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Joe Slowboat posted:or a betrayal of their vengeance upon Rat-kind? It's this it's always this. Chose the most stubborn and bullheaded interpretation of a dwarf grudge and that is what it will always be.
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Dec 14, 2018 18:42
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wiegieman posted:Thorgrim is viewed as an energetic and somewhat radical high king because he's all about hunting people down and Avenging grudges right at their stupid faces instead of digging in at the karak and grumbling about it, which tells you a lot of what you need to know about the dwarfs. He is also more reasonable than most and is willing to take the high road. Which is pretty much he is willing to accept payment instead of blood for most grudges and explain the nature of them to people.
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Dec 14, 2018 19:00
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Also associating with a target of a grudge does not seem to be a grudge worthy thing. Also the grudge against the high elves was already crossed off. It's why they largely just jeer and insult them instead of attacking.
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Dec 14, 2018 19:55
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Volo's Guide to Monsters: Goblinoids: The Conquering Host Part 3 Previous Entry Hobgoblins  War is the lifeblood of hobgoblins. Glory in it inspires them, it's horrors don't feature in their nightmares. They consider cowardice more horrible then dying, because they carry their living acts into the afterlife, so a hero in death becomes a hero eternal. Young Hobgoblins start soldering once they can walk and heed the muster call once they can wield a weapon. Every Hobgoblin Legion in thier society stands ready for war. Brutal Civility Hobgoblins hold themselves to high standards of military honor. They have a long history of shared traditions, recorded and retold to keep it fresh for new generations. When they are not waging war, they build, farm and practice both martial and arcane arts. Their civil society does not conceal the brutality that Hobgoblins practice on each other and perfect on the other races. Punishments for breaking their laws are swift and merciless. Beauty is something they only associate with warfare and conflict. The iron grip their philosophy holds blinds them to other races accomplishments. Hobgoblins have little appreciation or patience for art. They leave little space for joy or leisure in their lives, and thus have no reserves of faith to call on when in peril. BLOODY BLUE NOSES posted:Hobgoblins are sometimes born with bright red or blue noses. This attribute is thought to be a sign of potency and potential. Blue- and red-nosed hobgoblins receive preferential treatment, and as a result they occupy most of the leadership positions in hobgoblin society. The noses of all hobgoblins become more colorful when they are enraged or excited, much the way that humans’ cheeks can flush with emotion. Implacable Gods Along with being the most devout to Maglubiyet of the goblinoids, hobgoblins revere two gods unique to their race. The survivors of the parthenon devastated by Maglubiyet so long ago the hobgoblins don't even remember the names of the fallen. Nomog-Geaya is the greater one and more frequently honored. He is a stoic, cold blooded tyrant and hobgoblins believe he expects the same behavior from them. Bargrivyek a god of duty, unity, and discipline, and he is thought to be pleased by displays of those principles. In hobgoblin stories Bargrivyek serves as Nomog-Geaya’s second in command. Though Nomog-Gaeya would prefer someone more like himself Bargrivyek was all he was left with. While both are beholden to Maglubiyet, the Mighty One allows them to retain influence over the hobgoblins because their views are inline with his own. Hobgoblins don't build temples to their gods in order to avoid displeasing Maglubiyet, but the few priests they have tend to small shrines and recount the legends of their gods. Nomog-Gaeya's priests are also responsible for martial training as well as instruction in strategy and battlefield tactics. Bargrivyek’s priests serve as a police force, making judgments about honor, mediating disputes, and otherwise enforcing discipline. Rank, Status, and Title As in any strict military hierarchy, each hobgoblin in a legion has a rank. The ranks as well as titles that most often apply to them are as follows. -1st rank: Warlord -2nd rank: General -3rd rank: Captain -4th rank: Fatal Axe -5th rank: Spear -6th rank: Fist -7th rank: Soldier A legion is divided into units called banners, each made of a group of interrelated families. "Members of a banner live, work, and fight together, and each banner has a separate status within the legion that is reflected in the power of its officers. For instance, the captains of the highest-ranking banners can expect their orders to be followed by the captains of any banners of lower rank." Rank and responsibility aren’t necessarily equal from one legion to another or even between banners in the same legion. A phalanx of foot soldiers led by a captain in one legion might be two hundred strong, while in another such a force numbers just twenty. One banner might have four warriors mounted on worgs led by a fist, while a fist in another banner of the same legion might lead ten mounted warriors. If any rank doesn’t serve a purpose in the legion, the warlord eliminates it from the hierarchy to maximize efficiency. Honor Bound, By Glory Crowned Rising in rank comes from gaining glory. But for the achievement to count the hobgoblin must follow their races standards of honor. Ways to gain glory. Discovery of a great resource (such as finding a new vein of iron or a powerful magic item), a fine performance (writing and performing a great ballad about the legion), designing a great defense or monument, and many others. The best way however is in battle. In theory, the fortunes of war can elevate the lowest banner in the legion to the highest status. In practice, warlords give their own banners the best opportunities to earn glory. And portion out other responsibilities and opportunities to other banners as politics dictate. Each hobgoblin legion has a distinct code of honor and law, but all follow some general precepts that are at the heart of the hobgoblin honor system. Follow Orders.Carrying out orders without question is critical on the battlefield, and hobgoblins do this in peaceful times as well to maintain stability in their society. Hobgoblins don't even question orders that will lead to their deaths if the act will bring glory to the banner or the legion. Honor the Gods. Hobgoblins give regular recognition to their gods. Idols, standards or flags with the symbols of Nomog-Geaya always get a bow or salute except in emergencies. Bargrivyek’s peacemakers are deffered to regardless of rank or banner status. And of course, Maglubiyet’s call to conquest is always answered. Suffer nor Give Insult. Hobgoblins believe that any insult demands a response. "Suitably (and somewhat ironically), the outward politeness and civility that they demonstrate among each other enables them to avoid conflicts in daily life." This same attitude and courtesy is extended to any other races the hobgoblins deal with normally to the surprise of outsiders. When such respect isn’t reciprocated, though, relations can swiftly deteriorate. Reward Glorious Action. Hobgoblins never deny advancement to banners or individuals that have earned higher rankings. If a banner obtains great glory but is nearly destroyed, the remainder are welcomed into another banner, taking their banner’s name and colors along with them, and assuming places of leadership in the group. Uphold the Legion. Hobgoblins care more about the survival of their own legion then others of their kind. Two legions might battle each other for territory, resources, or power, or out of simple pride. Feuds can then continue over generations in a cycle of retribution. Each legion has a list of grievances against any others it knows, and legions meeting for the first time view each other with hostility. "Only a truly great warlord can force legions to work together as an army if Maglubiyet has not called forth a host." Volo posted:Hobgoblins are relentless soldiers that cleave to rigid tactics and orders. I fear their less-predictable scouts and spies more. Iron Shadows Hobgoblins developed an unarmed martial arts style called the Path of the Iron Shadow. The practitioners are referred to as Iron shadows and serve as hobgoblin societies secret police and spies. The Iron shadows recruit from all ranks of hobgoblin society. They answer only to the priests of Maglubiyet, and utilize their talents for stealth, disguise, and unarmed combat to squash potential insurrections and treachery before an uprising can flourish. They also gain the ability to command shadow magic to conceal their true nature, create distracting illusions, and walk from one shadow to the next. When they operate in the open, they wear masks that resemble devils. As befits their role in society, they receive proper deference from all other hobgoblins they encounter. Academy of Devastation Hobgoblins know the value the role of arcane magic in warfare. Most other cultures view magic as an individual pursuit that only a select few can attempt. Hobgoblins practice mass indoctrination and testing to try and identify every potential spellcaster in their ranks. The Academy of Devastation is a Hobgoblin Spellcasting institution. Members are sent abroad to test young hobgoblin. Those who show potential are enrolled in the academy, brought to a hidden school, and subjected to a rigorous regimen of drills, exercises, and study. In the academy’s view, every young student is a potential new devastator, destined to be forged into a weapon of war. Hobgoblin devastators have little knowledge of or use for spells that have no use on the battlefield. They are taught destructive spells and learn the fundamentals of evocation magic. The destruction they cause is worthy of as many accolades as the ruin wrought by traditional warriors. "Luckily for their enemies, devastators seldom employ sophisticated tactics, functioning essentially as a mobile artillery battery. They can bring tremendous force to bear, but rarely display the versatility and inventiveness of spellcasting elves and humans." Some become accomplished tacticians, and it isn’t uncommon for such an individual to serve as the warlord of a legion. Hobgoblin Lairs When they are not on the move, Hobgoblins like to have a stable lifestyle were raise new generations and prepare them for battle. If few enemies exist nearby and the hobgoblins in a legion have room to spread out, the members of each banner might live in a separate location, effectively its own settlement, with worg riders and messenger ravens passing communications between the sites. In lands dominated by other humanoids, hobgoblins will settle for taking up residence in an old dungeon or ruin where they can hide their numbers and stay hidden. Such an arrangement isn’t desirable, because space is usually at a premium. Permanent Visitors. If a hobgoblin legion wants to settle down, it generally looks for a out-of-the-way area with suitable resources or can be improved to suit the hobgoblins’ needs. Land for farming and grazing is desirable, as is access to lumber, stone, or metal ore. If the hobgoblins a suitable place, they build non-portable facilities such as forges and sawmills, marking their intention to stay either until all the resources are gone or until Maglubiyet calls them off to war. "If the hobgoblins are interested in doing business with the outside world, they might erect a trading post on the fringe of their territory where other people can come to exchange goods and coin." Who Goes There? Hobgoblin lairs resemble military bases. (Which they pretty much are) Always well guarded, either by lone senties in trees or full garrisons of troops in towers. As space permits, large areas are dedicated for use as training facilities for the practice of warfare. Monuments, typically statues and pillars, are erected around these areas to remind the legion of past glories. Every legion’s headquarters has a command center where the warlord meets with banner leaders and others of high rank. "Inside the complex or somewhere near it is the Way to Glory — a road, river, tunnel, or valley on either side of which the honored dead are interred, each burial site complete with a description of the banner, rank, and glories of its occupant." The Troop quarters are plain but sufficient, as are the stables and dens to hold the legion’s animals. Legions that have need of one also set aside space for a library, which can double as a school and training facility for spellcasters. If a hobgoblin lair has a prison, it’s usually a small one — miscreants are kept for only a short time before facing the hobgoblins’ harsh justice.  Next time: Goblinoid War Hosts
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Dec 14, 2018 20:16
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sexpig by night posted:wait is the name for domesticated rats 'fancy rat'? That's adorable Indeed it is.
