22
votes
Accepted
How to create systemless stats for monsters?
Focus on concepts, not on statistics
It's not that system agnostic monster handbooks cannot be made, in fact there are successful examples, that you could use as inspiration. But I think you should ...
17
votes
Accepted
Can you use True Polymorph and an Intellect Devourer to potentially learn Deep Speech and a secret?
Yes this works for the secret and deep speech temporarily
Once you have occupied the humanoid form of the intellect devourer, you gain it's knowledge and deep speech:
It knows everything the creature ...
- 73.1k
14
votes
Can you use True Polymorph and an Intellect Devourer to potentially learn Deep Speech and a secret?
Frame challenge: You are writing a script, not a scenario.
This is a script that the players are expected to follow. Not a game they are expected to tackle by themselves.
Don't prep plots but let the ...
- 2,309
13
votes
How to create systemless stats for monsters?
Provide relative terms that are likely to appear in most systems
One approach is to provide the descriptions in a way that refers to items that will appear in most systems. If you say, "The hide ...
- 33.3k
9
votes
Can an Intellect Devourer use Body Thief on body that already has an Intellect Devourer in its skull?
A creature that is a host of an Intellect Devourer is not a Humanoid
The intellect devourer initiates an Intelligence contest with an incapacitated humanoid...
The Intellect Devourer does not change ...
- 40.1k
8
votes
Accepted
How long do Intellect Devourers live?
I don't think we know
As far as I'm aware, the lifespan of intellect devourers is never given. This is the case for a lot of monsters in D&D as the lifespan is rarely relevant to gameplay or even ...
- 73.1k
3
votes
Can an Intellect Devourer use Body Thief on body that already has an Intellect Devourer in its skull?
It's not that clear, but as written probably not
The Body Thief ability states
The intellect devourer initiates an Intelligence contest with an incapacitated humanoid within 5 feet of it that isn't ...
- 5,830
3
votes
Accepted
Can a psion with Metamorphosis and Assume Supernatural Ability create an army of Scythers of Thoon under his command?
Yes, but it's more complicated than the question makes it out to be
Strictly speaking, a creature can take the feat Assume Supernatural Ability (launch spawn (Monster Manual V 115)) (Savage Species 30–...
- 190k
3
votes
Can an Intellect Devourer use Body Thief on body that already has an Intellect Devourer in its skull?
I don't think so
There is no rule that directly specifies this as far as I'm aware so every DM would have to decide this for themselves but I don't think this should be possible.
First off, the trait ...
- 8,247
3
votes
Can a Gnoll Pack Lord target itself for Incite Rampage?
Like players a monster can target themselves. As an example, for spells players can always target themselves unless a spell says otherwise. I think it makes sense that the Gnoll Pack Lord should be ...
- 173
2
votes
Can a Gnoll Pack Lord target itself for Incite Rampage?
It's ambiguous but unlikely
That it is ambiguous is mostly because it is unclear if "a creature within X feet" of it includes the Gnoll Pack Lord. All the rest of the requirements would be ...
2
votes
How to create systemless stats for monsters?
You should have no trouble describing your creatures without any reference to a System, or even system-related concepts like "stats" or "attributes". Just describe them like you ...
- 773
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