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• Dec 27, 2020

  Let's Read the 4e Monster Manual/Vault: Sphinx

  

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

  Sphinxes are inspired by Greek and Egyptian mythology and have been in the game at least since BECMI. Here, they are only on the Monster Manual.

  The Lore

  A sphinx is a holy guardian created in antiquity to protect a sacred place like a tomb, temple, or shrine. In this task they can be found alone or in pairs, and sometimes they also command other, lesser guardians. The ritual that creates them is rare and powerful, binding an angelic spirit to the body of a celestial lion.

  Why would someone create a sphinx instead of a golem? There’s the matter of style, of course. Golems would be preferred by a certain type of arcane caster, while sphinxes feel like something a deity would allow its greatest servants to make. There are also practical advantages: sphinxes are both sapient and quite smart, so they can follow the intended spirit of their orders, and better distinguish between people who are allowed to be there and people they should eat.

  One way they do this is through the sphinx’s challenge, where they try to ascertain if someone has a right to be at the guarded location or not. Riddles are a classic, but a sphinx can also ask for proof of ancestry, the solution to an ethical or theological puzzle, or even just a specific password. The sphinx is bound to let someone who passes the test proceed unmolested, though it’s still going to attack if the visitors try to damage or rob the guarded location.

  That’s all the book has to say about sphinxes, but I think we can speculate a bit as well. Unlike most of other “guardian creatures” we saw so far, sphinxes are neither constructs nor undead, yet the text implies they’re just as capable of guarding their designed site for eternity. So I think it’s fair to say that they are immune to age, hunger, thirst and possibly even sleep, at least when performing their mission.

  While the books emphasize the role of sphinxes as the guardians of “ancient” and “forgotten” places, I think it’s also quite possible for them guard places that are neither. Maybe the Pelorite cathedral or the big Temple-Library of Ioun have a pair of sphinxes posted at their front entrance, even though they’re built right in the middle of major population centers. Sphinxes are perfect for this because they’re intelligent, and so they’re not going to attack innocent visitors by mistake like a golem would.

  A good sphinx might be hamstrung by overly specific or ethically questionable bindings, though, so you could also have a scenario where a party carefully helps the creature to free itself from its duties without triggering a fight.

  The Numbers

  There’s only one stat block, so we’ll get right on it. Sphinxes are Large Immortal Magical Beasts, and Level 16 Elite Soldiers with 304 HP. They have trained Perception, Darkvision, plus a ground speed of 6, a flight speed of 8 (clumsy) and Overland Flight 10.

  Their signature trait is the Sphinx’s Challenge, which gives us mechanics for the concept described in the lore section: the sphinx will pose an out of combat challenge to any potential intruders, and it can take whatever form the GM thinks is appropriate. If the challenged party refuses to answer, or gets the answer wrong, the sphinx will gain 1 extra action point and a +2 to attack, damage, and defenses in the ensuing combat. Note that attacking the sphinx before it can make its challenge counts as a refusal to answer! I think the only case where the party can fight a sphinx without these bonuses is if they pass the challenge and are later caught robbing the guarded place.

  In combat, this sphinx is a straightforward physical threat. It attacks with claws, it can pounce to make a charge and knock the target prone on a hit, and it has a frightful roar (close burst 10 vs. will) which gives victims a -2 penalty to defense (save ends). It can also use a Second Wind once per encounter, which works like the PC version: the sphinx heals 75 HP and gains +2 to all defenses for a turn.

  It’s of course possible for the sphinx to know all sorts of rituals, and for the GM to create custom sphinxes with the common traits above and a more magical selection of combat abilities.

  Sample Encounters and Final Impressions

  The sample encounter is level 15: 1 sphinx, 1 battle guardian, and 2 helmed horrors. Indeed, a sphinx is smart enough that it could be given command of those guardian constructs and employ them in interesting ways.

  I like the concept of sphinxes, and I kinda want to run an adventure where the sphinxes at the Temple-Library of Ioun are upstanding members of their community and know everyone in the city by name.

• Dec 27, 2020

  Let's Read the 4e Monster Manual/Vault: Specter

  

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

  Specters have been in the game since the beginning, and here they’re only on the Monster Manual.

  The Lore

  When I talked about ghosts, I mentioned that every single synonym for that word used to be its own entirely separate type of incorporeal undead, and that 4e consolidated that a bit but not entirely. Specters are one of the undead that retained their own entry.

