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• Oct 29, 2021

  Let's Read the 4e Monster Manual 2: Lizardfolk

  

  We already looked at lizardfolk during our reading of the first Monster Manual and the Monster Vault. As we saw before, there are several different ethnicities of lizardfolk. The first MM had the human-sized “greenscales” and the larger “blackscales”. The Vault also contained a “poisonscale” type, which turns out to have debuted here in the MM2.

  Poisonscale lizardfolk have a smaller and slighter build than greenscales, though they’re still Medium. To make up for their lack of brute strength, they developed a kind of internal alchemy: by eating certain specific plants, they can sweat poison. They usually apply this poison to their weapons, but some poisonscales like to apply it directly to their enemies by wrestling with them.

  The lore in this entry is more focused on the individual stat blocks than on overall lizardfolk culture, so presumably everything that was said in the first Monster Manual still applies here. The stat blocks themselves are different enough from what we got in the MV to be worth discussing.

  All lizardfolk in this entry are Medium Natural Humanoids with the Swamp Walk ability, allowing them to ignore swampy difficult terrain. They also usually do something poison-related, though the specifics vary per stat block.

  Poisonscale Magus

  These spellcasters specialize in toxic magic. They occupy positions as honored advisers in poisonscale communities, but this power and respect comes at a cost. Their own magic poisons them, and shortens their lives.

  Magi are Level 2 Artillery with 32 HP and speed 6, carrying daggers into battle for use as implements and in emergencies. All of their spells target Fortitude, so they’re a threat to your squishies.

  In a fight a magus is likely to open up with a Poison Barrage (encounter) an area burst attack that deals poison damage and inflicts Vulnerable 5 Poison on thise it hits (save ends). A miss does half damage and inflicts the vulnerability for a turn.

  Then they’ll target individual vulnerable enemies with Poison Blood, a ranged spell that deals immediate and ongoing poison damage (save ends). As a minor action it can also use Corrupt Poison, a ranged spell that slides someone suffering from ongoing poison damage 3 squares and slows them (save ends).

  There are enough interesting interactions here that the magus works more like a fragile Controller than as Artillery.

  Poisonscale Slitherer

  This represents your typical poisonscale warrior. Their slight build makes them a bit cowardly, but they have good teamwork and their somewhat oversized tails make them very stable.

  Slitherers are Level 2 Soldiers with 36 HP and speed 5. They carry spears for melee combat, and javelins for fighting at range. They prefer that last one because it’s safer, and because their javelins are poisoned! This manifests as a secondary attack against Fortitude, which does about double the damage of the initial hit.

  Their ironically named slitherer bravery trait gives them a +2 attack bonus when adjacent to at least one ally, and slitherer stability makes them immune to knockdowns and forced movement. That’s surprisingly powerful for a level 2 soldier, and makes them an excellent wizard counter-measure.

  Poisonscale Savage

  This warrior doesn’t bother with fiddly stuff like poisoning weapons or personal hygiene. It slaps enemies with its tail to cover them in poisoned sweat, and them clubs them to death while they’re weakened.

  The savage is a Level 2 Brute with 45 HP and speed 6. It will probably start the fight with the single javelin it carries, which damages and inflicts ongoing poison damage because it’s all sweaty. After that it attacks with a greatclub, and can slap with its tail as a minor action. The tail does no damage, but inflicts ongoing 5 poison damage on a hit (save ends).

  Poisonscale Collector

  Collectors are responsible for gathering the special plants that allow poisonscales to produce their poison. This means they’re also trained herbalists and alchemists. They’re Level 3 Lurkers with 36 HP and speed 6.

  Collectors are armed with Daggers, which do physical and ongoing poison damage. Once an enemy is taking ongoing poison damage from this or any other source, the collector can do several unpleasant things to them.

  First of all, the Poison Strike passive trait gives them a +2 damage bonus against poisoned targets. Blinding Poison is a spell that targets a poisoned creature’s Fortitude, dealing damage and blinding them on a hit (save ends). And End Strike is a stab that targets someone who can’t see the collector and does a bunch of physical damage.

  So this is one of those lurkers who can do something harmful to the PCs every turn, though it takes a bit longer to activate its ultimate attack. That process can be sped up if it has additional buddies who can inflict ongoing poison damage.

  Poisonscale Myrmidon

  A veteran warrior, fighting in a more disciplined manner with a club and a shield. It’s a Level 3 Soldier with 47 HP and speed 6. Its only attack is a club that damages and marks on a hit, but it also has the collector’s Poison Strike trait.

