I really want to introduce helpful spirits into the D&D realms, there's no proper category for them, although they could be considered elementals. I'm doing a campaign on it, but this is a post to created the Rusalkas and Eidolons for D&D. I only need pictures to get them started.
My First Proposal: Shydra (Eidolon) Imagine a special flying, shining, seahorse that looks amazingly beautiful. In my folklore, this Eidolon can only be either seen or noticed, never both! This helpful spirit only shows up with pure good people, ones that are victimized with by far too much corruption befalling them, even then, only female virgins. Sign a contract with the Shydra, you sacrifice your saving rolls, but no enemy would dare to harm you in return. But the contract you pay for the Shydra: you must prevent 2 or more nations from going to war. Challenge Rating: 6
This statement is meant to be both provocative and condescending. Look at these pathetic huddled masses in their private and closed games, cringing behind the policy of no homebrews and no custom content. This is an insult and injury even to fire types. HEED THIS! Your better off playing rpgmaker. It's everything this place wants to be when it grows up. Seriously. Otherwise, good luck, they will overdo things. All because of safety and security... kor.
There is an option for every type of spirit. Celestial for angelic spirits, fiend for hellish spirits, undead for ghostly spirits (the eidolon in 5e is this), Fey for nature spirits, and elemental for well... elemental spirits. Based on your description, celestial or Fey might be a good fit.
How can something be seen but not noticed?
By pure good, do you mean neutral good?
By sacrificing saving rolls, do you mean losing save proficiencies or automatically failing saves?
How does the shydra follow through on the "no enemy would dare to harm you" part?
And You only need to prevent a war, but civil wars don't count. Asking a lot of the pure, abused, virgin girl with no saving throws.
Aside from this tiny bit of lore, and a challenge rating, do you have any other ideas for your monster? Hp, abilities, attacks, resistances, etc.
It has to do with perceptions. If you can use a sense other than your eyes, like tremorsense, you can identify it. But normal sight won't work on it. Put simply, no normal focus will be able to target it.
So, no special sight, and your doomed to have your brain refuse it's presence there.
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This statement is meant to be both provocative and condescending. Look at these pathetic huddled masses in their private and closed games, cringing behind the policy of no homebrews and no custom content. This is an insult and injury even to fire types. HEED THIS! Your better off playing rpgmaker. It's everything this place wants to be when it grows up. Seriously. Otherwise, good luck, they will overdo things. All because of safety and security... kor.
On those saving rolls, it's more than that with the patron. Think domination over charisma. So far ahead, it even translates. But it comes at a nasty cost even for Eidolons. Both you and your enemy will know when one is lying. Not why, but just so.
This statement is meant to be both provocative and condescending. Look at these pathetic huddled masses in their private and closed games, cringing behind the policy of no homebrews and no custom content. This is an insult and injury even to fire types. HEED THIS! Your better off playing rpgmaker. It's everything this place wants to be when it grows up. Seriously. Otherwise, good luck, they will overdo things. All because of safety and security... kor.
Yes, the plan is upgrades with certain adventures. Shydra is the first, but for that, I need to succeed in most of the waterdeep: dragon heist adventures.
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This statement is meant to be both provocative and condescending. Look at these pathetic huddled masses in their private and closed games, cringing behind the policy of no homebrews and no custom content. This is an insult and injury even to fire types. HEED THIS! Your better off playing rpgmaker. It's everything this place wants to be when it grows up. Seriously. Otherwise, good luck, they will overdo things. All because of safety and security... kor.
On those saving rolls, it's more than that with the patron. Think domination over charisma. So far ahead, it even translates. But it comes at a nasty cost even for Eidolons. Both you and your enemy will know when one is lying. Not why, but just so.
What was that about the saving rolls? What does "domination over charisma" do in game? What translates what? Mutual lie detection is neat, I don't see any sign of it in its characteristics page though.
Finally, something to look at. Shydra:
Why is it's armor class so low? Did you forget the 1 and it is supposed to be 16?
