for their ideas, all of which have been mashed together to create:

Sapient Sloth
An upstanding sapient sloth acts with deference, deliberation, and seeks not to draw attention to their self. All bets are off when a clear danger presents itself to their community.

Level 3 Minion
Sapient Sloth Commoner
XP 37
Small natural humanoid
Initiative +2 Senses Perception +4
HP 1; a missed attack never damages a minion.
AC 17; Fortitude 15, Reflex 14, Will 16
Speed 4
mPitchfork (standard; at-will) * Weapon
+7 vs. AC; 4 damage.
MRapid Frenzy (standard; at-will) * Weapon
The sapient sloth commoner moves up to 8 squares and makes two basic melee attacks.
Alignment Unaligned Languages Common
Str 14 (+3) Dex 12 (+2) Wis 17 (+4)
Con 14 (+3) Int 12 (+2) Cha 14 (+3)

Sapient Sloth Tactics
Sapient sloth commoners try to surprise foes with a sudden burst of fast movement, trying to get in a good position to aid their allies. They are rarely inclined to fight to the death.

Level 4 Skirmisher
Student of the Path
XP 175
Small natural humanoid
Initiative +6 Senses Perception +6
HP 55; Bloodied 27
AC 18; Fortitude 15, Reflex 15, Will 17
Speed 4
mClaw (standard; at-will)
+9 vs. AC; 1d10 + 3 damage.
MRapid Frenzy (standard; at-will)
The student of the Path moves up to 8 squares and makes two basic melee attacks.
MDazing Strike (standard; encounter)
+8 vs. AC; 1d8 + 4 damage, the target is dazed until the end of the student of the Path’s next turn, and the student of the Path shifts 1 square.
Walk the Middle Path (move; recharge 5 6)
The student of the Path shifts up to 6 squares.
Combat Advantage
The student of the Path deals an extra 1d6 damage on melee attacks against any target it has combat advantage against.
Alignment Unaligned Languages Common
Skills Insight +11, Stealth +9
Str 15 (+4) Dex 15 (+4) Wis 18 (+6)
Con 15 (+4) Int 13 (+3) Cha 14 (+4)

Student of the Path Tactics
Students of the Path use the same tactics as sapient sloths.

Sapient Sloth Lore
A character knows the following information with a successful Nature check.
DC 15: It is of a small race of sapient, bipedal sloths which scratch out a living on the sides of high mountains surrounded by jungles. Their culture straddles a transition between a lowland tribal tradition fraught with spirits at every corner, and a simple, stoic devotion to moderation and the Middle Path of Life.
DC 20: There is little difference between the lay and monastic ways of life, with the chief differences lying in the segregation of the sexes and a more pronounced focus on spiritual (and bodily) excellence in the latter.

Encounter Groups
Sapient sloths are peaceful unless their communities are threatened, in which case they attack fiercely en masse.

Level 5 Encounter (XP 1,000)
* 4 students of the Path (level 4 skirmisher)
* 8 sapient sloth commoners (level 3 minion)

I hope benpop feels his "bad luck to the stranger who predicts a hapless commoner but gets a student of the Path" is realized here.

Weekly What the Heck

2009-05-16T10:00:00.001-05:00

Welcome to the thirtieth (wow, the big 3-0) installment of my regular feature here at the Near TPK. With continuing apologies to one of my favorite blogs, the Daily WTF, I present... The Weekly What The Heck.

Each Saturday at 10 AM Central Time I'll post one of Jen's drawings of some kind of whacked-out creature, and ask my readers: "What the heck IS that?"

I hope my readers will approach the challenge in the spirit of "Yes, and ..." - building on previous responses so everyone's ideas can be used in the final writeup. Comments are now closed on last week's entry, and I hope to have the final writeup posted tonight. Comments will be accepted on this week's entry until I post next week's entry.

So... What the heck is that? What should it do? Does it do... anything?

Charles G. Wilbur (the "Proprietor") does not claim ownership of information, data, text, comments, graphics, messages or other materials ("Content") you submit or make available for inclusion on The Art of the Near TPK (the "Service"). However, with respect to Content you submit or make available for inclusion on the Service, including without limitation comments you post to the Service, you grant the Proprietor world-wide, perpetual, irrevocable, royalty free, non-exclusive, fully sub-licensable license(s) to use, distribute, reproduce, modify, adapt, publish, translate, publicly perform and publicly display such Content (in whole or in part) and to incorporate such Content into other works in any format or medium now known or later developed.

WWTH Format Migration?

2009-05-11T10:00:00.003-05:00

Yax over at Dungeon Mastering recently unveiled a new addition to the 4e DM Tools part of the site: A public monster database. I was immediately tempted to migrate all the Weekly What the Heck monsters over there for a few reasons:

- Level 4 Lurker
- Pyrosphynx Cub
- Small fey magical beast
- XP 175
- Initiative +9
- Senses Perception +3; low-light vision
- HP 45; Bloodied 22
- AC 19; Fortitude 16, Reflex 17, Will 16
- Speed 6
- Claw (standard; at-will)
- +7 vs. AC; 1d6 + 4 damage
- Undeniable Cuteness (immediate interrupt, when the pyrosphynx cub is targeted by a melee attack; at-will)
- +8 vs. Will against the attacker; the attacker must target a different creature or end its attack.
- Shattering Cry (standard; recharge 6) • Thunder
- Close burst 2; +5 vs. Fortitude; 2d6 + 4 thunder damage, and the target is dazed until the end of the pyrosphynx cub's next turn.
- Forest Camouflage
- If a pyrosphynx cub is in forest terrain when it makes an initiative check at the start of an encounter, it can make a Stealth check to escape notice.
- Align. Unaligned
- Lang. Elven
- Skills Stealth +10
- Str 11 (+2)
- Dex 16 (+5)
- Wis 12 (+3)
- Con 15 (+4)
- Int 8 (+1)
- Cha 15 (+4)
- Equipment---
- TacticsA pyrosphynx cub uses its shattering cry as often as possible, trusting in its forest camouflage and undeniable cuteness to keep enemies from attacking it effectively.
- Created with DungeonMastering.com's DM Tools

Get them all in a truly uniform format with the pretty symbols for melee, ranged, etc.
Make it easier for my readers to save/print cards for these monsters (with free registration over at the tools site).
Maybe draw some new readers by embedding a "source" link on the card somewhere (an idea I just came up with and haven't thought through yet).

I also had some concerns, which are in my comment at the announcement post and have to do with their site administration (I've already received a direct email from Yax allaying some of my fears). I was going to list some other concerns but as I typed them up I felt they were just silly.

I already entered the first WWTH monster I ever did over there (see right) and I'm pretty pleased with the look of the result. What do you guys think of this format compared to the hand-crafted html I currently have?

Why, that's a Laughing Lambchop Lizard ... of Lightning!

2009-05-09T19:00:00.006-05:00

Edit: Do not use this monster as written or it will quite probably wipe out your party. Updated/nerfed stats have been posted.

The final comments are in from last week's "Weekly What the Heck". The result is the Laughing Lambchop Lizard ... of Lightning, a magical cross between shocker lizard stock and Cheshire cat.

I'd like to thank Ripper and Scott (with special thanks to Ripper for the name) for their ideas, all of which have been mashed together to create:

Laughing Lambchop Lizard
A mad wizard's experiment crossing lizard stock and Cheshire cat, the Laughing Lambchop Lizard ... of Lightning possesses the ability to fade away, leaving nothing but a grin. With a hearty laugh, it sends an electrical charge through its hairs causing them to stand on end and scaring the shit out of its adversary.