  Myrmidons can’t poison enemies themselves, so they rely on the support of other allies who can. They’re good to pad the ranks of an all-poisonscale force, though you’re probably better off using lizardfolk from the other books if you have a mixed force or want more interesting mechanics.

  Final Impressions

  The poison theming here is interesting, and several of these stat blocks don’t get repeated in the Vault, so it’s worth it to update them. As long as you avoid the extra-xenophobic lore in the Vault, its stat blocks are good.

• Oct 25, 2021

  Thoughts on LANCER Against the Giants

  I remember reading a few play reports about a campaign titled “Mecha Against the Giants” a few years ago. It was run by Mark Langsdorf, using GURPS as a rule system, and it was vaguely inspired by the Against the Giants modules for AD&D.

  One of these days, I really want to run something like that using LANCER. As of this writing I definitely don’t have the bandwidth for it, but I just thought it would be nice to write it down.

  LANCER: Against the Giants

  Armies of Giants invade, out of nowhere and for seemingly no reason!

  Their relentless assaults threaten to destroy “smallfolk” civilization!

  The realm’s bravest heroes have fallen against their foe’s overwhelming strength and numbers!

  Desperate, the King’s wizards and priests spend the last of their power in a rituat. It purpose: to summon someone, anyone from across the vastness of existance that has the power to stop the destruction!

  They succeed in bringing the 2021st Union Auxiliary Squadron. Your squadron.

  Mount up, Lancer, and end this war!

  Fight off attacking giants and their pet giant monsters!

  Discover the mystery behind these invasions!

  Find a way to end this war that doesn’t involve genocide, because we’re better than Gygax!

  And finally, at the end of it all…

  ATTACK AND DETHRONE LOLTH.

• Oct 24, 2021

  Let's Read the 4e Monster Manual 2: Krenshar

  

  I first saw a krenshar in the 3e Monster Manual, though it’s possible they originated a bit earlier than that.

  The Lore

  Krenshars are large carnivorous felines somewhat similar in size and behavior to lions. They live in groups called prides, and use teamwork to hunt. Some individuals within the pride grow to a larger size than the rest and possess a pattern of blood red spots on their fur. These seem to have a higher social position within the pride, and focus on protecting it from threats rather than on everyday hunting.

  The thing that makes krenshars fantastical is their ability to peel back the skin on their faces and expose their skulls in order to intimidate their enemies and frighten their prey.

  While I agree a krenshar’s display must be quite a striking sight, your typical PC is likely to have met quite a few things that are scarier than that even if they’re relatively low level. This leads me to believe their threat display might be augmented by natural fear magic, since it’s meant to be effective even against adventurers.

  Gnolls, hobgoblins and humans frequently try to domesticate krenshars for all the usual reasons. This is a difficult process because it’s hard to suppress their threat display, so lots of trainers end up paralyzed by fear and killed.

  The Numbers

  We’re given two krenshar stat blocks here. Both are Medium Natural Beasts with a land speed of 8 and low-light vision. They also have two signature abilities:

  Their Fearsome Visage is an aura (5) that inflicts a -2 penalty to saves against fear effects to all enemies caught inside. Unnerving Skull is a minor action usable once per round. It’s a close burst 5 that targets the Will of one enemy and inflicts a -2 attack penalty on a hit (save ends). This is a fear power, so it’s enhanced by the aura.

  Krenshar

  The basic model is a Level 4 Controller with 55 HP and all standard traits. Its basic attack is a hooking swipe that damages and knocks prone on a hit. It can combine its threat display with a roar to perform the Roaring Skull attack, a Close Blast 5 that targets Will and dazes (save ends). A target who is already dazed is instead weakened for the duration of the daze, so there’s benefit in several krenshars roaring at once. This recharges on a 5+, so it will likely happen more than once in the fight.

  Krenshar Blood Slayer

  The red-spotted variety, focusing more on physical power than on scary roars. It’s a Level 5 Brute with 75 HP and all standard traits. Its basic attack is a claw that is somewhat weak, but can be used twice per action. If both attacks hit, the target is grabbed and the slayer can bite it. Bites hit automatically and do double the damage of a claw strike.