HP is a bit(lot) low for a CR 6 monster. Also, its CON modifier is 0, where did the +10 come from?
Why are its skills so overtly high? It's INT, WIS, and CHA would all need to be 28 with expertise to have those akills that high.
You didn't put a range on truesight.
Passive perception is wrong. It should be skill mod +10, in this case 25 (which is way too high).
Lifesource breathing, I can't tell what it does. Does it make them suffocate if they aren't surrounded by 8 creatures at all times?
Anti-focus aura. What does this actually do in terms of game mechanics?
Being able to heal so much without limit is easily a problem. I recommend giving it a healing spell as innate spellcasting for around 3 times per day. Also you don't need to specify as an action when it on the actions list. Also also, having to see the target is implied in all magical effects, so an actual range would be a good addition otherwise it will heal allies from 2 miles away.
Compare does not mean roll, if you want 2 creatures to have a star contest say "roll blank versus target's blank." Duel is not a unit of time as defined by d&d rules, please use a duration that is. Doea the shydra charm itself or do you mean the target is charmed by the shydra? You could try reading some official creature's abilities in order to get wordings right.
You should word shydra bubbles the same way all attacks are worded on all other creatures to avoid confusion. Speaking of confusing, does the target being treated as underwater mean it can swim in air? I feel like this attack has potential, but needs work.
The first problem with the reaction is it has the same name as another ability. The second problem is that it does not state what triggers it. The third problem is that it does not state a number of targets or a range. The fourth problem is that 2d4+5 is a huge boost to rolls (most boosts are 1d4 or 1d6). The fifth problem is that it does not state duration of the boost.
The legendary actions are not legendary actions, or actions at all, and the shydra is not legendary. Eidolon contract goes in the description.
I put the contract in legendary, because they are supposed to have their legendary skills as normal ones. This eidolon is very quirky, for example, the low hp is changed for the fact it can easily heal. It's designed based on support like quirks.
For example, the amazingly high skills are the norm for some Eidolons, in spite of the low values. So, you need to be very careful against those cheap, easy, appalling, heals.
As for truesight, it's unlimited range. But the cost is focus.
Not 8, though. Either a challenge lv of 16+, a group of 5 or more within 3 hexes, someone level 13+, or be with a summoner to breathe. (Stella gave a few of the centaurs summoning)
This statement is meant to be both provocative and condescending. Look at these pathetic huddled masses in their private and closed games, cringing behind the policy of no homebrews and no custom content. This is an insult and injury even to fire types. HEED THIS! Your better off playing rpgmaker. It's everything this place wants to be when it grows up. Seriously. Otherwise, good luck, they will overdo things. All because of safety and security... kor.
The norm for Shydra is very disproportionate low stats, but great abilities and skills. Think high support. It's not meant for combat, but peace. So, go wild with it's healing power, that will prove to be a godsend.
The reason why those things are in Legendary actions is because the contract is legendary in nature. This follows with all the eilodons.
This statement is meant to be both provocative and condescending. Look at these pathetic huddled masses in their private and closed games, cringing behind the policy of no homebrews and no custom content. This is an insult and injury even to fire types. HEED THIS! Your better off playing rpgmaker. It's everything this place wants to be when it grows up. Seriously. Otherwise, good luck, they will overdo things. All because of safety and security... kor.
This statement is meant to be both provocative and condescending. Look at these pathetic huddled masses in their private and closed games, cringing behind the policy of no homebrews and no custom content. This is an insult and injury even to fire types. HEED THIS! Your better off playing rpgmaker. It's everything this place wants to be when it grows up. Seriously. Otherwise, good luck, they will overdo things. All because of safety and security... kor.
I put the contract in legendary, because they are supposed to have their legendary skills as normal ones. This eidolon is very quirky, for example, the low hp is changed for the fact it can easily heal. It's designed based on support like quirks.
