In recent months, several of the series that had come out on a weekly basis, such as running monsters, encounter of the week, DM's guide, etc, have seen a decrease if not a complete end to new releases. Since running monsters was a personal favorite of mine, I decided to start a thread as a way of continuing the legacy. Here's how it will work:
There will be updates every week, starting on monday. Each time I will make a post with DM tips, specifying how to run monsters with roleplay and tactics
This isn't attempting to replace the old series, but more to revamp it and receive community feedback and DM tips.
There will be a new post every monday, most likely afternoon, and once it's made readers are free to offer feedback and their tips on the monster of the week
The posts will start with the Monster Manual, but may cycle in between depending on the week or if a new book releases
In the meantime, feel free to think of monsters you would like to see evaluated. This series will mostly draw on the old running monsters series, as well as some outside sources, such as The Monsters Know what They're Doing.
Have fun, please enjoy
Although I said Monday's, the first post will be made later this week. In the meantime, here's a teaser for the that article:
Beor spun wildly about in the cavern, whipping his sword frantically at every creeping shadow. "Where are you you fiend?" he screamed. Mad cackling and shuffling pierced the pitch black air, and seemingly into his mind. "What have you done with my friends?" he yelled at the dark. "Oh Beor.." the response came, raspy and shaky, followed by mad cackling. "I have no idea where your friends are". Beor growled and swung towards the direction of the voice. "LIAR!" he bellowed. A maniacal laugh issued from the tunnel ahead. "We both know I'm not the one lying here." A quick shuffling of footsteps came from down the tunnel, as a humanoid figure slowly crept from the dark. "Do they know?" the voice said. "Do they know the real reason why you're here? But of course, you've made it so no one figures out your lies. All that blood...." "SHUT UP!!" Beor roared, falling back as he saw the horrific image of the creature emerge from the dark. A single green eye, like a deformed lantern, hung seemingly in the air, framed against the black Underdark backgorund. The Nothic emerged from the cave, revealing its horrific body corrupted long ago. "But don't worry," the creature said, it's mouth opening and revealing a pointed smile. "I can keep a secret."
Here's the first post of the week. Next one will be this coming Monday. Please enjoy and comment with any ideas or tips or suggestions for next week.
How to Play a Nothic like a Twisted Arcanist
Nothics possess an interesting portfolio as low level monsters go, the flavor text alone presenting a unique opportunity for any DM willing to take on the challenge. The Monster Manual describes Nothics as wizards who learned a little more than was good for them. It goes on to say that this forbidden knowledge results in a curse by Vecna, reducing these arcanists to the twisted, gibbering aberrations that litter the Underdark. The curse affects the Nothic in body, soul, and mind, as the text also mentions that Nothics retain no memories from their pasts, except for a strange compulsion to magical sources. Nothics are recluses, not pack hunters, which forces them to rely on their cunning and Seer-like knowledge to manipulate and confuse their enemies.
Nothics are aberration type monsters, and yet, seem more like monstrosities based on the text. The MM defines aberrations as "utterly alien beings" while it describes monstrosities as creatures that define categorization, monsters in the strictest sense. It even says they may result from a magical curse or similar effect! But categorization doesn't really play a major role in the Nothic's tactics. What the MM does give us is that Nothic's are fairly weak creatures at CR 2, possessing the ability to repel players, but with average AC and hit points, at best. The text says that Nothics don't resort to violence right away, and in fact, I would say that they try to avoid combat as much as possible. A Nothic tries to stay 20 to 30 feet away from the party at all times, using it's Weird Insight feature in the meantime to try to get a read on them. Based on the Nothic's insight buff, it's safe to assume that it can recognize the basic roles of each player in the party, and will recognize spellcasters, especially wizards, automatically, and take a strange interest in them. While it does have above average insight and perception, Nothics significantly lack in social charm, with a lowly charisma of 8. It's charisma score, combined with it's off putting nature edging on insanity, will most likely make the Nothic come across to the players as untrustworthy. The Nothic uses this to it's advantage, and takes a morbid interest in the players, taking every chance to creep them out and make them reconsider attacking it. The players most likely won't want to work with a Nothic, or will attack it outright for prying into their thoughts. To avoid confrontations so often, consider not giving them a choice with the Nothic. Enlist it as an ally Npc, either as a guide through an cavernous gauntlet, or perhaps to a magical object or structure. I like the idea of Nothics drawn to a crashed mind flayer colony's Nautiloid, seeking the mysterious arcane energy it supplies. If it becomes an ally to the players in any way, the Nothic questions them often, and randomly, trying to glean knowledge from them all the while.There is a delicate balance between the Nothic's lack of social skill, and its overpowering interest in the secrets of other beings. I can't help but be reminded of Tolkien's Lord of the Rings, and especially the films, where Frodo and Sam must turn to Gollum as their sole guide through the shadowy land of Mordor. Gollum takes every opportunity to sow distrust among the hobbits, slowly causing them to fight among themselves and turning their attention away from him.
However, a Nothic doesn't always have to be a malicious creature. You could have a Nothic that functions as a sort of collector, a creature tormented by its lack of memory that busies itself with collecting items and memories from other people's pasts. The Nothic could have a lair decorated with lost or stolen items, maybe even a journal where it records secrets. If you wanted to go the horror route, this Nothic could be like a local boogeyman, a creature that lives in the foggy barrows on the outskirts of town, and steals and collects small trinkets from the townspeople. As a recluse, this Nothic would rarely come out during daytime or in large gatherings, but would sneak around town by night, disguising itself so as not to be seen. The Nothic would take small things that wouldn't be noticed at first, like books, small coins, tea cups, or dolls. Eventually the Watcher might lure a child to its layer, seeking a friend. Although it's sanity would be as loose as any other Nothic, I would play this example as a lonely misfit, a creature that seeks company, but whose twisted form and flighty nature make it unable to truly connect. Using a Nothic is always an opportunity to show off some creative skill, whether you decide to dive deep into it's past and personality, or make it a twisted and maniacal foe compelled by the hunger to know the unknowable.
A Nothic in combat should be a frightening and mysterious encounter. Similar to the "'How to play a Mindflayer like Eldritch Horror" article, the goal here is fear of the unknown. The Nothic keeps to the shadows, and uses it's Rotting gaze as soon as the player enters within 30 feet. An interesting detail, Rotting Gaze specifies "One creature it (the Nothic) can see within 30 feet of itslef". So the Nothic has to be able to see it's target, but the target could be totally unaware of the Nothic, or at least unable to see it. For these types of horror tactics, I would recommend giving the Nothic a few lower level spells, such as fear, suggestion, invisibility, misty step, or fog cloud to ramp up the horror atmosphere and advance the Nothic's skirmisher-like tactics. If you're playing an XP based campaign instead of milestone, I would recommend bumping the Nothic up to challenge 4 with the spell additions (maybe with a slight increase in health too). Once it has used Rotting gaze, the Nothic will make a claw multiattack against the weakest creature within range (spellcaster or the like), then disengage as soon as it can. To be honest, the Nothic is pretty squishy, which is why I recommend making some adjustments to the stat block. Another option would be to give the Nothic minions. Although it has low charisma, a Nothic could easily manage to bribe off some creatures willing to work for food, such as Troglodytes, Goblins, or a troll. A Nothic may also work alongside cultists or another such group that it can glean secrets from. It is highly unlikely that a group of Nothic's would work together, considering their solitary nature as described. A Nothic that sees another Nothic cannot help but be reminded of it's curse, and would either attack or flee madly on sight. Regardless of minions or spells, a Nothic plays dirty. It might use Rotting gaze, then flee from sight, and set up an ambush or wait til the players come in reach, and repeat it's tactics, perhaps setting a trap for them as well. The upside to a Nothic being a relatively unknown monster is that even players well-acquainted with the game may have no idea as to it's CR. Make sure to take advantage of that, and use every opportunity to frighten and intrigue them with this creature. Once again, I would look to the LoTR films and Andy Serkis' performance as roleplay inspiration before running one of these.
While they are largely unknown in the wealth of interesting creatures presented in 5e, Nothics present some of the most unique and enjoyable roleplay opportunities. Creatures perfectly suited to an abandoned magical academy or the Underdark's twisted paths, the Nothic is a secretive and skittish adversary that avoids large populations and knows how to navigate through it's lair to avoid them.
The challenge in playing a Nothic is to balance its grasping need for secrets and arcane knowledge, while still roleplaying the insanity and lack of social skill they all possess. Try to just have fun with playing a Nothic and inserting yourself into its twisted mind. If you enjoy maximun roleplay and doing fun voices, give the Nothic a fun voice. Invent a personality for it, maybe even a name. Despite their ravaged memories, I like to think Nothic's invent names for themselves matching their mad personas and refer to themselves always in the third person.
However you do it, know that a Nothic is a rare treat as low level creatures go, and it deserves more than a 20 second combat in a dungeon cave. Have fun playing the Nothic the way you know you and your players will most enjoy. Whether as a mad accomplice to the party, a gibbering and plotting guide through drow infested tunnels, or as a simple outcast seeking lore, the Nothic is an enemy your players won't soon forget.
First article of the week, please let me know any additional tips you may have or suggestions on how to play a nothic. Story ideas such as the one presented in the article or experiences you've had with one would also be welcome. I'm open to suggestions as to what you'd like to see analyzed next week on this series, so please offer any feedback you have. Thanks
This is really cool! Can you do one for a spellcasting monster? I generally have a hard time running spellcasters, since I don’t have the PH spell list memorized. :) How do you know which of their spells are most useful/thematic for the combat?
This is really cool! Can you do one for a spellcasting monster? I generally have a hard time running spellcasters, since I don’t have the PH spell list memorized. :) How do you know which of their spells are most useful/thematic for the combat?
Yeah, I'll definitely cover that soon, now that you mentioned it. spellcasting monsters can be difficult because, like you said, they usually have a lot of spells to choose from, added to the regular chaos of combat. I'll say this in an article but with any creature's tactics you want to look primarily at it's ability score and think "what is this thing capable of?" If it has low intelligence and mediocre wisdom, that probably means it won't be the most tactically brilliant creature, but this may be balanced out by it's having some very powerful abilities.
With spellcasters, just try to examine the spells and what type they are (concentration, single target, multi-target, defense, support) and determine when the caster would use them in which phase of combat. Appreciate the question and that's definitely a topic I want to cover at length
This is really cool! Can you do one for a spellcasting monster? I generally have a hard time running spellcasters, since I don’t have the PH spell list memorized. :) How do you know which of their spells are most useful/thematic for the combat?
Yeah, I'll definitely cover that soon, now that you mentioned it. spellcasting monsters can be difficult because, like you said, they usually have a lot of spells to choose from, added to the regular chaos of combat. I'll say this in an article but with any creature's tactics you want to look primarily at it's ability score and think "what is this thing capable of?" If it has low intelligence and mediocre wisdom, that probably means it won't be the most tactically brilliant creature, but this may be balanced out by it's having some very powerful abilities.
With spellcasters, just try to examine the spells and what type they are (concentration, single target, multi-target, defense, support) and determine when the caster would use them in which phase of combat. Appreciate the question and that's definitely a topic I want to cover at length
On that note I've also thought of doing an Npc spotlight to take a look at the Npc's from the MM and Volo's guide, but I assume you're asking about creatures that can spellcast so I'll cover that first.
This is really cool! Can you do one for a spellcasting monster? I generally have a hard time running spellcasters, since I don’t have the PH spell list memorized. :) How do you know which of their spells are most useful/thematic for the combat?
Yeah, I'll definitely cover that soon, now that you mentioned it. spellcasting monsters can be difficult because, like you said, they usually have a lot of spells to choose from, added to the regular chaos of combat. I'll say this in an article but with any creature's tactics you want to look primarily at it's ability score and think "what is this thing capable of?" If it has low intelligence and mediocre wisdom, that probably means it won't be the most tactically brilliant creature, but this may be balanced out by it's having some very powerful abilities.
With spellcasters, just try to examine the spells and what type they are (concentration, single target, multi-target, defense, support) and determine when the caster would use them in which phase of combat. Appreciate the question and that's definitely a topic I want to cover at length
On that note I've also thought of doing an Npc spotlight to take a look at the Npc's from the MM and Volo's guide, but I assume you're asking about creatures that can spellcast so I'll cover that first.
How to Play a Night Hag like a Corrupted Villainess
The halfling rogue woke with a gasp, cold sweat pouring down her face. She scooted up in her sleeping bag and realized how tightly she clutched her dagger in one hand as last night's horrible memories flooded back to her. Her sleep had been anything but peaceful, as all she remembered were painful visions and horrible nightmares. She looked around, but found the campsite empty, save for the dwarf paladin tucked in his bedroll. He slowly sat up, stirred by her sudden awakening, and cocked one eye at her. "You alright lass?" he mumbled sleepily. "I'm not sure." She said uncomfortably. "That bloody witch sure did a number on me." The paladin frowned, staring into the dying fire. "we killed her, lass, sure as I planted my own blade into her chest. You've nothing to fear but the dark tonight." he chuckled, settling back down. "That's what I'm afraid of," the girl muttered to herself. The rogue balanced the blade on her fingertip, catching it as it fell into her hand. She leaned in closer to the fire, trying to shake off a chill. "Where are Pax and Remus?" she asked, gesturing to the rogue and druid's usual spots. "Oh you mean our midnight foragers?" he said with a slight laugh. "Must've headed off to look for some food in the woods. Never even heard 'em leave the site, sneaky dodgers," he said with a small chuckle. "Now let an old dwarf sleep." The dwarf lay back down in his bedroll, and was dozing peacefully in minutes. The young halfling began to settle back down when she heard a slight, whispering voice from the woods behind her. "There you are little one," it hissed in the night. "Auntie's been looking for you." The rogue sat up with a fright, surveying the woods and spying a hunched over form near the treeline, practically invisible out in the darkness. "Theroden wake up," she said urgently, nudging the paladin. "Oh I wouldn't worry about him," the voice sneered from out in the woods. "He'll be asleep for quite a while." The rogue leapt from her place and drew her second dagger, moving to the sound of the voice. "Show yourself!" she demanded, but her face betrayed the fright racking her nerves. "Oh dearie, you really aren't in a position to make threats," a second voice cackled from behind her. The two figure stepped into the dim firelight, revealing tattered dresses studded with rat bones and other macabre decorum. Their faces were a dark purple, appearing demonic framed against the firelight, and two curled horns protruded from under the mess of their dark hair. "You killed our sister," the night hag said laughing "Now we'll feast on you!"