  Sample Encounters and Final Impressions

  I guess your typical krenshar pack will include a mix of blood slayers and standard krenshars. The krenshars open up with a “volley” of Roaring Skull attacks, and then the blood slayers focus on grabbing dazed/weakened individuals and biting them to death. Grabbing a squishy is always a good move, but it’s also worth their while to try it with the defenders, since their bites don’t care about AC.

  The sample encounters are a pair of deathpledged gnolls wrangling a pack of krenshars (level 5), and a human slaver with a pair of javelin dancer goons and a trio of blood slayers (level 6).

• Oct 24, 2021

  Let's Read the 4e Monster Vault 2: Kenku

  

  Kenku are raven-people, humanoid and human-sized but covered in feathers and with raven heads. They organize themselves into clan-like groups called flocks. Your typical kenku flock is tightly knit but very distrustful of outsiders, including kenku from other flocks. Each flock follows no laws but their own. Despite this, most of them live on or near major cities, and engage in a variety of illegal activities to survive.

  So yeah. Crime birbs.

  Kenku criminals tend to prefer non-violent activities such as grifts and cons, where their natural ability to mimic sounds and voices comes in handy. They can still fight pretty well if forced to. And despite the stereotyping they’re typically Unaligned, which means it’s definitely possible to find nicer individuals and flocks out there. Rural kenku can easily fill the same “isolationist but ultimately nice” role as cliche elven villages, and an urban flock could be predominantly performers or even a legitimate company for a nice change of pace.

  The Numbers

  Kenku are Medium Natural Humanoids. They have low-light vision, a ground speed of 6, and no innate flight speed despite being birds. They possess two interesting signature abilities.

  Flock Effect makes them good at teamwork: they gain a +3 attack bonus when flanking and grant a +3 when using Aid Another, instead of the usual +2 to both activities.

  Mimicry allows them to mimic any sound or voice. You have to win an opposed roll of your Insight vs. their Bluff to realize the sound is fake. Not all kenku in this entry are trained in Bluff, but the sneakier ones are.

  Their levels are all in the early-to-mid Heroic tier, which in my mind means they’d be about as common as elves or halflings. They get playable stats at the end of this book, but I’m not sure if they ever got a full writeup later on.

  Kenku Ruffian

  Your typical crime-birb-on-the-street is a Level 3 Minion Skirmisher. They only have a basic club attack and the universal signature abilities, so they’re pretty much civilians despite the name “Ruffian”. If forced to fight they rely on numbers to hold the line while one or two of them go get help.

  Kenku Warrior

  Formally trained in a mobile fighting style, the warrior uses paired daggers and moves in a seemingly random pattern about the battlefield. Warriors are Level 3 Skirmishers with 44 HP.

  Their daggers can be used as melee or ranged attacks (they carry 6). The Fluttering Attack maneuver allows them to shift 4 squares and make a dagger attack during the movement, and Combat Advantage gives them a damage bonus. They also have the universal traits, so combat advantage is even better for them and they have an easy time acquiring it.

  Kenku Ringleader

  Ringleaders lead small gangs of kenku in heists or raids, though they have enough sense to sound a retreat if guards or rivals show up in force. They’re Level 4 Soldiers with the Leader tag and 54 HP. They’re trained in Bluff and and Intimidate.

  They use a spiked chain in melee and a sling at range. The chain attack is Reach 2 and marks on a hit. They Press the Attack maneuver is a chain strike that targets a marked enemy, does the usual damage, and knocks them prone on a hit.

  They have the two standard kenku traits, and they can use Flock Reaction (minor; recharge 4+) to allow every ally in a close burst 3 to shift 1 square. Perfect for allowing them to disengage and retreat, or finish setting up a flanking maneuver.

  Kenku Sneak

  The first actual rogue in the crime birb entry, Sneaks are Level 4 Lurkers with 42 HP. They have a higher than usual speed of 7, and they fight with daggers both in melee and at range. They’re trained in Bluff, Stealth, and Thievery.

  As the name implies, the Sneak engages with 4e’s Stealth rules, which dictate when someone can make a Stealth check to become “hidden” during combat and how fast they can move while hidden. I think that by default your speed is limited to 2 in that case - move faster and you’re detected.

  Kenku sneaks have an advantage here in that they can move at speed 4 while hidden. Their Disappear into the Flock trait allows them to make those Stealth checks while they have cover from other kenkus, Hidden Strike gives them a hefty chunk of extra damage if they attack from hiding, and Sniper allows them to remain hidden if they miss with a ranged attack.

