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• Dec 13, 2021

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

  This article is part of a series! Click here to see the rest.

  Retrievers first appeared in the Fiend Folio for AD&D 1st Edition. They make their 4e debut here in the Monster Manual 2.

  The Lore

  

  Retrievers are powerful constructs shaped like giant spiders, built by the primordials themselves during the Dawn War to carry out kidnappings, thefts, and assassinations. They’re not smart enough to do anything outside their intended function, but when it comes to their mission there’s no one better in existence.

  Once given a target, a retriever can track it from anywhere in the multiverse and teleport to its location instantly. If they’re retrieving, they can grab the target and skedaddle. If they’re assassinating, they can count on their huge size, bladed legs, and multi-directional eye rays to flatten almost any opposition.

  The primordials can really build things to last when they care to. A significant number of retrievers survived the War and is still active today, which is very bad news for the world because some demons have learned how to command them. Back in the days of AD&D, retrievers were linked to Demogorgon in particular, but now they could be found in the service of any demon lord or other entity of similar power. Perhaps some of them still act at the behest of a primordial, and Lolth is spidery enough to want a bunch of them working for her. Make any of them angry enough and a few retrievers might show up at your home.

  The Numbers

  Retrievers are Huge Elemental Animates, but though they are described as constructs they lack the Construct keyword. They’re Level 27 Soldiers with 248 HP, immunity to Charm and Fear, and Resist 5 to all damage. They run at speed 8, but have no climb speed despite looking like spiders. Their special senses include darkvision and truesight 10.

  A retriever has Reach 3 and two basic attacks: a standard Claw strike and Retrieve, which targets Fortitude, deals claw damage and grabs the target. A retriever can move its grabbed victim without needing to make Strength tests, so they can easily “grab and go”.

  It also has access to four different eye rays, each pairing a type of elemental damage with a different rider: acid and blindness, cold and immobilization, fire and ongoing damage, thunder and stun. The creature can fire all four in the same action, but must target a different creature with each. At the start of each turn, a random ray recharges. This means a second full blast takes a while, but it can fire a partial one if needed.

  If the retriever is hard-pressed it can take an action to engage in Self-Repair, recovering 20 HP and gaining a +4 bonus to AC for a turn. This recharges once it’s first bloodied. Might be a good thing to do when it manages to run away with its victim.

  And finally we have the power that makes it truly fearsome: Unerring Accuracy, which allows it to sense the approximate location of its target and teleport to within 10 squares of it from anywhere in the multiverse. Demogorgon is pissed at you, gives your name to a retriever in his throne room and bam, giant spider mech bursting through your bedroom wall. This is a daily power, so I guess a retriever on a kidnapping mission needs at least a few hours before it can return to its master. That’s your window to rescue them.

  The order doesn’t even have to be very specific. “Bring me an elf” will allow it to teleport to the location of the nearest elf, and so on.

  Sample Encounters and Final Impressions

  Despite being an epic spider mech, the retriever is a Regular, which means it will usually be found as part of a group. This can mean “multiple retrievers”, or it can mean other epic assassin-types who hitch a ride on the teleport. Maybe they’re riding a howdah atop the spider body - it’d be the perfect place for some epic artillery or controller monsters.

  Alternatively, they might be found under the command of a less sophisticated type of demon who prefers to use them as bodyguards and extra muscle in a more straightforward combat scenario.

  The sample encounter could belong to either type: a marilith with an entourage composed of an abyssal rotfiend and 2 retrievers (level 26).

• Dec 13, 2021

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

  This post is part of a series! Click here to see the rest.

  I first encountered remorhazes in the 3e Monster Manual, though I guess they’ve been around since AD&D.

  The Lore

  Remorhazes are yet another example of the dangerous megafauna that plagues D&D worlds: gigantic predators with a somewhat centipede-like appearance that inhabit the colder reaches of the world. They’re also one of those gotcha monsters, because despite living in cold biomes their powers are heat-based. A remorhaz can heat its carapace up to an extremely high temperature, which really ruins the day of the usually-weak-to-fire creatures it feeds on.

