Let's Read The Monster Manual II: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Fight Them

[the_brazenburn]

With luck, owlbear will be up either tomorrow or on Thursday.

[DerKommissar]

Smugglers can probably learn a lot about the sewers and where the guards are for the price of a pile of garbage, if they contact Otyughs and are careful.

Thats hilarious :D

[M Placeholder]

We're not quite there yet, but for some reason this edition doesn't seem to have Nymphs. What gives? Are Fey just on the outs this edition?

For Volo's, Elminster probably thought the passage was too naughty to print :)

The Owlbear is the last entry for the O's, then it's time for the P's. I would love to do either the Piercer (unless that is a package deal with the Roper, which I think it should be) or the Peryton.

[QuickLyRaiNbow]

If you'd like the peryton, I'll do the pegasus.

[the_brazenburn]

Owlbear

Introduction: Half owl, half bear, all nasty. The owlbear is one of the most feared creatures in D&D, and for good reason. It's a ferocious beast that can maul the average 1st-level player in just a few rounds, and is apparently somewhat common in the forests of some worlds. Owlbears are iconic creatures in the D&D game, even though they are original creations.

Art: The art is pretty good in this edition. I could have gone for a few more pictures, but it looks very vicious and alive. My main complaint are the pose that the owlbear is in. It looks more like a pouncing position like a cat would take. This does not suit a bear.

Tactics: The owlbear has high stats in STR, DEX, and CON, but its highest is strength. It's a straight-out brute fighter that won't give up, no matter what. It gets a Multiattack with two claw and one beak attack, which it seems likely to employ against a single opponent. Keep in mind that this damage can easily kill a character of third or fourth level, so use owlbears sparingly and don't send them in groups.

Fluff: Owbear fluff is essentially the same as in previous editions: a monster created by an insane wizard. Yawn.

Hooks:

Mad Morty's Mansion

A group of adventurers have been hired by the insane wizard Mad Morty to clear out his mansion, which has been infested by a breeding pair of owlbears. Morty won't say where they came from.

A Day at the Races

A clan of hobgoblins has captured a few owlbears and is planning to race them. They want to know if the players want any gambling action, and they've got a plan to ensure their victory.

I had to deal with this one. It didn't go well for the DM.

While inside a mega-dungeon, the party comes across a cage filled with children. On the other side of the room is a pedestal with insert powerful magic item here on it. Written on the pedestal is a warning that if the item is taken, a hungry owlbear will be released into the cage. What will the players do?

Conclusion: An old standby that can be used in all sorts of situations.

[Millstone85]

Fluff: Owbear fluff is essentially the same as in previous editions: a monster created by an insane wizard. Yawn.

The MM presents this as the most common theory, yet highly debated. Notably, "some fey insist that owlbears have always existed in the Feywild". It might be 4e's influence again, but this is my favourite take on it. The Feywild is nature on crack.

Also, the MM mentions dangerous owlbear races, something you used in a plot hook, but also owlbears being used as guards by elves, as war beasts by hobgoblins, or as pets by giants.

[M Placeholder]

Polar bears do actually stalk and pounce on their prey, so the artwork pose isn't totally out of place for a bear.



Also worth mentioning is that WoTC do make a rather nice Owlbear dice bag. It only fits 3 sets of dice though.

I think the Piercer and the Roper should be done together, under the entry for the Roper. I'll do the Peryton.

[DerKommissar]

Owlbear
Fluff: Owbear fluff is essentially the same as in previous editions: a monster created by an insane wizard. Yawn.

Well in their defense, owlbears are THE stereotype „a mad wizard did it“ creatures - I read at least 4 diferent cartoons making fun about ye olde crack wizarde creating them ;)

About Mortys Mansion: Seems like a clear case for Pickle Rick to stop Rogue Morty...

[QuickLyRaiNbow]

Pegasus

Originally, Pegasus was a singular character. The offspring of Poseidon and Medusa (yeah, that one), Pegasus sprang from Medusa's head when she was defeated by Perseus. Pegasus served as Bellerophon's mount during his battle with the Chimera, and after that tragic hero's downfall ascended to Mount Olympus and served as the bearer of Zeus's thunderbolts. In a Dungeons and Dragons context, pegasi are winged white horses of high moral character.

Behold, the pegasus. It can outrace a dragon in the open sky, and only the best among us can ever hope to ride one. A fitting emblem for our great house, don't you think?