Level 1 Lurker
Laughing Lambchop Lizard
XP 100
Small natural magical beast
Initiative +7 Senses Perception +1
HP 25; Bloodied 12
AC 15; Fortitude 12, Reflex 14, Will 12
Resist 10 lightning
Speed 7, climb 5
mBite (standard; at-will)
+6 vs. AC; 1d10 damage.
MStunning Shock (move; at-will) * Lightning
+4 vs. Reflex; the target is dazed.
CLethal Shock (standard; recharge 6) * Lightning
Close burst 5; laughing lambchop lizards are immune; +2 (+1 for each other laughing lambchop lizard in the burst) vs. Reflex; 2d8 damage (+2d8 for each other laughing lambchop lizard in the burst).
Annoy the Weak
The laughing lambchop lizard possesses the cat's abnormal talent for finding out who, in a group, will be most annoyed by its presence and targeting that person. The DM should feel free to use all available knowledge of the party members' weaknesses and defense numbers to decide who will be most vulnerable to its attacks, and attack that PC.
Cheshire Fade (immediate reaction, when the laughing lambchop lizard takes damage; encounter)
The laughing lambchop lizard disappears except for its grin, shifts 4 squares and turns invisible until it attacks or until the end of its next turn.
Alignment Unaligned Languages Common
Skills Stealth +8
Str 10 (+0) Dex 16 (+3) Wis 13 (+1)
Con 13 (+1) Int 7 (-2) Cha 12 (+1)

Laughing Lambchop Lizard Tactics
A laughing lambchop lizard will seek out enemies with low Reflex defenses and exploit their vulnerability to stunning shock and lethal shock.

Level 2 Artillery
Laughing Lambchop Lizard ... of Lightning
XP 125
Small natural magical beast
Initiative +4 Senses Perception +3
HP 32; Bloodied 16
AC 14; Fortitude 14, Reflex 15, Will 14
Resist 10 lightning
Speed 7, climb 5
mBite (standard; at-will)
+9 vs. AC; 1d10 damage.
MStunning Shock (move; at-will) * Lightning
+6 vs. Reflex; the target is dazed.
RDirected Shock (standard; at-will) * Lightning
Ranged 10; +8 vs. Fortitude; 2d6 + 3 lightning damage.
CLethal Shock (standard; recharge 6) * Lightning
Close burst 5; laughing lambchop lizards are immune; +4 (+1 for each other laughing lambchop lizard in the burst) vs. Reflex; 2d8 damage (+2d8 for each other laughing lambchop lizard in the burst).
Annoy the Weak
The laughing lambchop lizard possesses the cat's abnormal talent for finding out who, in a group, will be most annoyed by its presence and targeting that person. The DM should feel free to use all available knowledge of the party members' weaknesses and defense numbers to decide who will be most vulnerable to its attacks, and attack that PC.
Cheshire Fade (immediate reaction, when the laughing lambchop lizard takes damage; encounter)
The laughing lambchop lizard disappears except for its grin, shifts 4 squares and turns invisible until it attacks or until the end of its next turn.
Alignment Unaligned Languages Common
Skills Stealth +8
Str 10 (+1) Dex 17 (+4) Wis 14 (+3)
Con 14 (+3) Int 7 (-1) Cha 12 (+2)

Laughing Lambchop Lizard ... of Lightning Tactics
A laughing lambchop lizard ... of lightning will target enemies with low Fortitude defenses with directed shock. If forced into close combat it uses the same tactics as a laughing lambchop lizard.

Laughing Lambchop Lizard Lore
A character knows the following information with a successful Nature check.
DC 15: A magical cross between shocker lizard stock and Cheshire cat, the laughing lambchop lizard possesses the ability to fade away, leaving nothing but a grin. It also possesses the cat's abnormal talent for finding out who, in a group, will be most annoyed by its presence and targeting that person.

Encounter Groups
Laughing lambchop lizards are often found in prides led by a smaller number of laughing lambchop lizards ... of lightning.
Level 2 Encounter (XP 650)
* 2 laughing lambchop lizards ... of lightning (level 2 artillery)
* 4 laughing lambchop lizards (level 1 lurker)

Tune in Monday for an announcement and a question about the format and the future of the Weekly What the Heck...

Weekly What the Heck

2009-05-09T10:00:00.001-05:00

Welcome to the twenty-ninth installment of my regular feature here at the Near TPK. With continuing apologies to one of my favorite blogs, the Daily WTF, I present... The Weekly What The Heck.

Each Saturday at 10 AM Central Time I'll post one of Jen's drawings of some kind of whacked-out creature, and ask my readers: "What the heck IS that?"

I hope my readers will approach the challenge in the spirit of "Yes, and ..." - building on previous responses so everyone's ideas can be used in the final writeup. Comments are now closed on last week's entry, and I hope to have the final writeup posted tonight. Comments will be accepted on this week's entry until I post next week's entry.

So... What the heck is that? What should it do? Why does it look so sad, or is it just pensive?

Charles G. Wilbur (the "Proprietor") does not claim ownership of information, data, text, comments, graphics, messages or other materials ("Content") you submit or make available for inclusion on The Art of the Near TPK (the "Service"). However, with respect to Content you submit or make available for inclusion on the Service, including without limitation comments you post to the Service, you grant the Proprietor world-wide, perpetual, irrevocable, royalty free, non-exclusive, fully sub-licensable license(s) to use, distribute, reproduce, modify, adapt, publish, translate, publicly perform and publicly display such Content (in whole or in part) and to incorporate such Content into other works in any format or medium now known or later developed.

The Weekly What the Heck: An Overview

2009-05-02T10:00:00.005-05:00

I've wanted to do a post with some stats on the Weekly What the Heck for a while. This seems like a good opportunity for two reasons:

I'm out of monster drawings and my artist/wife has been out of town all week.
There were zero comments on last week's What the Heck. All I can say is... what the heck? There were tons of comments on last week's monster, the fearsome emo monkey, but no love for the poor smiley lizard thing.

So, on to the random stats. One thing I've wanted to know is the level/role breakdown of all the monsters (like page 284 of the Monster Manual*). My copy of that table looks like this:

Laughing Lambchop Lizard	Level 1 Lurker
Eye Mite Midge	Level 1 Minion
Saeggan Genesis	Level 1 Soldier

Laughing Lambchop Lizard ... of Lightning	Level 2 Artillery
Emo Monkey	Level 2 Controller
Saber-Tooth Lycotaur	Level 2 Controller
Ridgeback Loper	Level 2 Skirmisher
Archaic Gastropod	Level 2 Soldier

Trimandibular Praying Mantelope	Level 3 Brute
Saeggan Dreamcaster	Level 3 Controller
Scorpire Vampion	Level 3 Controller
Scorpire Scuttler	Level 3 Lurker

Xenomoeba Larva	Level 4 Brute
Goth Emo Monkey	Level 4 Controller
Pyrosphynx Cub	Level 4 Lurker
Undead Chicken	Level 4 Skirmisher

Turkatrice	Level 5 Brute
Wallowing Merhog	Level 5 Elite Brute
Wraithpunzel	Level 5 Lurker

Dire Orcish Knucklewalker	Level 6 Brute
Emo Ghoul	Level 6 Brute
Ridgeback War Machine	Level 6 Brute
Orcish Knucklewalker Swarm	Level 6 Skirmisher
Merdragoblinborn Ecclesiastic	Level 6 Soldier

Necrotic Xenomoeba	Level 7 Elite Brute
Ravenous Pelicgizard	Level 7 Brute
Monkicore	Level 7 Controller
Scorpire Viscount	Level 7 Lurker (L)
Jamuzavdu (Speed Demon)	Level 7 Skirmisher

Pyrosphynx Sun Lion	Level 8 Brute
Merdragoblinborn Follower	Level 8 Minion
Were Saber-Tooth Lycotaur	Level 8 Skirmisher

Fireblooded Monkicore	Level 9 Artillery
Merdragoblinborn Schoolmaster	Level 9 Controller (L)
Snake Mahjicocl Soloist	Level 9 Controller
Christmas Treant Shrub	Level 9 Lurker

Cycloptic Elephantaur Gawker	Level 10 Artillery
Treefling Leafwielder	Level 10 Artillery
Conflagrating Pelicgizard	Level 10 Controller
Aquatic Wraithpunzel	Level 10 Lurker
Shellsong Siren	Level 10 Lurker

Green Toothnip	Level 11 Lurker

Cycloptic Elephantaur Trumpeter	Level 12 Controller
Piscean Tempest	Level 12 Skirmisher
Quizacoatl Contestant	Level 12 Skirmisher
Merhog Steed	Level 12 Soldier

Christmas Treant Bush	Level 13 Controller

Firebred Pyrosphynx	Level 14 Artillery
Chanavan Serpent	Level 14 Solo Brute
Piscean Evolutionary	Level 14 Controller
Snake Mahjicocl Principal	Level 14 Skirmisher

Demodracosauralisk	Level 15 Elite Artillery
Hemi-Demodracosauralisk	Level 15 Artillery
Abolderithicus Starme	Level 15 Controller
Quizacoatl Host	Level 15 Controller
Treefling Leafmaster	Level 15 Controller

Eye Mite Berserker	Level 16 Brute
Frieghboranean Slimemaster	Level 16 Controller
Frieghboranean Tempest	Level 16 Elite Skirmisher
Squiglet Caretaker	Level 16 Soldier

Ripe Toothnip	Level 17 Soldier

Kruthiguid	Level 18 Elite Brute
Eye Mite Mindraper	Level 18 Controller
Abolderithicus Staryu	Level 18 Minion

Abolderithicus Wistar	Level 19 Artillery

Triclops Manipulator	Level 20 Soldier

Aspect of the Ultimate Dungeon Master	Level 26 Elite Controller

Ultimate Dungeon Master	Level 35 Solo Brute

Maybe I should have done this sooner. Level 15 in the MM is kinda thin on controllers compared to levels 13 and 14, but I don't know that making three new ones was warranted. Also, I have no idea why there are so many level 6 brutes.