Hags are twisted fey creatures that appear like something straight out of a fairy tale, dark beings who adopt grandmotherly disguises to tempt unsuspecting youngsters with poisoned sweets or cursed magical items. Night hags are a variant of these creatures, and perhaps the most wicked and perverted sub-type. Night hags aren't even considered fey, and instead are fiends, having had their original nature corrupted by the Nine Hells, a perfect illustration for the corruption that they seek to sow on the rest of the world. Night hags seek to disfigure beauty, corrupt justice, and pervert good desires in those around them. And paired with their shapechanging capability, as well as Nightmare Haunting, these creepy grandmothers are fearsome foes indeed.
As with most intelligent creatures, the tactics for a nightmare hag can be complicated, especially when trying to balance combat and roleplay. Making the hag an enjoyable Npc, while also minimizing stress and maximizing fun in combat is a difficult task. So today, I'll be taking a look at the Night hag to try to put a stop to any DM woes you may have had with this creature in the past, and hopefully make it a fun encounter in the future. I will also look at the coven variant (provided in a sidebar in the Monster Manual), and show how a coven operates and break down the use of it's spells.
As mentioned before, Night hag's are fiends, not fey, and while this may seem like a minor detail purely for backstory, it's actually relevant in relation to their tactics. For starters, it's good to think, "What is a Night hag's motivation?". As fiends, Night hags have the disposition towards the corruption of mortals and the "payoff" so to speak of claiming their souls. In this way, Night Hags play the long game, trying to corrupt a mortal over time by sneaking into it's place of rest and afflicting it with vivid nightmares. This means that the goal of the Night hag is not direct combat. On the contrary, Night hags possess an impressive ability score set, all above a 14, with formidable physical and mental scores. Their strength is highest, followed by a three-way tie between Constitution, Intelligence, and Charisma. This shows that the Night hag is a creature with great cunning and social skill, but has the potential to fight if it needs to. However, these aspects are betrayed by the Hag's lack of a direct, powerful attack. Notice on it's stat block that a Night hag does have a claw attack, dealing 13 damage, but no multiattack. Despite it's +7 attack bonus, this attack is relatively weak against a whole level 5 party, and since it's only backups are low level attack spells unlikely to inconvenience a level 5 party, the Night hag can appear pretty weak at first glance. However, the Night hag does possess some great options defensively. With an AC of 17, 112 hit points, a resistance to nonmagical weapon attacks, and a magic resistance, the Night hag is still pretty tanky. The balance is trying to find how a Night hag enters combat, and how it behaves once in combat, (excluding coven spells, and the strangeness of a Night hag coven, which I'll examine in a minute).
First and foremost, let's look at the Night hag's behavior. As soon as the party enters the Night hag's territory (be it an enchanted wood, ruined castle, or village), the Night hag tracks them and examines them as soon as it can, and not always directly. Given their ability to shapechange and their high charisma, it's not unreasonable to assume that the night hag has accumulated a few minions for herself. If you want to play it old-school, maybe a talking crow or two, or perhaps a troll guarding the forest. I actually like the idea of updating the troll-hag stereotype a little bit, seeing as how a Night hag poses a higher threat than the green hag or the sea hag, and giving it a venom troll or maybe a spirit troll whose soul she captured. Depending on her environment, the hag could have wereravens as minions, carrionettes if you really wanted to play up the nightmare feeling, or perhaps even some imps she has enlisted from Hades. At any rate, I would recommend giving her some minions, even if they're just minor ones used as spies. This creates the feeling of a Night hag having her own territory, and furthermore allows her to move indirectly in it, thus avoiding direct confrontation while still gaining information on the party.
Hags are creatures of twisted desire, and masters of manipulation. We are told that they live extra-long lifespans, even longer than elves occasionally. And generally, the older the hag, the meaner they get, and Night hags are no exception. Hag's delight in manipulating good creatures, and they are experts at it. They rarely if ever manipulate by violent threats or blunt coercion, but instead work through shady deals and bargains. They prey on the outcasts and the desperate, those who have no choice but to make a deal quickly and quietly, without reading the fine print. The hag delights in making these deals with mortals to slowly corrupt the innocent, making evil out of good. This is like a double whammy for a Night hag, as a creature who possesses the hag's knack for manipulation, and the fiendish bent for the collecting of souls. Night hags use the best of both their skill sets to corrupt the mortal as much as possible, then finally, when that person reaches the apex of their evil deeds, finish them off with their Nightmare touch and collect their soul for return to Hades. These are hags that truly relish in causing mortals to do evil, and the higher quality the character, the more delicious the pay off for the hag. Night hags use a mix of fear and subtle coercion in their manipulation of mortals to soften them up with nightmares at first, and then take advantage of the weakened state to slowly push their prey closer to the edge. The advice of the hag shouldn't seem overtly evil at first, perhaps persuading the person to steal from that rude vendor, or to prank that teacher who always treats them unfairly in class, or to start neglecting their chores or duties. It should come across as something the person deserves, something that they'll feel good about, when really it's the first phase of their corruption. From here the Night hag's nudges toward evil escalate, as do the nightmares. Once her victim dies, the Night hag collects the soul in her soul bag for return to Hades.
On the subject of soul bags and the heartstone, I would rule that an experienced Night hag has one of each of these at all times, given that Etherealness and Night haunting the hag's main abilities. You could alternatively choose to say that one of these is an innate trait, but I personally like the idea of the Night hag sowing a bag from dead flesh to steal the souls of her victims.
A Night Hag is not a very powerful creature in a straightforward combat. The Night hag statblock has a few low-level deterrence spells, and a basic claw attack with a fair attack modifier and damage, but relatively bland otherwise. How to make it more interesting? One suggestion is a coven. All hags are pretty solitary by nature, but there is a kind of understanding between them, as they recognize the value of information other hags might have, especially older ones. We also know that hags are unwelcome in both fey courts, Seelie and Unseelie. Hags are hideous and appearace and seek to pervert beauty and goodness, things prized by the fey courts. Thus hags are loners among most creatures, and ordinarily the only ones they even tolerate are their minions. However, hag covens are formed when hags come together for a common goal, to deal with a common threat, or to share wisdom and knowledge to gain power. Therefore, the coven should be a win-win-win for each hag participating, or at least appear to be. However, Night hag covens seem a little complicated. The conditions for covens forming are mentioned above, but given the solitary way Night hags operate, added to the fact that a coven would have to decide who gets to keep the soul, it seems like a risky bet for the hags involved. However, the coven could feasibly come together under the leadership of an elder hag (called a grandmother), or, as mentioned in Volo's Guide to Monsters, a hag could choose to birth two daughters to form a sort of "family coven". However you decide to play it, know that a Night Hag coven is a formidable opponent indeed.
As far as tactics go, the vanilla Night hag ordinarily only enters combat if she is caught in the process of stealing a soul. These are difficult circumstances to arrange, as one of the party would have to have truesight to spy the ethereal hag. But I have to admit, the image of a ghostly Night hag hovering over the seizing party member's friend at 2:00 in the morning would be pretty terrifying. It's clear from the statblock that the Night hag has plenty of cunning to know when to retreat and how to act in combat. If possible she will try to disguise herself and beg for mercy, try to seem as weak and helpless as possible, and if that doesn't work, she'll book it out of there once she's taken any significant damage (20 or more), and try to escape through the ethereal plane, or using plane shift as her get-out-of-jail-free card.
A Night hag in a coven, on the other hand is much different, mainly due to the spellcasting trait. The Monster manual rules that hags in a coven must be within 30 feet of each other to cast coven spells, and that they must share slots. While it's cool thematically, this can complicate combat very quickly, but you can rule it however you decide. At any rate, let's take a look at the coven spell list provided in the MM (Volo provides alternative lists, but I'll justt be looking at the one today):
- Ray of Sickness is a first level spell, dealing posion damage on a hit, and forcing the target to make a Constitution save or be poisoned. Identify is divination and has little to no use in combat.
- hold person forces a Wisdom save to paralyze the target, which can be more than one creature with a slot of 3rd level or higher. More on that later. locate object is again, not really useful in combat.
- Ah, third level. The hag has a few options here, choosing from bestow curse (wisdom save, various crippling effects), lightning bolt (high damage, line targeting), or counterspell, a useful one against other spellcasters, and in the order of combat, as it only costs a reaction.
- At 4th level we have phantasmal killer (don't bother), and polymorph, a fun one for a classic witch trick.
- The only 5th level spells are contact other plane and scrying, fun in roleplay but with no real use in combat. However that does free up these slots for upcasting. More on that later.
- At 6th level the hag can cast eyebite, a nasty spell with some deadly crippling effects.
All right. Now that we know what we're dealing with, let's look at how to run these spells.
The Night hag sisters begin somewhere within 30 feet of each other, and try to stay more than that away from the party, even better if they have some of their brute minions to act as meat shields in front of them. if the hag goes first in initiative, she will cast lightning bolt if the players are close together, or opens up with an eyebite, targeting a low wisdom character (You'll probably notice that many of the spells in the coven list target wisdom, so you'll have to use discretion and know who to target). It is to the hag's advantage to cast eyebite as early as possible, so as to utilize the subsequent round effect of cursing another creature. I mentioned earlier that the hag has two 5th level slots basically open, usually occupied by non-combat spells. You could choose to replace one of those spells, or you could choose to upcast ray of sickness, dealing 6d8 potential damage, plus a poison save. Not bad. The hag is intelligent enough to know which players will be resistant to poison. This upcasting is especially a good option when facing a high wisdom party, and the hag will thus use it to target whichever high WIS creature is annoying her the most. A good use for that second 5th level spell slot is to upcast bestow curse to use on that pesky fighter or barbarian who keeps screwing with the Night hag. This upcasting makes the duration ten minutes, but keep in mind that's concentration, so this one should likely be used earlier in combat. As far as which curse, I would opt for the wasted action if the fighter is annoying them, or the necrotic damage if he has high enough hp. Hold person can also be used at 5th level, to paralyze up to 4 creatures at once, which is a good option even if the party does have high wisdom, because it's highly unlikely that 4 creatures will make their wisdom saves. It depends on whether or not a specific player is giving the hag trouble, or if it needs to blanket the group. Polymorph or bestow curse can really be used interchangeably, depending on the goal you want to accomplish. Both work thematically for hags.
Again, if they've run through their spells and are facing a high wisdom party, the hags know when to retreat, cut their losses, and escape through the ethereal plane, likely leaving their pet troll to finish the players off.
That was a lot of fun, and I hope you enjoyed this very lengthy guide on running Night hags. I hope this makes you a better and more fun DM, and that you crush your players the next time you run a Night Hag. take care
How to Play Yuan-ti like Emotionless Serpentine Masterminds
The Abomination stared over the head of the prostrate human slave, it's serpentine eyes unblinking and cold. The chamber was dark and humid, save for the light from red torches glowing softly on the stone walls. The abomination sat coiled on its throne, flanked on either side by pureblood advisors. More slaves, called in to watch the exchange, sat terrified lined against the back wall. The one slave, sweat glistening on his face, begged before the serpent lord. "P-please master," he said. "h-have mercy, I know not the full wisdom of your decrees. Spare my life, I b-beg you." The abomination turned it's head toward the left, speaking to his advisor. "What doesss the MEAT implore?" it hissed in a cold, raspy voice. The advisor responded in turn, with their strange, hissing language. "He begs for his life, my Lord." The abomination flicked its tongue out, staring daggers at the human slave. The slave looked up sweating, not daring to lift his eyes to meet those of his abomination master. He began to shudder as he felt a scaley tail touch his leg and begin to wrap around it. The abomination slithered closer, its enormous tail, coiling further and further around the human's body. "MEAT is worthless if it does not keep," said the creature, it's fangs dripping venom. "n-no, p-p-please master.." the human begged, barely able to speak, as he lost air. The abomination hissed and constricted it's tail, and there was a loud snap as the human's bones cracked. Blood dripped from the slave's mouth as he stared forward, barely alive. The creature's head snapped forward, and it's fangs dug into the slaves exposed neck, poison surging into the bloodstream, killing the slave instantly. The master dropped the lifeless body to the floor with a thud, causing the watching slaves to flinch. The abomination paused as, from behind the slaves, sounds of fighting echoed in the chamber, loud hissing and the clanging of steel. The abomination leaned forward, slithering over the dead body, and peering into the dark hallway. A bolt flew past it's head, slamming into the pureblood advisor's face with a wet thud. He sunk silently to the ground, while the other advisor ducked away, scrambling for his dagger, just as a dwarf wielding an enormous crossbow emerged from the hall. Right behind him came an elf bard, holding a lute, and human twins, a fighter and a cleric. The bard stepped forward into the chamber. "You know, you'd probably be better off if you just payed your help," he said gesturing to the slave on the floor with his lute. The abomination pulled a curved sword from a display beside it's throne, and hissed angrily, slithering toward the party. "Ah well," said the bard. "I was looking for a fight anyway," as he strummed a thunderous chord on his lute, echoing through the chamber, while his friends dashed into action behind him.