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Dec 15, 2018 04:24
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Libertad! posted:Given how broad even many harmless spells can be in fantasy military applications... it reads like the text is implying that the hobgoblin mages only ever learn blasty damage spells and nothing else. Or is that rather their specialty school as opposed to being exclusive in use? They pretty much entirely learn blasty spells. They can learn others, but vastly prefer the blasty stuff. They also perform those spells better than pretty much everyone else. Which I will elaborate on when we get to the Hobgoblin Devastator Stat block later in the book.
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Dec 15, 2018 07:05
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JcDent posted:So Hobgoblins are basically Cossacks? I see them as more like spartans.
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Dec 15, 2018 19:07
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There is also the fact that they are chaos worshipers anyway, as the Horned Rat is a chaos god with his own daemons and everything. As of Age of Sigmar he has buffed himself up enough that he is now considered on par with the other four.
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Dec 15, 2018 23:59
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The Lone Badger posted:Are black skaven as big as a human? As big as an orc? Normal Skaven are human sized. They just look smaller cause of their posture.
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Dec 17, 2018 05:11
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gently caress I lost half of my next post cause my internet changed and I did not notice it.
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Dec 21, 2018 06:43
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Volo's Guide to Monsters: Goblinoids: The Conquering Host Part 4 Previous Entry Maglubiyet’s Will Be Done When Maglubiyet conquered the goblins "he taught them to fear his cruelty. They bowed in sniveling obeisance to him and then turned their impotent wrath upon others, becoming petty tyrants." When he conquered the bugbears "he taught the bugbears the practicality of cold brutality." When he conquered the hobgoblins "he knew he had to take the hobgoblins firmly in hand. From him they learned discipline, and thus they became the natural leaders among all the goblinoids." All Goblinoids are bound together by Maglubiyet's subjugation of their deities. They all fear him, but carry out his will differently. Goblins tend to flee from threats and must be rounded up and threatened by hobgoblins to do they can be made of use. Bugbears only obey the demands for aid by hobgoblins grudgingly, and often must be bribed first. Hobgoblins on their own will generally remain in their forts content to deal with internal politics of rank and matters of defense, but when they encounter other types of goblinoids (or seek them out), it is viewed as diven sign to band together and do the Mighty One's bidding on a grand scale. NO OTHER GOD SHALL STAND posted:Goblinoids are indoctrinated from a young age to consider all gods but their own as lesser, false entities. Maglubiyet is the only true deity, they learn, and the world will be wracked by chaos and despair until he one day conquers all pantheons. Goblinoids harbor a special hatred for clerics of enemy deities, focusing on them in battle and desecrating their temples whenever they have the chance. Whether a deity is good, evil, or neutral is immaterial. All gods other than Maglubiyet and his servants are false and must be destroyed. Call to War: Formation of the Host When the host gathers, the arrangement fundamentally changes how the individual races behave. Leaders in Word and Deed.Hobgoblins take up most of the leadership roles and serve as the military center, along with serving as the new backbone of the whole culture. Hobgoblins called to leadership in a host "tend to become fired with purpose, overtaken by a fanaticism that lends new urgency to their every action." When multiple legions gather into a host, each legion has a separate status just as the banners in the legions do. The legion of the host's warlord has the highest status and warlords of lesser legions are demoted to the title of general. While a member of a low ranked banner in the warlord's legion outranks those of the other legions that share the same rank, a general still outranks everyone in the warlord's legion other then the warlord. Despite most hobgoblin legions having a great deal of animosity for each other they set it aside when they form a host. The warlords of the rival legions don't even try to depose the leader of the host unless the fortunes of war provide the opportunity. The Legions record insults directed towards it while serving as a member of the host and when the host disbands, they resume their animosity and grudges. Volo posted:Hobgoblins have a code of honor. Its details vary from legion to legion, but it’s always brutal. Stealthy Shock Troops. Bugbears absorbed into host serve as a "special cadre of spies, assassins, and bodyguards, answering to the senior leadership of the host rather than to others of their own kind." Hobgoblin leaders will normally equip the Bugbears with better quality gear, metal tipped weapons instead of stone ones, or chain shirts instead of hide. But they are never outfitted with ranged weapons (which they refuse to use) or heavy armor (which compromises their stealthiness). If some bugbears demonstrate a particular talent for stealth or combat, the hobgoblins might separate them into squads that employ those skills to best effect. BUGBEAR SPECIAL FORCES posted:Under any circumstances, bugbears are valued members of a goblinoid host. If some of them are specialized (or can be trained) in different aspects of warfare, their value increases, especially when they work in concert. Reluctant Little Tyrants. Upon a goblin tribe being brought into a host hobgoblins train the goblin gatherers and pariahs as soldiers, which effectively rises them to the ranks of the hunters and reduces the number of castes for goblins in the host to two. While goblin leaders still maintain some authority, but even the lowliest hobgoblin and bugbears can give orders to a goblin boss, and the goblin boss must obey, or more likely order other goblins to do the job. When the goblin join a host they tend to resign themselves to their fate. Which could be to have their souls claimed by Maglubiyet for eternal war in Acheron the plane of battle. As a result they become humorless and show no pity to any creature that falls under their dominion, usually enslaved laborers or monsters that are pressed into service. "When the need arises, they also work as scouts, sappers during sieges, and skirmishers on the battlefront." Auxiliary Units.Hosts rarely consist of nothing but goblinoids, particularly if it has been going on for a while. Along with standard wolf and worg mounts, a host will normally press a large number of creatures into service. Some examples. *A low, two-wheeled pushcart loaded with small wooden cages containing cockatrices. *A hydra with goblins riding on each head that direct the beast by controlling the view of its blinkered eyes. *Former slaves, often soldiers who once fought against the host, who now fight alongside the host to gain better treatment and protect loved ones held captive. *A carrion crawler ridden by several goblins in a row and directed by a lead goblin using a long pole to suspend a lantern just out of reach of its tentacles. The Host on the March Goblinoid hosts are very aggressive and near constantly on the move, occasionally breaking off small garrisons (often of one type of goblinoid) to guard territory that needs to be held. The hosts usually march at night using outriders, who carry messenger ravens, traveling ahead and on the sides of the main group. The ravens can recognize individuals and so can quickly carry messages from anywhere in the host before going back to their owner. While most of the host travels on foot, wolf-riding goblins and worg-riding hobgoblins also make up a significant portion of the force. Hobgoblins will also use other mounts like horses, or monsters they can tame such as hippogriffs, axe beaks, or giant vultures. Bugbears don't ride mounts, but are willing to catch a ride on the howdah of a battle beast like an elephant or hydra. If the host has slaves, they carry the wagons and sledges holding the hosts equipment in the center of the host so they are surrounded. If there are no slaves, goblins and beasts of burden perform this function. Conquest and Occupation "Warfare in the name of Maglubiyet isn’t conducted like the raiding of orcs or the wanton slaughter of gnolls. It is instead a practice of claiming territory and subjugating people." Those who surrender while giving little to no resistance are given fair and honest treatment. Those who give proper tribute can look forward to avoiding goblin whips and chains. Warriors among the conquered can join the host as auxiliary units, if they prove to be capable and trustworthy. Goblinoids like to retain the population in settlements they conquer so they can continue to provide goods and services. "The labor force likely includes more youngsters and elderly than before the goblinoids’ conquest, with a corresponding drop-off in production." In any case, a group of conquered people serves the host best when it continues