I'd also like to list all the contributors and how many times each has contributed. My WWTH Hall of Fame, as it were.

Name	Comments
Ripper	15
ReverendMike	12
Scott	11
greywulf	9
Gomez	8
Jeff	7
wyattsalazar	7
benpop	3
jermwar	3
ChaoticBlackSheep	2
DoctorCheckmate	2
mthomas768	2
RPGIke	2
AlexSchroeder	1
Ameron	1
Anonymous	1
Bartoneus	1
BenPop	1
DawnRaven	1
dicemonkey	1
Donny_the_Dm	1
FatAlibert	1
icosahedron	1
JeffRients	1
Jerm	1
joeskythedungeonbrawler	1
Ravyn	1
rcarbol	1
Rekres	1
TheRecursionKing	1
thievescant	1
Viriatha	1
Will	1
Wyatt	1

Wow, the What the Heck just broke the 100-comment mark with the emo monkey entry. The total is now 102. Thanks to everyone in that list for keeping it alive.

Last Updated May 10, 2009

* Frighteningly, after all these months of picking level and role to fill gaps in the table on page 284, I have the page number memorized.

The Games That I Play Only Have Twenty-Sided Dice

2009-04-28T17:00:00.005-05:00

It's got more Trek and comic book references than gamer references, but I think readers of the RPGBN will get a kick out of this song:
Conventional Lover
Lyrics

Yay! My Rock Band 2 obsession provides material for my starving blog!

I would have posted this two months ago, but I wanted it to be surprise for a certain Trek fanatic friend of mine when we finally got up to his place with our Rock Band gear. Though the delay means I can submit it to this month's blog carnival.

Why, that's an Emo Monkey!

2009-04-25T19:00:00.005-05:00

The final comments are in from last week's "Weekly What the Heck". The result is the emo monkey, a creature that enjoys wearing its enemies down by depressing them.

I'd like to thank dicemonkey, greywulf and joeskythedungeonbrawler (with special thanks to greywulf for the name) for their ideas, all of which have been mashed together to create:

Emo Monkey
An emo monkey enjoys wearing its enemies down by depressing them and revels in the knowledge that "no one really understands" it.

Level 2 Controller
Emo Monkey
XP 125
Medium natural humanoid
Initiative +3 Senses Perception +4
HP 38; Bloodied 19
AC 16; Fortitude 14, Reflex 14, Will 15
Speed 6
mClaw (standard; at-will) * Psychic
+7 vs. AC; 1d4 + 1 plus 1d8 psychic damage.
CWave of Depression (standard; recharge 6) * Psychic
Close blast 3; targets enemies; +4 vs. Will; 1d8 + 3 psychic damage, and the target is weakened until the end of the emo monkey’s next turn.
No One Understands Me
Attacks with the psychic keyword made against the emo monkey take a –4 penalty to the attack roll.
Alignment Unaligned Languages Common
Skills Insight +9, Stealth +8
Str 12 (+2) Dex 14 (+3) Wis 17 (+4)
Con 14 (+3) Int 10 (+1) Cha 17 (+4)

Emo Monkey Tactics
Emo monkeys get in close and use wave of depression as often as possible.

Level 4 Controller
Goth Emo Monkey
XP 175
Medium natural humanoid
Initiative +4 Senses Perception +6
Depressing Murmurs aura 1; any enemy that starts its turn in the aura is dazed until the start of its next turn.
HP 55; Bloodied 27
AC 18; Fortitude 15, Reflex 15, Will 17
Speed 6
mClaw (standard; at-will) * Psychic
+9 vs. AC; 1d4 + 1 plus 1d8 psychic damage.
CWave of Depression (standard; recharge 6) * Psychic
Close blast 3; targets enemies; +6 vs. Will; 1d8 + 4 psychic damage, and the target is weakened until the end of the emo monkey’s next turn.
No One Understands Me
Attacks with the psychic keyword made against the goth emo monkey take a –4 penalty to the attack roll.
Alignment Unaligned Languages Common
Skills Insight +11, Stealth +9
Str 12 (+3) Dex 15 (+4) Wis 18 (+6)
Con 15 (+4) Int 10 (+2) Cha 18 (+6)

Goth Emo Monkey Tactics
Goth emo monkeys use the same tactics as emo monkeys.

Level 6 Brute
Emo Ghoul
XP 250
Medium natural humanoid (undead)
Initiative +7 Senses Perception +6; darkvision
HP 86; Bloodied 43
AC 18; Fortitude 18, Reflex 19, Will 18
Immune disease, poison; Resist 10 necrotic; Vulnerable 5 radiant
Speed 6
mClaw (standard; at-will) * Psychic
+9 vs. AC; 1d8 + 2, and the target is dazed (save
ends).
MEmo Bite (standard; at-will) * Psychic
Target must be dazed, stunned, or unconscious; +7 vs. AC; 3d8 + 2 damage, and the target is stunned (save ends).
MDon't Muss the Hair (free, when first bloodied; encounter)
The emo ghoul makes a melee basic attack with a +4 bonus to the attack roll and deals an extra 1d6 damage on a hit.
No One Understands Me
Attacks with the psychic keyword made against the emo monkey take a –4 penalty to the attack roll.
Alignment Evil Languages Common
Skills Insight +11, Stealth +12
Str 14 (+5) Dex 19 (+7) Wis 16 (+6)
Con 16 (+6) Int 8 (+2) Cha 16 (+6)

Emo Ghoul Tactics
Emo ghouls charge into melee, clawing and using emo bite once a foe is dazed.

Emo Monkey Lore
A character knows the following information with a successful skill check.
Nature DC 15: The most depressed of the emo monkeys become goth emo monkeys, who are all black with pale faces and hang around outside taverns looking really awkward.
Religion DC 20: Since emo monkeys like to hang around graveyards they are often killed by ghouls and rise as depressed but dangerous emo ghouls.

Encounter Groups
Emo monkeys are sometimes duped into aiding shadowy creatures. Emo ghouls are typically found around other ghouls.

Level 5 Encounter (XP 1,050)
* 1 goth emo monkey (level 4 controller)
* 3 emo monkeys (level 2 controller)
* 2 dark creepers (level 4 skirmisher)
* 1 shadowhunter bat (level 3 lurker)

Level 6 Encounter (XP 1,300)
* 2 emo ghouls (level 6 brute)
* 2 ghouls (level 5 soldier)
* 1 boneshard skeleton (level 5 brute)
* 1 wraith (level 5 lurker)

I hope wave of depression and depressing murmurs aren't too powerful for such low level controllers. I tried to minimize their damage since the effects are pretty nasty. I wanted these guys really low level since there are no controllers below level three in the Monster Manual and also because I wanted the emo ghoul at a level comparable to the stock ghoul and the monkeys lower than that.

Weekly What the Heck

2009-04-25T10:00:00.002-05:00

Welcome to the twenty-eighth installment of my regular feature here at the Near TPK. With continuing apologies to one of my favorite blogs, the Daily WTF, I present... The Weekly What The Heck.

