I'd like to solicit feedback on a homebrew monster I've been working on. The guecubu showed up in 3e, and specializes in possessing humanoids. The key challenge with this brew is in the possession ability. Unlike virtually every other possessing monster in 5e (ghost, yakfolk warrior, tsucora quori etc.) possession by a guecubu is often unnoticed by the target. The guecubu remains with the target and chooses when to take control. Please have a look at the Possession ability, and see if it is coherent.
As it stands, the guecubu is extremely dangerous for its CR. It can hide in a body and use catapult and telekinesis without being detected and without taking direct control of the target. It is naturally invisible, and options for removing the possession are slim.
Haunting Aura. The guecubu’s presence is unnerving and distracting. Any creature that is not a Construct or Undead that finishes a short or long rest within 60 feet of the guecubu must succeed on a DC 14 Wisdom saving throw or derive no benefit from the rest. If a creature's saving throw is successful, the creature is immune to the guecubu's Haunting Aura for the next 24 hours.
Incorporeal Movement. The guecubu can move through other creatures and objects as if they were difficult terrain. It takes 5 (1d10) force damage if it ends its turn inside an object.
Sleep Touch. Melee Spell Attack:+6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d4 + 3) necrotic damage. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 14 Wisdom saving throw or fall asleep and remain unconscious for 1 minute. The target awakens if it takes damage or another creature takes an action to wake it.
Possession (Recharge 6).One sleeping Humanoid that the guecubu can see within 5 feet of it must succeed on a DC 14 Charisma saving throw or be possessed by the guecubu; the guecubu then disappears into the target. While possessing a Humanoid, the guecubu can’t be targeted by any attack, spell, or other effect. The guecubu moves with the target whenever the target moves, requiring none of the guecubu’s movement, and can’t use its Haunting Aura or Incorporeal Movement. Its game statistics otherwise remain the same.
The guecubu can use its action to take control of the host. The target must succeed on a DC 14 Charisma saving throw or be incapacitated and lose control of its body for one minute. While in control of a host, the guecubu uses the possessed target’s statistics, but doesn’t deprive the target of awareness.
The possession lasts until the host drops to 0 hit points, the guecubu ends it as a bonus action, or the guecubu is forced out by an effect like the dispel evil and good spell. When the possession ends, the guecubu reappears in an unoccupied space within 5 feet of the body. The target is immune to this guecubu’s Possession for 24 hours after succeeding on the saving throw or after the possession ends.
Spellcasting. The guecubu casts one of the following spells, requiring no material components and using Charisma as the spellcasting ability (spell save DC 14):
Using possession, the formless guecubu takes over the bodies of living creatures to advance strange patterns of murder.
Guecubus are always encountered alone, since each of these evil demonic spirits thinks of itself as the single true manifestation of the Abyss’s will. A guecubu isn’t particular about who or what it possesses.
Most of the time, a guecubu acts like a parasite. Once it has claimed a host, it generally assumes the role of rider, allowing its host to continue to exist as it will. Many victims of guecubu possession don’t even realize they’re possessed. At some point, a guecubu might strike out of boredom or crave a new host. In either case, it begins asserting itself, driving the host to commit murders and other heinous crimes until it can no longer do so.
A guecubu prefers to dwell in rural areas, where it is less likely that spellcasters capable of exorcising it from a host can interfere with its plans. On the Abyss, guecubus can be found anywhere; they are particularly numerous in the Dreaming Gulf (layer 230), where the roving dreams of dead gods drift on alien currents and sometimes open portals to the Material Plane.
Unseen Threat. Guecubus are naturally invisible. A creature might feel a strange unsettling feeling in the guecubu's passing, but the demon remains invisible even when it attacks. A spell that allows someone to see the invisible reveals only the guecubu’s vague outline.
Sleep Touch. Melee Spell Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d4 + 3) necrotic damage. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 14 Wisdom saving throw or fall asleep and remainunconscious for 1 minute. The target awakens if it takes damage or another creature takes an action to wake it.
As for the Possession trait, you could tighten it up a bit too and relax the limitations on un-possessing the creature a little bit too:
Possession (Recharge 6).One sleeping Humanoid that the guecubu can see within 5 feet of it must succeed on a DC 14 Charisma saving throw or be possessed by the guecubu; the guecubu then disappears into the target. While possessing a Humanoid, the guecubu can’t be targeted by any attack, spell, or other effect. The guecubu moves with the target whenever the target moves, requiring none of the guecubu’s movement, and can’t use its Haunting Aura or Incorporeal Movement. Its game statistics otherwise remain the same.