For example, the amazingly high skills are the norm for some Eidolons, in spite of the low values. So, you need to be very careful against those cheap, easy, appalling, heals.
As for truesight, it's unlimited range. But the cost is focus.
It doesn't matter how easily you can heal if you get one-shot, and with 19 average hit points and an AC of 6, this monster could easily be killed in one round by level one characters.
Unlimited range true sight? But the cost is focus? What is focus? How does this come across in the actual game? Focusing is not a mechanic in D&D. Unlimited range true sight means this creature can literally see everything, which makes absolutely no sense.
I would advise you to read the guidelines for creating monsters in the DMG (if you own it) and go from there. Not that you have to follow them to the tee, but it will make your life much easier.
Currently playing in: Quest for the Shunned City, Coliseum of Conquest, DragonDenn's Dragonlords, Shipwrecked on Fugue, Tomb of Annihilation, Razor's Lost Mine of Phandelver, The Lost Kenku & One Grung Above
Currently DMing: Princes of the Apocalypse, Out of the Abyss, Coliseum of Conquest—The Arena (Sometimes)
This statement is meant to be both provocative and condescending. Look at these pathetic huddled masses in their private and closed games, cringing behind the policy of no homebrews and no custom content. This is an insult and injury even to fire types. HEED THIS! Your better off playing rpgmaker. It's everything this place wants to be when it grows up. Seriously. Otherwise, good luck, they will overdo things. All because of safety and security... kor.
I'm still not sure what is lowering its AC from 12.
Its hit points are still so low it can be killed in 1 turn by weak characters and monsters (a CR 1 monster can easily do 25 damage a turn).
I still dont know why its skills are unnaturally high.
Literally no monsters in the monster manual have an unlimited sense. Even actual gods, demon lords, archangels, archdevils, and demigods only have truesight out to 120 ft. Scrying magic exists for a reason.
Passive perception still doesn't match its perception or wisdom score.
Lifesource breathing: there is not a rules distinction for "a summoner" unless they have cast a summoning spell that is still ongoing. What qualifies as "same area?" "Hexes" are not a rules acknowledged unit of measurement, use feet (or miles).
Eidolon of peace is not specific enough. Does it go away forever once you have delt damage to a single creature?
Anti-focus aura does not use proper rules language to define its mechanics.
Unlimited healing actions can not be a thing or the party will always be at full health.
Shydra charming still worded in a way that makes no sense.
Shydra bubbles have not been fixed either.
Eidolon of peace (reaction) still uses the same name as another ability, and still does not specify a trigger or target, therefore doing nothing, but if it did work, 2d4+5 is too huge of a bonus to a check.
The legendary actions are still not actions. At best they are static abilities that go under abilities and at worst just description that goes under description. What makes something a legendary action has nothing to do with its nature and everything to do with game mechanics.
Also, you should always avoid using the names of other characters and npcs from your homebrew campaigns in the monster's abilities. It may be acceptable in the monster's description, but only if it is relevant to the creature's origins, lore, or nature.
Even if all of these abilities were worded correctly and in the right places, as a DM, I would never allow this in one of my campaigns.
The Shydra is based on support. This greatly weakens it's stats for amazing abilities.
Think glass cannon. The last thing anybody wants is one of these creatures providing healing. And worse, the peace ability on it is a passive feature. Cannot turn it back on once you attack, but until the party attacks, they have an infinite amount of time to prepare.
The trick is to imprison them at their location.
Remember, no matter how powerful a being may be, even way too powerful, there's almost always a cost and solution even for them.
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This statement is meant to be both provocative and condescending. Look at these pathetic huddled masses in their private and closed games, cringing behind the policy of no homebrews and no custom content. This is an insult and injury even to fire types. HEED THIS! Your better off playing rpgmaker. It's everything this place wants to be when it grows up. Seriously. Otherwise, good luck, they will overdo things. All because of safety and security... kor.
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I really want to introduce helpful spirits into the D&D realms, there's no proper category for them, although they could be considered elementals.