  Specters are incorporeal undead that can form “naturally” when an evil murderer or other equally depraved villain dies. Unlike a ghost, they don’t retain any memory of their life, and aren’t bound to a particular location. However, they’re just as evil as they always were, and their new hatred of the living ensures they keep looking for people to kill.

  Specters tend to cling to other equally malevolent undead, and will sometimes ally with evil living beings if that would ensure a steady supply of victims.

  The Numbers

  Specters are Medium Shadow Humanoid with the Undead keyword. They have darkvision as well as both the insubstantial and phasing traits. If you’re using Monster Vault-era rules this means they take half damage from everything but force attacks, but when specters were published they took half damage from all sources. Their HP is a bit lower than their level would indicate, so being insubstantial doesn’t make fights last that much longer.

  As undead, they’re immune to disease and poison and have some degree of necrotic resistance and radiant vulnerability. They have no ground speed, but they fly, and it’s not like you can force a specter to land.

  Specter

  The basic model is a Level 4 Lurker with 30 HP and all the traits mentioned above. It flies at speed 6, has 10 necrotic resistance, and 5 radiant vulnerability.

  The specter has a Spectral Chill aura (1), which inflicts a -2 penalty to all enemy defenses. It attacks with a Spectral Touch that targets Reflex and does necrotic damage. It can also unleash a Spectral Barrage (close burst 2 vs. Will) which does psychic damage and knocks prone. This is likely some sort of scary illusion.

  As a standard action, the specter can become invisible until it attacks or is hit by an attack. It will likely alternate between attacking from invisibility, and retreating while invisible.

  Voidsoul Specter

  This is either the specter of someone really evil, or a basic model that has grown bloated through years of post-mortem murder. It’s a Level 23 Lurker with 115 HP. Its necrotic resistance increases to 30, and its radiant vulnerability to 10.

  Spectral Touch works the same with bigger numbers. The Spectral Chill aura is stronger, dealing 10 cold damage to enemies caught inside in addition to inflicting the same -2 defense penalty. Its special attack is Life Siphon (Close Blast 5 vs. Fortitude; encounter) which deals necrotic damage and makes the specter heal 5 HP for every target damaged by it. Finally, its invisibility works the same but becomes a 1/round minor action instead of a standard one.

  Sample Encounters and Final Impressions

  The sample encounter has a basic specter, a deathlock wight, and a bunch of zombies and skeletons.

  Specters feel to me like one of those monsters that should have been rolled into the “Ghost” entry. They don’t have much to distinguish them from ghosts or from wraiths (the other surviving synomym). I’d guess that’s why they didn’t make the Monster Vault.

• Dec 25, 2020

  Let's Read the 4e Monster Manual/Vault: Sorrowsworn

  

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

  I believe Sorrowsworn started out as a type of Forgotten Realms demon in 2e, but now they’re something different. They’re only on the Monster Manual.

  The Lore

  Sorrowsworn resemble undead demons in appearance, though they’re neither demons nor undead. Rather, they’re a sort of living avatar of death. Does that sound contradictory to you? Deep mysteries tend to be like that.

  You see, they’re not a natural species. Most are divine servitors of the Raven Queen, transformed into their current state by her powers. Some were mortals particularly attuned to death and its related concepts who managed to ascend on their own.

  Both types were often shadar-kai in their mortal lives. Becoming sorrowsworn is seen by them as a glorious ascension, since it makes them not only ageless but also more goth than anything mortal.

  Sorrowsworn feed on grief, and so tend to hang out at the sites of great catastrophes or conflicts. Those who serve the Raven Queen are also tasked with hunting down beings who have cheated death. This doesn’t mean people who were the subject of Raise Dead - rather, it’s people who have found a way to stick around beyond their appointed time. Most often they’re some sort of undead like vampires, liches or nightwalkers, but I guess someone who hunts phoenixes and regularly huffs their powdered feathers would fit as well.

  Sorrowsworn lairs are bleak caves and pits whose walls are covered in tiny alcoves containing trophies from their past victims. These are arranged in tableaus that each tell a more depressing story than the last. Flocks of shadowravens (sinister half-spirit birds) hang out in these lairs, and swarm to attack intruders. These swarms also often fly out with their sorrowsworn masters, acting as heralds and allies to them in combat.