to produce resources for the goblinoids. Only when settlements offer stiff resistance or have no value do the goblinoids resort to slaughter and slavery to empty it of enemies. Hosts that gain large amounts of victories and the territory that comes with it can end up becoming a true nation. This empires can last for generations if the military can achieve new conquests or claim victories defending their territory. If triumphs don't keep coming the goblinoids bonds start coming apart. The hobgoblin legions will start infighting, and the goblins will ignore their duties while the hobgoblins are distracted. "Then, seeing the disarray of the host as a sign that Maglubiyet is no longer looking, the bugbears turn on their hobgoblin leaders, take a few of their heads as fresh trophies, and leave." THE WARBORN posted:While a host pursues conquest, it is taboo for its members to copulate. Such proclivities must be suppressed so that all effort is focused on the task at hand. Breach of the taboo can bring summary execution, so it is rare for offspring to be born among the host even when it successfully campaigns for years. Life in a Slave State When the hosts conquers a settlement or community. Those living in it quickly learn to adjust to goblinoid rule. The hobgoblins bring their own legal system on their vassals and it is likely to be harsher than what they are used to. Yet the host will respect the traditions, laws and customs among the conquered, "as an aid to maintaining order by pacifying the population." Some civilian leaders are allowed to keep their positions, and often gain more power then they had previously by serving as agents of the goblins and helping identify those disloyal to the host. In religious matters there is little flexibility. Religious leaders and clergy are eliminated if they show any resistance. Clergy of gods deemed harmless, a harvest god for example, can escape this fate. But servants of gods of battle and conquest encountered by the host are given a choice: "Turn to the worship of Maglubiyet, or prove the superiority of your god in combat." Those who remain faithful rarely last long as they have to face a succession of opponents - "as many as it takes for the priest to succumb and for others to see that resistance is pointless." Maglubiyet ultimately only offers two choices: submit or die. If the settlement has holy sites dedicated to conquered gods, these are converted into shrines to the Mighty One. "All representations of the defeated gods are thrown down, ruined, or marred. Mosaics are broken apart. Stained glass is shattered. Flags and pennants are soaked in blood. Statues are put in chains. Altars become chopping blocks where Maglubiyet’s bloody axe is used to decapitate all who refuse to bow to him." MAGLUBIYET'S ARMY OF IMMORTALS posted:The war horns of the host signal that every goblinoid has the chance to prove his or her worth to Maglubiyet and join his Army of Immortals in Acheron, the plane of eternal battle. There Maglubiyet marshals his host against slavering orc hordes in a bid to bring Gruumsh and the other orc gods to heel, a mythic contest that has pitted the goblinoids and orcs of the world against one another since time immemorial. Goblinoid War Camp Goblinoid Armies don't stay on the move forever, but when they camp it's not for rest or relaxation. A goblinoid war camp is constantly ready for war and the hobgoblins run it accordingly. The basic layout of a war camp is circular. To prepare the site they dig a ditch around the desired location, interrupted in places to provide paths. Inside are sections of a wooden palisade, each part capped with a gate and a tower on either end. These outer walls and gates aren’t regularly manned or patrolled, because the occupants aren’t concerned about being taken by surprise. If an enemy force does approach, though, these barriers do a good job of delaying any incursion until the goblinoids can rally their defenses. Inside the surrounding bulwark, the goblinoids all have their separate quarters, organized according to their wonts. Typical of any camp are the wide paths that crisscross it, running from each gate through the center of the camp and out the other side. This configuration enables all the goblinoids to swiftly rally and exit the camp to meet an approaching threat.  Command Center Where the legions warlord resides. They meet with the advisors and prepare and plan conquests. Most of the time, a command center also holds elite bugbear bodyguards that protect the warlord and a goblin jester that serves as insurance against the appearance of a nilbog. In a camp that doesn’t have separate facilities for a library and a rookery, the command center takes those functions. Library records are stored in a chamber next to where the war council meets, and posts for ravens are set all around the exterior of the building. Goblinoid Quarters Each type of goblinoid has its own accommodations within the war camp. Bugbear Dens. "After the hobgoblins stake out their territory, bugbear gangs dig their dens wherever else they wish, sometimes building them in the shadow of the outer wall but most often scattering them about, seemingly at random. A den typically consists of a hole and a crawlspace big enough for a few bugbears." Goblin Hovels. "The camp’s goblins settle wherever their hobgoblin commanders tell them to. Their quarters usually surround the areas where slaves and beasts. The typical goblin hovel is a round tent where related goblins sleep. In a permanent camp, these hovels often take the form of wattle-and-daub huts." Hobgoblin Barracks. "Not surprisingly, hobgoblins have the most spacious and well-appointed quarters in a war camp. Each of the banners in a legion has its own group of lodges in one of the quadrants of the interior, each one facing the pathway that runs past its front door." Library Hobgoblins know the value of improving one’s knowledge, and so they value any documentation about the world around them — maps, accounting records, battle reports, and other important facts. This knowledge is sorted by a legion’s librarian and stored in the camp’s library. The library serves as a hub for communication and strategy, and it is never located far from the group’s leaders. In the field, the army’s library is carried in a fortified and fire-protected wagon, surrounded by battle-hardened caretakers willing to give their lives to protect it. Pens and Pits Goblins are responsible for tending to the camp’s slaves, battle beasts, and beasts of burden. These are hobbled, chained to posts, or placed in pens, cages, or pits as needed. Most of these containment sites are surrounded by goblin hovels, and those that aren’t are nearby, so that the goblins can keep track of their charges. Rookery "Hobgoblins keep flocks of ravens that serve them as messengers and spies. A huge, tree-like conglomeration of metal and wood serves the ravens as a roosting and nesting place. If a camp doesn’t use one of these freestanding structures, its ravens are accommodated by perches and outcrops built on the outside of the command center. In the field, a wagon serves as a makeshift rookery." Supply Wagons Members of the army are expected to maintain their own gear, but ammunition and replacement gear are kept on hand, as well as other supplies. Rather than being contained in a building, these items are on wagons distributed throughout the camp in such a way that all the vehicles are accessible and ready to be moved if the rallying horn is blown. Every wagon is under watch by at least two guards, which are responsible for recording “withdrawals” and reporting on inventory to the camp’s leaders. The Block Maglubiyet’s holy symbol is a headsman’s axe, and the block is where it is blessed by feeding it the lifeblood of conquered foes and goblinoids that neglect their duties. In a temporary camp, the block might be a slab of wood or stone laid on a pile of dirt. In a permanent garrison, the block is often attached to the command center and placed on a consecrated platform. "Near the block stands a post or a rack with various weapons that represent the symbols of the goblinoid gods, each placed in accordance with the god’s rank. Maglubiyet’s headsman’s axe is always highest. Then comes Nomog-Geaya’s sword and handaxe, Bargrivyek’s white-tipped flail, and at the bottom, often touching the ground, the red-and-yellow whip of Khurgorbaeyag. Notably absent from this grouping are the symbols of the bugbear gods. Instead, severed heads hang in bunches around the block or are impaled upon spikes, their eyelids removed and mouths open. These honor the bugbears’ deities, Hruggek and Grankhul, and their separate but subordinate positions in Maglubiyet’s rule." Next Time: Hags: Dark Sisterhood
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Dec 21, 2018 22:26
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PurpleXVI posted:Is that war camp a swastika? Manji or Sauwastika. Swastika is clockwise. Though it's likely a reference the cartographer decided to go for. MonsterEnvy fucked around with this message at 23:43 on Dec 21, 2018 |
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Dec 21, 2018 23:37
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unseenlibrarian posted:Weirdly, my favorite thing about Chimera as a syndrome has nothing to do with turning into a werewolf, it's that their ranged attack power is basically just Funny enough that guy did hit his target the first time he was seen. It was just a trash can rather than a street lamp. 