I'm doing a campaign on it, but this is a post to created the Rusalkas and Eidolons for D&D. I only need pictures to get them started.
My First Proposal:
Shydra (Eidolon)
Imagine a special flying, shining, seahorse that looks amazingly beautiful. In my folklore, this Eidolon can only be either seen or noticed, never both!
This helpful spirit only shows up with pure good people, ones that are victimized with by far too much corruption befalling them, even then, only female virgins.
Sign a contract with the Shydra, you sacrifice your saving rolls, but no enemy would dare to harm you in return.
But the contract you pay for the Shydra: you must prevent 2 or more nations from going to war.
Challenge Rating: 6
Needs picture.
This statement is meant to be both provocative and condescending. Look at these pathetic huddled masses in their private and closed games, cringing behind the policy of no homebrews and no custom content. This is an insult and injury even to fire types. HEED THIS! Your better off playing rpgmaker. It's everything this place wants to be when it grows up. Seriously. Otherwise, good luck, they will overdo things. All because of safety and security... kor.
There is an option for every type of spirit. Celestial for angelic spirits, fiend for hellish spirits, undead for ghostly spirits (the eidolon in 5e is this), Fey for nature spirits, and elemental for well... elemental spirits. Based on your description, celestial or Fey might be a good fit.
How can something be seen but not noticed?
By pure good, do you mean neutral good?
By sacrificing saving rolls, do you mean losing save proficiencies or automatically failing saves?
How does the shydra follow through on the "no enemy would dare to harm you" part?
And You only need to prevent a war, but civil wars don't count. Asking a lot of the pure, abused, virgin girl with no saving throws.
Aside from this tiny bit of lore, and a challenge rating, do you have any other ideas for your monster? Hp, abilities, attacks, resistances, etc.
I suspect it might mean you see it suddenly. You didn't notice it before but suddenly there it is. Or maybe you sense it around, but don't see it.
It has to do with perceptions. If you can use a sense other than your eyes, like tremorsense, you can identify it. But normal sight won't work on it. Put simply, no normal focus will be able to target it.
So, no special sight, and your doomed to have your brain refuse it's presence there.
This statement is meant to be both provocative and condescending. Look at these pathetic huddled masses in their private and closed games, cringing behind the policy of no homebrews and no custom content. This is an insult and injury even to fire types. HEED THIS! Your better off playing rpgmaker. It's everything this place wants to be when it grows up. Seriously. Otherwise, good luck, they will overdo things. All because of safety and security... kor.
On those saving rolls, it's more than that with the patron. Think domination over charisma. So far ahead, it even translates. But it comes at a nasty cost even for Eidolons. Both you and your enemy will know when one is lying. Not why, but just so.
Actual Shydra(first version)
https://www.dndbeyond.com/monsters/201636-shydra
This statement is meant to be both provocative and condescending. Look at these pathetic huddled masses in their private and closed games, cringing behind the policy of no homebrews and no custom content. This is an insult and injury even to fire types. HEED THIS! Your better off playing rpgmaker. It's everything this place wants to be when it grows up. Seriously. Otherwise, good luck, they will overdo things. All because of safety and security... kor.
Geeden (luck eidolon) - First version:
https://www.dndbeyond.com/monsters/199172-geeden-luck-eilodon
Yes, the plan is upgrades with certain adventures. Shydra is the first, but for that, I need to succeed in most of the waterdeep: dragon heist adventures.
This statement is meant to be both provocative and condescending. Look at these pathetic huddled masses in their private and closed games, cringing behind the policy of no homebrews and no custom content. This is an insult and injury even to fire types. HEED THIS! Your better off playing rpgmaker. It's everything this place wants to be when it grows up. Seriously. Otherwise, good luck, they will overdo things. All because of safety and security... kor.
What was that about the saving rolls? What does "domination over charisma" do in game? What translates what? Mutual lie detection is neat, I don't see any sign of it in its characteristics page though.