Each Saturday at 10 AM Central Time I'll post one of Jen's drawings of some kind of whacked-out creature, and ask my readers: "What the heck IS that?"

I hope my readers will approach the challenge in the spirit of "Yes, and ..." - building on previous responses so everyone's ideas can be used in the final writeup. Comments are now closed on last week's entry, and I hope to have the final writeup posted tonight. Comments will be accepted on this week's entry until I post next week's entry.

So... What the heck is that? What should it do? Does that smile make you nervous, too?

Charles G. Wilbur (the "Proprietor") does not claim ownership of information, data, text, comments, graphics, messages or other materials ("Content") you submit or make available for inclusion on The Art of the Near TPK (the "Service"). However, with respect to Content you submit or make available for inclusion on the Service, including without limitation comments you post to the Service, you grant the Proprietor world-wide, perpetual, irrevocable, royalty free, non-exclusive, fully sub-licensable license(s) to use, distribute, reproduce, modify, adapt, publish, translate, publicly perform and publicly display such Content (in whole or in part) and to incorporate such Content into other works in any format or medium now known or later developed.

Why, that's a Quizacoatl!

2009-04-18T19:00:00.006-05:00

The final comments are in from last week's "Weekly What the Heck". The result is the quizacoatl, the gameshow hosts of the astral plane.

I'd like to thank jermwar and benpop (with special thanks to jermwar for the name) for their ideas, all of which have been mashed together to create:

Quizacoatl
A quizacoatl is a manifestation of the universal concept of the Riddle extending into the Astral Plane.

Level 12 Skirmisher
Quizacoatl Contestant
XP 700
Medium immortal magical beast
Initiative +12 Senses Perception +12; darkvision
HP 121; Bloodied 60
AC 26; Fortitude 23, Reflex 23, Will 25
Speed 6, fly 8 (clumsy)
mBite (standard; at-will)
+17 vs. AC; 2d6 + 4 damage.
RThe Joker's Wild (standard; recharge 5 6) * Teleportation
Ranged sight; +15 vs. Will; the target teleports to swap spaces with the quizacoatl.
RThe Price Is Right (minor; recharge 6)
Ranged 5; +14 vs. Will; the next melee attack made against the target gains a +5 power bonus to the attack roll and, if it hits, it is automatically a critical hit.
Lightning Round (move; encounter)
The quizacoatl contestant shifts up to 6 squares.
Jeopardy!
The quizacoatl contestant deals an extra 2d6 damage on attacks against any target it has combat advantage against.
Let's Make a Deal
The quizacoatl poses a riddle out of combat (see the sphinx sidebar in the Monster Manual). If the challenged creatures refuse to answer or fail to answer correctly, the quizacoatl gains the following benefits: use of the joker's wild as a free action as soon as initiative is rolled with an immediate recharge on its turn, and a +4 bonus to all defenses until the end of the encounter.
Alignment Unaligned Languages Common, Supernal
Skills Arcana +15, History +15, Insight +17
Str 19 (+10) Dex 19 (+10) Wis 22 (+12)
Con 17 (+9) Int 19 (+10) Cha 22 (+12)

Quizacoatl Contestant Tactics
A quizacoatl contestant poses a riddle with its let's make a deal before combat begins. Once combat begins, it tries to get in an advantageous position for its jeopardy! ability.

Level 15 Controller
Quizacoatl Host
XP 1,200
Large immortal magical beast
Initiative +11 Senses Perception +13; darkvision
HP 146; Bloodied 73
AC 29; Fortitude 27, Reflex 27, Will 28
Speed 6, fly 8 (clumsy)
mBite (standard; at-will)
+20 vs. AC; 2d8 + 5 damage.
RWheel of Fortune (standard; at-will)
Ranged 5; +19 vs. Will; the next melee attack made against the target gains a +2 power bonus to the attack roll and, if it hits, it is a critical hit on a natural 18 or higher. Miss: the target gains a +2 power bonus to its next melee attack roll.
RThe Price Is Right (minor; recharge 6)
Ranged 5; +19 vs. Will; the next melee attack made against the target gains a +5 power bonus to the attack roll and, if it hits, it is automatically a critical hit.
AThe Joker's Wild (standard; recharge 5 6) * Teleportation
Area burst 1 within sight; up to 4 Medium or smaller adjacent targets; +19 vs. Will; the targets teleport to swap spaces with the quizacoatl.
Double Dare (free, when first bloodied; encounter)
A bucket of green goo appears over the creature whose attack bloodied the quizacoatl and drops on it. +19 vs. Reflex; the target is blinded (save ends).
Let's Make a Deal
The quizacoatl poses a riddle out of combat (see the sphinx sidebar in the Monster Manual). If the challenged creatures refuse to answer or fail to answer correctly, the quizacoatl gains the following benefits: use of the joker's wild as a free action as soon as initiative is rolled with an immediate recharge on its turn, and a +4 bonus to all defenses until the end of the encounter.
Alignment Unaligned Languages Common, Supernal
Skills Arcana +18, History +18, Insight +19
Str 20 (+12) Dex 18 (+11) Wis 23 (+13)
Con 18 (+11) Int 20 (+12) Cha 23 (+13)

Quizacoatl Host Tactics
A quizacoatl host poses a riddle with its let's make a deal before combat begins. Once combat begins, it prefers to stay out of melee, using its ranged powers to help its allies hit. If pressed it will try to use the joker's wild to teleport away.

Quizacoatl Lore
A character knows the following information with a successful Religion check.
DC 20: Travelers who encounter a quizacoatl are asked a riddle. Answered correctly, the quizacoatl will provide a minor boon or other beneficial assistance. Answered incorrectly, the Quizacoatl will instead cause a minor embarrassment (summoning a bucket to pour green goop over the traveler's head) or curse of bad luck.
DC 25: Some ancient quizacoatls have access to ancient riddles otherwise lost. Because of this, rituals for summoning a quizacoatl are detailed in ancient tomes such as Loremaster's Bargain. The summoning can be hazardous, at least to one's pride, but the reward may be great if the summoner piques the Quizacoatl's fancy and cleverly solves their riddle.

Encounter Groups
Quizacoatls are usually encountered with immortal or construct allies who can (like them) survive the passage of long centuries.
Level 11 Encounter (XP 3,100)
* 1 quizacoatl contestant (level 12 skirmisher)
* 3 helmed horrors (level 13 soldier)
Level 15 Encounter (XP 6,400)
* 1 quizacoatl host (level 15 controller)
* 1 angel of battle (level 15 skirmisher)
* 4 angels of protection (level 14 soldier)

I wasn't sure where to work the First Riddle into a 4e stat block...

Weekly What the Heck

2009-04-18T10:00:00.003-05:00

Welcome to the twenty-seventh installment of my regular feature here at the Near TPK. With continuing apologies to one of my favorite blogs, the Daily WTF, I present... The Weekly What The Heck.

Each Saturday at 10 AM Central Time I'll post one of Jen's drawings of some kind of whacked-out creature, and ask my readers: "What the heck IS that?"

I hope my readers will approach the challenge in the spirit of "Yes, and ..." - building on previous responses so everyone's ideas can be used in the final writeup. Comments are now closed on last week's entry, and I hope to have the final writeup posted tonight. Comments will be accepted on this week's entry until I post next week's entry.

So... What the heck is that? What should it do? Will it ever find its precious?

Charles G. Wilbur (the "Proprietor") does not claim ownership of information, data, text, comments, graphics, messages or other materials ("Content") you submit or make available for inclusion on The Art of the Near TPK (the "Service"). However, with respect to Content you submit or make available for inclusion on the Service, including without limitation comments you post to the Service, you grant the Proprietor world-wide, perpetual, irrevocable, royalty free, non-exclusive, fully sub-licensable license(s) to use, distribute, reproduce, modify, adapt, publish, translate, publicly perform and publicly display such Content (in whole or in part) and to incorporate such Content into other works in any format or medium now known or later developed.

Why, that's a Speed Demon!

2009-04-11T19:00:00.003-05:00

The final comments are in from last week's "Weekly What the Heck". The result is the jamuzavdu or speed demon, a creature that moves very fast, in short bursts.

