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What's Next for Octopus Carnival
Oh hey, turns out I’ve posted the last entry in my Monster Manual 3 Let’s Read! It’s officially finished! Yay!
I’m not done reading monster books yet, though. Next up on my list is Monster Vault: Threats to the Nentir Vale, the last “proper” monster book for D&D 4th Edition. I really like it, and I hope you do to!
This one’s going to be a bit different from the other projects. Entries for those were posted first to the RPG.net forum, and then here after a delay. Since I was, er, less than optimally organized in updating this blog, some times that delay was considerable.
I’ve gotten better about updating both the forum and the blog, though, and now that the MM3 reading is finished, the Threats one will be posted in sync between the two starting a couple of days from now.
I’ll also keep posting about other subjects, though those posts might be a little more spaced out since I don’t have a buffer of them. I’ll write as the muse strikes, as always.
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Let's Read the 4e Monster Manual 3: Yuan-ti
This post is part of a series! Click here to see the others.
In a situation that’s familiar to us by now, Yuan-ti would get a revamp and a lore infusion in the upcoming Monster Vault (and you can see how that looks like here), and this entry presents stat blocks that complement the ones that would come out in the MV.
The Lore
The lore section of this page lacks the nifty creation myth from the MV entry, sticking to a more generic “perfidious infiltrators” profile for the yuan-ti. It does add a new bit, however: the snake god Zehir doesn’t just want to see his favorite people thrive in the world. His true goal is to become the supreme authority in the cosmos. Zehir is convinced that the universe can only withstand the return of the primordials if it’s led by the strong hand of a single absolute ruler.
So this means we have at least two authoritarian assholes in our current pantheon: Asmodeus and Zehir. Big Z’s goals are not widely known in the world - only his most powerful and trusted servants are privy to this mystery. There are other gods who are aware of this but they’re content to merely keep an eye on the snake god as long as his machinations continue to hurt their enemies. Things might get more heated should Zehir explicitly turn against his fellow deities.
The Numbers
Yuan-ti are Medium Natural Humanoids with the Reptile keyword. They have a ground speed of 7, and 5/tier poison resistance.
While the MM1 and Monster Vault gave us heroic and paragon stat blocks for snaketongue cultists and yuan-ti, the MM3 gives a bunch of high-epic stat blocks that apparently represent those individuals who are closest to Zehir and actively working towards his goal of complete world domination.
There’s plenty here for all sorts of all-yuan-ti encounters, but they also employ various sapient humanoid cultists, and make pets or allies of any creature who is even remotely similar to a snake.
The individual stat blocks are relatively simple, making me think PCs are supposed to face them in large numbers. It would certainly be possible to downscale them to lower levels without changing much else about their stat blocks.
Coil of Zehir
A Large yuan-ti who’s almost completely snaky, its arms almost vestigial. It’s a Level 26 Controller with 235 HP.
The Coil’s basic attack is a Reach 3 Slam that does light physical damage, pulls the target 2 squares, and grabs it on a hit. The Coil can only have one victim grabbed at a time, and it can hit them with Crushing Coils for an automatic 40 damage that also dazes them for a turn. As a minor action, it can use a Close Burst 3 Tail Sweep that does no damage and knocks targets prone.
The Coil wants to grab hold of someone and squeeze them to death, using tail sweeps to keep would-be rescuers away. Dazed victims can still try to get away (Athletics DC 38 or Acrobatics DC 39), but their other options are sharply limited.
Yuan-ti Abomination Berserker
Abominations are those ‘snakier’ yuan-ti with humanoid torsos but the lower body of a giant snake. Another Large variant, Berserkers know how to fight and know they shouldn’t attack other yuan-ti or cultists. That’s about it. The others treat them nicely to avoid accidents, and then point them at whoever they want dead. Berserkers are Level 27 Brutes with 293 HP.
These creatures fight with Reach 2 Slams that do heavy physical damage. Every so often they’ll spin and do a Roundhouse Slam (recharge 4+), making a basic attack against every adjacent enemy. If you hit them while they’re bloodied, they can make a free slam against you as a reaction. Simple but effective.
Yuan-ti Malison Guard
Copyright 2010 Wizards of the Coast. Malisons are the more humanoid yuan-ti, still covered in scales and with snake heads, but otherwise humanoid. This is an elite front-line fighter who serves Zehir proudly despite the shame of having legs. It’s a Level 27 Soldier (Leader) with 242 HP. It knows how to fight in formation and its Overlapping Scales aura (1) gives a +2 bonus to AC to all allies inside.