Rise from the Ashes
The remnants of a once great empire spanning multiple kingdoms and dominating human settlements, the Yuan-ti now are quiet infiltrators, serpentine amalgamations reduced to working through shadowy networks and spy information to regain their former glory. The Yuan-ti were once humans, part of an empire long ago reminiscent of the Aztecs, that functioned under a caste system. The Yuan-ti society craved power, and worshiped snakes and the snake gods, admiring the serpentine aspects of focus and deadliness. Their worship of the gods was unusual, not out of devotion, but out of a need for power and advancement. They developed a philosophy of complete detachment from emotions, reflecting their serpentine ideology, with the purpose of complete undistracted focus and drive in their conquest. They Yuan-ti saw themselves as the most enlightened beings in evolution, looking down on other creatures and their petty emotions. They thought themselves free of the distractions emotions caused, and devoted all of their energy to conquest and their own societal advancement. And yet, they thought their human bodies limited, seeking freedom from both emotion and the weakness of humanity. The gods answered by revealing a ritual that could transform a human into a snake hybrid. This ritual required the cannibalism of a human sacrifice, sometimes more than one, pushing the society past the point of no return. Their priests began performing the ritual, devouring their slaves and merging their flesh with that of snakes. The completeness of a Yuan-ti's transformation became part of the order in the caste system, where those who were most serpentine obtained higher social position. The Yuan-ti were finally free of their human constraints, and embraced their ophidian forms with a greater thirst for conquest. At the height of their conquest, the Yuan-ti began to face major opposition from the world around them. Other cultures began to revolutionize their weaponry, dragons and naga attacked, and the serpent gods slipped into deep rests, causing dissension among the priests. Their numbers severely depleted, the wounded Yuan-ti slithered out of society to hide in the shadows. With their majors cities destroyed or under siege, the Yuan-ti now hide out in jungles and ancient ruins across the world, plotting their way back into civilization.
Urban Infiltrators
Although they realized that a restoration to their true former glory would not be possible for millennia, the Yuan-ti still burned with the desire for conquest. With their limited resources and depleted members, the Yuan-ti tried a new tactic: stealth. They switched from conquering to infiltrating, sowing discord and fear among city leaders, and slowly overtaking settlements through blackmail, drug deals, and manipulation. The Yuan-ti are master strategists, developing wartime tactics in their years in the empire, while also learning dark magics and subtle techniques to control other humanoids. Yuan-ti purebloods, those least affected by the ritual, are perfectly suited to infiltration, due to their mostly humanoid appearance. To truly fit into human society, purebloods have to be trained to resist their inherent disgust of humanoids, as well as display convincing emotions. Their goal in society is control. Control of political leaders, control of resources, even control of gangs. Those who control politics, resources, and crime control a city. With these three, the Yuan-ti can regulate the gangs, where they strike and how, as well as distribution of drugs and black market sales. They control water and food in the city, effectively being able to starve the population. They use blackmail, threats, and seduction to get close to politicians and their advisors, seeking out any information they can use to exert dominance over them. If necessary, they plan assassinations to remove leaders from power and replace them with operatives that support their goals, or that they can coerce more easily into doing their bidding. The relationship of Yuan-ti to human is not one of trust, as Yuan-ti don't see humans as equals. Instead, they see them as meat, mere vessels whose only worth is as slaves or pawns. Their ultimate dependence is on their survival. Yuan-ti are careful, calculating, and never reckless. Their lack of emotional distraction makes them fully concentrated planners, adept at gaining and memorizing information, and staying on the task at hand. So with all this information in mind, let's look at how Yuan-ti behave in campaign scenarios.
Silent Takeover
Yuan-ti are primarily stealthy, devoted to preserving the undercover empire. Thus, the full extent of their control should never be quite realized until they've already gained too much. This means that Yuan-ti rarely ever end up in open combat with the party, unless encountered in their own territory, which I'll cover in a minute. In an urban situation, a Yuan-ti infestation may be encountered without the party even knowing it. While trying to aid local enforcement with a drug bust, the party might come across a pureblood working behind the scenes, agitating the gangs and controlling shipments. Wherever they are, purebloods remain in disguise in all social situations where they might be seen. There's no reason why a pureblood wouldn't have a way to disguise itself, whether through magical illusion, makeup, or a disguise kit. Interacting with humans is necessary to the operation, and they must look the part. However, not all purebloods mingle with politicians and high society. Some, assumedly of lower ranking, must parley with crime lords, assassin's guilds, and even city workers. Sometimes, all that's needed is stealth and a hood to conceal their face. But in any case, purebloods strive to keep their nature secret. Depending on the scenario, Purebloods will act whatever role suits their needs. As they possess the craving all Yuan-ti have for power, some purebloods surround themselves with extravagant wealth in their false identities, as many achieve lofty status in their roles. This could lead to a defective pureblood, one who still sees humans as lower beings, but enjoys the power it obtains from being above them in their society, and has grown to a resentment of the caste system. This npc could function like an arrogant, high ranking aristocrat, who works loosely for the Yuan-ti but really seeks their own goal. I'm reminded of the Marovingian from the Matrix films, a program who broke off from the main system and functions like a sort of broker within the Matrix and with other programs. This aristocrat pureblood could have information the players need, or perhaps sway over the gangs that they need on their side. All yuan-ti encountered in roleplay (not in disguise), are cold, and emotionless, giving no thought to begging or pleading. Other organisms are meat, and that is that. They have very clear goals in their mind, and don't lend themselves to fits of anger or outbursts, even if their plan is going south. This doesn't mean, of course, that your yuan-ti boss won't have a good old-fashioned monologue in front of the helpless meat it has captured at the apex of it's plans. It's easy to think that because yuan-ti have no emotions, there's little to no roleplay opportunities. However, there are still plenty of things you can do with yuan-ti roleplay. Their abstinence from emotion makes them cold, terrifying adversaries that are utterly driven by goals, not their own ideals. Yuan-ti of high rank likely don't even speak to the players, only doing so if they have a slave or translator, viewing even speech to a human as beneath them. A pureblood playing it's role maintains character, but is secretly anguished every time it must submit to a human or treat one as an equal. Yuan-ti that act honorably or trustworthy in the moment only do so to a greater end, to further their plans and gain trust. Their disconnect with emotions goes so far that they are nearly impossible to interrogate through normal means. They can't truly be threatened, as all they care about is the mission of the empire. It's likely that all yuan-ti operatives who are likely to be captured have a way of ending their lives if it comes to it. This would have to be a magically advanced method, however, not as simple as cyanide, since yuan-ti are immune to poison. On the flip side of that, yuan-ti interrogators are extremely skilled and brutal, unrelenting until they get what they want. They have no care for their victims, and have no sympathy for human pain, viewing that also as a weakness. As far as allies go, Yuan-ti form many temporary alliances in their false positions, masking their true goals from their associates, but do posses a following in human society. Serpent cults that worship Dendar, Merrrshaulk, or any of the serpent gods serve as allies of the Yuan-ti, believing them to be emissaries from those gods. These cults are extremely fanatical, believing that Yuan-ti are a more enlightened race, and that they possess the ultimate knowledge and power. These cults act as intermediaries for the Yuan-ti, working for them in cities, usually under a pureblood, to supervise and report back to the yuan-ti city. These cults also work to sow dissension and chaos among the populace, spreading their messages of true bodily perfection, and freedom from the restraints of humanity. Many of these cultists aspire to the ritual, to become purebloods and be accepted into the society. The cults are a strange mix of fanatic fervor, as well as the aspiration to be free from emotion and serve the serpent gods. When playing a serpent cultist, I would recommend tweaking the statblock to more fit the Yuan-ti theme, adding some poison-related spells, as well as proficiency in stealth and infiltration based skills. In roleplay these cultists are always fanatical and on the edge of insanity, willing to die by their own blades before capture. Serpent cults are more likely to kill or sacrifice a victim, whereas a pureblood is most likely tasked to kidnap or drug a target, preferring to capture instead of kill. The cultists probably start in small towns, areas easy for them to dominate, and spread their reach further and further until they control enough resources to seep into cities. At that stage they likely have assistance from a pureblood supervisor, who works with the cult leader to expand into their domain. The relationship of Yuan-ti to cultist is one of servant to master. Cultists are more highly valued and useful than slaves, but the Yuan-ti only see them as tools, pawns to obtain a goal. All yuan-ti encountered in roleplay (not in disguise), are cold, and emotionless, giving no thought to begging or pleading. Other organisms are meat, and that is that. They have very clear goals in their mind, and don't lend themselves to fits of anger or outbursts, even if their plan is going south. Yuan-ti that act honorably or trustworthy in the moment only do so to a greater end, to further their plans and gain trust. Their disconnect with emotions goes so far that they are nearly impossible to interrogate through normal means. They can't truly be threatened, as all they care about is the mission of the empire. It's likely that all yuan-ti operatives who are likely to be captured have a way of ending their lives if it comes to it. This would have to be a magically advanced method, however, not as simple as cyanide, since yuan-ti are immune to poison.
Serpentine Tactics
The yuan-ti empire knows it cannot rule through open conquest and military might for the time being, hence their penchant for stealth and manipulation. This philosophy of conquest also plays into their combat strategies. The yuan-ti goal in combat is survival; capture, don't kill, fight dirty, and run when you need to. The yuan-ti have no concept of honor or fighting fairly. This isn't even because they hate others or take joy in trickery; they simply don't see other organisms as equals, and thus strike always in the most effective and deadly way. However, the yuan-ti also don't seek to kill their victims, and they avoid large scale combat in open places. Their goal is not to be discovered, and a long fight is to their disadvantage. Thus, they mainly move at night, and if they must fight they end it as quickly as possible, trying to charm or incapacitate their enemies, and then drag them off to their hideout where they can be kept as slaves or sacrifices. All yuan-ti also posses an immunity to poison, making for some fun traps they can use in combat. One example would be a poison gas trap, triggered by a wire or pressure plate during combat. The yuan-ti are totally unaffected by the poison, while the party must contend with the trap, trying to fight at the same time. Another fun use of this ability, given in Volo's guide to Monsters, is to have a pureblood as an official's food taster, have him plant poisoned food, taste it, and declare it safe, unharmed due to his immunity. The point is, yuan-ti are smart enough to use this trait to their advantage. Yuan-ti prefer combat in which they outnumber the opponents, and have fail-safe escape routes. Undercover yuan-ti always have a few tricks up their scales, But know when to run as well. Alright, now let's look at the different types of Yuan-ti in combat.
Purebloods are the lowest of the caste system, the stealth operatives best suited to deep cover missions in urban areas. All pureblood stats are just barely above average, with charisma as their highest, for obvious reasons. Interesting how their charisma functions, where instead of being a natural trait, it is purely for manipulation, and not really a trait they posses, as yuan-ti have no concept of deception or seduction among their own people. On that subject, the pureblood has high stealth, perception, and deception, again, making them perfect spies. They are also immune to poison, have magic resistance, and a fairly low armor class. Purebloods are fairly squishy, but have the tools to get out of a dangerous situation when they need to. As with all Yuan-ti, purebloods can cast suggestion and animal friendship (snakes only), and uniquely, poison spray as well. As we've seen, the Yuan-ti goal is not to kill right then and there, so the pureblood in disguise tries to lead with a suggestion, convincing the players to "come, join my friends," knowing who will be susceptible to suggestion. If that doesn't work, the pureblood knows cover is blown, and tries to flee, possibly into an ambush. In a planned combat or if trying to kidnap the players, the pureblood acts slightly differently. The vanilla pureblood has a scimitar multiattack, dealing an average 8 damage, with +3 to hit per attack. They also have a shortbow, which deals additional poison damage, for an average of 11 on one attack, also with a +3 to hit. Conclusion? The pureblood always prefers the higher ground in combat, making it's way there as soon as possible, then sniping down with it's shortbow. If a pureblood is forced into melee, it's pretty much already lost, but goes for a scimitar multiattack, or possibly a suggestion to distract it's opponent, then runs away, having already determined an escape route (+3 perception!). Poison spray to me doesn't seem quite worth it, with a DC 12 and only 1d12 poison damage (not bad for a cantrip, but...), versus going for a melee attack with a +3 to hit, and higher combined damage. Honestly, they're fairly equal options, and it just depends on how the scenario is going. At CR 1, purebloods aren't very strong in combat, but what they lack in offense they make up for in non-combat abilities, and in defense. They can cast suggestion, making them good social manipulators in addition to +3 deception, and also are immune to poison (see the food taster example referenced from Volo earlier). Their magic resistance also gives them advantage on spell saves, which helps if someone casts detect thoughts or similar magic on them. If you want to portray a pureblood as more skilled, or infiltrating a higher level of society, consider using the assassin statblock from the Monster Manual, giving magic resistance, as well as the Yuan-ti's spellcasting and poison immunity. This shows a pureblood skilled with poisons, also one that has claimed a little for wealth and power for itself in society. Any pureblood flees when reduced to 15 or fewer hp.