  A remorhaz is big enough to swallow a frost giant or adult dragon whole, and while it use that as a combat maneuver it prefers to do it when the prey in question is no longer fighting back.

  Frost giants sometimes risk training these creatures. A few of them even succeed.

  The Numbers

  

  Remorhazes are Huge Elemental Beasts, and Level 21 Elite Brutes with 480 HP. It has low-light vision and projects an aura (2) of Blistering Heat that does 10 fire damage to any creature caught inside. It runs at speed 6 and burrows at speed 4 with Tunneling.

  Their basic attack is a Reach 2 Bite that damages and grabs on a hit. After grabbing a creature they can spend a minor action to try to Swallow it (an attack vs. Fortitude). The beast’s insides deal 10 physical and 10 fire damage to swallowed victims at the start of its turn. The victim is considered restrained, with line of sight and effect only to the remorhaz itself. It can use only melee or close attacks (with penalties from the Restrained condition), and if it manages to deal 30 damage the remorhaz will spit them out. Killing the creature also allows the victim to escape, of course.

  There’s an oversight here, I think, because the ability doesn’t list a size limit for which creatures can be swallowed. I’d say Large or smaller is a good value for that.

  The remorhaz can also Trample, moving its speed, crossing enemy spaces, and making a physical attack that damages and knocks prone against each enemy whose space it moves through.

  That heated carapace can do more than project an aura, too. It can flare up in an Immolating Carapace attack (close burst 1 vs. Reflex; recharge 6) that deals fire damage and inflicts ongoing fire damage that lasts while the targets are adjacent to the beast. Yes, this stacks with the aura.

  While the remorhaz is bloodied, it can also use Enraged Heat to deal automatic fire damage to someone who hits it in melee.

  A good tactic for them seems to be to bite and swallow a PC who can’t put up much of a fight from the inside, and then run around trampling and roasting the rest with Immolating Carapace to prevent them from surrounding the remorhaz. An individual who’s only interested in a quick meal might even try to swallow a PC and run away to digest them.

  Remorhazes being used as attack beasts by giants will be more ready to fight a battle to the end, and in that case they might wait to swallow a PC who falls to 0 HP. The others would need to kill the creature in order to heal their buddy. Welcome to epic level!

  Sample Encounter and Final Impressions

  The sample encounter is level 18: A frost giant acting as a beastmaster of sorts, accompanied by a remorhaz and a rime hound.

  I confess that I had a bit of a hard time distinguishing between a remorhaz and a behir in earlier editions. The distinction is clearer to me now, but only because I spent some time studying their entries in detail.

• Dec 6, 2021

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

  

  This post is part of a series! Go here to see them all.

  I seem to remember phoelarches appearing in one of the late Monster Manuals for 3e. I don’t know if they appeared before that. Their 4e debut is here in the MM2.

  The Lore

  A Phoelarch is a fiery humanoid native to the Elemental Chaos. Their orange skin and fiery hair makes them look kinda like a human-like version of the azer, or a slightly differerent fire genasi. They’re typically nomadic and adventurous, and so could be found wandering anywhere in the universe. But when you see a phoelarch you’re seeing just half the picture.

  The soul of every phoelarch is connected to that of a phoera, a fire bird that’s pretty much a mini-phoenix. Phoeras soar through the skies of the Elemental Chaos, living their bird lives. Though smaller than phoenixes, they’re still giant territorial birds of prey and have quite a temper, so they can end up attacking passing adventurers.

  Typically, a phoelarch doesn’t have a lot to do with their phoera and vice-versa. They have a vague sense of each others’ personality and emotions, but each lives their own life, and has thoughts and concerns that are utterly alien to the other. It’s quite possible for them to never meet.

  However, when one member of the pair is killed, the connection instantly summons the other one, which will arrive knowing what happened and will be understandably very angry at the perpetrators. Since phoelarches are more widespread, the most common scenario likely has the PCs fighting them first and then the phoera, but I suppose it could happen the other way around. As long as one member of the pair survives, the other will eventually return to life.