I'd like to thank Ripper, mthomas768 and Scott for their ideas, all of which have been mashed together to create:

Jamuzavdu
Jamuzavdus delight in spreading misery and confusion across all the planes and worlds they come in contact with.

Level 7 Skirmisher
Jamuzavdu (Speed Demon)
XP 300
Medium elemental magical beast (demon)
Initiative +9 Senses Perception +5
Contagious Speed aura 10; allies that start their turns in the aura gain a +4 bonus to speed and can make a single basic attack as a free action during their turn.
HP 80; Bloodied 40
AC 21 (25 against opportunity attacks); Fortitude 19, Reflex 20, Will 18
Speed 10; see also quick lick and short burst
mNasty Lick (standard; at-will)
+12 vs. AC; 1d8 + 4 damage, and the target is dazed until the end of the jamuzavdu's next turn.
MQuick Lick (standard; recharge 6)
The jamuzavdu moves its speed + 4. At any two points during its move, the jamuzavdu makes a melee basic attack at a –4 penalty. The jamuzavdu cannot use this power while immobilized or slowed.
Short Burst (move; encounter)
The jamuzavdu shifts 6 squares.
Need for Speed (immediate reaction, when an enemy ends its move in the jamuzavdu's contagious speed aura; at-will)
+7 vs. Will; the target slides 4 squares in the same direction it was moving. If it passes through any squares containing difficult terrain or other creatures, it must make a saving throw at the end of the movement or fall prone.
Alignment Chaotic evil Languages Abyssal
Str 16 (+6) Dex 19 (+7) Wis 14 (+5)
Con 16 (+6) Int 7 (+1) Cha 9 (+2)

Jamuzavdu Tactics
A jamuzavdu races around the battlefield, letting its contagious speed aid its allies and hinder its enemies.

Jamuzavdu Lore
A character knows the following information with a successful Arcana check.
DC 20: A jamuzavdu moves very fast, in short bursts. That sort of movement superimposes the creature's blur on top of itself, creating an image of a creature with three eyes, a fiendish grin, and 10 legs. This creature also has the ability to share its speed with an ally or enemy.

Encounter Groups
Jamuzavdus are sometimes found in packs of demons or backed by the demonic cultists that summoned them into the world.
Level 7 Encounter (XP 1,600)
* 2 jamuzavdu demons (level 7 skirmisher)
* 3 evistro demons (level 6 brute)
* 1 harpy (level 6 controller)

For the first time in months, no one provided even the seed of a name in the comments. Everyone can thank my wife and I for the silly one we got.

Weekly What the Heck

2009-04-11T10:00:00.003-05:00

Welcome to the twenty-sixth installment of my regular feature here at the Near TPK. With continuing apologies to one of my favorite blogs, the Daily WTF, I present... The Weekly What The Heck.

Each Saturday at 10 AM Central Time I'll post one of Jen's drawings of some kind of whacked-out creature, and ask my readers: "What the heck IS that?"

I hope my readers will approach the challenge in the spirit of "Yes, and ..." - building on previous responses so everyone's ideas can be used in the final writeup. Comments are now closed on last week's entry, and I hope to have the final writeup posted tonight. Comments will be accepted on this week's entry until I post next week's entry.

So... What the heck is that? What should it do? Can you tell it's supposed to be wearing a bikini top?

Charles G. Wilbur (the "Proprietor") does not claim ownership of information, data, text, comments, graphics, messages or other materials ("Content") you submit or make available for inclusion on The Art of the Near TPK (the "Service"). However, with respect to Content you submit or make available for inclusion on the Service, including without limitation comments you post to the Service, you grant the Proprietor world-wide, perpetual, irrevocable, royalty free, non-exclusive, fully sub-licensable license(s) to use, distribute, reproduce, modify, adapt, publish, translate, publicly perform and publicly display such Content (in whole or in part) and to incorporate such Content into other works in any format or medium now known or later developed.

Why, that's a Monkicore!

2009-04-04T19:00:00.000-05:00

The final comments are in from last week's "Weekly What the Heck". The result is the monkicore, a creature that emits a soothing and appealing fragrance which, along with its child-like face, lulls adventurers into coming closer.

After only getting one comment on the "Weekly What the Heck" two weeks ago, I was pleasantly surprised to get five comments this week. I'd like to thank mthomas768, Ameron, Ravyn, Scott and Ripper (with special thanks to mthomas768 for the name) for their ideas, all of which have been mashed together to create:

Monkicore
A monkicore is a mischievous fey creature that lures victims close with its innocent looks and beguiling scent. Its victims are then grabbed and thrust against the creature's poisonous spines.

Level 7 Controller
Monkicore
XP 300
Medium fey magical beast
Initiative +6 Senses Perception +5
Beguiling Scent aura 3; at the start of the monkicore’s turn, enemies in the aura are pulled 1 square.
HP 83; Bloodied 41
AC 21; Fortitude 20, Reflex 19, Will 19
Speed 6
mBite (standard; at-will)
+12 vs. AC; 2d6 + 4 damage.
MTail Lash (standard; at-will)
Reach 2; +11 vs. Reflex; 1d8 + 4 damage, and the target is grabbed (until escape). The monkicore can grab only one creature at a time.
MSpinal Crush (standard; at-will)
If a monkicore begins its turn with a target grabbed with its tail, it makes an attack against the grabbed creature: +11 vs. Fortitude; 2d8 + 4 damage, and the target is dazed (save ends). First Failed Save: The target is stunned instead of dazed (save ends). Miss: Half damage, and the target is dazed until the end of the monkicore's next turn.
RAlluring Look (standard; at-will) * Charm
Ranged 10; blind creatures are immune; +11 vs. Will; the target is pulled 3 squares and immobilized until the end of the monkicore's next turn.
Alignment Unaligned Languages -
Str 19 (+7) Dex 16 (+6) Wis 14 (+5)
Con 19 (+7) Int 7 (+1) Cha 16 (+6)

Monkicore Tactics
A monkicore uses alluring look and beguiling scent to bring a target close enough to be grabbed, then uses tail lash and spinal crush.

Level 9 Artillery
Fireblooded Monkicore
XP 400
Large fey magical beast
Initiative +7 Senses Perception +6
HP 80; Bloodied 40
AC 21; Fortitude 22, Reflex 21, Will 21
Speed 6
mBite (standard; at-will)
+14 vs. AC; 1d8 + 5 damage.
MTail Lash (standard; at-will)
Reach 2; +14 vs. Reflex; 1d8 + 5 damage, and the target is grabbed (until escape). The monkicore can grab only one creature at a time.
MSpinal Crush (standard; at-will)
If a monkicore begins its turn with a target grabbed with its tail, it makes an attack against the grabbed creature: +14 vs. Fortitude; 2d8 + 5 damage, and the target is dazed (save ends). First Failed Save: The target is stunned instead of dazed (save ends). Miss: Half damage, and the target is dazed until the end of the monkicore's next turn.
RFireblood Glare (standard; at-will)
Ranged 10; +14 vs. Fortitude; 2d6 + 5 damage, and the target takes ongoing 5 fire damage (save ends).
CMane Flare (standard; recharge 6)
Close burst 5; +12 vs. Reflex; 3d8 + 5 fire damage, and the target takes ongoing 5 fire damage (save ends). Miss: Half damage.
Alignment Unaligned Languages -
Str 20 (+9) Dex 17 (+7) Wis 15 (+6)
Con 20 (+9) Int 7 (+2) Cha 17 (+7)

Fireblooded Monkicore Tactics
A fireblooded monkicore prefers to stay back and use fireblood glare. If surrounded it uses mane flare, and if pressed into melee, it resorts to tail lash and spinal crush.

Monkicore Lore
A character knows the following information with a successful Nature check.
DC 20: A monkicore emits a soothing and appealing fragrance which, along with its child-like face, lulls victims into coming closer. When victims are close enough, it lashes out with its tail, grappling them.
DC 25: A fireblooded monkicore can cause its mane to flare up, immolating nearby enemies.

Encounter Groups
Monkicores are sometimes found allied with other fey creatures.
Level 7 Encounter (XP 1,500)
* 2 monkicores (level 7 controller)
* 3 satyr rakes (level 7 skirmisher)
Level 9 Encounter (XP 2,000)
* 2 fireblooded monkicores (level 9 artillery)
* 3 bloodfire harpies (level 9 soldier)

I think the power crunch took inspiration from about ten different Monster Manual monsters (including such disparate sources as the Earthrage Battlebriar and the Astral Stalker). That might be a record.