Yuan-ti Malisons are the priests and middle tier in the caste system. They are hideous half-human half-snake transformation, with three different known variations. A malison's primary goal is not stealth, at least, not in the same way as a pureblood. Malison have proficiency in stealth, but I take that more as a combat feature, not in an infiltration role. Malison also have spellcasting and magic resistance (minus poison spray), as well as the ability to polymorph into a medium or smaller snake, and back into its yuan-ti form, both burning an action. Although it's stats remain the same, this is primarily an escape method, or a way of gaining stealthy entrance into a well defended area (snakes can fits into some tight squeezes!). When looking at the statblock, Malison have decent hp, magic resistance, but low armor class because they don't wear any, which I assume is because of their different forms. Although based on their artwork, I don't see why they couldn't have a kind of gladiatorial half-plate or scraps. At any rate, there are three different malison types: (1) a snake head with a human body, (2) a human body with snake arms, (3) a humanoid upper body with a serpentine snake tail lower half. My preference in combat would be type 3 or 1, usually type three, because of the added bonus constrict gives, and then the ability to scimitar it's constricted target to death. Type 2 doesn't have an advantage over the other two, and is frankly kind of ridiculous, just functionally. Anyway, Type one is also advantageous, with a scimitar multiattack (average 12 damage, +5 to hit), the same for its bite attack which it can only do once, or a devastating longbow multiattack, with 13 damage per attack, and +4 to hit. With all that in mind, the malison behaves similarly in entering combat and it's tactics. If it's an area the malison can't get to, or there's a better point of attack that's less accessible, the mailson shapechanges into a snake and move to that point, possibly to set up an ambush. From there, a type two or three malison will enter melee, trying to dominate right off the bat with a multiattack. The malison can tell which characters are more squishy but more mentally adept, and also which ones are stronger but less intelligent. At the very least, it can make a guess based off of their appearance and fighting methods. Thus, it targets a low wisdom character with suggestion, when in doubt going for the tough looking barbarian or fighter, and convincing them to force surrender. The condition of suggestion says that the spell is broken by your (the spellcaster's) companions attacking the controlled creature, implying that other attacks don't? I think this ones up to your ruling, as that would be pretty overpowered for a 2nd level spell (8 hour duration). But regardless, the malison comes off strong and imposing, attacking viciously and mercilessly, and commanding creatures to surrender with it's suggestion. Malison are good backups to pureblood when things go south, fighters who can quickly subdue their enemies when necessary. Type 3 malison in melee are dangerous foes, and their tactics depend on the battlefield, as well as their allies. How is the party laid out, what's the terrain, do I have yuan-ti allies of any kind? Depening on these factors, a type 3 makes two snake bite attacks, if it entered combat in snake form, preferring the extra poison damage and stealth. If it was able to get close to the wizard or the squishy caster, it attempts constrict immediately, followed by a scimitar attack with advantage if it works. In subsequent turns it takes advantage of constrict to wail on it's target with the scimitar. Type 3 is most preferable when the malison has allies, such as Type 1's with longbows sniping from an overhang or balcony. Type 1 malison prefer ranged combat, using bows tipped with their own venom. These make for good assassins, combined with their +4 stealth, and the ability to shapechange into a medium snake. A malison could easily sneak onto a roof with good positioning, or into a house, and perform assassinations with great stealth and maneuverability. Despite their strong combat capabilities, all malison know when to flee, to avoid capture or death, and run from combat as soon as a fellow malison is defeated, or when they are reduced to 20 hp or fewer, making a tactical retreat. They use snake form if possible, and if not disengage, then taking an escape route as fast as they can.
Finally, we get to yuan-ti abominations, highest in the caste system (with the exception of an anathema), and the biggest and baddest of them all. These guys are tough, with average AC but 127 hp, and powerful weapon attacks combined with a massive tail constriction. An abomination shares the same spells as other yuan-ti, with the addition of fear, once a day. All of it's ability scores are well above average, all above 15 actually. Again magic resistance, and a movement speed of 40 feet. Abominations can transform into a large snake, less useful due to size, and not really useful in combat, as it burns an action. An abomination can also use fear, but this only makes sense to me over in the place of melee if the abomination is hurt (half hp or fewer), and wants to drive some foes away. In a regular attack, the abomination surges forward on its tail, and uses the same constrict scimitar tactic as the type 3 malison, in subsequent rounds also using its triple scimitar multiattack, with advantage on a restrained target. this is an average of 33 damage, contrasted with a bite and a scimitar, for an average of 28 damage, 10 of which is poison. So unless the target is susceptible to poison, the abomination opts for the scimitar, against a restrained victim. The abomination has a plus 7 to hit on all its attacks (+6 with the longbow), and a DC 14 on the restraint. It also has a 17 intelligence, and knows who it will be most likely to constrict. It tries for the least armored targets, and if it can't reach them or fails constrict once, it resorts to vicious repeated multiattacks, in this case favoring a bite-scimitar combo, because it's more likely to hit with two attack than three against a non-restrained target. A yuan-ti abomination is a highly intelligent boss, and should always have allies with it on it's home turf. Abominations never go out for urban infiltration, instead using messengers and purebloods to oversee progress, so thus they'll pretty much always be in a yuan-ti settlement or on the move to one. An abomination accompanied by malison and pureblood commands tactically, making use of ambushes and poison traps to subdue it's enemies, and targeting tanky opponents with scimitars constricts. A group under abomination leadership knows to target creatures that aren't resistant or immune to poison with their bows and bite attacks, making sure to subdue those who are with sheer numbers combined with suggestion. And of course, don't forget to use this creature like a terrifying, fanatical boss. The abomination is a creature of highest standing among even the yuan-ti, believing itself the most advanced and superior being among all organisms. That means it won't have it's schemes foiled by petty adventurers, and will retaliate in case of failure, whether by sending assassins, or blackmail their way. The abomination is a being that lords it's superiority over the party, and if it has them captured or subdued, monologues incessantly about their feeble attempts to stand in the way of the mighty serpent gods!
In conclusion, have fun with the yuan-ti. These fearless, stealthy serpentine are mighty foes, remnants of an empire that nearly conquered the known world. Their threat still spreads, though in the shadows, and one day the serpent gods will awake and restore them to power....
Hope you enjoyed it, comment with suggestions or ideas for next week. thanks
What are your favorite monsters for lower level encounters? (Starting a new homebrew campaign at level 1 soon!)
goblins are classic but really fun. Hobgoblins are excellent strategists and good low level encounters. A captain is about at the level of a level 1 boss. Any cr 2 or 3 monster is a fun mini boss for level one. Any terrain or ideas for the campaign in general? that usually helps and helps determine monsters and terrain. dragon wyrmlings or kobolds, especially the ones in Volo's guide. Kobolds are fun because they design little traps and are little gremlin evil geniuses. The winged ones are really fun to drop stuff on people. Yuan-ti are fun and are cool infiltrators, and you don't even have to use them at first, just manipulation through gangs and stuff to match the level. A malison could be the boss and control high level purebloods as noble type figures, and the party could have to prevent blackmails and assassination, trying to uncover the organization. They might discover some sketchy things about the city leaders along the way, making some of the blackmail justified, thus having to make all sorts of moral choices of saving the city but also having to help corrupt officials. zombies, ghouls, and specters and wraiths are all fun. It just depends on what you're doing. Any more info you can give me about the campaign and the setting itself (terrain, what is the party doing, what type are they, like treasure hunters or bounty hunters, etc) would be helpful
What are your favorite monsters for lower level encounters? (Starting a new homebrew campaign at level 1 soon!)
goblins are classic but really fun. Hobgoblins are excellent strategists and good low level encounters. A captain is about at the level of a level 1 boss. Any cr 2 or 3 monster is a fun mini boss for level one. Any terrain or ideas for the campaign in general? that usually helps and helps determine monsters and terrain. dragon wyrmlings or kobolds, especially the ones in Volo's guide. Kobolds are fun because they design little traps and are little gremlin evil geniuses. The winged ones are really fun to drop stuff on people. Yuan-ti are fun and are cool infiltrators, and you don't even have to use them at first, just manipulation through gangs and stuff to match the level. A malison could be the boss and control high level purebloods as noble type figures, and the party could have to prevent blackmails and assassination, trying to uncover the organization. They might discover some sketchy things about the city leaders along the way, making some of the blackmail justified, thus having to make all sorts of moral choices of saving the city but also having to help corrupt officials. zombies, ghouls, and specters and wraiths are all fun. It just depends on what you're doing. Any more info you can give me about the campaign and the setting itself (terrain, what is the party doing, what type are they, like treasure hunters or bounty hunters, etc) would be helpful
I have content for level 1 and 2 prepared- including a really fun kobold warren. :) Forest terrain monsters for level 3 and up is generally what I'm looking for. The party will be traveling through a large foresty area for a bit of the time and I need forest encounters or side quests.
What are your favorite monsters for lower level encounters? (Starting a new homebrew campaign at level 1 soon!)
goblins are classic but really fun. Hobgoblins are excellent strategists and good low level encounters. A captain is about at the level of a level 1 boss. Any cr 2 or 3 monster is a fun mini boss for level one. Any terrain or ideas for the campaign in general? that usually helps and helps determine monsters and terrain. dragon wyrmlings or kobolds, especially the ones in Volo's guide. Kobolds are fun because they design little traps and are little gremlin evil geniuses. The winged ones are really fun to drop stuff on people. Yuan-ti are fun and are cool infiltrators, and you don't even have to use them at first, just manipulation through gangs and stuff to match the level. A malison could be the boss and control high level purebloods as noble type figures, and the party could have to prevent blackmails and assassination, trying to uncover the organization. They might discover some sketchy things about the city leaders along the way, making some of the blackmail justified, thus having to make all sorts of moral choices of saving the city but also having to help corrupt officials. zombies, ghouls, and specters and wraiths are all fun. It just depends on what you're doing. Any more info you can give me about the campaign and the setting itself (terrain, what is the party doing, what type are they, like treasure hunters or bounty hunters, etc) would be helpful
I have content for level 1 and 2 prepared- including a really fun kobold warren. :) Forest terrain monsters for level 3 and up is generally what I'm looking for. The party will be traveling through a large foresty area for a bit of the time and I need forest encounters or side quests.
Sure. Displacer beasts are fun as far as beasts go, manticore are fun, but rarely get roleplay. They can actually talk, which makes them really fun and scary villains, added to their human faces. any fun little abandoned settlement, cave, or ruins in the woods can be a fun mini encounter. Maybe an abandoned druid temple occupied by vine zombies and undead. gnolls are also cool, and If you run them they deserve a little prep. gnolls are very wild and territorrial, travel in bands of 20 to 30 like in the Two Towers movie. a gnoll band encountered probably shows some carnage in its wake, and signs of their movement. they fight dirty and savagely, and destroy basically everything in their wake. trolls are a good encounter for level 3, and beyond that fun in a small group. a pack of werewolves or wearboars would be fun, extorting travelers and biting and killing those who don't comply. a yeti or abominable yeti is fun in a winter forest environment.
Sure. Displacer beasts are fun as far as beasts go, manticore are fun, but rarely get roleplay. They can actually talk, which makes them really fun and scary villains, added to their human faces. any fun little abandoned settlement, cave, or ruins in the woods can be a fun mini encounter. Maybe an abandoned druid temple occupied by vine zombies and undead. gnolls are also cool, and If you run them they deserve a little prep. gnolls are very wild and territorrial, travel in bands of 20 to 30 like in the Two Towers movie. a gnoll band encountered probably shows some carnage in its wake, and signs of their movement. they fight dirty and savagely, and destroy basically everything in their wake. trolls are a good encounter for level 3, and beyond that fun in a small group. a pack of werewolves or wearboars would be fun, extorting travelers and biting and killing those who don't comply. a yeti or abominable yeti is fun in a winter forest environment.
Thanks for this series. I play with a large group of veteran D&D players and Kieth Amman’s Monsters Know is my bible. I often need to make adjustments to monsters and rely on clever tactics to keep combat fresh. One thing I do is have an environmental “lair action” on initiative 20. I’ve used burning debris, quicksand, earthquakes, lightning strikes, falling rocks, and whatever I can think of to keep players on their toes.
In our game, the party is about to travel (magically) underwater and I’m looking at encounters in that environment. The monster list in the DMG for underwater (Appendix B) is the thinnest of the bunch. But in my imagination it’s a fantastic location that should be full of exotic sights. Id like to hear your thoughts on underwater monsters.
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"The sky above the port was the color of television, tuned to a dead channel." – William Gibson, Neuromancer
In our game, the party is about to travel (magically) underwater and I’m looking at encounters in that environment. The monster list in the DMG for underwater (Appendix B) is the thinnest of the bunch. But in my imagination it’s a fantastic location that should be full of exotic sights. Id like to hear your thoughts on underwater monsters.