Guards fight with scimitars and longbows, both of which deal decent damage and inflict ongoing poison damage (save ends). The scimitar marks for a turn on a hit.
These creatures want to be in a tight formation with either other melee allies, or with an artillery detachment.
Yuan-ti Abomination Spitter
An abomination with well-developed venom glands that produce a “blessed” venom far deadlier than that of a mundane snake. It’s Level 27 Artillery with 186 HP. It can Spit Venom out to Range 20, dealing immediate and ongoing poison damage on a hit. It can also Spray Venom (recharge 4+) on a close burst 5, dealing poison damage and dazing (save ends). If someone closes to melee, it can bite to deal physical damage and inflict ongoing poison damage.
If an attack hits the spitter, it can flare its Cobra Hood as a reaction to gain +4 to AC for a turn.
Yuan-ti Malison Blessed
An epic priest of Zehir, receiving blessings directly from the deity. It’s a Level 28 Controller (Leader) with 250 HP.
Most of the blessed’s controllery effects are passive and always on. It projects an aura (3) of Zehir’s Favor that allows allies inside to reroll failed recharge rolls. It also projects an aura (5) of Zehir’s Agony that deals 15 poison damage to any enemy starting their turn inside. While bloodied, the blessed can Slither Away, gaining a +2 bonus to speed and a +5 to all defenses.
The blessed’s active actions are few, but powerful. It fights with a scimitar whose strikes damage, strip poison resistance, and inflict a -2 penalty to saves vs. poison effects (save ends both). And yes, about 90% of all attacks described in this MM3 entry are poison effects. Including this one.
The blessed can also use Zehir’s Command as a minor action, allowing two allies within 5 squares to either make a basic attack or shift their speed as a free action. If an enemy within 5 squares shifts, the blessed can use Shifting Feet as a reaction to slide them 2 squares.
While these creatures are technically regulars, they have the action efficiency you’d expect from an elite.
Yuan-ti Malison Assassin
Copyright 2010 Wizards of the Coast. This one has a sword and it very much wants to stab you with it so you can sample the many substances it put on the blade. It’s sent after people who anger Zehir directly. It’s a Level 28 Lurker with 194 HP.
The assassin’s basic Longsword deals very light damage and blinds for a turn on a hit. A victim who cannot see the assassin for any reason is subject to a Death Strike that deals standard physical damage, inflicts ongoing 15 poison damage, and imposes a -2 penalty to saves (save ends both). After the first failed save, the damage worsens by 5 and the save penalty by 1. Someone also targetted by the Blessed could be looking at a total -5 save penalty here!
If a ranged or melee attack hits the assassin it can use Shield of Zehir to make sure a blind victim adjacent to it also suffers the attack’s damage.
Yuan-ti Malison Stalker
A relentless pursuer sent after victims who steal from Zehir’s temples or commit other crimes against the yuan-ti people. They’re Level 28 Skirmishers wtih 254 HP. They’re more or less equivalen to PC avengers.
Stalkers use greataxes and have 5e advantage on their attacks if the target is the only creature adjacent to them. They can also teleport 3 squares as a minor action, which means they can move up to 13 squares a turn without spending their standard action, and they can charge someone from 20 squares away. It’s impossible to outrun a stalker.
Molt of Zehir
Literally a person-shaped bag of snakes, made from the cast-off skin of a yuan-ti. This apparently just happens when an epic yuan-ti molts, it’s not a conscious ritual or anything. The snakes just appear from somewhere and crawl inside the skin.
Molts are Level 26 Minion Skirmishers. They have a basic bite attack and when they die the dispersing Horde of Snakes acts as a Close Burst 1 attack that damages and inflicts ongoing poison damage (save ends).
Final Impressions
I’m not overly fond of classic yuan-ti lore these days, because it has too strong a whiff of “yellow peril” about it. I’d probably come up with something different for them if I had to.
Mechanically, these creatures are kind of interesting, though each one is very simple. Mechanically, I think you can knock 10 or even 20 levels off them if you don’t want your PCs to wait until the campaign’s endgame to fight the snek people.
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Shadowrun: Goncharov
I’ve recently read about a fun Tumblr meme. It’s about Goncharov, a 1973 Martin Scorcese movie that never existed.
It began when someone posted a picture of these bootleg boots they bought somewhere. The brand label had one of those word salads copied from somewhere and edited by someone not too familiar with the target language. In this case, it was copied from a poster for Gomorrah, a real movie. And it read “Martin Scorcese presents Goncharov”.
Tumblr kinda ran with it, so now you have a lot of people making things up about the movie and fabricating screenshots, posters, bits of soundtrack, talking about all of this as if it was a real cinematic masterpiece.