  Their greatest enemies are the Nightwalkers, since they are anathema to all of the Raven Queen’s precepts. Death Giants are also frequent foes. Of course, despite their opposition to undeath they’re not really that nice themselves, and have their own stuff going on when they’re not on holy missions for the Raven Queen. That means they can easily end up fighting your PCs even when none of them are guilty of cheating death.

  As sorrowsworn like to fight with scythes, I figure the symbol of death in 4e’s implied setting isn’t a robed skeleton, but a sorrowsworn. At least when it’s not an image of the Raven Queen.

  The Numbers

  Sorrowsworn are Medium Shadow Humanoids and have Darkvision. Their signature trait is Bleak Visage, a fear effect which inflicts a -2 penalty on melee and ranged attacks targetting them (close and area attacks are unaffected).

  They use scythes in combat and their powers are a blend of teleportation and psychic attacks. They don’t have any elemental resistances of vulnerabilities, which is interesting.

  Sorrowsworn Soulripper

  This Level 25 Skirmisher has 236 HP and a land speed of 10. Unlike most of its colleagues, it fights unarmed, with claws that do a mix of physical and psychic damage, and deal extra damage when it has combat advantage.

  It will often Flutter and Strike (recharge 5-6), which allows it to teleport 10 squares and make an attack with combat advantage at the arrival point. Sorrow’s Rush is an encounter power that allows it to move 10 squares and attack up to three different targets along the movement path.

  Sorrowsworn Reaper

  A Level 27 Soldier with 254 HP, this is likely the one that replaces the robed skeleton as the D&D setting’s “grim reaper” figure. It runs and climbs at speed 8, with Spider Climb.

  It wields Sorrow’s Scythe, which does psychic damage and marks for a turn. It can also use a Reaping Blow (recharge 6), which is stronger and heals the reaper for 60 HP if it reduces the target to 0.

  Sorrowsworn Deathlord

  This Level 28 Lurker (Leader) has 204 HP. It’s surrounded by an aura (1) of Mournful Whispers that daze any enemies caught inside for a turn. It runs at speed 8, flies at speed 10, and has phasing.

  Its Dark Scythe deals necrotic and psychic damage, and weakens for a turn. It can also Reap and Fade (recharge 3-6), which allows it to make an attack, teleport 10 squares, and become insubtantial for a turn in that order.

  This is a lurker that inverts the usual routine! Instead of attacking every other turn, it can only be attacked every other turn, assuming it takes care to phase into a wall, floor, or ceiling after it attacks. So it moves in, attacks, and is exposed until its next action, when it attacks and moves away. Reap and Fade makes it even harder to pin down, as it can move in and use the ability to attack and immediately move away again.

  Shadowraven Swarm

  A shadowraven swarm counts as a Medium Shadow Beast with the Swarm keyword. It’s a Level 27 Brute with 296 HP. It has a land speed of 2 and a flight speed of 12, and all the standard swarm traits: a Swarm Attack aura, half damage from single target attacks, and 10 extra damage from area ones.

  Its basic attack is a Swam of Talons that does a mix of physical and necrotic damage. Once bloodied, it can use the Murder’s Wrath encounter power, allowing it to fly 6 squares, move through other creatures’s squares, and make a basic attack against anyone whose square it moves through.

  Sample Encounters and Final Impressions

  Sorrowsworn tend to group with each other, with deathlords running the show and the others following their orders. They’re often accompanied by shadowraven swarms, and ride fell wyverns.

  One of the sample encounters here also has them alongside the epic-level dragonborn deathknight, which hints that not all of them hate undead.

  Sorrowsworn fill the same niche as rot harbingers: as regulars, they’re supposed to be the basic building block for encounters in a late Epic adventure focusing on their patron. I feel they work a lot better, though, as they have more interesting maneuvers in their stat blocks. They also don’t rely exclusively on necrotic damage, so it’s harder to get protection against their attacks.

  I guess this explains why Orcus isn’t likely to usurp the Raven Queen anytime soon!

  You can still use sorrowsworn in a campaign where the PCs aren’t likely to oppose the Raven Queen. There might very well be renegade sorrowsworn out there, and you could also reskin them and make them undead to use as better rot harbingers in a campaign focused on opposing Orcus.

• Dec 24, 2020

  Let's Read the 4e Monster Manual/Vault: Snake

  

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

  Snakes have been in the game since the beginning. They are present both in the Monster Manual and in the animal appendix of the Monster Vault.