Appreciate the feedback, we're agreed that Keith's writing skills are unmatched. I know mine aren't always up to standard, but I do enjoy writing these and working out monster tactics both for myself and for other DMs. As far as underwater combat goes I agree that it's a largely unexplored portion of the game, and that underwater monsters are very few. Evil storm giants (I would use a Quintessent from Volo's guide), Marids, Krakens, Morkoth (VGtM), Dragonturtles, and Aboleth all make good underwater bosses. When using any one of these, I would do what you do and give it lair actions and environmental actions (some already have both). That way players can't just waltz into an aboleth's ancient lair, or the lagoon of a dragon turtle. They have to contend with miles of treacherous sea, and deep creatures under its control first. Admittedly, most of those are campaign level bosses, but fortunately there are a lot of good minions to choose from. Sea hags or a sea hag coven is fun, as well as a Sea fury (wildemount). Sahuagin are a personal favorite of mine, the shark people, and they have some really fun combat capability. Sahuagin have the ability to control sharks, making for a pretty scary encounter deep underwater. Imagine having your players swim through some caves, when great whites begin swarming them from the darkness, tearing at their limbs with razor sharp teeth, gathering as the blood frenzy starts. Sahuagin are adept underwater fighters, and players fight on their turf, things are more difficult than they seem. Sharks can still be scary at lower levels, especially with the different stats the monster manual supplies. If you wanted to create a feeling like jaws, the sahuagin could have the players trapped in a cave network, and release these predator sharks to flush them out. Just imagine, these battle scarred under sea brutes chasing your players through the caves. If you really want to go for a horror feeling, I recommend the limb loss optional rule, but that's up to you. If you choose to use a boss like the one above as sort of the main creature in an underwater series, you could also say that such an ancient and evil power has corrupted the sea life around it, making regular creatures more dangerous. If you've ever seen videos of the deep ocean, it's pretty terrifying, especially with how dark it is. A players only way to see might be a light spell or similar magic, but even then there's no telling what's below in the darkness. You could take regular creatures, like sharks or squid, and make them corrupted by this evil, with a few stat block edits. Here's one I made as a sample: Deep Angler Fish. Any way you go, there's a lot you can do with underwater encounters. Let me know if there's a direction your leaning or if you prefer one of these monsters over the other and I can give some more detailed info.
Thank you! Wonderful insight. I agree Kieth set the bar quite high, but honestly I am always interested in DM's take on tactics and story. I really appreciate your efforts and I encourage you to keep up this series.
As for specifics... is there a way to hide spoilers on this forum? I'm playing a WotC adventure and I don't want to spoil the surprise.
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"The sky above the port was the color of television, tuned to a dead channel." – William Gibson, Neuromancer
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In recent months, several of the series that had come out on a weekly basis, such as running monsters, encounter of the week, DM's guide, etc, have seen a decrease if not a complete end to new releases. Since running monsters was a personal favorite of mine, I decided to start a thread as a way of continuing the legacy. Here's how it will work:
Although I said Monday's, the first post will be made later this week. In the meantime, here's a teaser for the that article:
Beor spun wildly about in the cavern, whipping his sword frantically at every creeping shadow. "Where are you you fiend?" he screamed. Mad cackling and shuffling pierced the pitch black air, and seemingly into his mind. "What have you done with my friends?" he yelled at the dark. "Oh Beor.." the response came, raspy and shaky, followed by mad cackling. "I have no idea where your friends are". Beor growled and swung towards the direction of the voice. "LIAR!" he bellowed. A maniacal laugh issued from the tunnel ahead. "We both know I'm not the one lying here." A quick shuffling of footsteps came from down the tunnel, as a humanoid figure slowly crept from the dark. "Do they know?" the voice said. "Do they know the real reason why you're here? But of course, you've made it so no one figures out your lies. All that blood...." "SHUT UP!!" Beor roared, falling back as he saw the horrific image of the creature emerge from the dark. A single green eye, like a deformed lantern, hung seemingly in the air, framed against the black Underdark backgorund. The Nothic emerged from the cave, revealing its horrific body corrupted long ago. "But don't worry," the creature said, it's mouth opening and revealing a pointed smile. "I can keep a secret."
How to Play a Nothic like a Twisted Arcanist
Updog
Here's the first post of the week. Next one will be this coming Monday. Please enjoy and comment with any ideas or tips or suggestions for next week.
How to Play a Nothic like a Twisted Arcanist
Nothics possess an interesting portfolio as low level monsters go, the flavor text alone presenting a unique opportunity for any DM willing to take on the challenge. The Monster Manual describes Nothics as wizards who learned a little more than was good for them. It goes on to say that this forbidden knowledge results in a curse by Vecna, reducing these arcanists to the twisted, gibbering aberrations that litter the Underdark. The curse affects the Nothic in body, soul, and mind, as the text also mentions that Nothics retain no memories from their pasts, except for a strange compulsion to magical sources. Nothics are recluses, not pack hunters, which forces them to rely on their cunning and Seer-like knowledge to manipulate and confuse their enemies.
Nothics are aberration type monsters, and yet, seem more like monstrosities based on the text. The MM defines aberrations as "utterly alien beings" while it describes monstrosities as creatures that define categorization, monsters in the strictest sense. It even says they may result from a magical curse or similar effect! But categorization doesn't really play a major role in the Nothic's tactics. What the MM does give us is that Nothic's are fairly weak creatures at CR 2, possessing the ability to repel players, but with average AC and hit points, at best. The text says that Nothics don't resort to violence right away, and in fact, I would say that they try to avoid combat as much as possible. A Nothic tries to stay 20 to 30 feet away from the party at all times, using it's Weird Insight feature in the meantime to try to get a read on them. Based on the Nothic's insight buff, it's safe to assume that it can recognize the basic roles of each player in the party, and will recognize spellcasters, especially wizards, automatically, and take a strange interest in them. While it does have above average insight and perception, Nothics significantly lack in social charm, with a lowly charisma of 8. It's charisma score, combined with it's off putting nature edging on insanity, will most likely make the Nothic come across to the players as untrustworthy. The Nothic uses this to it's advantage, and takes a morbid interest in the players, taking every chance to creep them out and make them reconsider attacking it. The players most likely won't want to work with a Nothic, or will attack it outright for prying into their thoughts. To avoid confrontations so often, consider not giving them a choice with the Nothic. Enlist it as an ally Npc, either as a guide through an cavernous gauntlet, or perhaps to a magical object or structure. I like the idea of Nothics drawn to a crashed mind flayer colony's Nautiloid, seeking the mysterious arcane energy it supplies. If it becomes an ally to the players in any way, the Nothic questions them often, and randomly, trying to glean knowledge from them all the while.There is a delicate balance between the Nothic's lack of social skill, and its overpowering interest in the secrets of other beings. I can't help but be reminded of Tolkien's Lord of the Rings, and especially the films, where Frodo and Sam must turn to Gollum as their sole guide through the shadowy land of Mordor. Gollum takes every opportunity to sow distrust among the hobbits, slowly causing them to fight among themselves and turning their attention away from him.
However, a Nothic doesn't always have to be a malicious creature. You could have a Nothic that functions as a sort of collector, a creature tormented by its lack of memory that busies itself with collecting items and memories from other people's pasts. The Nothic could have a lair decorated with lost or stolen items, maybe even a journal where it records secrets. If you wanted to go the horror route, this Nothic could be like a local boogeyman, a creature that lives in the foggy barrows on the outskirts of town, and steals and collects small trinkets from the townspeople. As a recluse, this Nothic would rarely come out during daytime or in large gatherings, but would sneak around town by night, disguising itself so as not to be seen. The Nothic would take small things that wouldn't be noticed at first, like books, small coins, tea cups, or dolls. Eventually the Watcher might lure a child to its layer, seeking a friend. Although it's sanity would be as loose as any other Nothic, I would play this example as a lonely misfit, a creature that seeks company, but whose twisted form and flighty nature make it unable to truly connect. Using a Nothic is always an opportunity to show off some creative skill, whether you decide to dive deep into it's past and personality, or make it a twisted and maniacal foe compelled by the hunger to know the unknowable.
A Nothic in combat should be a frightening and mysterious encounter. Similar to the "'How to play a Mindflayer like Eldritch Horror" article, the goal here is fear of the unknown. The Nothic keeps to the shadows, and uses it's Rotting gaze as soon as the player enters within 30 feet. An interesting detail, Rotting Gaze specifies "One creature it (the Nothic) can see within 30 feet of itslef". So the Nothic has to be able to see it's target, but the target could be totally unaware of the Nothic, or at least unable to see it. For these types of horror tactics, I would recommend giving the Nothic a few lower level spells, such as fear, suggestion, invisibility, misty step, or fog cloud to ramp up the horror atmosphere and advance the Nothic's skirmisher-like tactics. If you're playing an XP based campaign instead of milestone, I would recommend bumping the Nothic up to challenge 4 with the spell additions (maybe with a slight increase in health too). Once it has used Rotting gaze, the Nothic will make a claw multiattack against the weakest creature within range (spellcaster or the like), then disengage as soon as it can. To be honest, the Nothic is pretty squishy, which is why I recommend making some adjustments to the stat block. Another option would be to give the Nothic minions. Although it has low charisma, a Nothic could easily manage to bribe off some creatures willing to work for food, such as Troglodytes, Goblins, or a troll. A Nothic may also work alongside cultists or another such group that it can glean secrets from. It is highly unlikely that a group of Nothic's would work together, considering their solitary nature as described. A Nothic that sees another Nothic cannot help but be reminded of it's curse, and would either attack or flee madly on sight. Regardless of minions or spells, a Nothic plays dirty. It might use Rotting gaze, then flee from sight, and set up an ambush or wait til the players come in reach, and repeat it's tactics, perhaps setting a trap for them as well. The upside to a Nothic being a relatively unknown monster is that even players well-acquainted with the game may have no idea as to it's CR. Make sure to take advantage of that, and use every opportunity to frighten and intrigue them with this creature. Once again, I would look to the LoTR films and Andy Serkis' performance as roleplay inspiration before running one of these.
While they are largely unknown in the wealth of interesting creatures presented in 5e, Nothics present some of the most unique and enjoyable roleplay opportunities. Creatures perfectly suited to an abandoned magical academy or the Underdark's twisted paths, the Nothic is a secretive and skittish adversary that avoids large populations and knows how to navigate through it's lair to avoid them.
The challenge in playing a Nothic is to balance its grasping need for secrets and arcane knowledge, while still roleplaying the insanity and lack of social skill they all possess. Try to just have fun with playing a Nothic and inserting yourself into its twisted mind. If you enjoy maximun roleplay and doing fun voices, give the Nothic a fun voice. Invent a personality for it, maybe even a name. Despite their ravaged memories, I like to think Nothic's invent names for themselves matching their mad personas and refer to themselves always in the third person.
However you do it, know that a Nothic is a rare treat as low level creatures go, and it deserves more than a 20 second combat in a dungeon cave. Have fun playing the Nothic the way you know you and your players will most enjoy. Whether as a mad accomplice to the party, a gibbering and plotting guide through drow infested tunnels, or as a simple outcast seeking lore, the Nothic is an enemy your players won't soon forget.
Updog
First article of the week, please let me know any additional tips you may have or suggestions on how to play a nothic. Story ideas such as the one presented in the article or experiences you've had with one would also be welcome. I'm open to suggestions as to what you'd like to see analyzed next week on this series, so please offer any feedback you have. Thanks
Updog
This is really cool! Can you do one for a spellcasting monster? I generally have a hard time running spellcasters, since I don’t have the PH spell list memorized. :) How do you know which of their spells are most useful/thematic for the combat?
Only spilt the party if you see something shiny.
Ariendela Sneakerson, Half-elf Rogue (8); Harmony Wolfsbane, Tiefling Bard (10); Agnomally, Gnomish Sorcerer (3); Breeze, Tabaxi Monk (8); Grace, Dragonborn Barbarian (7); DM, Homebrew- The Sequestered Lands/Underwater Explorers; Candlekeep
Yeah, I'll definitely cover that soon, now that you mentioned it. spellcasting monsters can be difficult because, like you said, they usually have a lot of spells to choose from, added to the regular chaos of combat. I'll say this in an article but with any creature's tactics you want to look primarily at it's ability score and think "what is this thing capable of?" If it has low intelligence and mediocre wisdom, that probably means it won't be the most tactically brilliant creature, but this may be balanced out by it's having some very powerful abilities.
With spellcasters, just try to examine the spells and what type they are (concentration, single target, multi-target, defense, support) and determine when the caster would use them in which phase of combat. Appreciate the question and that's definitely a topic I want to cover at length
Updog
On that note I've also thought of doing an Npc spotlight to take a look at the Npc's from the MM and Volo's guide, but I assume you're asking about creatures that can spellcast so I'll cover that first.
Updog
Either one is fine!
Only spilt the party if you see something shiny.
