Zombimode
2014-08-04, 01:26 PM
MM2 is one of my favorite sources for monsters. Sure, it has some really questionable content (the Mudmaw is currently my favorite in this regard) but is also contains a large number of very interesting and inspiring creatures. In general the creatures do care more about the world-building aspects then the "numbers" aspect and thus sometime have abilities that some people would call "unbalanced". Whatever your personal stance may be on Adamantine Clockwork Horrors I'm sure everyone agrees that the entries in the MM2 are full of quirks and idiosyncrasies.
Today I turn my attention to the Raggamoffyns. And I absolutely adore them. They seem particularly fitting for Eberron (I'm preparing to DM for Eberron in the immediate future).
Now, the Raggamoffyns themselves seem fine, using the updated stats of course.
It is the Captured One template where my question arise.
To get everyone on the same page, Raggamoffyns have the ability to "warp" themselves around a creature dominating it. Once successful, the domination remains until the Raggamoffyn unwarps itself from the dominated creature (or is destroyed beforehand).
A dominated creature immediately receives the Captured One template.
Thus the template is only applied temporarily on the creature.
For that, the template has profound effect on the creature that are rather difficult to explain and also somewhat questionable rules-wise.
To me, there are two major quirks with the Captured One template:
1. A Captured One retains the Con, Int and Cha scores of the base creature, but uses the Str, Dex and Wis scores of the Raggamoffyn.
So despite the Raggamoffyns total control over the base creature, if the base creature is a total moron the Int of the Raggamoffyn is likewise dragged down.
In the same vain, a really strong base creature can be downgraded in strength.
2. The creature type of the base creature changes to Construct. Of course, it gains all construct traits.
That means the captured one is immune among others to poison and death effects. Keep in mind that once the Raggamoffyn unwarps the template is removed and the creature reverts to its original creature type. That means just because this orc is covered in used underwear it can walk unmolested through a cloudkill, shrugs off a beholders deathray and is immune to cancer for good measure. Stabbing the Orc in the kiddneys won't do anything good either (not subject to precision damage).
Oh, and it has a Con score.
As a minor quirk, a Carptured One speaks Common. No intervening if-clause or anything. It just does. Even if the base creature is a monstrous spider or an eel or whatever non-speaking creature you can find.
My first idea was to add the Living Construct subtype. But that would only solve half the problems.
Now, I could just make up a list of things a Captured One is immune to, but some cases are not easy to decide. Take poison for example (or disease or any ability damaging or draining effect). If a captured one is struck by a poisoned stinger, the living, breathing organism that is still there should be affected by it. But what if the ability in question is "provided" by the Raggamoffyn?
Precision Damage is even worse. There is no reason why a captured one orc should not take the extra damage from a crit or a sneak attack. But in the same vain the Raggamoffyn, being a true construct, should NOT take this damage. But since on a captured one damage is split even between the base creature and the Raggamoffyn, how would you handle precision damage?
I'm sure that even if you would use Captured One stats as written there will be other question coming up in actual gameplay. It's a weird template for sure.
So any ideas to handle this?
Should I even change anything?
Today I turn my attention to the Raggamoffyns. And I absolutely adore them. They seem particularly fitting for Eberron (I'm preparing to DM for Eberron in the immediate future).
Now, the Raggamoffyns themselves seem fine, using the updated stats of course.
It is the Captured One template where my question arise.
To get everyone on the same page, Raggamoffyns have the ability to "warp" themselves around a creature dominating it. Once successful, the domination remains until the Raggamoffyn unwarps itself from the dominated creature (or is destroyed beforehand).
A dominated creature immediately receives the Captured One template.
Thus the template is only applied temporarily on the creature.
For that, the template has profound effect on the creature that are rather difficult to explain and also somewhat questionable rules-wise.
To me, there are two major quirks with the Captured One template:
1. A Captured One retains the Con, Int and Cha scores of the base creature, but uses the Str, Dex and Wis scores of the Raggamoffyn.
So despite the Raggamoffyns total control over the base creature, if the base creature is a total moron the Int of the Raggamoffyn is likewise dragged down.
In the same vain, a really strong base creature can be downgraded in strength.
2. The creature type of the base creature changes to Construct. Of course, it gains all construct traits.
That means the captured one is immune among others to poison and death effects. Keep in mind that once the Raggamoffyn unwarps the template is removed and the creature reverts to its original creature type. That means just because this orc is covered in used underwear it can walk unmolested through a cloudkill, shrugs off a beholders deathray and is immune to cancer for good measure. Stabbing the Orc in the kiddneys won't do anything good either (not subject to precision damage).
Oh, and it has a Con score.
As a minor quirk, a Carptured One speaks Common. No intervening if-clause or anything. It just does. Even if the base creature is a monstrous spider or an eel or whatever non-speaking creature you can find.
My first idea was to add the Living Construct subtype. But that would only solve half the problems.
Now, I could just make up a list of things a Captured One is immune to, but some cases are not easy to decide. Take poison for example (or disease or any ability damaging or draining effect). If a captured one is struck by a poisoned stinger, the living, breathing organism that is still there should be affected by it. But what if the ability in question is "provided" by the Raggamoffyn?
Precision Damage is even worse. There is no reason why a captured one orc should not take the extra damage from a crit or a sneak attack. But in the same vain the Raggamoffyn, being a true construct, should NOT take this damage. But since on a captured one damage is split even between the base creature and the Raggamoffyn, how would you handle precision damage?
I'm sure that even if you would use Captured One stats as written there will be other question coming up in actual gameplay. It's a weird template for sure.
So any ideas to handle this?
Should I even change anything?