  The Lore

  Snakes are real world animals, but there’s a huge body of legend surrounding them in practically every culture. D&D seems to be partial to the Western depiction of snakes as treacherous and deadly, since it has Zehir as one of its evil gods.

  Still, this entry focuses on monstrous snakes. The mundane varieties likely behave pretty much as they do in the real world, with a lot of them being harmless and the dangerous ones only attacking if they feel threatened.

  Though monstrous snakes are large and aggressive enough to actively hunt people, most are still merely dangerous animals. A rare few might be blessed by Zehir, though, which makes them sapient, evil, and more powerful.

  Between the two books we have quite a lot of different snake stat blocks.

  The Numbers

  Snakes are so varied that they have little in common that I can discuss here. They’re all beasts, they all have the Reptile keyword, and they all bite. That’s it.

  Spitting Cobra (Monster Vault)

  The closest you’ll get to a real snake here. Spitting Cobras are Small Natural Beasts, and Level 5 Minion Soldiers. Their bite does poison damage and marks for a turn, and their Blinding Spittle (ranged 5 vs. Reflex; recharge 4+) does the same damage and blinds (save ends).

  I could see an eccentric kobold artificer firing these out of a cannon, or a priest of Zehir summoning them out of thin air.

  Deathrattle Viper (Both)

  Pretty much a dire rattlesnake. It inhabits forests, jungles, and caves, though they wouldn’t look out of place in a desert either. These vipers are Medium Natural Beasts, and Level 5 Brutes with 75 HP. They have low-light vision, and resist 10 poison. Their land speed is 4, and they also have a climb speed of 4.

  Their bony tails produce a magically enhanced Death Rattle that acts as an aura (2) which inflicts a -2 attack penalty to all enemies inside. This is a fear effect.

  Their bite allows a secondary attack vs. Fortitude on a hit, which delivers their venom in the form of immediate and ongoing poison damage (save ends).

  Deathrattle Vipers also appear in the Monster Vault, and are identical aside from their updated bite damage. Their low speed makes running away from them a feasible tactic even for someone in heavy armor, so they should be paired with other monsters that make this more difficult.

  Crushgrip Constrictor (Both)

  This is what you’d get if all the shit they say about boas and anacondas was true. They’re found in jungles, marshes, and underground. Constrictors are Large Natural Beasts and Level 9 Soldiers with 96 HP. They have land, climb and swim speeds of 6. They’re the other snake that exists in both books.

  Their bite does damage and grabs on a hit, as the snake quickly coils around the target. The escape DC 25 for Athletics and 22 for Acrobatics in the MM, and a gentler 17 in the MV.

  Against a grabbed target they can Constrict, which targets Fortitude, does a nice chunk of physical damage, and dazes for a turn.

  No explicit mention is made of how many targets the snake can have grabbed. If you’re being relatively realistic, it should be just one. Larger or more supernatural versions might be able to coil around multiple unfortunates.

  Flame Snake (Monster Manual)

  A snake from the Elemental Chaos. Not much is written about its origins, so it could be a case of parallel evolution or one of those rare instances where creatures from the world migrated to the other planes and adapted to them. As fire elementals, they can be summoned and controlled by magic.

  Flame Snakes are Medium Elemental Beasts with the Fire and Reptile keywords. They’re Level 9 Artillery with 74 HP and Resist Fire 20. They have a speed of 6, but can’t climb or swim. They also can’t see in the dark, though it’s reasonable to say their incandescent bodies would shed light.

  Their bite does a mix of physical and fire damage, and they can Spit Fire (Ranged 10 vs. Reflex), doing both immediate and ongoing fire damage (save ends).

  Shadow Snake (Monster Manual)

  The blessed of Zehir, these two-headed monsters are made of solid shadow and are venerated by Yuan-ti. They’re level 16 Skirmishers with 158 HP. They slither at speed 7 and have a climb speed of 7. Their Int is 4: they’re not exactly sapient, but are very cunning, and also Evil.

  Their bites do physical and ongoing poison damage (save ends), and they can make Double Attacks because of the two heads. Once per encounter they can make a Shifting Shadowstrike, shifting their speed (7) and biting two different targets as they do so.