Weekly What the Heck

2009-04-04T10:00:00.002-05:00

Welcome to the twenty-fifth installment of my regular feature here at the Near TPK. With continuing apologies to one of my favorite blogs, the Daily WTF, I present... The Weekly What The Heck.

Each Saturday at 10 AM Central Time I'll post one of Jen's drawings of some kind of whacked-out creature, and ask my readers: "What the heck IS that?"

I hope my readers will approach the challenge in the spirit of "Yes, and ..." - building on previous responses so everyone's ideas can be used in the final writeup. Comments are now closed on last week's entry, and I hope to have the final writeup posted tonight. Comments will be accepted on this week's entry until I post next week's entry.

So... What the heck is that? What should it do? How does it keep from tripping over its own feet?

Charles G. Wilbur (the "Proprietor") does not claim ownership of information, data, text, comments, graphics, messages or other materials ("Content") you submit or make available for inclusion on The Art of the Near TPK (the "Service"). However, with respect to Content you submit or make available for inclusion on the Service, including without limitation comments you post to the Service, you grant the Proprietor world-wide, perpetual, irrevocable, royalty free, non-exclusive, fully sub-licensable license(s) to use, distribute, reproduce, modify, adapt, publish, translate, publicly perform and publicly display such Content (in whole or in part) and to incorporate such Content into other works in any format or medium now known or later developed.

Race/Class Synergy in 4e: PHB2 Races

2009-04-01T19:00:00.011-05:00

Following up last week's analysis of synergy between the Player's Handbook 1 races and the Player's Handbook 2 classes, this week I have analysis of the PHB2 races and all the core classes. Again I'm using the definitions posted at Incredible Vehicle for top, second and bottom tiers.

What I call a top tier combination is where a race’s bonus attributes map directly to a class’ primary and secondary. ... A second tier combo is one where a race has one attribute that maps to a primary or secondary. ... When a race has no attributes, or only a tertiary attribute, it’s third tier.

As before, top tier combinations are green, second tier white and third tier red.

		Deva	Gnome	Goliath	Half-Orc	Longtooth Shifter	Razorclaw Shifter
		Int, Wis	Int, Cha	Str, Con	Str, Dex	Str, Wis	Dex, Wis
Cleric	Str, Wis	1	0	1	1	2	1
	Wis, Cha	1	1	0	0	1	1
Fighter	Str, Con	0	0	2	1	1	0
	Str, Dex or Wis*	1	0	1	2	2	1
Paladin	Str, Wis	1	0	1	1	2	1
	Cha, Wis	1	1	0	0	1	1
Ranger	Dex, Wis	1	0	0	1	1	2
	Str, Wis	1	0	1	1	2	1
Rogue	Dex, Str	0	0	1	2	1	1
	Dex, Cha	0	1	0	1	0	1
Warlock	Cha, Int	1	2	0	0	0	0
	Con, Int	1	1	1	0	0	0
Warlord	Str, Cha	0	1	1	1	1	0
	Str, Int	1	1	1	1	1	0
Wizard	Int, Wis	2	1	0	0	1	1
	Int, Dex	1	1	0	1	0	1
Avenger	Wis, Int	2	1	0	0	1	1
	Wis, Dex	1	0	0	1	1	2
Barbarian	Str, Con	0	0	2	1	1	0
	Str,Cha	0	1	1	1	1	0
Bard	Cha,Int	1	2	0	0	0	0
	Cha, Con	0	1	1	0	0	0
Druid	Wis, Con	1	0	1	0	1	1
	Wis, Dex	1	0	0	1	1	2
Invoker	Wis, Int	2	1	0	0	1	1
	Wis, Con	1	0	1	0	1	1
Shaman	Wis, Con	1	0	1	0	1	1
	Wis, Int	2	1	0	0	1	1
Sorcerer	Cha, Dex	0	1	0	1	0	1
	Cha, Str	0	1	1	1	1	0
Warden	Str, Con	0	0	2	1	1	0
	Str, Wis	1	0	1	1	2	1
	Synergy "score"	25	19	21	21	30	24

Finally, a top tier race (deva) for the control wizard... in the same book with more controller classes. Ah well, better late than never. Longtooth shifters take the most-top-tier-builds title with five, followed by devas with four. Note that out of all the PHB1 races the maximum is three. You could build a well rounded party with nothing but shifters - the only role the longtooths (longteeth?) don't cover as a top tier build is controller, and the razorclaws have that covered with one of the druid builds.

Three of the new races get a Strength boost. Along with the dragonborn that means by choosing the right race you can get a Strength boost along with any other ability... except Intelligence. So there's still no top tier race for the tactical warlord (though all the PHB2 races are second tier for the build). Also, there's still no top tier race for the laser cleric and pretty paladin (Wis, Cha) builds or the scourge warlock (Con, Int) build. Interestingly, all the PHB2 class builds are a top tier build for one or more races.

Why, that's a Pelicgizard!

2009-03-28T19:00:00.005-05:00

I only got one comment on last week's "Weekly What the Heck", but I really liked it so I'm going to run with it. The result is the pelicgizard, a relative of the iguana that attacks with flaming spicy salsa-burps. DMs are encouraged to drink large quantities of their carbonated beverage of choice before introducing this monster. "Off in the distance you see a flash of light, perhaps a fire, and you hear *buuuuuurp*."

I'd like to thank Ripper for his ideas (and the name), which have been mashed together with a couple of my own to create:

Pelicgizard
A pelicgizard is an offshoot of the iguana family that eats lots of oily Mexican food. The oil is stored in its jaw-sac.

Level 7 Brute
Ravenous Pelicgizard
XP 300
Large natural beast
Initiative +4 Senses Perception +5
HP 97; Bloodied 48
AC 19; Fortitude 21, Reflex 17, Will 18
Speed 6
mBite (standard; at-will)
+10 vs. AC; 2d6 + 4 damage, plus the target is grabbed (until escape). The ravenous pelicgizard cannot make bite attacks while grabbing a creature, but it can use slosh and gnaw.
MSlosh and Gnaw (standard; at-will)
If a ravenous pelicgizard begins its turn with a target grabbed in its jaws, it makes an attack against the grabbed creature: +10 vs. AC; 3d6 + 4 damage, and the target gains vulnerable 10 fire, and any attack that deals fire damage to the target also deals ongoing 5 fire damage (save ends both). Miss: Half damage, and the target gains vulnerable 5 fire (save ends).
Alignment Unaligned Languages -
Str 19 (+7) Dex 12 (+4) Wis 14 (+5)
Con 17 (+6) Int 2 (-1) Cha 8 (+2)

Ravenous Pelicgizard Tactics
A ravenous pelicgizard bites until it grabs a target, and then uses slosh and gnaw.

Level 10 Controller
Conflagrating Pelicgizard
XP 500
Large natural beast
Initiative +7 Senses Perception +8
HP 107; Bloodied 53
AC 24; Fortitude 23, Reflex 20, Will 21
Speed 6
mBite and Slosh (standard; at-will)
+15 vs. AC; 2d6 + 5 damage, and the target gains vulnerable 5 fire (save ends).
RSpit Oil (minor; at-will)
Ranged 8; +14 vs. Reflex; the target gains vulnerable 5 fire, and any attack that deals fire damage to the target also deals ongoing 5 fire damage (save ends both).
CSpicy Salsa Burp (standard; recharge 5 6)
Close blast 5; +13 vs. Reflex; 1d8 + 5 fire damage, and the target takes ongoing 5 fire damage (save ends).
CBloodied Burp (free when first bloodied; encounter)
The conflagrating pelicgizard’s spicy salsa burp recharges, and the conflagrating pelicgizard uses it immediately.
Alignment Unaligned Languages -
Str 21 (+10) Dex 14 (+7) Wis 16 (+8)
Con 19 (+9) Int 2 (+1) Cha 8 (+4)

Conflagrating Pelicgizard Tactics
A conflagrating pelicgizard prefers to stay back and use spicy salsa burp as much as possible, using spit oil while it recharges.