The guecubu can use its action to take control of the host. The target must succeed on a DC 14 Charisma saving throw or be incapacitated and lose control of its body for one minute. While in control of a host, the guecubu uses the possessed target’s statistics, but doesn’t deprive the target of awareness.retains its alignment, Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma; it otherwise uses the possessed target’s statistics, but doesn’t deprive the target of awareness.
The possession lasts until the host drops to 0 hit points, the guecubu ends it as anbonus action, or the guecubu is forced out by an effect like the dispel evil and good spell. When the possession ends, the guecubu reappears in an unoccupied space within 5 feet of the body. The target is immune to this guecubu’s Possession for 24 hours after succeeding on the saving throw or after the possession ends.
Those are just my suggestions anyway. I hope it helps.
Sleep Touch. Melee Spell Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d4 + 3) necrotic damage. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 14 Wisdom saving throw or fall asleep and remainunconscious for 1 minute. The target awakens if it takes damage or another creature takes an action to wake it.
As for the Possession trait, you could tighten it up a bit too and relax the limitations on un-possessing the creature a little bit too:
Possession (Recharge 6).One sleeping Humanoid that the guecubu can see within 5 feet of it must succeed on a DC 14 Charisma saving throw or be possessed by the guecubu; the guecubu then disappears into the target. While possessing a Humanoid, the guecubu can’t be targeted by any attack, spell, or other effect. The guecubu moves with the target whenever the target moves, requiring none of the guecubu’s movement, and can’t use its Haunting Aura or Incorporeal Movement. Its game statistics otherwise remain the same.
The guecubu can use its action to take control of the host. The target must succeed on a DC 14 Charisma saving throw or be incapacitated and lose control of its body for one minute. While in control of a host, the guecubu uses the possessed target’s statistics, but doesn’t deprive the target of awareness.retains its alignment, Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma; it otherwise uses the possessed target’s statistics, but doesn’t deprive the target of awareness.
The possession lasts until the host drops to 0 hit points, the guecubu ends it as anbonus action, or the guecubu is forced out by an effect like the dispel evil and good spell. When the possession ends, the guecubu reappears in an unoccupied space within 5 feet of the body. The target is immune to this guecubu’s Possession for 24 hours after succeeding on the saving throw or after the possession ends.
Those are just my suggestions anyway. I hope it helps.
Is there really any reason not to just say “creature?” It’s only a DC 14, so most anything to worry about, like a dragon or whatever will likely just pass the save anyway. What specifically did you want to preclude? Other fiends and celestials? It might just be easier to exclude a few things than include things. Just a thought.
No real reason. The original stats from 3.5e allow the guecubu to possess humanoids and animals, only. But I have no problem widening the range to anything except a construct or undead, perhaps. It would certainly be interesting to have a fiend that can possess other fiends. A demon that can possess devils opens up some interesting Blood War tactics.
I think the most confusing part of the possession ability is that taking control of the host doesn't take control of the host. It renders the host incapacitated, making it a less than useful target to control, and grants the demon the host's "statistics" (can't wait for this to interact with spell slots), but doesn't actually say anywhere it lets the demon make the body do, well, anything.
It's also deeply weird that unlike everything else in the game that can possess, while possessing it's immune to being turned.
I think the most confusing part of the possession ability is that taking control of the host doesn't take control of the host. It renders the host incapacitated, making it a less than useful target to control, and grants the demon the host's "statistics" (can't wait for this to interact with spell slots), but doesn't actually say anywhere it lets the demon make the body do, well, anything.
It's also deeply weird that unlike everything else in the game that can possess, while possessing it's immune to being turned.
Yes, I agree that's confusing. I copied it because it appears in every other possession ability that I can think of. I suspect that it means that the host can't take any actions but that the body is free to use.
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Hi all,
I'd like to solicit feedback on a homebrew monster I've been working on. The guecubu showed up in 3e, and specializes in possessing humanoids. The key challenge with this brew is in the possession ability. Unlike virtually every other possessing monster in 5e (ghost, yakfolk warrior, tsucora quori etc.) possession by a guecubu is often unnoticed by the target. The guecubu remains with the target and chooses when to take control. Please have a look at the Possession ability, and see if it is coherent.
As it stands, the guecubu is extremely dangerous for its CR. It can hide in a body and use catapult and telekinesis without being detected and without taking direct control of the target. It is naturally invisible, and options for removing the possession are slim.
Haunting Aura. The guecubu’s presence is unnerving and distracting. Any creature that is not a Construct or Undead that finishes a short or long rest within 60 feet of the guecubu must succeed on a DC 14 Wisdom saving throw or derive no benefit from the rest. If a creature's saving throw is successful, the creature is immune to the guecubu's Haunting Aura for the next 24 hours.