  The tactics outlined by these traits are nifty. A sneak will always appear accompanied by a number of warriors or a huge band of ruffians. They’ll hide among the crowd and move it with, throwing daggers at the squishier PCs for big damage from a safe distance.

  Kenku Wing Mage

  Though kenku are flightless, it seems they have a magic tradition that seeks to correct that injustice. Wing mages practice this tradition, and as a result they know a lot of air and force magic as well. They’re Level 5 Artillery with 50 HP. Wielding daggers as weapons and implements, wing mages fight with spells that create wind and summon flocks of crows made of pure force.

  Those force crows can be used in the Murder of Crows at-will attack (Ranged 20 vs. Reflex) which does force damage and makes the target grant combat advantage to the wing mage (save ends). They can also be used in the Death Flock encounter power (area burst 1 within 20 vs. Reflex) which does force damage and dazes (save ends).

  Their main keep-away spell is Hurricane Blast (close burst 3 vs. Fortitude; recharge 5+), which does force damage and slides targets 3 squares. And finally, Wings of the Flock (minor; encounter) gives them a flight speed of 6 until the end of the encounter.

  The wing mage is going to take off as soon as the fight starts, and will rain force crows upon the PCs from a safe elevation. Most ranged magic has a range smaller than 20, so the party better have some archers with them.

  Kenku Assassin

  Either an actual killer-for-hire or an elite combatant. Assassins love poison and unlike most other kenku they rarely surrender. They’re Level 5 Elite Skirmishers with 126 HP. They fight with envenomed daggers and a shortbow with envenomed arrows, both of which slow the enemy on a hit (save ends).

  They have the same Fluttering Attack as the warriors, and when attacked they can use Gouging Talons as a reaction to hit back. If surrounded, Feather Burst (close burst 2; encounter) can automatically blind every enemy in the area for a turn, allowing them to escape.

  Assassins prefer to stay at range, but once in melee they fight much like warriors. Their “elite extra attack” is a reaction, so they have an incentive to stay in the thick of it. Two of them, or one of them plus a squad of warriors, makes for an interesting encounter where no one stands still. They also go well with monsters that can exploit the “slowed” status, since they cause that at will.

  Sample Encounters and Final Impressions

  We have quite a few kenku encounters here, showcasing the sort of monster they keep as pets and the sort of allies they make into honorary flock members.

  • Level 2: 2 kenku warriors, 2 bloodseeker drakes, 1 pseudodragon. Hunters… or bounty hunters.

  • Level 3: 1 kenku ringleader, 8 ruffians, and 2 warriors. The whole gang’s here!

  • Level 4: 1 human berserker, 1 ringleader, 6 ruffians, 2 sneaks. Another gang, this one with an adopted member.

  • Level 5: 1 half-elf bandit captain, 2 human berserkers, 1 kenku assassin, 1 kenku wing mage. And this one works the other way around.

  I like these kenku, though as usual I’d make their description as dastardly criminals less universal than the book seems to imply. A setting where they’re as common as the more traditional haflings and elves would be a cool place.

• Oct 17, 2021

  Let's Read the 4e Monster Manual 2: Hydra

  

  Hydras made their 4e debut in the first Monster Manual, and here we get a few more of them. Their basic lore remains the same and you can check it out on the original post I made on the subject.

  The hydras on this entry have several passive traits in common: Threatening Reach allows them to make opportunity attacks out to their full melee reach, instead of only against adjacent enemies. Many-Headed makes it resistant to being dazed on stunning. These conditions only disable one of its heads for a turn. And Regenerating Heads causes the hydra to lose a head at 75%, 50%, and 25%, regrowing two others at the start of its next turn.

  The number of heads an hyda has is important because of Hydra Fury, an at-will power that allows them to make a bite attack for each active head they have. The effect of an individual bite, and the starting number of heads, vary per hydra.

  Mechanically, MM2 hydras are kind halfway between the ones we saw on the first Monster Manual, and the ones from the Monster Vault. Most of their mechanics still work like in the MM1, but Regenerating Heads debuts here and reappears in a slightly weaker form in the Monster Vault. With the MV version you can prevent head regrowth by dealing fire or acid damage to the hydra before the start of its next turn, but nothing can stop it in this version.

  These hydras are also lacking the Darkvision and Swim Speed of their relatives from the other two books, though they still have trained Perception and All-Around Vision that prevents them from being flanked.