Ariendela Sneakerson, Half-elf Rogue (8); Harmony Wolfsbane, Tiefling Bard (10); Agnomally, Gnomish Sorcerer (3); Breeze, Tabaxi Monk (8); Grace, Dragonborn Barbarian (7); DM, Homebrew- The Sequestered Lands/Underwater Explorers; Candlekeep
I know Monday is the scheduled day for these but the newest article is taking longer than I realized, so it'll be a bit late. Most likely tuesday
Updog
How to Play a Night Hag like a Corrupted Villainess
The halfling rogue woke with a gasp, cold sweat pouring down her face. She scooted up in her sleeping bag and realized how tightly she clutched her dagger in one hand as last night's horrible memories flooded back to her. Her sleep had been anything but peaceful, as all she remembered were painful visions and horrible nightmares. She looked around, but found the campsite empty, save for the dwarf paladin tucked in his bedroll. He slowly sat up, stirred by her sudden awakening, and cocked one eye at her. "You alright lass?" he mumbled sleepily. "I'm not sure." She said uncomfortably. "That bloody witch sure did a number on me." The paladin frowned, staring into the dying fire. "we killed her, lass, sure as I planted my own blade into her chest. You've nothing to fear but the dark tonight." he chuckled, settling back down. "That's what I'm afraid of," the girl muttered to herself. The rogue balanced the blade on her fingertip, catching it as it fell into her hand. She leaned in closer to the fire, trying to shake off a chill. "Where are Pax and Remus?" she asked, gesturing to the rogue and druid's usual spots. "Oh you mean our midnight foragers?" he said with a slight laugh. "Must've headed off to look for some food in the woods. Never even heard 'em leave the site, sneaky dodgers," he said with a small chuckle. "Now let an old dwarf sleep." The dwarf lay back down in his bedroll, and was dozing peacefully in minutes. The young halfling began to settle back down when she heard a slight, whispering voice from the woods behind her. "There you are little one," it hissed in the night. "Auntie's been looking for you." The rogue sat up with a fright, surveying the woods and spying a hunched over form near the treeline, practically invisible out in the darkness. "Theroden wake up," she said urgently, nudging the paladin. "Oh I wouldn't worry about him," the voice sneered from out in the woods. "He'll be asleep for quite a while." The rogue leapt from her place and drew her second dagger, moving to the sound of the voice. "Show yourself!" she demanded, but her face betrayed the fright racking her nerves. "Oh dearie, you really aren't in a position to make threats," a second voice cackled from behind her. The two figure stepped into the dim firelight, revealing tattered dresses studded with rat bones and other macabre decorum. Their faces were a dark purple, appearing demonic framed against the firelight, and two curled horns protruded from under the mess of their dark hair. "You killed our sister," the night hag said laughing "Now we'll feast on you!"
Hags are twisted fey creatures that appear like something straight out of a fairy tale, dark beings who adopt grandmotherly disguises to tempt unsuspecting youngsters with poisoned sweets or cursed magical items. Night hags are a variant of these creatures, and perhaps the most wicked and perverted sub-type. Night hags aren't even considered fey, and instead are fiends, having had their original nature corrupted by the Nine Hells, a perfect illustration for the corruption that they seek to sow on the rest of the world. Night hags seek to disfigure beauty, corrupt justice, and pervert good desires in those around them. And paired with their shapechanging capability, as well as Nightmare Haunting, these creepy grandmothers are fearsome foes indeed.
As with most intelligent creatures, the tactics for a nightmare hag can be complicated, especially when trying to balance combat and roleplay. Making the hag an enjoyable Npc, while also minimizing stress and maximizing fun in combat is a difficult task. So today, I'll be taking a look at the Night hag to try to put a stop to any DM woes you may have had with this creature in the past, and hopefully make it a fun encounter in the future. I will also look at the coven variant (provided in a sidebar in the Monster Manual), and show how a coven operates and break down the use of it's spells.
As mentioned before, Night hag's are fiends, not fey, and while this may seem like a minor detail purely for backstory, it's actually relevant in relation to their tactics. For starters, it's good to think, "What is a Night hag's motivation?". As fiends, Night hags have the disposition towards the corruption of mortals and the "payoff" so to speak of claiming their souls. In this way, Night Hags play the long game, trying to corrupt a mortal over time by sneaking into it's place of rest and afflicting it with vivid nightmares. This means that the goal of the Night hag is not direct combat. On the contrary, Night hags possess an impressive ability score set, all above a 14, with formidable physical and mental scores. Their strength is highest, followed by a three-way tie between Constitution, Intelligence, and Charisma. This shows that the Night hag is a creature with great cunning and social skill, but has the potential to fight if it needs to. However, these aspects are betrayed by the Hag's lack of a direct, powerful attack. Notice on it's stat block that a Night hag does have a claw attack, dealing 13 damage, but no multiattack. Despite it's +7 attack bonus, this attack is relatively weak against a whole level 5 party, and since it's only backups are low level attack spells unlikely to inconvenience a level 5 party, the Night hag can appear pretty weak at first glance. However, the Night hag does possess some great options defensively. With an AC of 17, 112 hit points, a resistance to nonmagical weapon attacks, and a magic resistance, the Night hag is still pretty tanky. The balance is trying to find how a Night hag enters combat, and how it behaves once in combat, (excluding coven spells, and the strangeness of a Night hag coven, which I'll examine in a minute).
First and foremost, let's look at the Night hag's behavior. As soon as the party enters the Night hag's territory (be it an enchanted wood, ruined castle, or village), the Night hag tracks them and examines them as soon as it can, and not always directly. Given their ability to shapechange and their high charisma, it's not unreasonable to assume that the night hag has accumulated a few minions for herself. If you want to play it old-school, maybe a talking crow or two, or perhaps a troll guarding the forest. I actually like the idea of updating the troll-hag stereotype a little bit, seeing as how a Night hag poses a higher threat than the green hag or the sea hag, and giving it a venom troll or maybe a spirit troll whose soul she captured. Depending on her environment, the hag could have wereravens as minions, carrionettes if you really wanted to play up the nightmare feeling, or perhaps even some imps she has enlisted from Hades. At any rate, I would recommend giving her some minions, even if they're just minor ones used as spies. This creates the feeling of a Night hag having her own territory, and furthermore allows her to move indirectly in it, thus avoiding direct confrontation while still gaining information on the party.
Hags are creatures of twisted desire, and masters of manipulation. We are told that they live extra-long lifespans, even longer than elves occasionally. And generally, the older the hag, the meaner they get, and Night hags are no exception. Hag's delight in manipulating good creatures, and they are experts at it. They rarely if ever manipulate by violent threats or blunt coercion, but instead work through shady deals and bargains. They prey on the outcasts and the desperate, those who have no choice but to make a deal quickly and quietly, without reading the fine print. The hag delights in making these deals with mortals to slowly corrupt the innocent, making evil out of good. This is like a double whammy for a Night hag, as a creature who possesses the hag's knack for manipulation, and the fiendish bent for the collecting of souls. Night hags use the best of both their skill sets to corrupt the mortal as much as possible, then finally, when that person reaches the apex of their evil deeds, finish them off with their Nightmare touch and collect their soul for return to Hades. These are hags that truly relish in causing mortals to do evil, and the higher quality the character, the more delicious the pay off for the hag. Night hags use a mix of fear and subtle coercion in their manipulation of mortals to soften them up with nightmares at first, and then take advantage of the weakened state to slowly push their prey closer to the edge. The advice of the hag shouldn't seem overtly evil at first, perhaps persuading the person to steal from that rude vendor, or to prank that teacher who always treats them unfairly in class, or to start neglecting their chores or duties. It should come across as something the person deserves, something that they'll feel good about, when really it's the first phase of their corruption. From here the Night hag's nudges toward evil escalate, as do the nightmares. Once her victim dies, the Night hag collects the soul in her soul bag for return to Hades.
On the subject of soul bags and the heartstone, I would rule that an experienced Night hag has one of each of these at all times, given that Etherealness and Night haunting the hag's main abilities. You could alternatively choose to say that one of these is an innate trait, but I personally like the idea of the Night hag sowing a bag from dead flesh to steal the souls of her victims.
A Night Hag is not a very powerful creature in a straightforward combat. The Night hag statblock has a few low-level deterrence spells, and a basic claw attack with a fair attack modifier and damage, but relatively bland otherwise. How to make it more interesting? One suggestion is a coven. All hags are pretty solitary by nature, but there is a kind of understanding between them, as they recognize the value of information other hags might have, especially older ones. We also know that hags are unwelcome in both fey courts, Seelie and Unseelie. Hags are hideous and appearace and seek to pervert beauty and goodness, things prized by the fey courts. Thus hags are loners among most creatures, and ordinarily the only ones they even tolerate are their minions. However, hag covens are formed when hags come together for a common goal, to deal with a common threat, or to share wisdom and knowledge to gain power. Therefore, the coven should be a win-win-win for each hag participating, or at least appear to be. However, Night hag covens seem a little complicated. The conditions for covens forming are mentioned above, but given the solitary way Night hags operate, added to the fact that a coven would have to decide who gets to keep the soul, it seems like a risky bet for the hags involved. However, the coven could feasibly come together under the leadership of an elder hag (called a grandmother), or, as mentioned in Volo's Guide to Monsters, a hag could choose to birth two daughters to form a sort of "family coven". However you decide to play it, know that a Night Hag coven is a formidable opponent indeed.
As far as tactics go, the vanilla Night hag ordinarily only enters combat if she is caught in the process of stealing a soul. These are difficult circumstances to arrange, as one of the party would have to have truesight to spy the ethereal hag. But I have to admit, the image of a ghostly Night hag hovering over the seizing party member's friend at 2:00 in the morning would be pretty terrifying. It's clear from the statblock that the Night hag has plenty of cunning to know when to retreat and how to act in combat. If possible she will try to disguise herself and beg for mercy, try to seem as weak and helpless as possible, and if that doesn't work, she'll book it out of there once she's taken any significant damage (20 or more), and try to escape through the ethereal plane, or using plane shift as her get-out-of-jail-free card.
A Night hag in a coven, on the other hand is much different, mainly due to the spellcasting trait. The Monster manual rules that hags in a coven must be within 30 feet of each other to cast coven spells, and that they must share slots. While it's cool thematically, this can complicate combat very quickly, but you can rule it however you decide. At any rate, let's take a look at the coven spell list provided in the MM (Volo provides alternative lists, but I'll justt be looking at the one today):
- Ray of Sickness is a first level spell, dealing posion damage on a hit, and forcing the target to make a Constitution save or be poisoned. Identify is divination and has little to no use in combat.
- hold person forces a Wisdom save to paralyze the target, which can be more than one creature with a slot of 3rd level or higher. More on that later. locate object is again, not really useful in combat.
- Ah, third level. The hag has a few options here, choosing from bestow curse (wisdom save, various crippling effects), lightning bolt (high damage, line targeting), or counterspell, a useful one against other spellcasters, and in the order of combat, as it only costs a reaction.
- At 4th level we have phantasmal killer (don't bother), and polymorph, a fun one for a classic witch trick.
- The only 5th level spells are contact other plane and scrying, fun in roleplay but with no real use in combat. However that does free up these slots for upcasting. More on that later.
- At 6th level the hag can cast eyebite, a nasty spell with some deadly crippling effects.
All right. Now that we know what we're dealing with, let's look at how to run these spells.
The Night hag sisters begin somewhere within 30 feet of each other, and try to stay more than that away from the party, even better if they have some of their brute minions to act as meat shields in front of them. if the hag goes first in initiative, she will cast lightning bolt if the players are close together, or opens up with an eyebite, targeting a low wisdom character (You'll probably notice that many of the spells in the coven list target wisdom, so you'll have to use discretion and know who to target). It is to the hag's advantage to cast eyebite as early as possible, so as to utilize the subsequent round effect of cursing another creature. I mentioned earlier that the hag has two 5th level slots basically open, usually occupied by non-combat spells. You could choose to replace one of those spells, or you could choose to upcast ray of sickness, dealing 6d8 potential damage, plus a poison save. Not bad. The hag is intelligent enough to know which players will be resistant to poison. This upcasting is especially a good option when facing a high wisdom party, and the hag will thus use it to target whichever high WIS creature is annoying her the most. A good use for that second 5th level spell slot is to upcast bestow curse to use on that pesky fighter or barbarian who keeps screwing with the Night hag. This upcasting makes the duration ten minutes, but keep in mind that's concentration, so this one should likely be used earlier in combat. As far as which curse, I would opt for the wasted action if the fighter is annoying them, or the necrotic damage if he has high enough hp. Hold person can also be used at 5th level, to paralyze up to 4 creatures at once, which is a good option even if the party does have high wisdom, because it's highly unlikely that 4 creatures will make their wisdom saves. It depends on whether or not a specific player is giving the hag trouble, or if it needs to blanket the group. Polymorph or bestow curse can really be used interchangeably, depending on the goal you want to accomplish. Both work thematically for hags.
Again, if they've run through their spells and are facing a high wisdom party, the hags know when to retreat, cut their losses, and escape through the ethereal plane, likely leaving their pet troll to finish the players off.
That was a lot of fun, and I hope you enjoyed this very lengthy guide on running Night hags. I hope this makes you a better and more fun DM, and that you crush your players the next time you run a Night Hag. take care
Updog
Let me know what you think about the thread so far and any ideas you guys might have for an article next week. Thanks
Updog
How to Play Yuan-ti like Emotionless Serpentine Masterminds
The Abomination stared over the head of the prostrate human slave, it's serpentine eyes unblinking and cold. The chamber was dark and humid, save for the light from red torches glowing softly on the stone walls. The abomination sat coiled on its throne, flanked on either side by pureblood advisors. More slaves, called in to watch the exchange, sat terrified lined against the back wall. The one slave, sweat glistening on his face, begged before the serpent lord. "P-please master," he said. "h-have mercy, I know not the full wisdom of your decrees. Spare my life, I b-beg you." The abomination turned it's head toward the left, speaking to his advisor. "What doesss the MEAT implore?" it hissed in a cold, raspy voice. The advisor responded in turn, with their strange, hissing language. "He begs for his life, my Lord." The abomination flicked its tongue out, staring daggers at the human slave. The slave looked up sweating, not daring to lift his eyes to meet those of his abomination master. He began to shudder as he felt a scaley tail touch his leg and begin to wrap around it. The abomination slithered closer, its enormous tail, coiling further and further around the human's body. "MEAT is worthless if it does not keep," said the creature, it's fangs dripping venom. "n-no, p-p-please master.." the human begged, barely able to speak, as he lost air. The abomination hissed and constricted it's tail, and there was a loud snap as the human's bones cracked. Blood dripped from the slave's mouth as he stared forward, barely alive. The creature's head snapped forward, and it's fangs dug into the slaves exposed neck, poison surging into the bloodstream, killing the slave instantly. The master dropped the lifeless body to the floor with a thud, causing the watching slaves to flinch. The abomination paused as, from behind the slaves, sounds of fighting echoed in the chamber, loud hissing and the clanging of steel. The abomination leaned forward, slithering over the dead body, and peering into the dark hallway. A bolt flew past it's head, slamming into the pureblood advisor's face with a wet thud. He sunk silently to the ground, while the other advisor ducked away, scrambling for his dagger, just as a dwarf wielding an enormous crossbow emerged from the hall. Right behind him came an elf bard, holding a lute, and human twins, a fighter and a cleric. The bard stepped forward into the chamber. "You know, you'd probably be better off if you just payed your help," he said gesturing to the slave on the floor with his lute. The abomination pulled a curved sword from a display beside it's throne, and hissed angrily, slithering toward the party. "Ah well," said the bard. "I was looking for a fight anyway," as he strummed a thunderous chord on his lute, echoing through the chamber, while his friends dashed into action behind him.