Art:

It's a horse
with wings
and muscles
and an expression of steely determination
and it's pure white

All the essential elements are here. It's a good picture but one that takes few risks or liberties.

Purpose and Tactics:

Most adventuring parties are good-ish, and a pegasus is unlikely to be an adversary for those characters. It has a fly speed but no ranged options, and it hasn't got Flyby Attack or a similar ability. At CR 2 it's quite vulnerable to being shot out of the sky. The most likely use for a pegasus in a campaign is as a taxi with a conscience. They're smart and highly moral, and can be used to keep your party's more impulsive desires in check. The most likely way to find one in your game is through the find greater steed spell.

As an adversary, the most notable things about them are the 90' fly speed and their high Perception and passive Perception scores. They're reasonably difficult guard dogs for an appropriate good-aligned settlement. As combat encounters, they have low AC (though fairly high HP) and can't really use their fly speed in combat. Use them to ferry around archers, spellcasters or other foes with ranged attacks.

Fluff:

There's not a lot of fluff to work with here, and it's quite similar to other versions. They're graceful sky-horses who live on the wing, they're shy and only serve those they wish to, and they're linked to the planes of good and nature and are associated with elves. As a change from 3.5, pegasi bear live young rather than eggs.

Verdict:

They're very good mounts, and they don't really have a way to communicate - pegasi understand like six languages but can't speak or have telepathy. That means they're probably just going to show up as mounts for good-aligned spellcasters.

[Millstone85]

I am sorry but I feel like I need the joke explained to me.

So there is a quote about the pegasus being a fitting emblem. But the quote is signed with a stamp representing an unicorn's head.

Is Tyllenvane supposed to be an idiot? Or is House Orien's emblem actually a winged unicorn / horned pegasus / alicorn?

[QuickLyRaiNbow]

I am sorry but I feel like I need the joke explained to me.

So there is a quote about the pegasus being a fitting emblem. But the quote is signed with a stamp representing an unicorn's head.

Is Tyllenvane supposed to be an idiot? Or is House Orien's emblem actually a winged unicorn / horned pegasus / alicorn?

I think (and I am not an Eberron person so I could be wrong) that he's arguing to change the emblem from the unicorn to the pegasus.

[M Placeholder]

I am sorry but I feel like I need the joke explained to me.

So there is a quote about the pegasus being a fitting emblem. But the quote is signed with a stamp representing an unicorn's head.

Is Tyllenvane supposed to be an idiot? Or is House Orien's emblem actually a winged unicorn / horned pegasus / alicorn?

Not sure if Tyllenvane is an idiot, but the creature on the Coat of Arms of House Orien is a Unicorn.

[War_lord]

It's a unicorn and he's meant to be in the middle of a speech advocating replacing it with the Pegasus. Quote feels like it exists because they need to slide in an Eberron reference somewhere.

[Millstone85]

Okay, now it makes sense. Thank you everyone.

[M Placeholder]

It's a unicorn and he's meant to be in the middle of a speech advocating replacing it with the Pegasus. Quote feels like it exists because they need to slide in an Eberron reference somewhere.

Bingo.

And considering that House Orien does much of its business through teleportation and doesn't actually handle transportation by air (that is the area of expertise of House Lyrandar), he's advocating the replacement of a fine House symbol (Unicorns can teleport) with one that doesn't actually represent what the House does.

I'll have the Peryton up tomorrow, then its the Pixie's turn (or at least it should be, considering the Piercer is the youngun' of the Roper).

[QuickLyRaiNbow]

Bingo.

And considering that House Orien does much of its business through teleportation and doesn't actually handle transportation by air (that is the area of expertise of House Lyrandar), he's advocating the replacement of a fine House symbol (Unicorns can teleport) with one that doesn't actually represent what the House does.

I'll have the Peryton up tomorrow, then its the Pixie's turn (or at least it should be, considering the Piercer is the youngun' of the Roper).

I agree with leaving the piercer for the roper.

[M Placeholder]

The Peryton

History

The Peryton was described in the Jorge Luis Borges tome Book of Imaginary Beings, and was first detailed for Dungeons and Dragons in the 82nd edition of Dragon Magazine, then making its first appearance in a guide in the Monstrous Compendium Forgotten Realms Appendix 2. In the 3rd edition, it was a monster that was confined to Toril with its writeup in the Monsters of Faerun, and for the 4th, it got a write up in the Monster Vault 2 - threats to the Nentir Vale. Now in 5th edition, its made the big leagues and is now part of the A list.