Finally, something to look at. Shydra:
Why is it's armor class so low? Did you forget the 1 and it is supposed to be 16?
HP is a bit(lot) low for a CR 6 monster. Also, its CON modifier is 0, where did the +10 come from?
Why are its skills so overtly high? It's INT, WIS, and CHA would all need to be 28 with expertise to have those akills that high.
You didn't put a range on truesight.
Passive perception is wrong. It should be skill mod +10, in this case 25 (which is way too high).
Lifesource breathing, I can't tell what it does. Does it make them suffocate if they aren't surrounded by 8 creatures at all times?
Anti-focus aura. What does this actually do in terms of game mechanics?
Being able to heal so much without limit is easily a problem. I recommend giving it a healing spell as innate spellcasting for around 3 times per day. Also you don't need to specify as an action when it on the actions list. Also also, having to see the target is implied in all magical effects, so an actual range would be a good addition otherwise it will heal allies from 2 miles away.
Compare does not mean roll, if you want 2 creatures to have a star contest say "roll blank versus target's blank." Duel is not a unit of time as defined by d&d rules, please use a duration that is. Doea the shydra charm itself or do you mean the target is charmed by the shydra? You could try reading some official creature's abilities in order to get wordings right.
You should word shydra bubbles the same way all attacks are worded on all other creatures to avoid confusion. Speaking of confusing, does the target being treated as underwater mean it can swim in air? I feel like this attack has potential, but needs work.
The first problem with the reaction is it has the same name as another ability. The second problem is that it does not state what triggers it. The third problem is that it does not state a number of targets or a range. The fourth problem is that 2d4+5 is a huge boost to rolls (most boosts are 1d4 or 1d6). The fifth problem is that it does not state duration of the boost.
The legendary actions are not legendary actions, or actions at all, and the shydra is not legendary. Eidolon contract goes in the description.
I put the contract in legendary, because they are supposed to have their legendary skills as normal ones. This eidolon is very quirky, for example, the low hp is changed for the fact it can easily heal. It's designed based on support like quirks.
For example, the amazingly high skills are the norm for some Eidolons, in spite of the low values.
So, you need to be very careful against those cheap, easy, appalling, heals.
As for truesight, it's unlimited range. But the cost is focus.
Not 8, though. Either a challenge lv of 16+, a group of 5 or more within 3 hexes, someone level 13+, or be with a summoner to breathe.
(Stella gave a few of the centaurs summoning)
This statement is meant to be both provocative and condescending. Look at these pathetic huddled masses in their private and closed games, cringing behind the policy of no homebrews and no custom content. This is an insult and injury even to fire types. HEED THIS! Your better off playing rpgmaker. It's everything this place wants to be when it grows up. Seriously. Otherwise, good luck, they will overdo things. All because of safety and security... kor.
Latest Versions (Shydra)
(1)
https://www.dndbeyond.com/monsters/202211-shydra
(2)
https://www.dndbeyond.com/monsters/202217-shydra-sentinel
The norm for Shydra is very disproportionate low stats, but great abilities and skills. Think high support. It's not meant for combat, but peace.
So, go wild with it's healing power, that will prove to be a godsend.
The reason why those things are in Legendary actions is because the contract is legendary in nature. This follows with all the eilodons.
This statement is meant to be both provocative and condescending. Look at these pathetic huddled masses in their private and closed games, cringing behind the policy of no homebrews and no custom content. This is an insult and injury even to fire types. HEED THIS! Your better off playing rpgmaker. It's everything this place wants to be when it grows up. Seriously. Otherwise, good luck, they will overdo things. All because of safety and security... kor.
Which comes to Geeden:
https://www.dndbeyond.com/monsters/199172-geeden-luck-eilodon
This statement is meant to be both provocative and condescending. Look at these pathetic huddled masses in their private and closed games, cringing behind the policy of no homebrews and no custom content. This is an insult and injury even to fire types. HEED THIS! Your better off playing rpgmaker. It's everything this place wants to be when it grows up. Seriously. Otherwise, good luck, they will overdo things. All because of safety and security... kor.