Someone in a Discord server I frequent suggested Goncharov should become a standard name for someone who doesn’t exist, the opposite of John Doe. And this got me thinking about Shadowrun again. Here are two uses for the name Goncharov in a Shadowrun-like setting.
The Mundane
In Shadowrun, “Mr. Johnson” is shadowrunner slang for a person who hires shadowrunners. The stereotypical Mr. Johnson is a shady fuck in a suit who talks in vague businesslike terms1, but it can be anyone who is willing to be the “client” for a runner group. That’s an established part of the game already.
So how about we say Goncharov is the “reverse” term? Goncharov is Johnson code for shadowrunners! Sure “shadowrunners” is canon and also works well, but you can’t really write “shadowrunner payoff” in your official corporate ledger, can you? So instead you write “payment to Goncharov for services rendered”.
And just like no self-respecting mysterious client calls themselves Mr. Johnson, no self-respecting runner calls themselves Goncharov. Someone who takes that as their handle or even as an alias is telling the whole world they’re a clueless poser.
This little bit of culture works well in the Shadowrun setting itself, and on any other setting that has stylish urban mercenaries as characters, including a lot of GURPS Action or GURPS Cyberpunk campaigns.
The Numinous
Let’s go a bit further, shall we? Here’s a mystical explanation that’s a bit more mystical than even Shadowrun’s default setting allows for2, and is a bit closer to Exalted’s take on spirits and magic.
Goncharov is the Small God of Shadowrunners. He started out as an abstraction, as above, but at some point became a real part of shadowrunning culture. Either an existing spirit took on the mantle, or folk belief made him real.
Real runners, those who are more than amoral assholes doing horrible things for money, they have an understanding with Goncharov. They never forget the corps and the big syndicates are the enemy even when circumstances force them to work for these groups. They never sell out. They know who their community and friends are, and they look out for them. And after every successful job, they give Goncharov his cut.
Goncharov looks like a fit but somewhat scuffed up man in a nice but somewhat scuffed up suit. The details vary, but he never looks overly fancy or arrogant. In other words, he might look like John Wick after a fight or three, but never like the Continental Hotel guy - that’s the god of Mr. Johnsons.
Magicians can take Goncharov as a mentor spirit. He provides bonuses to combat spells and Spirits of Man, whatever form those bonuses take in your edition of choice. Non-magicians can also have “an understanding” with him for a slightly cheaper price. This gives them access to the Goncharov’s Cut rule.
Goncharov’s Cut
Those who have an understanding with the god of Shadowrunners, and keep to his code, can gain extra Karma for giving him his cut. This includes magicians who take him as a mentor spirit, or any character who spends points to buy a slightly cheaper Edge representing the covenant.
If you’re using the Karma for Cash rule in your game, such characters gain an extra point of Karma when using the rule, if they would already gain at least one point normally.
If that’s not a general campaign rule, such characters still gain access to it, becoming able to exchange money for a single point of Karma after every run.
In both cases the money goes to support and improve the runner’s community, or to help out fellow shadowrunners in need.
In GURPS
In a GURPS Action or Cyberpunk campaign with supernatural elements, The Understanding is a -10-point Code of Honor, since it’s informal but applies to interactions with people who are not your peers. Give Goncharov his cut and use it to support your community and fellow runners; hunt down and punish any who betray them3; never sell out; even if you need to do a job for a corp or a crime syndicate, never forget they’re the enemy.
This code can work as a “pact” limitation for supernatural or cinematic traits related to being stealthy, discreet, or good at combat (yes, even Gunslinger or a talent like Smooth Operator). It would provide a 10% discount on their price, as normal, and would make these abilities unavailable until atonement if the PC breaks the attached code.
The monetary value of Goncharov’s cut is 10% of any earnings from “shadowrun”-like missions. GMs and players who don’t want to bother with accounting can just remove it from the PC when it’s given, and assume it gets spent properly. In games where more detailed tracking is important, the PC doesn’t need to spend the money immediately, just set it aside for use when necessary. Using it for personal benefit after it’s been set aside is a violation of the Code, though. If the protected community has its own organization stats, the player might want to consider transferring this money from the PC to the organization.
Following the code might also lead to acquiring traits such as positive reputation among your community or fellow runners, or Enemies in the form of traitorous villains and amoral mercenaries who think you’re weak for having a conscience.
Atonement from breaking the code usually takes the form of a dangerous mission to aid an oppressed community or fellow runner in trouble.
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Let's Read the 4e Monster Manual 3: Yeti
Copyright 2010 Wizards of the Coast This article is part of a series! Click here to see the other entries.