Artwork

Like the depictions in previous editions, the peryton here is a beast with the head of a stag and the body, wings and legs of a bird of prey. Unlike in previous editions of the game, in this artwork, the antlers are swept back, which considering this is a monster that likes to dive bomb its victims and uses a bite attack, makes sense. The pose is that of a beast with its wings spread and about to tear into its victims with its claws, and the look on its face suggests the peryton is going to relish that experience. Unfortunately, the artwork doesn’t include the creatures shadow, but it’s still a very nice illustration of the monster.

Lore

Its that old chestnut again, the created by a curse or by magical experimentation origin story, or an alternative tale (which is the one told by bards), a woman cut the heart out of her husbands younger lover and fed it to him in an attempt to win his heart for all time. It succeeded until she was found guilty and taken to the gallows, where carrion birds feasted on her corpse and transformed into the first perytons.

Like in previous editions, the peryton lairs in the mountains and needs to consume a humanoid heart in order to reproduce, but there is nothing about taking its victim back to the nest and keeping it until the time comes, which does reduce the possibilities in combat or rescue missions. Now, it attacks until its prey is dead or it has been driven off.

Mechanics

With its dive attack and not provoking attacks of opportunity, along with its resistance to weapons, the peryton makes a tough opponent for low level parties, who probably won’t have access to magical weapons. Its keen senses mean that the creature can trail the party for quite a distance before getting the jump on them, and the terrain the peryton is found in can also add to the challenge. The peryton can no longer tear the heart out of a bound or paralyzed opponent, but it is still a taxing monster for a low level party.

Plot hooks.

In the Seamist mountains, a noble reports that his son has gone missing, and that rumours of a large bird that cast a shadow in the shape of a man have been seen in eastern Avanil. Can the party discover the truth and recover the lost noble?

Reports reach Suzail that there have been a number of bodies discovered on the slopes of the southern Stormhorns that seem to have had their hearts torn from their bodies. The party is tasked to investigate by a Cormyrean Lord.

Verdict

A classic monster from Jorge Luis Borges makes it to the D&D Monster big time with very good artwork and new mechanics, a worthy entry to the Monster Manual.

[the_brazenburn]

The PerytonSnipped for length.

Great post!

I have to agree about the antlers. That was one of the better illustrations in the book.

And that origin story about the jealous murderer lady? That's Hard-Core!

[strangebloke]

I agree that the Peryton losing the "carry a humanoid to it's nest" bit is a little sad. Fun fact: if this thing carries away most humanoids, it's probably encumbered (if you use those rules and apply them to monsters).

Overall, the peryton is probably the earliest monster to tell the players: "Ranged weapons or go home." Seriously, this thing is reasonably intelligent and deals 33+ damage in a single turn, and effectively has 66 HP. A second level party who only has one or two ranged characters is going to get melted by one of these.

[odigity]

Updated collection thread: http://www.giantitp.com/forums/shows...3&postcount=34

[Majiy]

The link does not seem to work.

By the way, I am extremely enjoying this thread. I would very much like to see it continue. Too little experience to write myself. But I am taking much inspiration from reading.

[DerKommissar]

The link does not seem to work.

By the way, I am extremely enjoying this thread. I would very much like to see it continue. Too little experience to write myself. But I am taking much inspiration from reading.

Ah you could just give it a shot! Stick to the format and do a bit of research and you should be fine :)
The first entry i wrote was to resurrect the thread and was a first to me as well... next monster should be the pixie as roper/piercer were suggested to be done in one entry.

[QuickLyRaiNbow]

Agreed. Just give it a whack and see how it goes. Everyone has their own style and their own insights.

[Droodicus]

First attempt. figured I'd try to get it rolling again. Appreciate the feedback

Pixie

Originating from celtic folklore they are generally considered benign and mischevious, pranksters who can sometimes be coaxed into helping with domestic chores. They are believed to live in barrows and stone circles on the moors and participate in outdoor celebrations where they dance or wrestle. They fight with fairies and sprites.

Artwork
It looks like a green child with butterfly wings and a vaguely woodland themed outfit. Seems to tick all the boxes one thinks of when they say pixie. The lack of any other details makes it hard to determine her size and she looks more like the size of a child than a foot high creature. It would've been pretty nifty to see a dragonfly winged pixie as it would present more of an unnatural feel than the typical butterfly wings.