It doesn't matter how easily you can heal if you get one-shot, and with 19 average hit points and an AC of 6, this monster could easily be killed in one round by level one characters.
Unlimited range true sight? But the cost is focus? What is focus? How does this come across in the actual game? Focusing is not a mechanic in D&D. Unlimited range true sight means this creature can literally see everything, which makes absolutely no sense.
I would advise you to read the guidelines for creating monsters in the DMG (if you own it) and go from there. Not that you have to follow them to the tee, but it will make your life much easier.
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Class Guides: Barbarian, Rogue, Sorcerer, Bard General Guides: PvP
Currently playing in: Quest for the Shunned City, Coliseum of Conquest, DragonDenn's Dragonlords, Shipwrecked on Fugue, Tomb of Annihilation, Razor's Lost Mine of Phandelver, The Lost Kenku & One Grung Above
Currently DMing: Princes of the Apocalypse, Out of the Abyss, Coliseum of Conquest—The Arena (Sometimes)
focus = hit rolls.
Bleh, changing.
This statement is meant to be both provocative and condescending. Look at these pathetic huddled masses in their private and closed games, cringing behind the policy of no homebrews and no custom content. This is an insult and injury even to fire types. HEED THIS! Your better off playing rpgmaker. It's everything this place wants to be when it grows up. Seriously. Otherwise, good luck, they will overdo things. All because of safety and security... kor.
I'm still not sure what is lowering its AC from 12.
Its hit points are still so low it can be killed in 1 turn by weak characters and monsters (a CR 1 monster can easily do 25 damage a turn).
I still dont know why its skills are unnaturally high.
Literally no monsters in the monster manual have an unlimited sense. Even actual gods, demon lords, archangels, archdevils, and demigods only have truesight out to 120 ft. Scrying magic exists for a reason.
Passive perception still doesn't match its perception or wisdom score.
Lifesource breathing: there is not a rules distinction for "a summoner" unless they have cast a summoning spell that is still ongoing. What qualifies as "same area?" "Hexes" are not a rules acknowledged unit of measurement, use feet (or miles).
Eidolon of peace is not specific enough. Does it go away forever once you have delt damage to a single creature?
Anti-focus aura does not use proper rules language to define its mechanics.
Unlimited healing actions can not be a thing or the party will always be at full health.
Shydra charming still worded in a way that makes no sense.
Shydra bubbles have not been fixed either.
Eidolon of peace (reaction) still uses the same name as another ability, and still does not specify a trigger or target, therefore doing nothing, but if it did work, 2d4+5 is too huge of a bonus to a check.
The legendary actions are still not actions. At best they are static abilities that go under abilities and at worst just description that goes under description. What makes something a legendary action has nothing to do with its nature and everything to do with game mechanics.
Also, you should always avoid using the names of other characters and npcs from your homebrew campaigns in the monster's abilities. It may be acceptable in the monster's description, but only if it is relevant to the creature's origins, lore, or nature.
Even if all of these abilities were worded correctly and in the right places, as a DM, I would never allow this in one of my campaigns.
The Shydra is based on support. This greatly weakens it's stats for amazing abilities.
Think glass cannon. The last thing anybody wants is one of these creatures providing healing. And worse, the peace ability on it is a passive feature. Cannot turn it back on once you attack, but until the party attacks, they have an infinite amount of time to prepare.
The trick is to imprison them at their location.
Remember, no matter how powerful a being may be, even way too powerful, there's almost always a cost and solution even for them.
This statement is meant to be both provocative and condescending. Look at these pathetic huddled masses in their private and closed games, cringing behind the policy of no homebrews and no custom content. This is an insult and injury even to fire types. HEED THIS! Your better off playing rpgmaker. It's everything this place wants to be when it grows up. Seriously. Otherwise, good luck, they will overdo things. All because of safety and security... kor.