  The Numbers

  Phoeras are Medium Elemental Magical Beasts with the Fire keyword. The two phoelarches we get here are tagged as Medium Natural Humanoids, but I really think they should be Elemental as well and have the Fire keyword. As sapient humanoids, a lot of their abilities come from training, so we get two stat blocks for them. They still tend to use a lot of fire, though.

  All the individual stat blocks here are regulars, but they’re really “disguised” elites when you think about it.

  Phoelarch Mage

  Phoelarch mages love fire magic, and travel the world looking for adventuresome mentors who can teach them using practical lessons instead of classroom work. Some seek out their linked phoeras in order to gain a deeper understanding of their link and of fire magic in general.

  This Phoelarch Mage is Level 12 Artillery with 93 HP. They have Resist 10 Fire, Vulnerable 5 Cold, and project an aura (1) of Phoenix Heat, which deals 5 damage to any creatures caught inside. That means you should be careful with their formation if they’re partnering up with flammable allies. Their ground speed is 6.

  The mage’s basic attacks are a burning dagger and a Range 20 phoenix ray, both of which deal fire damage. They also know a spell named Flames of the Phoenix (recharge 5+), which is pretty much your typical fireball: area effect, fire damage, plus ongoing fire damage. Presumably they also know plenty of non-combat rituals, but those don’t appear in stat blocks.

  When the mage drops to 0 HP their Rise from the Ashes ability triggers and they explode. This deals heavy fire damage (vs. Reflex) in a Close Burst 2. It also creates a zone of fire that lasts until the end of the encounter and damages anyone caught inside. Finally, when the mage’s next turn comes up, a phoera appears within the zone and joins the fight.

  Phoelarch Warrior

  Phoelarch warriors are usually wandering mercenaries that seek to get hired as independent skirmishers and special forces. While their moral outlook is as varied as that of any sapient, even a dastardly warrior will usually refuse to work for slavers.

  This Warrior is a Level 12 Skirmisher with 114 HP. They have the same resistances and aura as the mage, and a Speed of 7. Their main attack is a burning falchion that deals fire damage and is a High-Crit weapon. They also have a Burning Step trait that deals automatic fire damage to anyone who hits them with an opportunity attack.

  Like the mage, the warrior also explodes when dead, creating a fiery zone and being replaced by their phoera in the next turn.

  Phoera

  Phoeras are level 12 Skirmishers with 114 HP. As magical beasts they’re sapient and can talk, but their toughts are usually a bit alien to your typical humanoid and even to their linked phoelarch. They have Resist 15 Fire and Vulnerable 5 Cold, and a damaging fire aura (2) similar to that of the phoelarch, but larger. They run at speed 6 and fly at speed 10.

  Phoeras fight with claws that do physical and ongoing fire damage, and can shoot feathers of flame in a close blast 4 pattern. They can perform either of those as part of a Flyby Attack as well, flying their speed without provoking opportunity attacks and making the attack at any point in the move.

  When they die, they explode and leave a fiery zone just like a phoelarch. If their phoelarch is already dead, that’s the end of it. If not, it’d make sense for the phoelarch to appear in this zone next turn.

  Sample Encounters and Final Impressions

  The sample encounter is level 12: a phoelarch warrior who fell in with a briar witch dryad and a few snaketongue cultists. Do mind your positioning on this one, as all of the phoelarch’s allies are very flammable.

  I like the phoelarch/phoera gimmick! Without it, they’d be just another “generic fire guy” alongside azers, genasi and salamanders.

• Dec 2, 2021

  Nordlond Bestiary Kickstarter Campaign

  I’m a bit late to the promotion bandwagon for the Nordlond Bestiary, since there’s only a few days left in the project. But I’m still going to say it: go back the Nordlond Bestiary.

  The book is already funded. If you back the project, you will get your reward, and you’ll be contributing to possibly making it bigger. There’s a chance it might make the first stretch goal, which means 16 extra pages full of undead abominations for use in any GURPS campaign that needs monsters.

  One of the classic complaints of many new and veteran GURPS players is the lack of a “proper monster book” for GURPS 4th Edition. Lots of books include a small sample selection and tips on making more yourself, but there’s no official “one-stop-shop” for ready-made critter stat blocks. And of course, this being GURPS it’s kinda hard to make a truly generic monster book, since whether a given monster is an impossible challenge or a mere speedbump depends on who your PCs are.