MonsterEnvy fucked around with this message at 01:02 on Dec 22, 2018 |
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Dec 22, 2018 01:00
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Volo's Guide to Monsters: Hags: Dark Sisterhood Part 1 Previous Entry Hags are classic D&D Monsters based on the hags from english folklore, and many other monstrous witches and hags from myth. They are stated to be crone-like fey who represent the corruption of ideals and goals, who delight in seeing the good and innocent brought low. They are inhuman monsters, with no standards too low and no action too profane to attempt. "Shapechangers and blasphemers, they ally with other hags to form magical covens with extra powers. They collect and remember secret knowledge that is better lost and forgotten. Desperate mortals come to them looking for advice, only to have their requests fulfilled in ways that bring great suffering to themselves and their loved ones." Elminster posted:The hags put a spell on me, three times three, and made me their slave for a thousand days. I was a young fool, ’tis true, but those were dark days.  Ugly, Unpredictable, and Old Hags are mysterious and dangerous, particularly from the mortal point of view. Hags will be stealing and eating children that wander into woods one day, the next making lewd jokes to adventurers asking her for advice, and the next she might be making a fence around her home for impaling intruders. It is near impossible to predict how a hag will act from day to day, sometimes moment to moment, which is why folk with any wisdom at all give hags a wide berth. Hags see ugliness as beauty and vice versa. They enjoy their hideous appearances and will sometimes go out of their way to "improve" by picking sores, covering themselves in dirt and refuse, and decorating themselves with bones and skin. The Seelie Court and the Unseelie Court of the fey appreciate and revere beauty, and as a result hags are almost never found in either. The Summer Queen and the Queen of Air and Darkness see they as being valuable, but can't abide the stain on beauty they represent. The rare few accepted as courtiers are either too influential for their entry to be refused, or young and humble enough to put on prettier appearances. Other hags don't much care about their exclusion as they prefer to work on their own, "not constrained by a fey queen’s whims, and to be able to talk out of both sides of their mouths." Hags are virtually immortal vastly surpassing the life spans of even dragons and elves. The oldest, wisest, and most powerful hags are called grandmothers by other hags. Some grandmothers have power approaching that of the Archfey. Hags of lower, but still respectable status are called aunties. They gain their status from old age, membership in a powerful coven, directly serving a grandmother, or having many children. (Adopted or birthed.) Elminster posted:Hags often appear unlooked-for, in moments of great need, because they have been spying and see an opportunity to aid now to set up darker mischief later. Master Manipulators Hags delight in corrupting others. They do so by making sinister bargains with those who seek their aid. This desire to cause the downfall of others is why many hags lair near humanoid settlements, which gives them a supply of creatures to torment. Those with nowhere else to turn are some of a hag’s best customers. A farmer with a unfaithful spouse might go to the local hag for a potion to make the spouse faithful again. The mayor with a demented father might ask the hag for something that makes him lucid again. A merchant whose child is deathly ill may go to the hag for a cure. The common element here is that the mortals approach the hag for help; despite knowing that she is evil and dangerous, they are desperate enough to risk making a bargain with her, or foolish enough to think they can convince her to be helpful without getting something in return. Hags make bargains differently from how devils operate. A devil approaches and makes a deal with a mortal to taint their souls with evil, so they enter the Nine Hells upon death. Hags are normally content to wait and preform their own business, allowing mortals to come to them when they see the need as great enough. Instead of wanting a mortal’s soul, a hag wants to bring the mortal low during its life in return for fulfilling her end of the bargain. Devils barter with the soul as the commodity; hags barter because they enjoy making people miserable. Night hags, being fiends rather than fey, use aspects of both methods — corrupting a mortal’s dreams until the creature commits enough evil acts that she can claim its soul. As much as she enjoys offering and enforcing bargains, a hag rarely goes out looking for them because she knows that someone coming to her puts her in a position of power. The visitor likely had to approach the hag in secret for fear of causing an uproar, and is probably eager to return home before being missed, which adds time pressure to the process and tips things more in the hag’s favor. "All these factors contribute to the hag’s being able to set her terms for the bargain, presenting an offer that appears reasonable, and perhaps seems to have a tempting loophole or two that the mortal could exploit." Hags understand mortal desires and vices, and know how to manipulate by preying on those qualities. A hag’s bargain might bring prosperity for a time, but eventually have a drawback or side effect that makes the mortal resent the agreement and seek to end it. "The philandering spouse now happy to stay home might grow slothful, the mayor’s father might turn violent after regaining his senses, and the merchant’s child might relapse if not treated again every few months." Even when a bargain turns sour and other people in town witness the person’s misfortune, the hag will eventually attract new customers. Other people will come to believe that they can outsmart the hag, or that their need is simple and can’t be perverted, or that the earlier victims got too greedy. Even if only one or two people make deals with a hag every year, over time many can come under her sway — and she remembers the exact terms of every one of those bargains. Making a Deal out of Desire Although it's best said there is no good time to bargain with a hag, mortals are more likely to get away in good shape if they offer up something a hag needs or wants. In such a case, the hag might even start the bidding. A hag that faces a powerful threat from enemies will not hesitate to use promises or bribes to defuse the situation. For instance, most treasures in a hag’s lair are useless without her knowledge of how to identify and handle them, so she might offer to provide such information in return for her life. If an item later backfires on the one who uses it, or turns out to be cursed in some way, that’s just another lesson in why never to never threaten or trust a hag. Hags are curious about other creatures of power. They enjoy receiving news about other hags and influential creatures such as dragons, demons, genies, and certain mortals. Offering a hag accurate information of this sort as part of a bargain earns a small measure of her respect, and might make her more receptive to the idea of a “fair” deal. When a hag bargains with other creatures of the Feywild, rather than mortals, she comes to the situation with a more respectful attitude. She realizes that the creatures of her native realm are more powerful than common people and therefore more dangerous when disappointed or angered by a deal gone bad. Fey are also long-lived and thus have more time to retaliate against the hag, whereas most humanoids die within a few decades. This doesn't mean that hags are more pleasant in dealings with other fey, just that they aren’t as blatant or demanding in the bargains they offer; "hags know exactly how much they can get away with, and they like pushing the limits of what others will tolerate." Bargainer Beware When a hag is generous with her help or requires only a simple task as payment, that’s no guarantee that the deal will turn out as expected for both parties. By offering a proposal that seems, or is, fair, chances are that the hag is pursuing a hidden agenda. She still wants to set events into motion that benefit her or bring about the downfall of another, but she does so in a way that has no clear connection to her. A bargain like a villager agreeing to deliver a mysterious letter at a crossroads at noon on a certain day could be the key to ruining the mortal’s life. The hag’s reasons might not become clear for years, or won’t be meaningful except under specific circumstances, such as an auspicious birth or a climactic encounter with a dangerous villain. Even when she’s offering a deal that seems to have no downside, a hag is always secretive about her motivations, the reasons for the payments she requires, or how these things benefit her. A hag that spends a long time close to a human settlement often depletes the community of good-hearted folk as they succumb to her evil and selfish plans. The mood of the town becomes unwelcoming, grim, or outright hostile toward newcomers and travelers. "Even after a hag has done her worst in such a place, she maintains leverage over her victims by holding out the prospect that someday she will undo the curses that she has lain on them. For that reason, the local leaders won’t allow any outsiders to act against her (which includes sabotaging adventurers who might decide to confront her)." Next time: Hags: Dark Sisterhood part 2
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Dec 29, 2018 07:20
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Volo's Guide to Monsters: Hags: Dark Sisterhood Part 2 Previous Entry Roleplaying a Hag Even when a hag act friendly toward adventurers, inside she is a twisted fey creature, and she doesn’t care about what anyone else thinks or wants. She might casually comment about how a visitor would fit in her cauldron or make a blunt sexual comment about a guest. When mortals visit a hag, the experience should be nerve-wracking, uncomfortable, and risky; "at any point the hag might lose her temper and decide to pull out someone’s fingernails with her iron teeth." Hags look upon younger creatures from the perspective of a bad-tempered grandparent who no longer cares what anyone thinks — "set in her ways, free to speak her mind, and not afraid to bring down punishment if pushed too far." Hags enjoy messing with other people’s lives. Any time a hag agrees to help someone, the bargain includes a price to be paid, plus a hidden plan by which she sets the mortal up to fail, or a way that she gains leverage (whether over the deal-maker or someone else). When a hag is shown an unusual spell, a rare magic item, or a person who has a odd magical gift, "she will sniff it, shake it, listen to it, taste it, murmur odd statements to herself, and mentally place a value on the merchandise." Hags aren’t subtle about showing their interest, and one might snatch away the offering so she can examine it more closely, even if this makes her interest more obvious. If she doesn’t have anything else like it, or can think of a use for it, or if having it means a rival can’t get her hands on it, she’ll value the offering highly. A visitor who offers a desirable item is more likely to get a fair deal, or at least likely to suffer less when the true price of the deal is revealed. When a