Rise from the Ashes
The remnants of a once great empire spanning multiple kingdoms and dominating human settlements, the Yuan-ti now are quiet infiltrators, serpentine amalgamations reduced to working through shadowy networks and spy information to regain their former glory. The Yuan-ti were once humans, part of an empire long ago reminiscent of the Aztecs, that functioned under a caste system. The Yuan-ti society craved power, and worshiped snakes and the snake gods, admiring the serpentine aspects of focus and deadliness. Their worship of the gods was unusual, not out of devotion, but out of a need for power and advancement. They developed a philosophy of complete detachment from emotions, reflecting their serpentine ideology, with the purpose of complete undistracted focus and drive in their conquest. They Yuan-ti saw themselves as the most enlightened beings in evolution, looking down on other creatures and their petty emotions. They thought themselves free of the distractions emotions caused, and devoted all of their energy to conquest and their own societal advancement. And yet, they thought their human bodies limited, seeking freedom from both emotion and the weakness of humanity. The gods answered by revealing a ritual that could transform a human into a snake hybrid. This ritual required the cannibalism of a human sacrifice, sometimes more than one, pushing the society past the point of no return. Their priests began performing the ritual, devouring their slaves and merging their flesh with that of snakes. The completeness of a Yuan-ti's transformation became part of the order in the caste system, where those who were most serpentine obtained higher social position. The Yuan-ti were finally free of their human constraints, and embraced their ophidian forms with a greater thirst for conquest. At the height of their conquest, the Yuan-ti began to face major opposition from the world around them. Other cultures began to revolutionize their weaponry, dragons and naga attacked, and the serpent gods slipped into deep rests, causing dissension among the priests. Their numbers severely depleted, the wounded Yuan-ti slithered out of society to hide in the shadows. With their majors cities destroyed or under siege, the Yuan-ti now hide out in jungles and ancient ruins across the world, plotting their way back into civilization.
Urban Infiltrators
Although they realized that a restoration to their true former glory would not be possible for millennia, the Yuan-ti still burned with the desire for conquest. With their limited resources and depleted members, the Yuan-ti tried a new tactic: stealth. They switched from conquering to infiltrating, sowing discord and fear among city leaders, and slowly overtaking settlements through blackmail, drug deals, and manipulation. The Yuan-ti are master strategists, developing wartime tactics in their years in the empire, while also learning dark magics and subtle techniques to control other humanoids. Yuan-ti purebloods, those least affected by the ritual, are perfectly suited to infiltration, due to their mostly humanoid appearance. To truly fit into human society, purebloods have to be trained to resist their inherent disgust of humanoids, as well as display convincing emotions. Their goal in society is control. Control of political leaders, control of resources, even control of gangs. Those who control politics, resources, and crime control a city. With these three, the Yuan-ti can regulate the gangs, where they strike and how, as well as distribution of drugs and black market sales. They control water and food in the city, effectively being able to starve the population. They use blackmail, threats, and seduction to get close to politicians and their advisors, seeking out any information they can use to exert dominance over them. If necessary, they plan assassinations to remove leaders from power and replace them with operatives that support their goals, or that they can coerce more easily into doing their bidding. The relationship of Yuan-ti to human is not one of trust, as Yuan-ti don't see humans as equals. Instead, they see them as meat, mere vessels whose only worth is as slaves or pawns. Their ultimate dependence is on their survival. Yuan-ti are careful, calculating, and never reckless. Their lack of emotional distraction makes them fully concentrated planners, adept at gaining and memorizing information, and staying on the task at hand. So with all this information in mind, let's look at how Yuan-ti behave in campaign scenarios.
Silent Takeover
Yuan-ti are primarily stealthy, devoted to preserving the undercover empire. Thus, the full extent of their control should never be quite realized until they've already gained too much. This means that Yuan-ti rarely ever end up in open combat with the party, unless encountered in their own territory, which I'll cover in a minute. In an urban situation, a Yuan-ti infestation may be encountered without the party even knowing it. While trying to aid local enforcement with a drug bust, the party might come across a pureblood working behind the scenes, agitating the gangs and controlling shipments. Wherever they are, purebloods remain in disguise in all social situations where they might be seen. There's no reason why a pureblood wouldn't have a way to disguise itself, whether through magical illusion, makeup, or a disguise kit. Interacting with humans is necessary to the operation, and they must look the part. However, not all purebloods mingle with politicians and high society. Some, assumedly of lower ranking, must parley with crime lords, assassin's guilds, and even city workers. Sometimes, all that's needed is stealth and a hood to conceal their face. But in any case, purebloods strive to keep their nature secret. Depending on the scenario, Purebloods will act whatever role suits their needs. As they possess the craving all Yuan-ti have for power, some purebloods surround themselves with extravagant wealth in their false identities, as many achieve lofty status in their roles. This could lead to a defective pureblood, one who still sees humans as lower beings, but enjoys the power it obtains from being above them in their society, and has grown to a resentment of the caste system. This npc could function like an arrogant, high ranking aristocrat, who works loosely for the Yuan-ti but really seeks their own goal. I'm reminded of the Marovingian from the Matrix films, a program who broke off from the main system and functions like a sort of broker within the Matrix and with other programs. This aristocrat pureblood could have information the players need, or perhaps sway over the gangs that they need on their side. All yuan-ti encountered in roleplay (not in disguise), are cold, and emotionless, giving no thought to begging or pleading. Other organisms are meat, and that is that. They have very clear goals in their mind, and don't lend themselves to fits of anger or outbursts, even if their plan is going south. This doesn't mean, of course, that your yuan-ti boss won't have a good old-fashioned monologue in front of the helpless meat it has captured at the apex of it's plans. It's easy to think that because yuan-ti have no emotions, there's little to no roleplay opportunities. However, there are still plenty of things you can do with yuan-ti roleplay. Their abstinence from emotion makes them cold, terrifying adversaries that are utterly driven by goals, not their own ideals. Yuan-ti of high rank likely don't even speak to the players, only doing so if they have a slave or translator, viewing even speech to a human as beneath them. A pureblood playing it's role maintains character, but is secretly anguished every time it must submit to a human or treat one as an equal. Yuan-ti that act honorably or trustworthy in the moment only do so to a greater end, to further their plans and gain trust. Their disconnect with emotions goes so far that they are nearly impossible to interrogate through normal means. They can't truly be threatened, as all they care about is the mission of the empire. It's likely that all yuan-ti operatives who are likely to be captured have a way of ending their lives if it comes to it. This would have to be a magically advanced method, however, not as simple as cyanide, since yuan-ti are immune to poison. On the flip side of that, yuan-ti interrogators are extremely skilled and brutal, unrelenting until they get what they want. They have no care for their victims, and have no sympathy for human pain, viewing that also as a weakness. As far as allies go, Yuan-ti form many temporary alliances in their false positions, masking their true goals from their associates, but do posses a following in human society. Serpent cults that worship Dendar, Merrrshaulk, or any of the serpent gods serve as allies of the Yuan-ti, believing them to be emissaries from those gods. These cults are extremely fanatical, believing that Yuan-ti are a more enlightened race, and that they possess the ultimate knowledge and power. These cults act as intermediaries for the Yuan-ti, working for them in cities, usually under a pureblood, to supervise and report back to the yuan-ti city. These cults also work to sow dissension and chaos among the populace, spreading their messages of true bodily perfection, and freedom from the restraints of humanity. Many of these cultists aspire to the ritual, to become purebloods and be accepted into the society. The cults are a strange mix of fanatic fervor, as well as the aspiration to be free from emotion and serve the serpent gods. When playing a serpent cultist, I would recommend tweaking the statblock to more fit the Yuan-ti theme, adding some poison-related spells, as well as proficiency in stealth and infiltration based skills. In roleplay these cultists are always fanatical and on the edge of insanity, willing to die by their own blades before capture. Serpent cults are more likely to kill or sacrifice a victim, whereas a pureblood is most likely tasked to kidnap or drug a target, preferring to capture instead of kill. The cultists probably start in small towns, areas easy for them to dominate, and spread their reach further and further until they control enough resources to seep into cities. At that stage they likely have assistance from a pureblood supervisor, who works with the cult leader to expand into their domain. The relationship of Yuan-ti to cultist is one of servant to master. Cultists are more highly valued and useful than slaves, but the Yuan-ti only see them as tools, pawns to obtain a goal. All yuan-ti encountered in roleplay (not in disguise), are cold, and emotionless, giving no thought to begging or pleading. Other organisms are meat, and that is that. They have very clear goals in their mind, and don't lend themselves to fits of anger or outbursts, even if their plan is going south. Yuan-ti that act honorably or trustworthy in the moment only do so to a greater end, to further their plans and gain trust. Their disconnect with emotions goes so far that they are nearly impossible to interrogate through normal means. They can't truly be threatened, as all they care about is the mission of the empire. It's likely that all yuan-ti operatives who are likely to be captured have a way of ending their lives if it comes to it. This would have to be a magically advanced method, however, not as simple as cyanide, since yuan-ti are immune to poison.
Serpentine Tactics
The yuan-ti empire knows it cannot rule through open conquest and military might for the time being, hence their penchant for stealth and manipulation. This philosophy of conquest also plays into their combat strategies. The yuan-ti goal in combat is survival; capture, don't kill, fight dirty, and run when you need to. The yuan-ti have no concept of honor or fighting fairly. This isn't even because they hate others or take joy in trickery; they simply don't see other organisms as equals, and thus strike always in the most effective and deadly way. However, the yuan-ti also don't seek to kill their victims, and they avoid large scale combat in open places. Their goal is not to be discovered, and a long fight is to their disadvantage. Thus, they mainly move at night, and if they must fight they end it as quickly as possible, trying to charm or incapacitate their enemies, and then drag them off to their hideout where they can be kept as slaves or sacrifices. All yuan-ti also posses an immunity to poison, making for some fun traps they can use in combat. One example would be a poison gas trap, triggered by a wire or pressure plate during combat. The yuan-ti are totally unaffected by the poison, while the party must contend with the trap, trying to fight at the same time. Another fun use of this ability, given in Volo's guide to Monsters, is to have a pureblood as an official's food taster, have him plant poisoned food, taste it, and declare it safe, unharmed due to his immunity. The point is, yuan-ti are smart enough to use this trait to their advantage. Yuan-ti prefer combat in which they outnumber the opponents, and have fail-safe escape routes. Undercover yuan-ti always have a few tricks up their scales, But know when to run as well. Alright, now let's look at the different types of Yuan-ti in combat.
Purebloods are the lowest of the caste system, the stealth operatives best suited to deep cover missions in urban areas. All pureblood stats are just barely above average, with charisma as their highest, for obvious reasons. Interesting how their charisma functions, where instead of being a natural trait, it is purely for manipulation, and not really a trait they posses, as yuan-ti have no concept of deception or seduction among their own people. On that subject, the pureblood has high stealth, perception, and deception, again, making them perfect spies. They are also immune to poison, have magic resistance, and a fairly low armor class. Purebloods are fairly squishy, but have the tools to get out of a dangerous situation when they need to. As with all Yuan-ti, purebloods can cast suggestion and animal friendship (snakes only), and uniquely, poison spray as well. As we've seen, the Yuan-ti goal is not to kill right then and there, so the pureblood in disguise tries to lead with a suggestion, convincing the players to "come, join my friends," knowing who will be susceptible to suggestion. If that doesn't work, the pureblood knows cover is blown, and tries to flee, possibly into an ambush. In a planned combat or if trying to kidnap the players, the pureblood acts slightly differently. The vanilla pureblood has a scimitar multiattack, dealing an average 8 damage, with +3 to hit per attack. They also have a shortbow, which deals additional poison damage, for an average of 11 on one attack, also with a +3 to hit. Conclusion? The pureblood always prefers the higher ground in combat, making it's way there as soon as possible, then sniping down with it's shortbow. If a pureblood is forced into melee, it's pretty much already lost, but goes for a scimitar multiattack, or possibly a suggestion to distract it's opponent, then runs away, having already determined an escape route (+3 perception!). Poison spray to me doesn't seem quite worth it, with a DC 12 and only 1d12 poison damage (not bad for a cantrip, but...), versus going for a melee attack with a +3 to hit, and higher combined damage. Honestly, they're fairly equal options, and it just depends on how the scenario is going. At CR 1, purebloods aren't very strong in combat, but what they lack in offense they make up for in non-combat abilities, and in defense. They can cast suggestion, making them good social manipulators in addition to +3 deception, and also are immune to poison (see the food taster example referenced from Volo earlier). Their magic resistance also gives them advantage on spell saves, which helps if someone casts detect thoughts or similar magic on them. If you want to portray a pureblood as more skilled, or infiltrating a higher level of society, consider using the assassin statblock from the Monster Manual, giving magic resistance, as well as the Yuan-ti's spellcasting and poison immunity. This shows a pureblood skilled with poisons, also one that has claimed a little for wealth and power for itself in society. Any pureblood flees when reduced to 15 or fewer hp.