  Also once per encounter, they can Vanish Into the Night, which makes them insubstantial, gives them phasing, and makes them invisible in dim light. All of this lasts for a turn and makes for an excellent “escape hatch” when the fight starts to go badly. I imagine shadow snakes very rarely fight to the death - they’d be smart enough to cut and run.

  Sample Encounters and Final Impressions

  The Monster Manual seems to think reptiles gotta stick together, so it has a bunch of encounters that feature snakes alongside level-appropriate sapient reptiles that act as their handlers:

  • Death rattlers and lizardfolk

  • Constrictors and snaketongue cultists (which aren’t reptiles, exactly, but are close enough).

  • Flame Snakes and troglodytes.

  • Shadow Snakes and yuan-ti.

  I imagine you could use death rattlers as “minibosses” in low-level adventures featuring kobolds, as well.

  These snakes don’t exactly rock my world, but I feel they’re still a good addition to the game.

• Dec 23, 2020

  Let's Read the 4e Monster Manual/Vault: Slaads

  

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

  Slaads show up in the AD&D 2nd Edition Monster Manual (though they might have appeared earlier in a supplement for 1e). In Fourth Edition, they are only on the Monster Manual.

  The Lore

  Slaads are froggy-looking monsters who inhabit the Elemental Chaos and whose psychology can be summed up as “LOL, so random”. Their grip on reality, both mental and physical, is very tenuous. Your typical Slaad makes the Mad Hatter look quite centered, and any relationship between what it says to you and what’s actually happening tends to be coincidental. Not that most people get a chance to talk to them - most of their interactions with other beings are violent.

  The main reason everyone hates them, though, is that they reproduce by sinking their ovopositor claws into people and injecting them with eggs, which hatch explosively in a few days to produce a “tadpole” the size of a large dog. That tadpole, in turn, takes another handful of days to grow into an adult. In true slaad fashion, the sub-type of the new individual is random and has no relation to the sub-type of its parent. Having a slaad egg implanted in you is treated as a disease called Chaos Phage by the rules.

  Slaads were Chaotic Neutral in the old alignment system and 3e in particular made a big deal out of saying they were an expression of “pure chaos untainted by morality”. The distinction between that and Chaotic Evil turned out to be largely academic, though, so in 4e’s alignment system all slaads are Chaotic Evil. They’re not out for omniversal destruction like demons are, but “fuck shit up for shits and giggles” fits both their usual MO and the description of Chaotic Evil.

  There’s a bit in Secrets of the Plane Below about how slaads used to be both more protean and mentally stable back in Olden Times, but a couple of particularly powerful slaads broke their metaphysics to ensure they would remain at the top of the heap. That’s why they all look like humanoid frogs, and why they are color-coded for your convenience despite being “the most chaotic” creatures.

  The Numbers

  Most Slaads are Medium Elemental Humanoids. They have low-light vision, a land speed of 6, and a variable teleport speed. They’re also immune to Chaos Phage, just to underscore that they need to infect non-slaads to reproduce.

  Every slaad has a basic claw attack that does damage as normal for the monster and triggers a secondary attack vs. Fortitude on a hit. If the secondary attack hits, the victim is infected with Chaos Phage. Other attacks and powers vary with the type of slaad.

  Chaos Phage is a nasty level 16 disease, with an Improve DC of 25 and a Maintain DC of 20. Stage 1 has no visible symptoms, but there’s a slaad egg inside you now. Stage 2 inflicts a -2 penalty to Will and makes you go berserk while bloodied, forcing you to always attack the closest living creature (ally or enemy). Stage 3 is death as a slad tadpole rips you open and crawls out.

  Slaad Tadpole

  Tadpoles are Small, which means they’re the size of a large dog or a halfling. They’re Level 5 Lurkers with 44 HP, and are more interested in running and growing up than in fighting. They have a weak bite that makes them insubstantial for a turn when it hits, and they can shift 2 squares as an interrupt when attacked in melee.

  Tadpoles are suitable for use in an heroic-tier adventure where the goal is to prevent them from growing into adult slaads.

  Grey Slaad

  Also known as Rift Slaads, these used to be among the most powerful in their ladder, but have been somewhat demoted. They’re Level 13 Skirmishers with 128 HP, a teleport speed of 4, and all common slaad traits.