hag’s life is threatened, she will pretend to be helpless if she thinks it will spare her life or buy her time to retaliate or escape. She’ll use dangerous treasures as bribes, not telling about their curses or side effects. "She will lie and deceive and try to turn her enemies against each other, playing up their guilt and fear and jealousy to tear them apart from the inside. She is older, smarter, and more shrewd than any mortal who dares to threaten her." Hags always prefer to talk and bargain rather than confront someone with violence; they reserve their aggressive outbursts for situations where they are overwhelmingly more powerful (such as when attacking children) or have an unfair advantage (such as when their enemy is asleep). Because although a hag can always resort to attacking with her claws, if it comes to that then something has gone very wrong with her plans. Hag Personality Traits We now have tables for hag traits. Our hag's traits are: Personality Trait d8 1 I have made subtle insults into an art form. Hag Ideal d6 2 Community. Loneliness is the path to madness. That is why I have minions to keep me company. (Lawful) Hag Bond d8 4 I owe a great favor to a hag grandmother. Hag Flaw d6 3 I have an allergy to a creature (such as cats or ravens) or a substance (such as apples or blood) that is important to my work. Hag Names Hags have whimsical names, often with a dark twist. Hags give their daughters a name that the girl keeps during her childhood, but upon gaining her full hag powers the daughter chooses her own name, which might or might not relate to her birth name. Some hags use different names in different guises, but still prefer their original name as their favorite. Hags always have a title followed by a first name, or a first name followed by a last name. It is randomly determined for the table whether a hag has a title or a last name. Our hag has a last name as decided by coin flip. d12 12 d12 10 Our hag's name is Zilla Toestealer Weird Magic Over the course of their lifetime, a hag typically discovers or creates several unusual ways to use magic. The weird magic that hags can call upon comes in a number of forms and with various means of activation. Even those who have read scholarly books about hag lore can’t predict what a particular hag is capable of. A grandmother or some other hag of great age and renown might know unique rituals that can temporarily or permanently alter or transform a creature, bring back the dead for a limited time, rewrite memories, or siphon emotions. Even a hag without lofty status is likely to have strange, single-use items that don’t emulate common spells or even follow the normal rules of magic. It is advised to check out the charms section of the DMG for ideas of what a hag might be able to do. If you want a hag to use a weird object of this sort in a combat situation, they are best provided with an item that produces a CR appropriate spell effect when the hag uses it. The effect might aid her or attack her enemies. "For example, a green hag (CR 3) might smash an ornate hand mirror, producing a cloud of glass shards that damages creatures like cloud of daggers (a 2nd-level spell). She might instead uncork a bottle of wasps that surround her and stitch up her wounds with their stingers, healing her as cure wounds (cast as a 2nd-level spell)." Or she could take a mummified toad from her pocket and throw it into her cauldron, which immediately spews out inky blackness equivalent to darkness (a 2nd-level spell)." Alternatively you can come up with utterly new effects as what a hag can do with these items are limited only by imagination. A hag carefully uses weird magic because the items in her repertoire are often impossible to duplicate or replace. To reflect this fact, a hag should be able to use weird magic only once or twice per encounter in her lair, or only once per encounter if she is elsewhere. "A hag who is expecting a fight might be better prepared and able (or willing) to use weird magic one additional time per encounter." If a hag is faced with mortal peril, all thoughts of conserving her resources vanish — she will use any weird magic at her disposal if it helps her stay alive. After all, a hag that’s not dead has a virtually limitless lifetime to replace what was spent. "No matter how hard it was to acquire that jar of death slugs, or that book on how to invoke the razor wind, or the runestone containing the three syllables for crystallizing blood, it is better to use such things than to risk death by not doing so." Mounts and Vehicles Many stories say hags using strange, enchanted creatures and objects for travel, and most of those stories are accurate. Instead of the usual horse or pony, a hag might ride astride a giant pig, a goat, or a cow. It’s not unknown for a hag to use a sentient creature as a mount, perhaps as the result of a bargain that creature struck with her. A hag that wants to humiliate a mortal hero might require that hero to serve as her mount for a year as part of fulfilling her bargain. The giant raven that carries a hag aloft could be in actuality one of the hag’s victims transformed because that individual tried to go back on its deal with her. The horse like fiends known as nightmares are particularly popular with night hags. Some hags prefer nonliving conveyances, and their imagination knows no bounds. A hag might happily animate and upgrade any sort of object she can tailor for the purpose, "such as a clay statue, a huge woven basket, a cauldron, a butter churn, a giant bird’s nest, a mortar and pestle, or a tombstone." Usually only the hag that obtained or created them can use her mounts and vehicles. They obey only her commands, and their magic responds only to her will. If a hag allows any other creature to use one of them as part of a bargain, she must be expecting a great return on her investment.  Next Time: Hags: Dark Sisterhood part 3
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Dec 30, 2018 02:48
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Tibalt posted:Did they explain the reproductive cycle of hags yet? There are a couple of references to daughters, did I miss where they explain that? It's in the monster manual and mentioned a little later here. Here the relevant sections Volo's Guide to Monsters posted:Hags make more hags by snatching and devouring human infants, birthing daughters who turn into hags on entering the thirteenth year of their lives. Fortunately for humanity and the rest of the world, such an occurrence is rare. They literally eat babies. MonsterEnvy fucked around with this message at 03:50 on Dec 30, 2018 |
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Dec 30, 2018 03:47
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Terrible Opinions posted:Given the folklore that inspired hags in D&D also has male equivalents most of the time, why aren't those included in RPGs? While yes the old women were more common, it is kinda hard to frame Koschei or similar old men in the woods as anything but the male version of the same trope.Hell Freddy Kruger is more or lese a movie version of a D&D night hag. Koschei is actually in D&D. He is a man who made a deal with Baba Yaga to do the whole put his soul in a pin inside an egg etc thing. But Baba Yaga betrayed him and gave their location away resulting in his death. After which he went to the Abyss his soul becoming a Demon Lord called Kostchtchie the Prince of Wrath. He blamed Baba Yaga's betrayal as the whims of a woman and as a result him and his cult are incredible misogynists.
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Dec 30, 2018 03:59
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Ghost Leviathan posted:I think a lot of the male ones got turned into different fantasy archetypes like liches. (you very rarely if ever see a female lich. I think probably because you can't put tits on them) The DMG actually has a female tiefling lich.  It was originally planned to be a night hag and the zombies larva. But was changed because tiefling liches have not been portrayed much. The most notable female lich I can think of in D&D is Valindra. An Elf Lich who has been around since 3e who serves as the initial primary villain of the Neverwinter MMO and most recently as a potential villain or ally in Tomb of Annihilation. MonsterEnvy fucked around with this message at 04:14 on Dec 30, 2018 |
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Dec 30, 2018 04:11
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Ghost Leviathan posted:A friend of mine ran a game with a hag where half the players took to her as the only sane person they'd met all week, the other half acknowledged that she'd eat them given half a chance. The fun part is that those aren't necessarily mutually exclusive. I think it goes back to the Baba Yaga, who can be a terrifying villain or a quite generous benefactor depending on her own unknowable whims and purposes. Funny enough I don't think Baba Yaga is actually a hag in D&D with the exception of 4e which had her as a hag archfey. The other editions I think largely just listed her as a powerful witch.
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Dec 30, 2018 04:18
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Cythereal posted:Vol in Eberron. Half-elf, half-dragon lich who created an entire religion about humanism and self-actualization and vampirism, and clocks in as one of the most powerful NPCs in the setting. Thanks. My Eberron knowledge is not great though I do remember Vol. Though it's funny that that two notable female liches that start with a V.
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Dec 30, 2018 05:04
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Skellybones posted:Wrong, every female lich has huge titties Your avatar seems to show an example.
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Dec 30, 2018 07:00
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Libertad! posted:It probably has something to do with the fact that of the "savage monster races" they're one of the few who in books have stood on relatively equal terms with humans/elves/etc. as opposed to being just small-scale raiders and disorganized hordes. They had actual nations in Kingdoms of Kalamar, they were prominent in the Red Hand of Doom (one of 3rd Edition's best adventures), they are open to a variety of magic. They feel like a far worthier opponent when it comes to low-level humanoids. Well as my review points out about them, they are not even a savage monster race. They build, farm, mine, trade and are just as advanced if not more then their neighbors. The lowest stake hobgoblins will be mercenaries rather then raiders. The issue the other races have with them is that they are aggressive conquerors, who are likely to try and take over their neighbors once they have the resources to do so. A recent adventure features a small hobgoblin settlement. It's pretty normal, they have a trading post, inn and other things. So long as you register at the gate and get your identification papers, you are allowed to come and go as you please. The only cost is a one time tribute of whatever you feel like giving to the Legion Commander when you get the papers. The shadiest thing about the settlement is that the hobgoblin running the trading post is an Oni, and the hobgoblins have to offer him a monthly sacrifice of a goblin child each month. (As they are not strong enough to get rid of him.)
