It sounds like I'm looking for some very weird culinary advice...
Anyway, I really like Tomb of Annihilation, and I'm planning on running it for my table sometime soon.
BUT, we just got done with a campaign in which Yuan-ti were at the very core of so very much.
Can any of you suggest a likely substitution that can hit all the same notes, but doesn't use the snake motif at all? I'm running a homebrew world, if that matters.
Lizardfolk came to mind, but they're not a great fit. First, they're still reptilian so it's not that big of a shift. Second, they're really not as "advanced" and such as the Yuan-ti. And, if I made them fit better, they'd really just be Yuan-ti with an iguana costume on.
Grung are too cute to work for me.
Same with Vegepygmies.
Tortles are...frankly too TMNT.
I can't see Bullywugs w/out thinking of the old DnD cartoon.
I have considered Aarakocra, but I'm not familiar enough with them to know if they'd work.
i haven't run that book, but it might be interesting to see feral, savage satyrs. basically, keep the poisons and magic resists but replace snake bits with goat bits in all instances that matter. up to you whether they should still flick their tongues out menacingly (mlem-mlem-mlem-mlem).
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unhappy at the way in which we lost individual purchases for one-off subclasses, magic items, and monsters?
tell them you don't like features disappeared quietly in the night: providefeedback!
The yuan-ti fit the narrative in the jungles of Chult and they only come into the story quite late - essentially just before the party reaches the tomb. Other than that, there are jungle themes but not really yuan-ti elements in the rest of the story. They also play a role if you want to play past the end of ToA and get into a plot line revolving around the return of Dendar (this is what Adventurers League did).
However, if you don't want yuan-ti, you can probably add almost any sort of humanoid species.
- a tribe of jungle dwarves (originally duergar) who went exploring for treasure in Omu and decided to stay.
- undead encampment of some sort, ruled over by a vampire? Put in place by Acererak to funnel victims into the tomb when caught. Lots of different forms of undead that you can use to populate the yuan-ti settlement. You could even have undead yuan-ti that were victims when the undead took over.
- a settlement of Shadar-Kai absorbing memories from the tomb's victims before they meet their demise as a gift for their queen.
- a changeling settlement - hiding from the rest of the world - though this might be more of a RP type encounter unless you want to make them evil and give them motivations comparable to the yuan-ti.
- an outpost of demons, perhaps tasked with invading the tomb but looking for adventurers to soften it up for them.
One thing to keep in mind is that NOT using the yuan-ti pretty much leaves out the option for some of the characters to be forced to become yuan-ti through their evil ceremony and the RP related fun that can go with that (also the 1/6 chance of the character dying permanently). When I played it, I think two of the characters ended up being involved in the ritual mostly because the characters thought it might increase their chances of being able to survive and overcome the threat.
I think the easiest swap might be some Lolth worshipping Drow - just swap the snake motif with spiders and jobs a good 'un. And there are enough variations and related creatures to make the swap fairly straight forward. You could even have the option of the players being turned in to Driders during the evil ceremony (but you'd have to work out the stats for a player).
Slightly more tricky is what they are doing in the middle of Chult... perhaps this murderous cult were unwelcome and run out of the Underdark in these more enlightened times.
How about Kuo-toa ? They are fish people who are aesthetically designed off the cult from The Shadow over Innsmouth which has similar themes of cult sacrifices, ancient eldritch gods and transformations. The difference is just that it's fish not snakes.
Another option would be a zuggtmy cult which would fungus themed and consist of infected humanoids. Out of the abyss has a little of what that would be like.
ive never played that, but mind flayers work for dark gods and ritual sacrifice. neogi basically copy tyhe yuan-ti but look like spider eels, or you could just re-skin the yuan-ti to be, i dunno, octopil or bats
About Me: Godless monster in human form bent on extending their natural life to unnatural extremes /general of the goose horde /Moderator of Vinstreb School for the Gifted /holder of the evil storyteller badge of no honor /king of madness /The FBI/ The Archmage of I CAST...!
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Kenku? A mindflayer and contingent of mind controlled slaves? Some style of jungle giants? Some style of jungle trolls?
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Blanket disclaimer: I only ever state opinion. But I can sound terribly dogmatic - so if you feel I'm trying to tell you what to think, I'm really not, I swear. I'm telling you what I think, that's all.