Lore
Fey who array themselves as prince and princesses they are as curious as cats but as shy as deer. They are rarely seen for fear of being attacked or captured but will test out those it's sees as potential friends by playing tricks and pranks and seeing how those it tests react. They are opposed to violence and would sooner flee than get into a physical altercation. When they fly while visible pixie dust sprinkles in their wake. A tiny pinch of the dust has great magical properties so they are often sought out by mages.

Mechanics
They are a low cr 1 hp fey who are clearly not designed to stand up to front line combat they lack any Form of innate damage dealing capability. Their superior invisibility and spellcasting abilities are the meat of their profile, an interesting array of crowd control and annoyance would make them interesting S support for a team of stronger fey. Only speaking sylvan is a bit of a downer as it could shut down a lot of non combat interaction.

Plot hooks
You stumble upon a magical Grove and decide to camp, the night is full of curious mishaps and strange occurences. In the morning a tiny fey presents itself begging for help. It's family has stumbled into the material plane and they are being hunted by a tribe of savage sprites. Do you help them find a way back to the fey wild or turn the tables and go sprite stabbing?

Mad Macallister the Mage was experimenting with pixie dust now his tower has flown off and is somewhere out in the countryside hopelessly confused, stop it before it destroys anymore small towns.

A druid has been conjuring pixies and using them to polymorph squirrels into bears and giving them the power of flight. Nobody anywhere near the forest is safe from rabid flying bears but given the stealthy nature of the parties involved how do you stop her.

[strangebloke]

Some additions about pixies:

While being, as you say, bad frontliners, they hit way harder than their CR suggests, and you should never use large groups of them in an encounter unless you're aware of this.

Five pixies that can cast confusion, phantasmal force, and the like every round are a very serious threat even to a reasonably high level party. As a bonus, they're resistant to magic and they can fly and their AC is pretty good.

If you want to challenge your players, a small pack of pixies backing up a mid-cr brute like an otyugh is a pretty terrifying threat.

Side note. Rivergleam is adorable. She's got this super intent, focused expression, and she's also playing with her hair. Taken together, it suggests that she's totally spaced out and staring at nothing. Obviously adults do this as well, but I think it's a behavior that suggests a lack of self-awareness that you'd typically associate with a child.

[QuickLyRaiNbow]

Pixies can also be a credible non-dangerous threat - if your party is camping in a forest, set a pack of pixies on them using their fly speed and magic to be annoying and play tricks rather than to be dangerous. It'll force the party to deal with it, and if you play it right it'll lead to an interesting out-of-combat roleplay-heavy resolution, which is not the norm for wilderness random encounters.

[No brains]

Maybe a little late, but Perytons made headlines IRL a few years ago. Some astronomers named some mysterious microwave bursts that they were detecting Perytons. When they investigated the origin of Perytons, they had an interesting origin: people were simply opening microwave ovens early and their equipment was picking up that energy. That's the real origin of Perytons.

[strangebloke]

Pixies can also be a credible non-dangerous threat - if your party is camping in a forest, set a pack of pixies on them using their fly speed and magic to be annoying and play tricks rather than to be dangerous. It'll force the party to deal with it, and if you play it right it'll lead to an interesting out-of-combat roleplay-heavy resolution, which is not the norm for wilderness random encounters.

Oh yeah, they're solidly in the camp of usable-as-an-NPC. I would even argue that they're preferable to use like that. I mean, generally, they're mischievious but harmless, and often innocent of any damage of their pranks cause. They're simply not the sort of threat to which lethal force is (typically) going to be a proportionate response.

I can easily see them retreating as soon as one of them gets killed, and then returning with greater numbers and cruel intentions later.

Obviously you can have some highly capricious, cruel pixies as well, but I don't think they're necessarily more fun that way.

[JackPhoenix]

Hey, it's still some distance away, but did anyone called dibs on remorhazes? Because I have something to say about them.

[Astofel]

One of the players in my game is playing a homebrewed pixie race mystic. The character is much more scientifically minded than her whimsical brethren, so when she meets other pixies I get to have a fun time playing up the contrast, and roleplaying other pixies as somewhat vapid, "dumb blonde" style stereotypes. The character also likes to use her truesight ability every so often, and I've decided that in areas close to woods or a forest, there's most likely one or two pixies just hanging around, being invisible and watching the big folk go about their business.