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Jan 3, 2019 04:04
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Volo's Guide to Monsters: Hags: Dark Sisterhood Part 3 Previous Entry Types of Hags There are five common types of hag each with their own preferred terrain. It's possible to find them in unusual areas for them, normally when they travel or join a coven different hag types. Grandmothers and Aunties are the most likely to travel and take up permanent residence in unfriendly terrain, normally when their big plans require it. Annis hags dwell in mountains and hills, easily being able to navigate the areas due to being the most physically capable hags, roughly being as tall as an ogre. They greatly enjoy tormenting the weak. Annis Hags will be further detailed in the bestiary. Bheur hags dwell in wintery land, favoring snow covered peaks. Bheur hags have a great affinity for the cold and watching it's negative effects on people particularly witnessing mortals freeze to death. Like the Annis, Bheur hags are further detailed in this books bestiary. Green hags  Green hags dwell in swamps, creepy forests and moors. They are the most manipulative of hags, using deception and illusion to get creatures to do their bidding and hide their intentions. A green hag thrives on creating despair and tragedy in the lives of others, using her illusion magic to help in this goal. Destroying the hopes of others brings her unbridled joy. Night hags  Night hags transformed from fey to into fiends and roam the lower planes, primarily the Grey Wastes of Hades were they are the primary power and organizers of the soul trade. Night hags have more variety to their build then other hags, most are stout or have a medium build rather than being thin or emaciated. Nights are also the only true shapeshifters among hags being able to freely take on any form they desire, while other hags at most can disguise their appearance with illusion, something that does not hold up on touch.. When a night hag runs low on souls, she heads to the material plane to corrupt good people. Slowly killing them through nightmares while corrupting their victims dreams to have them perform evil acts. Once they die she collects their souls and brings it back to Hades to barter it away. Night hags being the only hags that tend to dwell in the outer planes are the most knowledgeable about planer lore and many other powerful secrets of the planes. Anyone that willing to risk it can receive very powerful knowledge. The greatest example of their power is the Yugoloth species of fiend, which they created by commission of Asmodeus the King of Hell, who wanted a race of fiends not bound to hell to serve him. However the sisterhood of night hags that created yugoloths and the tomes recording all of their true names, broke up due to bickering and in the power grab stole or lost the tomes. Allowing the yugoloths to become masterless and disperse across the lower planes to serve as fiendish mercenaries. Sea hags  Sea hags live underwater or by the shore, favoring bleak and dispoiled places. A sea hag hates beauty in any form and seeks to attack, deface, or corrupt it so it has the opposite effect on its viewers. One is more likely to defile the inspiring statue in a town square, making it into a symbol of fear and sorrow, than to destroy it outright. Sea hags are stated to have the most horrid appearances among hags. And witnessing one can impose a supernatural fear in the viewer. Those who give into this fear can drop dead from a glance from the sea hag. "Although a sea hag can hide her true form under a veil of illusion, the hag is cursed to forever be unable to hide her ugliness. Her illusory forms appear haggard at best." HAG METAMORPHOSIS posted:It’s commonly believed that five kinds of hags exist in the world (and beyond it). What’s not so widely known is that some hags can change from one kind to another during their lives. Solitary but Social Hags are selfish, and each one cherishes her independence — from the rest of the world as well as from other hags. At the same time, every hag recognizes that she and her sisters are kindred, like the members of a sorority or sisterhood. Even though hags don’t much like each other, they share knowledge and trade secrets, helping them learn of worldly events and possible dangers. Even a hag living in a remote location is aware of goings-on that involve nearby hags, whether through magical communication, personal visits, or mundane messengers such as birds. "In most cases, these relationships with her sisters, though devoid of emotion, are the closest a hag comes to having friends." "When a hag is attacked or killed, other hags are likely to hear about it. If the victim was friendly with other hags, those responsible for her death might find themselves the target of retaliation." If the victim died while owing favors to another hag, that hag sees her killers as now responsible for the deceased's debts. If the victim was unpopular or if other hags were indebted to her (and thus are happy to see her go), her killers might receive relatively cordial treatment from those other hags instead. Every hag has a particular status relative to others of her kind and to hags of all sorts, based on age, abilities, influence, alliances, and experience, and is aware of her place (though not necessarily satisfied with it). The few grandmothers sit at the top, a larger number of aunties are beneath that, and all other hags vie for prominence in a pecking order that no mortal can truly figure out. A hag that is known to associate with an auntie has a higher status than a similarly powerful hag without such a connection, and a young hag born of a grandmother begins her existence already benefiting from higher respect and status. Volo posted:Want to know a dark secret? Ask a hag. The trick lies in getting truth out of her. Hag Covens To a hag, the thought of sharing her home with other creatures (Even other hags) is disgusting. She has nothing but disdain for anyone other than herself, and she loves being alone (only tolerating the company of minions and other creatures under her sway). But when a group of hags have a common goal or they seek greater power to combat a formidable threat, they suppress their basic nature and come together to do their work. The result is a coven. "Being part of a coven gives each individual hag more magic and spellcasting ability, and to her these benefits offset the inconvenience and bickering that goes with living and working with other hags." If a member of a coven is killed and the surviving members intend to keep the group from dissolving, they immediately attempt to recruit a replacement. This process involves each prospective member committing cruel acts with the aim of impressing the remaining coven members. Adventurers who slay only one member of a coven might deal a blow to it in the short term, but later on the surrounding region is wracked with plagues, curses, and other disasters as the applicants attempt to outdo one another. An unusually gifted mortal sorcerer, warlock, or wizard of a deeply evil nature might be invited to join a coven or allowed to compete for a vacancy. This arrangement is potentially dangerous for the mortal, but a pair of hags might agree to it if their needs are served. For instance, a human member of a coven makes an ideal spy and infiltrator in and around a humanoid settlement. Welcome to the Family "Hags make more hags by snatching and devouring human infants, birthing daughters who turn into hags on entering the thirteenth year of their lives. Fortunately for humanity and the rest of the world, such an occurrence is rare." "Rarer still, but not unheard of, is for a hag to repeat this process twice or more in short succession, giving her multiple offspring of about the same age. She might do this to form a coven with two of her daughters, or to create a coven made up entirely of her offspring". Some hags cite ancient lore that suggests that if a hag consumes twins or triplets, her offspring might have extra unusual abilities; similarly, "devouring the seventh-born child of a seventh-born is said to be a way to pass on rare magic to the hag’s daughter." THE RULE OF THREE posted:They say that things come in threes. Good things. Bad things. Strange things. Hags and purveyors of witchcraft embrace the Rule of Three, as it is called: a coven has three members, they believe that good or evil magic returns upon its source threefold, and the casting of many spells requires the same words chanted three times. Alternative Coven Spells Some covens gather for a certain purpose, "such as to defeat a champion of good, to serve as oracles for the delivery of baleful prophecies, or to corrupt a pristine wilderness." In such a case, because the coven strives to bend its magic to a more directed purpose, the members have different spells available for use with their Shared Spellcasting ability, usually focusing on a theme related to that purpose. Here are three examples of such lists: Death. For a coven whose members are obsessed with death and the ability to manipulate it, an appropriate spell list would be: 1st level (4 slots): false life, inflict wounds 2nd level (3 slots): gentle repose, ray of enfeeblement 3rd level (3 slots): animate dead, revivify, speak with dead 4th level (3 slots): blight, death ward 5th level (2 slots): contagion, raise dead 6th level (1 slot): circle of death Nature. Hags might seek to exert control over their environment and the creatures in it by mastering the following group of spells: 1st level (4 slots): entangle, speak with animals 2nd level (3 slots): flaming sphere, moonbeam, spike growth 3rd level (3 slots): call lightning, plant growth 4th level (3 slots): dominate beast, grasping vine 5th level (2 slots): insect plague, tree stride 6th level (1 slot): wall of thorns Prophecy. The power to affect the future or perceive things out of the norm could make these spells attractive to a coven: 1st level (4 slots): bane, bless 2nd level (3 slots): augury, detect thoughts 3rd level (3 slots): clairvoyance, dispel magic, nondetection 4th level (3 slots): arcane eye, locate creature 5th level (2 slots): geas, legend lore 6th level (1 slot): true seeing Next Time: Hags: Dark Sisterhood part 4 final MonsterEnvy fucked around with this message at 07:24 on Jan 3, 2019 |
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Jan 3, 2019 06:46
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JcDent posted:Some say their taste is so foul that no beast will dare feast on them! Named after Black Annis a english folklore boogyman figure. Despite the name she is stated to be blue.
