Let’s Read the 4e Monster Manual 2: Nothic

Nothics first appeared in the Miniatures Handbook for 3e, and make their 4e debut in the MM2.

The Lore

Nothics are aberrant creatures that first arrived in the world aboard drifting fragments of the Far Realm. Their minds are even more alien than those of slaads to us poor mortals. Their huge eyes are capable of inflicting a variety of afflictions, and they tend to be found in the service of other powerful creatures. Nothics constantly cackle and cavort about, which their masters often find amusing, but they also fight at their command, doing double duty as jesters and bodyguards.

Their masters aren’t necessarily aberrant! Nothics are often found in the company of undead, for example. A few get adopted by cults of Vecna and receive numerous blessings from the lich god, becoming even more dangerous.

The Numbers

Nothics are Medium Aberrant Humanoids. Those dinner plate eyes give them Truesight out to 10 squares and Darkvision. They also act as the focus for a variety of gaze attacks and psychic powers, which vary per stat block. Nothics have a ground speed of 6.

The stat blocks in this entry range from the mid-Paragon to the early Epic tiers. I believe the Neverwinter Campaign Setting, published much later, would include a heroic-tier nothic as well.

Nothic Cackler

Cacklers are some of the most “jester-like” in behavior. They caper about even during a battle, seemingly oblivious to the opposition even as they fight. They’re level 15 Artillery with 116 HP.

Their basic melee attack is an anemic claw - it’s all about the mind powers with them. They can choose between two at-will ranged attacks.

The first, Mind Rot targets Will and does psychic damage. On a hit, it also slides the target 6 squares and forces them to make a melee basic attack against someone else (nothic’s choice). The other, Rotting Gaze, targets Fortitude, does necrotic damage, and inflicts a -2 penalty to all defenses (save ends).

Tactics are clear: rot the body, rot the mind, laugh, repeat.

If surrounded, the cackler can use a Maddening Cackle (close burst 3 vs. Will; enemies only; recharge 5+). This deals psychic damage, pushes 2 squares, and slides the hit targets 2 additional squares at the start of their next turns.

Nothic Mindblight

Behavior-wise, mindblights are the complete opposite of cacklers, appearing sleepy and morose even while staring you to death. They’re level 19 Controllers with 180 HP. They project an Eye Lure aura (3) that slides enemies inside 2 squares at the start of the enemies’ turns. Their claws are a little stronger and also deal ongoing necrotic damage (save ends), but the eye powers are still the main event.

A mindblight will likely open up with Mesmerizing Visage (recharge 5+), a fireball-sized area attack that targets Will, does psychic damage, and inflicts a -1 penalty to saves (save ends). The penalty worsens to -3 after the first failed save.

Then it will move on to its at-will powers, which deal no damage but have “save ends” riders that capitalize on the Visage’s effect. Eye of Insanity is a Ranged 5 attack that targets will and dominates with an after-effect that dazes the target for an additionall turn after they make their save. Necrotic Eye is a Close Blast 5 that targets Fortitude and inflicts 10 ongoing necrotic damage (save ends).

Nothic Eye of Vecna

For some reason, Vecna likes this nothic sub-species and heaps blessings upon them. They often hang around his cults. They’re Level 22 Lurkers with 162 HP, and project a Soul Decay aura (3) that allows allied undead inside to make free melee basic attacks at the start of the nothic’s turn. So yeah, the best place for this lurker to lurk is amid a crowd of undead melee bruisers.

The Eye of Vecna is going to constantly emit pulses of Eye Rot (minor action), which targets the fortitude of every enemy within 10 squares and makes the nothic invisible to them on a hit (save ends). This recharges when the monster isn’t invisible to anyone.

After it does that, it skitters among the enemies who can’t see it using Mobile Melee Attack, which allows it to move its speed and make a basic claw attack at any point during the move, drawing no opportunity attacks from the target. That Claw is pretty nasty on its own as well, dealing necrotic damage, immobilizing, and inflicting a -2 to all saving throws. Invisible Advantage gives it an additional effect against targets who can’t see the nothic, opening the target up to an opportunity attack from another adjacent monster.

Sample Encounters and Final Impressions

I think the basic visual design of the nothic is quite striking, but their mechanics don’t quite do it for me just from reading them. I guess they might feel differently in play.

Encounters with nothics are also likely to involve the powerful villains they serve. The book gives us three:

Level 14: A mind flayer infiltrator with an entourage of 2 nothic cacklers and 2 war trolls.
Level 18: 2 aboleth lashers and their 2 pet mindblights in cahoots with a death hag.
Level 21: A dark naga with an honor guard of 3 bodak reavers and an Eye of Vecna pet.