  The Nordlond Bestiary is probably the closest we can get to that mythic book - a chunky selection of creatures suitable for Dungeon Fantasy campaigns. DF has a well-known starting point total and a known set of PC templates, you can easily know how the monsters are callibrated. And it’s also the genre that’s more likely to need a “monster book” anyway.

  The book will be made for use with the DFRPG boxed set, but it’s also perfectly usable with the GURPS core books if that’s what you have. And since you know what sort of PC these monsters were made to fight, you can also adjust them for your specific campaign more easily.

• Nov 24, 2021

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

  Oozes have been in the game since the beginning, and as you can see in this post the first 4e Monster Manual already featured a bunch of them. As I say there, far more adventurers lost their lives to an ooze than to one of the game’s titular dragons.

  Here in the MM2 we get a few more oozes, some of which would go on to feature in the Monster Vault. All of the oozes here have the Blind and Ooze keywords, which make them immune to gaze attacks and particularly adept at squeezing through small spaces. They also have BLindsight 10 and Tremorsense 10.

  Abolethic Skum

  

  As we saw way back in the Aboleth post, Aboleths can turn mortals into servitors, a process which turns their skin into a layer of transparent slime. Sometimes, though, this process goes awry and the victim’s form loses all physical integrity. The resulting watery blobs full of organs are known as “skum”.

  Abolethic skums are barely sentient, but some memory of what they were remains with them. This tangles up with residual fear and shame at what they have become, so they tend to attack anyone who resembles their old form.

  Skum are Level 18 Minion Brutes with the Aquatic keyword in addition to the default ones. They emit a Psychic Dissonance aura (1) that inflicts Vulnerable 5 Psychic to every creature inside. They have Resist 20 Acid and crawl around at Speed 2, but can swim at Speed 8.

  Their slams target Fortitude and do a flat 16 acid damage, which is in line with Monster Vault math. And their Aqueous Form trait makes them invisible while in water.

  Despite being described as failed experiments, a skum’s stats make it complement its aboleth masters very well. If your PCs go into underwater Underdark adventure (double the under for half the price!) make sure to place a psychic aboleth in a room packed full of invisible skum. See how long it takes for your PCs to figure out why they’re taking extra damage from the aboleth and dissolving.

  Black Pudding

  These also appear in the Monster Vault, so we covered them in this post. The MM2 version was their 4e debut, and it’s mostly identical (math fixes aside). The only difference is that they lack the powerful melt attack and instead have a Mercurial Body trait which allows them to ignore difficult terrain and opportunity attacks when moving.

  Gray Ooze

  Gray Oozes are another D&D classic. They’re about as runny as green slimes, but more mobile, which means they have always been depicted as active monsters. Their brand of slime is particularly good at dissolving bones, and they feed on the resulting bone slurry.

  Mechanically, they’re Level 2 Skirmishers with 43 HP. Their stench acts as an aura (2) that inflicts a -2 attack penalty on creatues inside. They have 5 acid resistance, crawl with a Speed of 5, and climb with Speed 3.

  Their basic attack is named Bone Melt, targetting fortitude and dealing some acid damage. Each hit also inflicts a cumulative -2 penalty to Fortitude, making further hits likely. A successful save clears the entire penalty. They can also shift 2 squares as a minor action, making them quite mobile.

  Green Slime

  Another monster that appeared in the Monster Vault, the two versions are more or less identical. The MV one is a bit simpler to use, though, so prefer that one if you have the book.

  Sample Encounters and Final Impressions

  Oozes aren’t smart enough to understand the concept of alliances, but they’re everywhere in the world of D&D. You don’t need any complex excuses to add an ooze or three to any underground encounter.

  Our example encounters for these entry are:

  • Level 4: 2 green slimes and 2 gray oozes lounging around a lone ankheg’s lair.

  • Level 8: 2 black puddings and a darkmantle enveloper in accidental cooperation.

  • Level 19: An aboleth overseer and two lashers with an entourage of 10 skum. This is that packed room I told you about.

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