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Jan 3, 2019 11:38
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Volo's Guide to Monsters: Hags: Dark Sisterhood Part 4 Previous Entry Hag Lairs A hags home is like a hag. "It is ugly, eerie, or unnerving in some way, often incorporating some aspect of decay, such as a dead tree, a ruined tower, or a menacing cave entrance that resembles a skull." No matter the method of creation, the lair is well defended. It might be reachable only by a steep path, or it might be surrounded by a fence the hag builds out of posts capped with magically warded skulls. Often, a lair reflects the outlook of its owner — "a murderous hag’s home might be crafted to look like a coffin or a mausoleum, and that of a gluttonous one might look like a tavern or a gingerbread house. Because such places are convenient for them, sea hags often establish their lairs inside the hulls of wrecked or abandoned ships."  Best of Both Worlds Many hags settle where the barriers between the Material Plane and Feywild are thin, making it easy for them to interact and bargain with creatures of both realms. "Other popular choices are a place where the ambient energy augments certain kinds of magic, a site related to death such as a burial ground, and within a ring of fallen standing stones that still resonate with ancient power." In order to bargain with mortals, the home must be near enough to a populated area that it attracts occasional visitors, but not so close that a community would see the hag’s presence as a threat and try to defeat her or drive her off. Treasure, Treasure Everywhere A hag’s home is cluttered with strange items, objects that hint of a magical purpose, preserved specimens, scraps of lore, and curiosities that have a supernatural origin but aren’t inherently magical. Exit Strategy A hag always has an escape plan, in case ambitious do-gooders try to slay her. If she is outmatched, or wants to vacate her lair quickly for some other reason, she uses a mix of her innate spellcasting, rare magic, guile, and the assistance of minions to escape. Most hags have three plans prepared: one for general threats and two others for specific likely scenarios, such as “They’ve set the house on fire” or “A necromancer with undead are attacking.” If a hag is forced abandon her home, she immediately begins to plot her retaliation against those that caused her to flee. Like a vampire or a demon, a hag has a long life and plenty of time, "and no dish of revenge is sweeter than one served cold and to the next three generations of her enemy’s family." Elminster posted:Hags hate to be in debt to someone who’s done them a favor spontaneously, outside of any bargain, and so will return favors unexpectedly to such folk Hag Lair Actions Hag grandmothers have lair actions in their lairs. Covens that include grandmothers can use them as well, but the grandmother can deny the ability to use them to the lesser members. Powerful aunties (and their covens) can also have lair actions, but it's generally more limited, like only working at certain times of the year. A grandmother will normally have three to five lair actions, while a auntie will normally have one (or none). If not listed any Save DC's for a hags lair action uses her best ability score. Example lair actions posted:Hag Lair Actions Regional Effects When a hag is present in an area they start to corrupt it towards evil. Each hag lair has three to five regional effects. Grandmother, aunties and covens have more regional effects then a single hag, some of which can directly harm other creatures. Any regional effect that requires a creature to make a saving throw uses the save DC of the hag’s best ability score. These effects either end immediately if the hag dies or abandons the lair, or take up to 2d10 days to fade away. Example Hag Regional Effects posted:Hag Regional Effects Volo posted:You will know Rickety Zilla’s lair by its shape in the moonlight: a dead tree with a bent spine, it's great roots reaching out for a boulder like a man for his severed head. Minions and Pets Hags sometimes feel the need for companionship. They normally scratch that itch by obtaining servants she can insult and slab around as she wishes. These creatures might be charmed into compliance, or under a spell that stops its heart if it disobeys, or just afraid of corporal punishment for failure. Most hags have some kind of minion creature living with or near them as a defense against attackers, even if it’s just a common animal. Hags particularly delight in using mortals bound to their service as minions. A paladin might have no qualms about putting a hag coven to the sword, but her conviction will likely falter if she must first fight through a crowd of innocent farmers that the hag has compelled to defend her. Ordinary folk are also useful as minions because they can serve the hag as her eyes and ears in a nearby settlement, either operating secretly or actively trying to persuade other townsfolk to pay her a visit. The weird magic at a hag’s disposal means that she might have nearly any type of creature helping or serving her. Even creatures much more powerful than her might be under her command, working off the debt of a bargain. "Favors beget favors, and under duress a hag might speak a magic word to call upon a blood debt from a dragon, a noble, or another hag, making her able to wield magical, political, or physical power in a way she can’t do by herself." Like the land near a hag’s lair, over time her minions are altered, becoming twisted versions of their former selves (in a dark fey sort of way), but still recognizable. "She might alter them with magic, making them tireless, resistant to fire, able to transform into a flock of crows, or able to teleport through shadows — whatever the hag thinks best defends or serves her." Random Hag Minions We have some table for determining some minions for a hag. They come in two forms: servants and brutes. "The Servants table includes faithful, trusted helpers that a hag uses to protect herself and her home. These creatures are either naturally wicked or warped by the hag to better serve her. In either case, a hag is confident that her servants will obey her orders without question." "The Brutes table gives examples of the muscle a hag might employ, mercenaries that serve the hag only so long as it benefits them. These creatures run errands and take care of roughing up enemies or patrolling areas that the hag considers beneath her personal attention. Hags prefer to employ clever, cruel creatures rather than dumb oafs." Servants d8 (6) 2d4 (4) shadow mastiffs Brutes d12 (8) 1d4 (3) oni Treasure Much of a hag’s treasure is strewn along her lair, making it difficult for intruders to quickly identify all the items that have use or value. But the hag knows what, and where, everything is. "Every hag is infallible when it comes to keeping track of her treasures and other possessions. Her organization and labeling, if such a system exists, is designed to foil thieves and serve as a final, vexing puzzle for anyone who tries to make use of an item without her consent." A hag’s treasure should be doubted and even feared rather than simply being scooped up and carted away. Treasure-seekers are likely to fare better if they consider a hag’s items to be trapped, exercising caution rather than giving in to greed or curiosity. Handling a container or other item without knowing what’s inside or what it does (or without knowing the proper password or technique) is likely to be very dangerous. At best, whatever was held in a container merely escapes or dissipates. At worst, just about anything can happen, none of it good. Volo posted:A hag always has some potion or amulet that puts the odds in her favor. If you’re lucky, she only wants to make you miserable instead of just killing you. One-of-a-Kind Objects Along with the obvious items of value a hag owns, they also tend to have a few bizarre and unique items. Here are a few samples from the table. Hag Objects d10 (8) An oval-shaped disc made of an unknown metal. If it is tossed in the air, it flies in circles around the tosser for a minute, tiny lights winking on its surface, before settling to the ground nearby. d10 (2) The leathery, preserved head of a dwarf. Anyone who holds its 5-foot-long beard can see through its eyes. d10 (5) A seemingly empty, sealed jar. If opened, the person standing closest to the jar suddenly recalls 1d6 happy memories from the life of a long dead elf lord. Next time: Kobold: Little Dragons
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Jan 5, 2019 05:07
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Yeah I am transcribing too much going to redo this entry
MonsterEnvy fucked around with this message at 09:44 on Jan 9, 2019 |
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Jan 9, 2019 08:56
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Angrymog posted:I don't want to jump on the Monster Envy hate-train, but you are literally transcribing the monster entries. I though you were at least paraphrasing them, but that stops a couple of paragraphs down and becomes a transcription. At least do some analysis or have some thoughts about it. I agree going to redo it when I am not as tired.