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(EDITED FOR DUMKOFFERY)
It sounds like I'm looking for some very weird culinary advice...
Anyway, I really like Tomb of Annihilation, and I'm planning on running it for my table sometime soon.
BUT, we just got done with a campaign in which Yuan-ti were at the very core of so very much.
Can any of you suggest a likely substitution that can hit all the same notes, but doesn't use the snake motif at all? I'm running a homebrew world, if that matters.
i haven't run that book, but it might be interesting to see feral, savage satyrs. basically, keep the poisons and magic resists but replace snake bits with goat bits in all instances that matter. up to you whether they should still flick their tongues out menacingly (mlem-mlem-mlem-mlem).
unhappy at the way in which we lost individual purchases for one-off subclasses, magic items, and monsters?
tell them you don't like features disappeared quietly in the night: provide feedback!
I think you mean Tomb of Annihilation?
The yuan-ti fit the narrative in the jungles of Chult and they only come into the story quite late - essentially just before the party reaches the tomb. Other than that, there are jungle themes but not really yuan-ti elements in the rest of the story. They also play a role if you want to play past the end of ToA and get into a plot line revolving around the return of Dendar (this is what Adventurers League did).
However, if you don't want yuan-ti, you can probably add almost any sort of humanoid species.
- a tribe of jungle dwarves (originally duergar) who went exploring for treasure in Omu and decided to stay.
- undead encampment of some sort, ruled over by a vampire? Put in place by Acererak to funnel victims into the tomb when caught. Lots of different forms of undead that you can use to populate the yuan-ti settlement. You could even have undead yuan-ti that were victims when the undead took over.
- a settlement of Shadar-Kai absorbing memories from the tomb's victims before they meet their demise as a gift for their queen.
- a changeling settlement - hiding from the rest of the world - though this might be more of a RP type encounter unless you want to make them evil and give them motivations comparable to the yuan-ti.
- an outpost of demons, perhaps tasked with invading the tomb but looking for adventurers to soften it up for them.
One thing to keep in mind is that NOT using the yuan-ti pretty much leaves out the option for some of the characters to be forced to become yuan-ti through their evil ceremony and the RP related fun that can go with that (also the 1/6 chance of the character dying permanently). When I played it, I think two of the characters ended up being involved in the ritual mostly because the characters thought it might increase their chances of being able to survive and overcome the threat.
I think the easiest swap might be some Lolth worshipping Drow - just swap the snake motif with spiders and jobs a good 'un. And there are enough variations and related creatures to make the swap fairly straight forward. You could even have the option of the players being turned in to Driders during the evil ceremony (but you'd have to work out the stats for a player).
Slightly more tricky is what they are doing in the middle of Chult... perhaps this murderous cult were unwelcome and run out of the Underdark in these more enlightened times.
How about Kuo-toa ? They are fish people who are aesthetically designed off the cult from The Shadow over Innsmouth which has similar themes of cult sacrifices, ancient eldritch gods and transformations. The difference is just that it's fish not snakes.
Another option would be a zuggtmy cult which would fungus themed and consist of infected humanoids. Out of the abyss has a little of what that would be like.
Some great suggestions here, folks! Thanks so very much. 🤘🏻
ive never played that, but mind flayers work for dark gods and ritual sacrifice. neogi basically copy tyhe yuan-ti but look like spider eels, or you could just re-skin the yuan-ti to be, i dunno, octopil or bats
Pronouns: Any/All
About Me: Godless monster in human form bent on extending their natural life to unnatural extremes /general of the goose horde /Moderator of Vinstreb School for the Gifted /holder of the evil storyteller badge of no honor /king of madness /The FBI/ The Archmage of I CAST...!
Alignment: Lawful Evil
Fun Fact: i gain more power the more you post on my forum threads. MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!
How about the Grung?
Frog like, poison skin, the different color ones have variant poisons that are interesting.
OP ruled it out because they’re cute. And I gotta agree there — surely they’ll be friendly if we give them a chance!
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Kenku? A mindflayer and contingent of mind controlled slaves? Some style of jungle giants? Some style of jungle trolls?
Blanket disclaimer: I only ever state opinion. But I can sound terribly dogmatic - so if you feel I'm trying to tell you what to think, I'm really not, I swear. I'm telling you what I think, that's all.