  Rift slaads mostly fight with their claws, and back them up with space-bending defensive powers. Once per encounter they can Induce Planar Instability (Close Burst 3 vs. Will), which does a little damage, slides the targets 3 squares, and knocks them prone. When they’re hit with an attack that causes a condition (like slowed, dazed, and so on), they can use Condition Transfer as an interrupt to make the condition affect someone else instead. This counts as a Ranged 5 attack vs. the Fortitude of the chosen target.

  When they’re first bloodied, rift slaads cause a Planar Flux that teleports them 8 squares and turns them insubstantial for a turn.

  Red Slaad

  Also know as Blood Slaads, these are straightforward bruiser types. They’re Level 15 Soldiers with 146 HP and all common slaad traits. Their land speed is 8, and their teleport speed 4. They have a second basic attack in the form of a bite that does a bit more damage than the claws but doesn’t inject any eggs.

  Their main special technique is the Leaping Pounce (recharge 5-6) which allows them to shift 4 squares and make two claw attacks against 1 or 2 enemies. If any of them hit, the target is marked for a turn. This is the only way they have to mark enemies.

  Once per encounter a blood slaad can produce a Horrid Croak (close blast 5 vs. Fortitude) that does no damage but immobilizes its targets for a turn on a hit.

  Blue Slaad

  Also known as Talon Slaads, they’re notable for having Wolverine-like bone claws sprouting from their hands. Talon Slaads are Level 17 Brutes with 200 HP. Their teleport speed is 2.

  Their big talons transmit the Chaos Phage as usual, and can also be used to fling victims willy-nilly. This is a bit weaker than the basic attack but slides the target 2 squares and knocks it prone on a hit.

  Once it’s bloodied, the talon slaad gains access to Ravager’s Fury (close burst 2 vs. AC; encounter), an attack that gives it 20 temporary HP if it hits anyone.

  Green Slaad

  Also known as Curse Slaads, they’re the brains of the family with Int 15 where the others have 9 or 11. A curse slaad is a Level 18 Controller with 173 HP. It’s teleport speed is 6, equal to its normal movement, so it has no reason to walk anywhere.

  Aside from the usual claws, they can shoot Chaos Bolts as a ranged basic attack vs. Will, which do untyped damage and daze for a turn. Occasionally they can use Transpose Target (Ranged 10 vs. Reflex; recharge 6) to do some damage and teleport a target 10 squares to somewhere it can see. And once per encounter it can use a Croak of Chaos (close burst 4 vs. Fortitude) to do damage over an area and slide the targets 4 squares, rearranging most of the battlefield.

  Green Slaads were also the most “wizardly” of the bunch, so they could very well know all sorts of weird rituals and non-combat magic.

  Black Slaads

  When your run-of-the-chaotic-mill slaad gets infected by the energies of the Abyss, you get one of these. Also known as Void Slaads, they lose the ability to reproduce but gain all sorts of entropy-based powers and a more active malevolence than that of their lesser kin. A lot of their attacks are energy-based or infused, but since that energy is pure entropy their damage is untyped.

  Void Slaads are Level 20 Skirmishers with 191 HP. They’re Large, immune to all disease (not just Chaos Phage) and insubstantial. They run at speed 6 and teleport at speed 3. They retain their standard low-light vision.

  A void slaad’s Claws don’t lay eggs. Instead, in addition to their standard damage they do 10 ongoing damage (save ends). Each failed save eats a healing surge in addition to prolonging the damage! Perhaps they implant miniature black holes instead of eggs.

  They attack at range with Rays of Entropy (ranged 20 vs. Reflex), which damage and surround the target with an entropic shroud (save ends). While the shroud is active, the target takes extra damage from all attacks that hit it!

  When a void slaad dies, it explodes into a Zone of Obivion (close burst 2 vs. Reflex) that damages everything in its area. It persists until the end of the encounter, blocking line of sight and dealing the same damage as the initial attack to everything that enters it.

  Sample Encounters and Final Impressions

  Most slaad encounters are slaad-only, but sometimes they’ll ally themselves with other creatures for some mysterious reason. The sample MM encounters present two such situations:

  • Level 15: 2 gray slaads, 2 red slaads, and a destrachan far voice.

  • Level 19: 1 black slaad, 2 rockfire dreadnoughts, a fire giant forgecaller, and 2 firebred hellhounds.

  I kinda like these guys, and I like that they’re Chaotic Evil in 4e. I never bought that story about how they’re some pure manifestation of Chaotic Neutral even though most of what they do is kill people and lay eggs in their chest cavities, not necessarily in that order.

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