Yetis are inspired by real world folklore and I’m sure they showed up in a previous edition of D&D before. This seems to be their 4e debut.
The Lore
D&D yeti are borderline-sapient predators adapted to live in permafrost covered mountains. While they usually feed on other mountain-dwelling animals, they’re more than powerful and ferocious enough to attack people, and so everyone who lives near their habitat knows they exist. Learning how to recognize signs of yeti presence and avoid the creatures is probably a standard part of mountain survival training.
Yetis have a well-developed sense of smell and can track prey across great distances. They hate the smell of rotting flesh, however, so leaving decomposed animal carcasses around an area can serve to keep them away. Herders also know to pay attention to their animals: if they grow too agitated for no apparent reason, it might be because they’ve sensed an approaching yeti.
A yeti relies on its powerful muscles, sharp claws, and magic-enhanced howls to kill its prey. They don’t really have any sort of technology or a complex society, but they live in bands and work very well together. They’re smart enough to avoid large, well-armed expeditions, but they’ll be on top of any isolated stragglers before you can say “Look out, a yeti!”.
The Numbers
Yeti are Medium Natural Beasts with Speed 6, Ice Walk, Resist 5 Cold and Low-Light Vision. Their signature encounter power is their Fearsome Howl, a Close Blast 4 vs. Will that deals psychic damage and pushes 3 squares.
All of the entries here have claws as their basic attacks. These don’t have any riders and are always underpowered for their level, which means they’ll use their other attacks as much as possible. Their other attacks also tend to have low-ish damage, but have interesting riders. They have an Int between 9 and 11 while still counting as Beasts, which is why I said “borderline sapient” above.
Yeti encounters will most often be against an all-yeti group, as they don’t really ally with anyone or keep pets. For variety, you can add other opportunistic predators, or maybe a wild cold elemental or two. Also, these encounters are all pretty much guaranteed to take place in treacherous frozen mountain paths full of ice-based difficult terrain and hazards like tall cliffs and snow-covered sinkholes. Every yeti has at least one forced-movement power available to it (Fearsome Howl), so they’re likely to be more dangerous than their stats alone indicate.
Yeti Hunter
Your typical roaming yeti, whose howls can be heard from miles away but don’t really give away their position because of the way sound echoes in the mountains. It’s a level 3 Soldier with 49 HP.
The hunter’s claw attack will probably only feature as part of a Twin Claw Grab, which lets it make two attacks and grab the target if both hit. It doesn’t have any special abilities to exploit a grab, but the basic rules still apply. Its marking abilities are a ranged How of Challenge that deals psychic damage and marks for a turn, and a close burst Call for Blood that deals more psychic damage and marks everyone it hits (save ends).
Yeti Howler
A yeti whose magic howls are more powerful than usual. Some stories say they’re the embodiment of angry ghosts, howling against the injustice of their premature deaths. They’re Level 4 Controllers with 58 HP.
The howler’s Chilling Wail acts as an aura (3) that deals 5 psychic damage and imposes a -2 defense penalty for a turn against any enemy who ends their turn inside. This actually brings its melee damage up to par, with a little extra aimed at the other PCs inside the aura. If you try to stay away from it, the howler will bombard you with Hurled Boulders that work like ranged area attacks dealing physical damage.
In addition to their Fearsome Howl, howlers can also emit a Piercing Shriek once per encounter. This ranged attack deals thunder damage, and if the target ends their next turn within 5 squares of the yeti they take another 5 thunder damage.
Yeti Rampager
This one is angrier than usual, with a more mobile fighting style. It’s a Level 5 Skirmisher with 67 HP. They have a Speed of 7.
Rampagers love to charge, so they’ll try to make space for those charges as often as possible. They’ll pick a target and use their Battle Howl against it, a ranged attack that deals psychic damage and lets them charge as a free action on a hit. They can also just charge normally instead, if they’re not confident of hitting the target with the howl. In either case their Furious Charger trait gives them +5 bonus damage on charges.
If they’re surrounded by melee PCs, howlers can use Furious Howl or Trample to get away. That last ability lets them shift their speed and make a melee attack that damages and knocks prone on a hit against any enemies whose spaces they move through during the shift.
Final Impressions
Yeti are interesting mechanically, but they require a bit more thought on the part of the GM to ensure they’re dealing level appropriate damage. None of them are the type to stand still and spam basic attacks.
Lore-wise, I don’t see much wrong with their lore. They’re described as dangerous predators, and the word “savage” doesn’t appear even once in this entry. The biggest criticism I can make is that yetis are so iconic outside D&D that facing one feels kinda “mundane” when compared to some of the other monsters available. That’s just a personal taste thing, though.