Yuan-ti Malisons are the priests and middle tier in the caste system. They are hideous half-human half-snake transformation, with three different known variations. A malison's primary goal is not stealth, at least, not in the same way as a pureblood. Malison have proficiency in stealth, but I take that more as a combat feature, not in an infiltration role. Malison also have spellcasting and magic resistance (minus poison spray), as well as the ability to polymorph into a medium or smaller snake, and back into its yuan-ti form, both burning an action. Although it's stats remain the same, this is primarily an escape method, or a way of gaining stealthy entrance into a well defended area (snakes can fits into some tight squeezes!). When looking at the statblock, Malison have decent hp, magic resistance, but low armor class because they don't wear any, which I assume is because of their different forms. Although based on their artwork, I don't see why they couldn't have a kind of gladiatorial half-plate or scraps. At any rate, there are three different malison types: (1) a snake head with a human body, (2) a human body with snake arms, (3) a humanoid upper body with a serpentine snake tail lower half. My preference in combat would be type 3 or 1, usually type three, because of the added bonus constrict gives, and then the ability to scimitar it's constricted target to death. Type 2 doesn't have an advantage over the other two, and is frankly kind of ridiculous, just functionally. Anyway, Type one is also advantageous, with a scimitar multiattack (average 12 damage, +5 to hit), the same for its bite attack which it can only do once, or a devastating longbow multiattack, with 13 damage per attack, and +4 to hit. With all that in mind, the malison behaves similarly in entering combat and it's tactics. If it's an area the malison can't get to, or there's a better point of attack that's less accessible, the mailson shapechanges into a snake and move to that point, possibly to set up an ambush. From there, a type two or three malison will enter melee, trying to dominate right off the bat with a multiattack. The malison can tell which characters are more squishy but more mentally adept, and also which ones are stronger but less intelligent. At the very least, it can make a guess based off of their appearance and fighting methods. Thus, it targets a low wisdom character with suggestion, when in doubt going for the tough looking barbarian or fighter, and convincing them to force surrender. The condition of suggestion says that the spell is broken by your (the spellcaster's) companions attacking the controlled creature, implying that other attacks don't? I think this ones up to your ruling, as that would be pretty overpowered for a 2nd level spell (8 hour duration). But regardless, the malison comes off strong and imposing, attacking viciously and mercilessly, and commanding creatures to surrender with it's suggestion. Malison are good backups to pureblood when things go south, fighters who can quickly subdue their enemies when necessary. Type 3 malison in melee are dangerous foes, and their tactics depend on the battlefield, as well as their allies. How is the party laid out, what's the terrain, do I have yuan-ti allies of any kind? Depening on these factors, a type 3 makes two snake bite attacks, if it entered combat in snake form, preferring the extra poison damage and stealth. If it was able to get close to the wizard or the squishy caster, it attempts constrict immediately, followed by a scimitar attack with advantage if it works. In subsequent turns it takes advantage of constrict to wail on it's target with the scimitar. Type 3 is most preferable when the malison has allies, such as Type 1's with longbows sniping from an overhang or balcony. Type 1 malison prefer ranged combat, using bows tipped with their own venom. These make for good assassins, combined with their +4 stealth, and the ability to shapechange into a medium snake. A malison could easily sneak onto a roof with good positioning, or into a house, and perform assassinations with great stealth and maneuverability. Despite their strong combat capabilities, all malison know when to flee, to avoid capture or death, and run from combat as soon as a fellow malison is defeated, or when they are reduced to 20 hp or fewer, making a tactical retreat. They use snake form if possible, and if not disengage, then taking an escape route as fast as they can.
Finally, we get to yuan-ti abominations, highest in the caste system (with the exception of an anathema), and the biggest and baddest of them all. These guys are tough, with average AC but 127 hp, and powerful weapon attacks combined with a massive tail constriction. An abomination shares the same spells as other yuan-ti, with the addition of fear, once a day. All of it's ability scores are well above average, all above 15 actually. Again magic resistance, and a movement speed of 40 feet. Abominations can transform into a large snake, less useful due to size, and not really useful in combat, as it burns an action. An abomination can also use fear, but this only makes sense to me over in the place of melee if the abomination is hurt (half hp or fewer), and wants to drive some foes away. In a regular attack, the abomination surges forward on its tail, and uses the same constrict scimitar tactic as the type 3 malison, in subsequent rounds also using its triple scimitar multiattack, with advantage on a restrained target. this is an average of 33 damage, contrasted with a bite and a scimitar, for an average of 28 damage, 10 of which is poison. So unless the target is susceptible to poison, the abomination opts for the scimitar, against a restrained victim. The abomination has a plus 7 to hit on all its attacks (+6 with the longbow), and a DC 14 on the restraint. It also has a 17 intelligence, and knows who it will be most likely to constrict. It tries for the least armored targets, and if it can't reach them or fails constrict once, it resorts to vicious repeated multiattacks, in this case favoring a bite-scimitar combo, because it's more likely to hit with two attack than three against a non-restrained target. A yuan-ti abomination is a highly intelligent boss, and should always have allies with it on it's home turf. Abominations never go out for urban infiltration, instead using messengers and purebloods to oversee progress, so thus they'll pretty much always be in a yuan-ti settlement or on the move to one. An abomination accompanied by malison and pureblood commands tactically, making use of ambushes and poison traps to subdue it's enemies, and targeting tanky opponents with scimitars constricts. A group under abomination leadership knows to target creatures that aren't resistant or immune to poison with their bows and bite attacks, making sure to subdue those who are with sheer numbers combined with suggestion. And of course, don't forget to use this creature like a terrifying, fanatical boss. The abomination is a creature of highest standing among even the yuan-ti, believing itself the most advanced and superior being among all organisms. That means it won't have it's schemes foiled by petty adventurers, and will retaliate in case of failure, whether by sending assassins, or blackmail their way. The abomination is a being that lords it's superiority over the party, and if it has them captured or subdued, monologues incessantly about their feeble attempts to stand in the way of the mighty serpent gods!
In conclusion, have fun with the yuan-ti. These fearless, stealthy serpentine are mighty foes, remnants of an empire that nearly conquered the known world. Their threat still spreads, though in the shadows, and one day the serpent gods will awake and restore them to power....
Hope you enjoyed it, comment with suggestions or ideas for next week. thanks
Updog
Cool! Now I want to include them in my homebrew!
What are your favorite monsters for lower level encounters? (Starting a new homebrew campaign at level 1 soon!)
Only spilt the party if you see something shiny.
Ariendela Sneakerson, Half-elf Rogue (8); Harmony Wolfsbane, Tiefling Bard (10); Agnomally, Gnomish Sorcerer (3); Breeze, Tabaxi Monk (8); Grace, Dragonborn Barbarian (7); DM, Homebrew- The Sequestered Lands/Underwater Explorers; Candlekeep
goblins are classic but really fun. Hobgoblins are excellent strategists and good low level encounters. A captain is about at the level of a level 1 boss. Any cr 2 or 3 monster is a fun mini boss for level one. Any terrain or ideas for the campaign in general? that usually helps and helps determine monsters and terrain. dragon wyrmlings or kobolds, especially the ones in Volo's guide. Kobolds are fun because they design little traps and are little gremlin evil geniuses. The winged ones are really fun to drop stuff on people. Yuan-ti are fun and are cool infiltrators, and you don't even have to use them at first, just manipulation through gangs and stuff to match the level. A malison could be the boss and control high level purebloods as noble type figures, and the party could have to prevent blackmails and assassination, trying to uncover the organization. They might discover some sketchy things about the city leaders along the way, making some of the blackmail justified, thus having to make all sorts of moral choices of saving the city but also having to help corrupt officials. zombies, ghouls, and specters and wraiths are all fun. It just depends on what you're doing. Any more info you can give me about the campaign and the setting itself (terrain, what is the party doing, what type are they, like treasure hunters or bounty hunters, etc) would be helpful
Updog
I have content for level 1 and 2 prepared- including a really fun kobold warren. :) Forest terrain monsters for level 3 and up is generally what I'm looking for. The party will be traveling through a large foresty area for a bit of the time and I need forest encounters or side quests.
Only spilt the party if you see something shiny.
Ariendela Sneakerson, Half-elf Rogue (8); Harmony Wolfsbane, Tiefling Bard (10); Agnomally, Gnomish Sorcerer (3); Breeze, Tabaxi Monk (8); Grace, Dragonborn Barbarian (7); DM, Homebrew- The Sequestered Lands/Underwater Explorers; Candlekeep
Sure. Displacer beasts are fun as far as beasts go, manticore are fun, but rarely get roleplay. They can actually talk, which makes them really fun and scary villains, added to their human faces. any fun little abandoned settlement, cave, or ruins in the woods can be a fun mini encounter. Maybe an abandoned druid temple occupied by vine zombies and undead. gnolls are also cool, and If you run them they deserve a little prep. gnolls are very wild and territorrial, travel in bands of 20 to 30 like in the Two Towers movie. a gnoll band encountered probably shows some carnage in its wake, and signs of their movement. they fight dirty and savagely, and destroy basically everything in their wake. trolls are a good encounter for level 3, and beyond that fun in a small group. a pack of werewolves or wearboars would be fun, extorting travelers and biting and killing those who don't comply. a yeti or abominable yeti is fun in a winter forest environment.
Updog
This is great! Thanks.
Only spilt the party if you see something shiny.
Ariendela Sneakerson, Half-elf Rogue (8); Harmony Wolfsbane, Tiefling Bard (10); Agnomally, Gnomish Sorcerer (3); Breeze, Tabaxi Monk (8); Grace, Dragonborn Barbarian (7); DM, Homebrew- The Sequestered Lands/Underwater Explorers; Candlekeep
welcome. Tell your friends :)
Updog
Thanks for this series. I play with a large group of veteran D&D players and Kieth Amman’s Monsters Know is my bible. I often need to make adjustments to monsters and rely on clever tactics to keep combat fresh. One thing I do is have an environmental “lair action” on initiative 20. I’ve used burning debris, quicksand, earthquakes, lightning strikes, falling rocks, and whatever I can think of to keep players on their toes.
In our game, the party is about to travel (magically) underwater and I’m looking at encounters in that environment. The monster list in the DMG for underwater (Appendix B) is the thinnest of the bunch. But in my imagination it’s a fantastic location that should be full of exotic sights. Id like to hear your thoughts on underwater monsters.
"The sky above the port was the color of television, tuned to a dead channel." – William Gibson, Neuromancer
Appreciate the feedback, we're agreed that Keith's writing skills are unmatched. I know mine aren't always up to standard, but I do enjoy writing these and working out monster tactics both for myself and for other DMs. As far as underwater combat goes I agree that it's a largely unexplored portion of the game, and that underwater monsters are very few. Evil storm giants (I would use a Quintessent from Volo's guide), Marids, Krakens, Morkoth (VGtM), Dragonturtles, and Aboleth all make good underwater bosses. When using any one of these, I would do what you do and give it lair actions and environmental actions (some already have both). That way players can't just waltz into an aboleth's ancient lair, or the lagoon of a dragon turtle. They have to contend with miles of treacherous sea, and deep creatures under its control first. Admittedly, most of those are campaign level bosses, but fortunately there are a lot of good minions to choose from. Sea hags or a sea hag coven is fun, as well as a Sea fury (wildemount). Sahuagin are a personal favorite of mine, the shark people, and they have some really fun combat capability. Sahuagin have the ability to control sharks, making for a pretty scary encounter deep underwater. Imagine having your players swim through some caves, when great whites begin swarming them from the darkness, tearing at their limbs with razor sharp teeth, gathering as the blood frenzy starts. Sahuagin are adept underwater fighters, and players fight on their turf, things are more difficult than they seem. Sharks can still be scary at lower levels, especially with the different stats the monster manual supplies. If you wanted to create a feeling like jaws, the sahuagin could have the players trapped in a cave network, and release these predator sharks to flush them out. Just imagine, these battle scarred under sea brutes chasing your players through the caves. If you really want to go for a horror feeling, I recommend the limb loss optional rule, but that's up to you. If you choose to use a boss like the one above as sort of the main creature in an underwater series, you could also say that such an ancient and evil power has corrupted the sea life around it, making regular creatures more dangerous. If you've ever seen videos of the deep ocean, it's pretty terrifying, especially with how dark it is. A players only way to see might be a light spell or similar magic, but even then there's no telling what's below in the darkness. You could take regular creatures, like sharks or squid, and make them corrupted by this evil, with a few stat block edits. Here's one I made as a sample: Deep Angler Fish. Any way you go, there's a lot you can do with underwater encounters. Let me know if there's a direction your leaning or if you prefer one of these monsters over the other and I can give some more detailed info.
Updog
Thank you! Wonderful insight. I agree Kieth set the bar quite high, but honestly I am always interested in DM's take on tactics and story. I really appreciate your efforts and I encourage you to keep up this series.
As for specifics... is there a way to hide spoilers on this forum? I'm playing a WotC adventure and I don't want to spoil the surprise.
"The sky above the port was the color of television, tuned to a dead channel." – William Gibson, Neuromancer