The Monsters Know What They’re Doing

In Eberron, the warforged are a race of sentient constructs, originally built for war but now capable of deciding and pursuing their own purposes in life. Many, however, continue to serve in the role for which they were first devised.

Warforged soldiers have very high Strength and Constitution, high Wisdom and above-average Dexterity, an ability contour that combines brute melee ability with excellent strategic judgment. Proficiency in Perception makes them good at spotting enemies who are trying to be sneaky, but they’re not ambush attackers—they have no particular aptitude for stealth themselves. They are, however, capable trackers, thanks to proficiency in Survival.

Their Multiattack comprises only melee attacks—specifically, Armblade—so warforged soldiers want to close with their opponents quickly in order to make use of this weapon. Until they get within melee reach, they use their javelins as throwing weapons. However, beyond 30 feet, they have disadvantage on these attacks, and there isn’t much they can do to change that. Consequently, if their movement isn’t enough to get them within 30 feet of their foes, they either Dash—if they’re in close formation with other warforged soldiers, allowing each one to use the Protection reaction on another’s behalf—or Dodge as they advance. Between 10 and 30 feet away, they hurl a javelin. (more…)

The Tarkanan assassin is a hired killer, but that (plus their Dexterity and their Armor Class) is where their resemblance to the standard assassin in the Monster Manual ends. Most conspicuously, they don’t have the Assassinate trait—or even Sneak Attack! Clearly, this non-player character requires a fresh approach.

As one might expect, the Tarkanan assassin is a shock attacker, with a decent enough Constitution to put up with a bit of a scuffle but primarily interested in getting in and out of combat quickly. Proficient in Athletics instead of Acrobatics, they’re more likely to tackle their target than shoot them while hanging upside-down outside a window. They’re also proficient in Sleight of Hand, perhaps for slipping poison into someone’s drink—it’s not enough by itself to conceal spellcasting. Deception proficiency suggests an aptitude for disguise, and Perception plus Stealth is the hallmark of the ambush attacker.

Tarkanan assassins have darkvision, which is interesting, because House Tarkanan, according to the lore in Eberron: Rising From the Last War (chapter 4, “Crime in Sharn: House Tarkanan”), comprises members of many races, not just those with darkvision. Does this mean that House Tarkanan doesn’t employ humans, halflings or changelings as assassins (and why wouldn’t you hire changelings to perform all your asassinations?), do they somehow acquire darkvision as part of their initiation into the order of assassins, or is it an unmentioned side effect of their aberrant dragonmarks? The book doesn’t say. Choose your own favorite explanation. (more…)

Despite several reader requests, I kept putting off analyzing the kraken priest because it’s always kind of a pain to analyze creatures with large spell repertoires. Turns out the KP’s repertoire isn’t as big as I thought it was, so my bad.

The kraken priest’s ability contour is highest in Constitution, second-highest in Wisdom, with Strength and Dexterity a good ways behind. This non-player character is a spellcaster first and foremost, and arguably a support spellcaster first and foremost, rather than a spellslinger hiding way in the back. Charisma is also high; Intelligence, merely average.

Presumably through the kraken’s influence, the KP has resistance to physical damage from nonmagical weapons and can breathe underwater. That’s pretty much it in the way of distinctive passive features. Aside from spellcasting—which isn’t all that unusual for, you know, a priest—the KP’s only distinctive features are the actions Thunderous Touch and Voice of the Kraken. (more…)