Incorporeal Movement. The guecubu can move through other creatures and objects as if they were difficult terrain. It takes 5 (1d10) force damage if it ends its turn inside an object.
Invisibility. The guecubu is invisible.
Sleep Touch. Melee Spell Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d4 + 3) necrotic damage. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 14 Wisdom saving throw or fall asleep and remain unconscious for 1 minute. The target awakens if it takes damage or another creature takes an action to wake it.
Possession (Recharge 6). One sleeping Humanoid that the guecubu can see within 5 feet of it must succeed on a DC 14 Charisma saving throw or be possessed by the guecubu; the guecubu then disappears into the target. While possessing a Humanoid, the guecubu can’t be targeted by any attack, spell, or other effect. The guecubu moves with the target whenever the target moves, requiring none of the guecubu’s movement, and can’t use its Haunting Aura or Incorporeal Movement. Its game statistics otherwise remain the same.
The guecubu can use its action to take control of the host. The target must succeed on a DC 14 Charisma saving throw or be incapacitated and lose control of its body for one minute. While in control of a host, the guecubu uses the possessed target’s statistics, but doesn’t deprive the target of awareness.
The possession lasts until the host drops to 0 hit points, the guecubu ends it as a bonus action, or the guecubu is forced out by an effect like the dispel evil and good spell. When the possession ends, the guecubu reappears in an unoccupied space within 5 feet of the body. The target is immune to this guecubu’s Possession for 24 hours after succeeding on the saving throw or after the possession ends.
Spellcasting. The guecubu casts one of the following spells, requiring no material components and using Charisma as the spellcasting ability (spell save DC 14):
At will: catapult, detect thoughts
3/day: telekinesis
Description
Using possession, the formless guecubu takes over the bodies of living creatures to advance strange patterns of murder.
Guecubus are always encountered alone, since each of these evil demonic spirits thinks of itself as the single true manifestation of the Abyss’s will. A guecubu isn’t particular about who or what it possesses.
Most of the time, a guecubu acts like a parasite. Once it has claimed a host, it generally assumes the role of rider, allowing its host to continue to exist as it will. Many victims of guecubu possession don’t even realize they’re possessed. At some point, a guecubu might strike out of boredom or crave a new host. In either case, it begins asserting itself, driving the host to commit murders and other heinous crimes until it can no longer do so.
A guecubu prefers to dwell in rural areas, where it is less likely that spellcasters capable of exorcising it from a host can interfere with its plans. On the Abyss, guecubus can be found anywhere; they are particularly numerous in the Dreaming Gulf (layer 230), where the roving dreams of dead gods drift on alien currents and sometimes open portals to the Material Plane.
Unseen Threat. Guecubus are naturally invisible. A creature might feel a strange unsettling feeling in the guecubu's passing, but the demon remains invisible even when it attacks. A spell that allows someone to see the invisible reveals only the guecubu’s vague outline.
You could totem this up a bit:
As for the Possession trait, you could tighten it up a bit too and relax the limitations on un-possessing the creature a little bit too:
Those are just my suggestions anyway. I hope it helps.
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It also occurred to me that by restricting the Possession to “Humanoid” creatures, that means it cannot possess any of the following races:
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Woah even I don't know much about those rules.
This is very helpful, thanks!
Yeah, my first instinct was to copy the old material, but I will probably add at least fey to the list.
Happy to help, as usual.
Is there really any reason not to just say “creature?” It’s only a DC 14, so most anything to worry about, like a dragon or whatever will likely just pass the save anyway. What specifically did you want to preclude? Other fiends and celestials? It might just be easier to exclude a few things than include things. Just a thought.
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No real reason. The original stats from 3.5e allow the guecubu to possess humanoids and animals, only. But I have no problem widening the range to anything except a construct or undead, perhaps. It would certainly be interesting to have a fiend that can possess other fiends. A demon that can possess devils opens up some interesting Blood War tactics.
I think the most confusing part of the possession ability is that taking control of the host doesn't take control of the host. It renders the host incapacitated, making it a less than useful target to control, and grants the demon the host's "statistics" (can't wait for this to interact with spell slots), but doesn't actually say anywhere it lets the demon make the body do, well, anything.
It's also deeply weird that unlike everything else in the game that can possess, while possessing it's immune to being turned.
Yes, I agree that's confusing. I copied it because it appears in every other possession ability that I can think of. I suspect that it means that the host can't take any actions but that the body is free to use.