It wouldn’t be hard to use these stat blocks for a sapient and friendlier yeti if that’s how you want them to be in your campaign.
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Let's Read the 4e Monster Manual 3: Xivort
Copyright 2010 Wizards of the Coast This article is part of a series! Click here to see the other entries.
I’m sure xivorts appeared in a previous edition, but here they get some new 4e-specific lore.
The Lore
Xivorts are a tragic threat. They are descended from gnomes enslaved by fomorians and subjected to all sorts of tortures and experiments. Their long captivity in the Feydark caused them to mutate into their present cave-adapted state, which was further exacerbated when most of them were freed from their captors by a cabal of night hags and brought to the Shadowfell.
The hags were only interested in liberating the xivorts as a way to deal a blow to their fomorian masters, so they just left the former gnomes to their own devices in the Shadowfell. These newly freed xivorts had only known torment and suffering all their lives, so they set about dealing that to others.
As usual I’m not fond of painting a whole sapient species with such a broad negative brush, so I want to say xivorts are just people and you can find whole communities of non-evil individuals out there. The ones you end up fighting might still fit the description here, though.
For good or ill, xivorts tend to associate with dark ones and gnomes. They have a particular distrust of larger people, an echo of the hatred they hold for fomorians. Goliaths and half-orcs tend to be priority targets in combat encounters because of this.
The Numbers
Xivorts are Small Fey Humanoids with a Speed of 5 and Darkvison. Their signature ability is Shadow Step, which triggers whenever an adjacent enemy hits them. It allows the xivort to teleport 2 squares to another space adjacent to the enemy.
All of the entries here are level 1 or 2, which makes me think they’re meant to be novel kobold and goblin replacements.
Xivort Slasher
This is a “slasher” in the horror movie sense. It fights because it likes to inflict pain. As a Level 1 Skirmisher with 26 HP, it’s not a big threat to a trained adventurer, but from the point of view of a non-combatant it could look like an unstoppable killer.
The slasher fights with a short sword in melee and throws daggers at range. Besides the standard Shadow Step it has Cunning Step, which allows it to shift 1 square when an enemy adjacent to it is hit by an attack. This doesn’t have to be one of the slasher’s own attacks, it can be anything.
If several slashers gang up on a single enemy, that enemy will soon find themselves surrounded by them.
Xivort Darter
This one fights using concealable thrown darts, a tradition dating back to the xivort’s time as Fomorian captives. It’s Level 1 Artillery with 22 HP.
Both the xivort’s Dagger and its Darts are a bit weak, but it can use Dart Volley to make two ranged attacks in the same action. Once per encounter it can throw its special Dream Venom Dart, which does the same damage as a basic one and dazes (save ends).
All of the darter’s ranged attacks target Reflex, not AC, making it particularly effective against heavily armored defenders.
Instead of the usual Shadow Step, the darter has Darter’s Step, which works the same but doesn’t restrict its teleport destination. It’s meant to let them get away from melee.
Xivort Net Caster
This one is trained to bring larger foes down so they’re easier to kill. It’s a Level 1 Controller with 26 HP.
The net caster can use a non-damaging net as a ranged area attack to restrain everyone it hits (save ends). If someone escapes the net it can throw a pair of non-damaging bolas as a minor action to knock them prone and prevent them from getting up for a turn. Then it moves in with its short sword, which deals bonus damage against prone, immobilized, restrained or sloweed enemies.
All of the status effects the net caster inflict make the target grant combat advantage, so they go really well with monsters that can exploit that.
Xivort Shadow Caller
A spellcaster using the ‘mysteeeerious’ Shadow source, who apparently traded part of their soul to the Shadowfell itself in exchange for power. It’s Level 2 Artillery with the Leader keyword.
Shadow callers user daggers in melee, but like most artillery they want to stay further away and use their ranged spells. Shadow Phantoms is their basic ranged attack, dealing psychic damage and making the target grant combat advantage for a turn. This has an extra +1 to hit for every creature adjacent to the target, be it ally or enemy.
Deathmark Bolt (recharge 5+) deals necrotic damage and lets an ally of the caster make a free melee basic attack against the target. And Shadow Strangler (encounter) is a “pseudo-summon” that immobilizes and inflicts ongoing 5 necrotic damage (save ends).
Final Impressions
As far as low-level enemies go, they’re… okay I guess? Fighting these guys instead of kobolds is a nice change of pace, but I’ll confess I lose a bit of enthusiasm for them when I realize they’re another attempt to hype up the Shadow power source.
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