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Jan 9, 2019 09:44
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It's been a while and I am going to try a slightly different format. My thoughts will be in italtics Volo's Guide to Monsters: Kobolds: Little Dragons Part 1 Previous Entry  Origin wise a Kobold is a spirit from germanic folklore. D&D does not have much in common with that and instead made them goblins but weaker in OD&D. They then started differentiating them, first making them a bit dog like and ratish, before settling into their current look as tiny lizard people in 3e. This look has been popular with them and the current edition sticks with it, but adds a couple nods to their AD&D depiction, namely their horns and doggish snouts. Kobolds are often dismissed as cowardly, stupid and weak, but they have a solid social structure, that encourages devotion to the tribe and for them to work together to overcome their limitations. For kobolds a perfect world would be one were they were left alone to dig and raise the next generation, while being free to seek the magical means to free their trapped god. In the world they are in, kobolds are bullied and enslaved by other creatures, or when they are living alone, afraid of invasion and oppression by others. While individually they are timid and shy, "kobolds are dangerous if cornered, vicious when defending their eggs, and notorious for the dangerous improvised traps they use to protect their warrens." Kobolds have it hard in life. Expert Tunnelers Kobolds have a natural skill for tunneling. Like dwarves, they seem to have a sense, of which areas of stone are strong, weak, load bearing, or have minerals or access to water. This allows them to create homes were many other creatures would not feel safe. Kobolds use their size to their advantage, making tunnels they can easily pass through, but will be difficult for larger creatures to pass through. They also use their weight, creating stuff such as bridges or ropeways that creatures heavier than a kobold will break if they go on them. If a a tunnel runs along a crevasse kobolds might erect a railing high enough to protect a kobold but low enough to serve as a tripping hazard for a larger creature. It's always good to see when small creatures actually take advantage of their size, when building homes. Other humanoid races normally have little good to say about kobolds, but do admit that they do respectable tunnel work using simple tools. When a band of kobolds is enslaved by more powerful creatures, "the kobolds are usually put to work enlarging their masters’ living area and protecting vital areas of the lair with traps and other defenses." Some human communities will hire kobolds to dig their sewer tunnels, paying them with food and tools the kobolds wouldn’t have access to normally. "If they are treated well and left alone to do the job, the kobolds work industriously and build a network of passages beneath the streets, connecting them to a nearby waterway and greatly improving the town’s sanitation. If the kobolds like the area and aren’t mistreated by the humans, they might build a warren and make a permanent home there, while continuing to expand the town’s sewers as the community grows." While the city kobolds live underground they might make nighttime forays up to the surface on occasion. Roughly one quarter of the towns and cities in the world have kobold communities living under them, but the kobolds are good at staying hidden, and so citizens in the area often don’t know what lies beneath them. "Because the kobolds make sure they stay out of the way of anyone more dangerous than themselves, grow their own subterranean food, and prefer to sneak about at night, the people of a town might go for weeks or months without noticing evidence that kobolds are in the area, and years between actual sightings." I like that Kobolds will actually get into symbiotic relationships with communities. Makes them more than just another gang of monsters to kill. And they do it in fairly different way, rather than just being mercenaries like hobgoblins and orcs would be.  Able Scavengers Kobolds are excel at identifying broken, misplaced, discarded, or leftover items from other creatures that can still be used. They prefer to scavenge objects that have been lost or thrown away, which is easy to do without getting attention. "At the same time, they don’t automatically shy away from trying to grab items that are the property of other creatures, because such objects are more likely to be in good condition and thus more useful or valuable." When they go after items that aren’t free for the taking, kobolds try to remain unseen and don’t give others reason to harm them. "For example, a group of city kobolds might sneak into a cobbler’s house at night to loot it of knives, leather bits, nails, and other useful items, but if they are at risk of discovery, they run away rather than attack anyone in the house. By fleeing before they can be seen or identified, they avoid getting into a situation where the townsfolk would try to hunt down all kobolds and put the tribe’s survival at risk." Tribe first and all that. Aggressive individual kobolds and tribes do exist, but in general kobolds don’t purposely provoke retaliation from the ones they steal from. "It’s better to be cautious and overlooked than to be considered dangerous and a threat." In a few situations, kobolds might abandon this approach. First, because they hate gnomes, city kobolds often go out of their way to target gnomes’ houses and shops. "Even in such cases, the kobolds’ fear of retaliation usually prevents them from trying to directly harm the gnomes, but they might spit in the milk, balance dishes on tables so they’re easily knocked over and broken, or scatter sewing needles all over the floor — petty, vengeful acts that humiliate, injure, or anger the gnomes, but not so much that the gnomes want to hunt down and kill the kobolds." Because of the kobolds’ animosity, gnomes tend to avoid or leave places that contain large groups of kobolds, and conversely kobolds are usually driven out of communities that have a large gnome population. One set of quests that I can imagine involving clearing out kobold warrens would probably involve gnomes that are getting harassed by kobolds and so hire adventurers to take care of it. Second, kobolds always keep an eye out for magic that might help them free their god, Kurtulmak. Typical kobolds don’t know how to use anything with more magical power than a potion, but they all believe that the tribal sorcerer can figure out how to use any such item they come across. When kobolds see an opportunity to separate a magic item from its owner, they are often willing to take the chance of revealing themselves because the potential reward is worth the risk. Other quests I can imagine involve taking back magic items, particularly dangerous ones, that kobolds have stolen. Dragon Servitors Kobolds believe that they were created by Tiamat Goddess of Evil Dragons, "a view supported by their reptilian (they would say draconic) appearance." In every kobold tribe, the legend of the creatures’ origin is passed down from elder to hatchling, giving each individual and every generation a reason to feel pride and self-respect. The kobolds prefer to run away than fight, to live off the scraps of others, and they are often dominated by larger humanoids, but they know that there is greatness within them and they are proud that they were chosen to be the blood-kin of dragons. The pride of kobolds, their dragon heritage. I am one who always loves to play up their pride when it comes to dragons and their relation to them. It's also nice that it's a way for these rather weak creatures, to feel they have the potential for greatness. Kobolds willingly serve chromatic dragons and worship them as if they were demigods. This isn’t casual worship or lip service; kobolds are awed by dragons, as if an actual deity were in their presence. Kobolds fall all over themselves to obey orders from a dragon, even if they are dangerous orders. "Although kobolds usually don’t worship Tiamat directly, they recognize her as the dragon-goddess of all chromatic dragons, and as the master of their racial god, Kurtulmak." KURTULMAK: GOD OF KOBOLDS posted:The god of kobolds was a vassal of Tiamat. When the gnome god Garl Glittergold stole a treasure from Tiamat’s hoard, she sent Kurtulmak to retrieve it. Garl lured his pursuer into a maze-like cavern, then collapsed the exits behind him, trapping Kurtulmak for all eternity. Arcane Magic Users Unlike quite a few other types of humanoids, kobolds don’t fear arcane magic. They see the magic as a connection to dragons, and are proud to be blessed with the ability to wield such power. Young kobold sorcerers are trained by elders, and the training has an almost religious significance. "Most kobold sorcerers are of the draconic bloodline origin and specialize in either damaging magic (which can also be used in mining), augmentation (of materials or allies), or divination (to find raw materials and foresee threats to the tribe)." The primary reason Kobolds care more for arcane magic than divine is Kurtulmak’s imprisonment, which prevents him from easily granting spells and his favor to his followers. Furthermore, kobolds are frail and a single hit from most attacks will kill them, so a tribe has little use for healing magic, and a sorcerer can meet most of the tribe’s other magic-related needs. Kobold shamans and priests of Kurtulmak are rare, but when they reveal themselves, are easily recognized by orange garb decorated with an image of a gnome’s skull. Volo posted:Kobolds are a lot less cute when they learn how to cast fireballs.
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Feb 5, 2019 02:44
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Added on we have seen a protagonist Asrai Wood Elf interacting with other people in Vermintide's Kerillian. She is a massive rear end in a top hat for those who don't know.
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Feb 12, 2019 17:31
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Glad Rat Ogres are decently dangerous in 4e. Thinking of Moulder, I was reminded of when Thanquol wanted to get a new Rat Ogre, and the Moulder Shopkeeper offered him his most vicious one in the fight pit. After hearing the price Thanquol had his Stormvermin bodyguards dangle the rat over the pit just out of the Rogre's reach until he named a price Thanquol was ok with. MonsterEnvy fucked around with this message at 22:00 on Feb 12, 2019 |
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Feb 12, 2019 21:55
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kidkissinger posted:Yeah I just ran an session where the armored Ogre got absolutely murder killed because the spellcaster kept sniping him with Dart, preventing him from ever building up any advantage, while the players just maxed out their combo bar and laid waste to everything. Though Skaven have the advantage of normally outnumbering their enemies. Night10194 posted:
If they have advantage they can spend a point to attack with their tail as well. So they have 2 attacks in 4e. MonsterEnvy fucked around with this message at 22:39 on Feb 12, 2019 |
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Feb 12, 2019 22:36
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megane posted:Building planned obsolescence into your horrible giant monster is pretty funny anyway. "Sorry, bud, the elbow tendons on this model only really last a few months before you've gotta put in a new set. Now, the boys and I can do elbows here in the shop, but I'm gonna have to get them replacement tendons ordered in from the manufacturer and, hoo boy, hope yer ready to spend some warpstone!" I remember some Moulder guys in Skaven Slayer. They created a breed of rats that could eat something like 50 times its body weight in a day, would eat pretty much anything, was born pregnant, gave birth in a day, grew to full size in hours, and would die in about three days. The rats would also be born sterile after a month, so after Moulder used them to conquer the city as planned the Rats would all die and not trouble them. Moulder really likes to build planned issues into their creations. The reason Moulder did not make smarter Rat Ogres is that that smarter ones lost some of the killiness that made them so sought after.
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Feb 12, 2019 22:50
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A dragon was fairly important the plot of a 4e Fantasy game I ran for a while. The villain was a Chaos Sorcerer Lord who wanted to use a ritual to corrupt and bind a sleeping ancient wyrm he found. His plan was pretty simple, burn some empire towns and cities with it to show his power and get a bunch of chaos followers to rally behind him. Then fly north back to the Chaos Wastes and challenge Archaon with the Dragon to take his place. Given that that players woke up the dragon before he finished, his charred corpse shows how well his plan went.
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Feb 19, 2019 22:10
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Seatox posted:which was hamstrung by being set on Xendrik instead of one of the actually fleshed out bits of the setting I actually liked that it was in Xendrik.
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Sep 5, 2019 04:37
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