Pelicgizard Lore
A character knows the following information with a successful Nature check.
DC 20: A pelicgizard stores oil in its jaw-sac. This oil is extremely flammable, and creatures grabbed in the pelicgizard's jaws can become covered in it.
DC 25: When agitated, a conflagrating pelicgizard releases a really spicy salsa-burp, which ignites the oil in its jaw-sac and creates a fiery blast.

Encounter Groups
Fire-using creatures love to keep pelicgizards around to make their enemies more flammable.
Level 7 Encounter (XP 1,450)
* 2 ravenous pelicgizards (level 7 brute)
* 2 tiefling heretics (level 6 artillery)
* 1 cambion hellsword (level 8 brute)
Level 11 Encounter (XP 3,100)
* 2 conflagrating pelicgizards (level 10 controller)
* 3 fire archon emberguards (level 12 brute)

This should be a nasty creature to add to any encounter with fire creatures. It should spice things up nicely.

Weekly What the Heck

2009-03-28T10:00:00.002-05:00

Welcome to the twenty-fourth installment of my regular feature here at the Near TPK. With continuing apologies to one of my favorite blogs, the Daily WTF, I present... The Weekly What The Heck.

Each Saturday at 10 AM Central Time I'll post one of Jen's drawings of some kind of whacked-out creature, and ask my readers: "What the heck IS that?"

I hope my readers will approach the challenge in the spirit of "Yes, and ..." - building on previous responses so everyone's ideas can be used in the final writeup. Comments are now closed on last week's entry, and I hope to have the final writeup posted tonight. Comments will be accepted on this week's entry until I post next week's entry.

So... What the heck is that? What should it do? Why does it look so amused?

Charles G. Wilbur (the "Proprietor") does not claim ownership of information, data, text, comments, graphics, messages or other materials ("Content") you submit or make available for inclusion on The Art of the Near TPK (the "Service"). However, with respect to Content you submit or make available for inclusion on the Service, including without limitation comments you post to the Service, you grant the Proprietor world-wide, perpetual, irrevocable, royalty free, non-exclusive, fully sub-licensable license(s) to use, distribute, reproduce, modify, adapt, publish, translate, publicly perform and publicly display such Content (in whole or in part) and to incorporate such Content into other works in any format or medium now known or later developed.

Race/Class Synergy in 4e: PHB2 Classes

2009-03-25T19:00:00.009-05:00

In my revised Race/Class Synergy in 4e post I said I would post similar analysis when I got the Player's Handbook 2. I got it, so here it is. Note that I still haven't found the time to answer the critical question of just how much the secondary ability boost is worth compared to the primary ability boost for the PHB1 classes, much less the PHB2. So for this post I'll still be using the definitions put forth by Matthew at Incredible Vehicle:

What I call a top tier combination is where a race’s bonus attributes map directly to a class’ primary and secondary. ... A second tier combo is one where a race has one attribute that maps to a primary or secondary. ... When a race has no attributes, or only a tertiary attribute, it’s third tier.

I'm going to look first at the synergies between the PHB1 races and the PHB2 classes, just because I find the classes in the book more compelling than the races. I'll be using the suggested primary and secondary abilities for the builds in the book. I'll work up a similar table for the PHB2 races and all the classes next week. Again, I'll color every top tier match green and bottom tier red, leaving second tier white. I'm again leaving out the human column because it's boring.

		Dragonborn	Dwarf	Eladrin	Elf	Half-Elf	Halfling	Tiefling
		Str, Cha	Con, Wis	Dex, Int	Dex, Wis	Con, Cha	Dex, Cha	Int, Cha
Avenger	Wis, Int	0	1	1	1	0	0	1
	Wis, Dex	0	1	1	2	0	1	0
Barbarian	Str, Con	1	1	0	0	1	0	0
	Str,Cha	2	0	0	0	1	1	1
Bard	Cha,Int	1	0	1	0	1	1	2
	Cha, Con	1	1	0	0	2	1	1
Druid	Wis, Con	0	2	0	1	1	0	0
	Wis, Dex	0	1	1	2	0	1	0
Invoker	Wis, Int	0	1	1	1	0	0	1
	Wis, Con	0	2	0	1	1	0	0
Shaman	Wis, Con	0	2	0	1	1	0	0
	Wis, Int	0	1	1	1	0	0	1
Sorcerer	Cha, Dex	1	0	1	1	1	2	1
	Cha, Str	2	0	0	0	1	1	1
Warden	Str, Con	1	1	0	0	1	0	0
	Str, Wis	1	1	0	1	0	0	0
	Synergy "score"	10	15	7	12	11	8	9
	PHB1 "score"	13	10	10	12	7	10	10
	Total "score"	23	25	17	24	18	18	19

Wow, the dwarves get some love in the PHB2 classes. They go from zero top tier classes to tied for three with dragonborn and elves. I must admit, though, I find the actual choices kind of strange: invoker, shaman, and druid? For dwarves? Really? At least it's the blasty druid build and not the beasty one or dwarven mines might be suddenly overrun with guys turning into boars and bears...

The half-elves get their first top tier class in the valorous bard. Eladrin get the shaft with no top tier choices and fewer second tier choices than anyone else. The halflings pick up a second top tier choice with the wild magic sorcerer. I feel a 4e remake of my 3e halfling wizard/elemental savant Madgog Flameslinger coming on...

Make Yourself a Monster

2009-03-23T10:00:00.007-05:00

There's a meme going around about making yourself into a monster in your preferred system. My posting name, Gregor LeBlaque, doesn't really lend itself to monsterness. However, Gregor was my first D&D 3e PC, so I could easily make him a usable 4e NPC "monster". I think Gregor made it to around level 8 or 9 in 3e, so I'll do an 8th level NPC.

Gregor LeBlaque
Gregor is a rogue who thinks himself far more charming than he really is. He speaks with an outrageous French accent and possesses a strange (for a human) attraction to dwarven women.

Level 8 Skirmisher
Gregor LeBlaque
XP 350
Medium natural humanoid
Initiative +11 Senses Perception +5
HP 85; Bloodied 42
AC 22; Fortitude 19, Reflex 21, Will 18
Speed 6
mRapier (standard; at-will) * Weapon
+13 vs. AC; 2d6 + 3 damage.
rCrossbow (standard; at-will) * Weapon
+13 vs. AC; 2d6 + 5 damage.
MDeft Strike (standard; at-will)
Gregor can move up to 2 squares before attacking; +13 vs. AC; 2d6 + 5 damage.
MSetup Strike (standard; encounter)
+13 vs. AC; 4d6 + 5 damage, and the target grants combat advantage to Gregor until the end of Gregor's next turn.
CCloud of Steel (standard; encounter)
Close blast 5; +13 vs. AC; 2d6 + 5 damage.
Combat Advantage
Gregor deals an extra 2d6 damage on melee and ranged attacks against any target he has combat advantage against.
Alignment Unaligned Languages Common
Skills Acrobatics +14, Athletics +12, Bluff +11, Dungeoneering +10, Stealth +14, Streetwise +11, Thievery +14
Str 17 (+7) Dex 20 (+9) Wis 13 (+5)
Con 13 (+5) Int 13 (+5) Cha 15 (+6)

Gregor's Tactics
Gregor prefers to keep moving on the battlefield, trying to gain combat advantage before striking.

Now as for my wife and illustrator, ChaoticBlackSheep, monsterness is a lot easier. In fact, in 3e we discussed combining three elements from Necromancer Games' Tome of Horrors: The stats for sheep, the dire template, and the beast of chaos template. I'm pretty sure the idea provided the seed for her username. The really funny part is the frightful presence granted by the beast of chaos template: "When the beast of chaos makes sound common to its animal type, creatures must succeed at a Will save or become shaken." Fear the dire sheep of chaos and its bleat of DOOM!

Chaotic Black Sheep
This dire sheep warped by the elemental chaos is a terrifying creature feared by all who hear its terrifying bleat of doom.