  Razor Hydra

  This species of hydra is covered in gleaming metal scales and has extra-sharp serrated teeth. It’s drawn to the scent of blood in much the same way a shark is, and one head bites a victim the others get into a frenzy. Because of this, it’s also known as the Blood Hydra. They are Large Natural Beasts, and Level 16 Solo Brutes with 640 HP and a ground speed of 7. They start with four heads, gaining extras at 480, 320, and 160.

  A razor hydra’s bite has Reach 2 and inflicts stackable ongoing physical damage. A healthy target would take ongoing 5 damage (save ends), but if the target was already taking ongoing physical¹ damage, then that damage would increase by 5 instead.

  A poor sod on the receiving end of a razor hydra’s Fury attack would have ongoing 20 damage (save ends) to deal with, assuming all four bites hit. A single save will clear it all, but if that save fails and the hydra bites again, the total will increase even further. There’s no cap!

  The Blood Frenzy trait makes it so the hydra gains a +2 bonus to attack targets who are bloodied, or who are taking ongoing physical damage. That’s one more incentive for it to focus fire on a single PC.

  Once the hydra drops to 0 HP, its Ferocity allows it to make one last Hydra Fury attack. At this point it will have seven heads, for a potential 7d8+28 damage plus 35 ongoing damage against a single PC.

  Heroslayer Hydra

  This interestingly-named hydra occupies the same narrative niche as the one Hercules faced in his labors. As a Huge Natural Beast and a Level 20 Solo Brute, it’s likely the most powerful hydra in the natural world, and is stronger than any PC who isn’t an actual demi-god or equivalent. There are stronger specimens, but you have to travel to the Elemental Chaos to find them.

  Heroslayer hydras have 776 HP and five heads at the start of the fight, gaining new ones at 582, 388, and 194. Its bites are Reach 3 and have no riders, though its Hydra Fury deals 10 extra damage to any target hit by two or more bites. Rampage allows it to bite every target in reach and inflict 10 ongoing damage to every target it hits. It recharges whenever the hydra suffers a critical hit.

  The titular Heroslayer trait is a big “Fuck You” to defenders everywhere: while the hydra is marked, it gains a +2 bonus to attack and a +5 bonus to damage against the creature that marked it. Yes, this applies to every individual bite in a Fury combo.

  So here we have a hydra with a decent incentive to spread its bites around until a defender marks it, when it will instead focus exclusively on the defender until they’re good and dead.

  Chaos Hydra

  This is one of those stronger species native to the Elemental Chaos. Chaos Hydras start out with only two heads, but their bites are very strong and infused with deadly elemental energies. The new heads it grows when wounded also gain new random elemental abilities.

  The Chaos Hydra is a Huge Elemental Beast and a Level 22 Solo Brute with 848 HP. It has two Reach 3 basic bite attacks, one for each head: Frostfire Bite deals fire and cold damage, and Storm Bite deals lightning and thunder damage.

  Whenever the hydra grows a new head (at 636, 424, and 212 HP), it gains a new bite attack chosen by a d4 roll. It can gain multiple copies of the same attack. Its Hydra Fury allows it to bite with the two original attacks and any new ones it might have gained.

  The four additional bites deal less base damage but have “save ends” riders. They are: Crushing Maw, which slows and deals ongoing 10 damage; Mind bite, which dazes; Paralyzing Fang, which immobilizes and inflicts a -2 penalty to all defenses; and Venom Tooth, which inflicts ongoing 10 poison damage.

  Thematically this hydra is all over the place, but that’s the point. It’s hard for PCs to protect themselves from everything it can do.

  Sample Encounters and Final Impressions

  Hydras are solitary, so you will usually only find one of them at a time. However, they’re also frequently followed by opportunistic scavengers who feed on the remains of their meals and who might be impatient enough to give them a bit of help with killing those meals. Examples given are carrion crawlers and shardstorm vortex elementals.

  Occasionally, a powerful character might be able to capture a hydra for use as a guardian. The example encounter given is for this scenario, with a razor hydra and its minotaur cabalist master.

  Hydras are cool, particularly those with the regenerating heads mechanic. However, I think they should be used sparingly to prevent the novelty from wearing off.

  1. I say “physical”, but the strictly correct term would be “untyped”. Untyped damage is almost always dealt by physical attacks, but you could have magic powers that also did it. It’s written like “1d8+5 damage” or “ongoing 5 damage” instead of “1d8+5 fire damage” or “ongoing 5 fire damage”. Very few monsters resist it, but none are particularly vulnerable to it. ↩

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