Level 10 Brute
Dire Sheep of Chaos
XP 500
Large elemental beast
Initiative +9 Senses Perception +10; darkvision
HP 131; Bloodied 65
AC 22; Fortitude 23, Reflex 22, Will 22
Speed 6
mBite (standard; at-will) * Weapon
+21 vs. AC; 2d6 + 7 damage.
CBleat of Doom (standard; encounter) * Fear
Close burst 6; +9 vs. Will; the target is stunned until the end of the dire sheep’s next turn. Aftereffect: The target takes a –2 penalty to attack rolls until the end of the encounter.
Rage (in the presence of magical light)
The dire sheep of chaos gains a +2 bonus to attack rolls and deals an extra 5 damage per attack.
Alignment Chaotic Languages -
Skills Perception +10
Str 21 (+10) Dex 18 (+9) Wis 11 (+5)
Con 21 (+10) Int 1 (+0) Cha 18 (+9)

Chaotic Black Sheep's Tactics
The dire sheep of chaos wades mindlessly into battle, biting viciously. Once more then three enemies are in range or it becomes bloodied, it unleashes its bleat of doom.

It is left as an exercise for the reader to determine what other creatures would hang around either of these two.

Open Game Table Available Now

2009-03-23T07:30:00.005-05:00

In case you've missed the news on one of the bajillion other RPG blogs that have 1000 times the readers I do, the Open Game Table blog anthology is now available from Lulu Marketplace and Amazon.com.

While the article I submitted wasn't accepted, Jennifer (ChaoticBlackSheep, who illustrates my blog here) was selected as one of the original four artists illustrating the book (I think by the time it was done they'd added two or three more illustrators).

Open Game Table aims to bridge the gap between the RPG blogging community and the broader table-top gaming fan base by showcasing the best talent in the RPG blogosphere. Within these pages are 47 blog posts from 32 top-quality RPG blogs, plus a Foreword written by RPG luminary Wolfgang Baur.

Packed with the best in RPG blogging and over 60 illustrations, this book is Pure Gold. The anthology chapters cover a wide variety of topics for fans of all table-top roleplaying games, including:
Play Style;
Game Play;
Characters & Players;
Monsters & NPCs;
Encounters, Settings, and Locations;
Adventure Design;
Campaign Setting Design;
Classes, Action, and Equipment;
RPG History & Commentary; and
The RPG Toolbox.
This anthology is the result of the hard work of nearly 100 volunteers, authors, editors, judges, artists, and designers. A true grass roots effort; it is a tour de force of the RPG blogging universe.

So sayeth the head editor.

Why, that's a Frieghboranean!

2009-03-21T19:00:00.008-05:00

The final comments are in from last week's "Weekly What the Heck". The result is the frieghboranean, an amphibious subterranean monster that exudes a trail of slime and has mastered using multiple weapons.

I'd like to thank Dawn Raven, Scott and Ripper (with special thanks to Dawn Raven for the seed of the name) for their ideas, all of which have been mashed together to create:

Frieghboranean
A frieghboranean is an amphibious subterranean monster. It exudes a trail of slime that can eat through flesh. These creatures have also mastered complex martial arts using multiple primitive weapons.

Level 16 Elite Skirmisher
Frieghboranean Tempest
XP 2,800
Medium aberrant humanoid (aquatic)
Initiative +17 Senses Perception +12
HP 314; Bloodied 157
AC 32; Fortitude 28, Reflex 32, Will 30
Speed 6, swim 10
mClub (standard; at-will) * Weapon
+21 vs. AC; 2d6 + 7 damage.
mSpear (standard; at-will) * Weapon
+21 vs. AC; 2d8 + 5 damage.
MThree-Weapon Strike (standard; at-will)
The frieghboranean tempest makes three melee basic attacks.
MSix-Weapon Rend (standard; encounter)
The frieghboranean tempest makes three club attacks and three spear attacks against the same target. If more than three attacks hit, the frieghboranean tempest deals an additional 2d10 damage.
MTentacle Grab (standard; at-will)
+21 vs. AC; 1d10 + 5 damage, plus the target is grabbed (until escape). The frieghboranean tempest can only make melee basic attacks while grabbing a creature.
RFling Slime (standard; at-will)
Ranged 5 (only out of water); +19 vs. Reflex; 1d10 + 7 acid damage, and the target takes ongoing 5 acid damage and takes a –2 penalty to AC (save ends both).
Slime Trail (move; at-will) * Zone
The frieghboranean moves up to 4 squares on land or 16 squares in a straight line underwater. All squares it moves through, including its starting square, become a zone that lasts until the end of the encounter. The zone is difficult terrain and any creature that enters or starts its turn in the zone takes 1d10 acid damage. Underwater the zone also blocks line of sight.
Alignment Unaligned Languages Deep Speech
Skills Athletics +18, Dungeoneering +15
Str 21 (+13) Dex 24 (+15) Wis 18 (+12)
Con 21 (+13) Int 14 (+10) Cha 21 (+13)

Frieghboranean Tempest Tactics
A frieghboranean tempest prefers to move around the battlefield, leaving a slime trail and seeking a worthy target for its six-weapon rend.

Level 16 Controller
Frieghboranean Slimemaster
XP 1,400
Medium aberrant humanoid (aquatic)
Initiative +15 Senses Perception +12
HP 157; Bloodied 78
AC 30; Fortitude 28, Reflex 30, Will 28
Speed 6, swim 10
mClub (standard; at-will) * Weapon
+21 vs. AC; 2d6 + 7 damage.
mSpear (standard; at-will) * Weapon
+21 vs. AC; 2d8 + 5 damage.
MTentacle Grab (standard; at-will)
+21 vs. AC; 1d10 + 5 damage, plus the target is grabbed (until escape). The frieghboranean slimemaster can only make melee basic attacks while grabbing a creature.
RFling Slime (standard; at-will)
Ranged 10 (only out of water); +20 vs. Reflex; 1d10 + 7 acid damage, and the target takes ongoing 5 acid damage and takes a –2 penalty to AC (save ends both).
ASlime Burst (standard; recharge 5 6)
Area burst 2 within 10 (only out of water); +18 vs. Reflex; 1d8 + 7 acid damage, and the target takes ongoing 5 acid damage and takes a –2 penalty to AC (save ends both).
Slime Trail (move; at-will) * Zone
The frieghboranean moves up to 4 squares on land or 16 squares in a straight line underwater. All squares it moves through, including its starting square, become a zone that lasts until the end of the encounter. The zone is difficult terrain and any creature that enters or starts its turn in the zone takes 1d8 acid damage. Underwater the zone also blocks line of sight.
Alignment Unaligned Languages Deep Speech
Skills Athletics +18, Dungeoneering +16
Str 21 (+13) Dex 24 (+15) Wis 19 (+12)
Con 21 (+13) Int 16 (+11) Cha 21 (+13)

Frieghboranean Slimemaster Tactics
A frieghboranean slimemaster prefers to stay back and use slime burst as much as possible, using fling slime while it recharges.

Frieghboranean Lore
A character knows the following information with a successful Dungeoneering check.
DC 20: Frieghboraneans are capable of squirting their slime as a squid does ink. Underwater, this allows a brief surge of rapid movement and leaves behind an inky, acidic cloud. On the surface, this is a ranged attack.

Encounter Groups
Frieghboraneans are sometimes found allied with aquatic humanoids.
Level 16 Encounter (XP 6,950)
* 1 frieghboranean tempest (level 16 elite skirmisher)
* 1 frieghboranean slimemaster (level 16 controller)
* 1 kuo-toa monitor (level 16 skirmisher)
* 1 kuo-toa harpooner (level 14 soldier)
* 1 kuo-toa guard (level 16 minion)

I'm pleased with the slime trail power. I think it's very different from anything in the Monster Manual.

Weekly What the Heck

2009-03-21T10:00:00.002-05:00

Welcome to the twenty-third installment of my regular feature here at the Near TPK. With continuing apologies to one of my favorite blogs, the Daily WTF, I present... The Weekly What The Heck.

Each Saturday at 10 AM Central Time I'll post one of Jen's drawings of some kind of whacked-out creature, and ask my readers: "What the heck IS that?"

I hope my readers will approach the challenge in the spirit of "Yes, and ..." - building on previous responses so everyone's ideas can be used in the final writeup. Comments are now closed on last week's entry, and I hope to have the final writeup posted tonight. Comments will be accepted on this week's entry until I post next week's entry.

So... What the heck is that? What should it do? What does it carry around in that thing on its chin?

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