Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 invisiblemoose Nov 23, 2014 22:06:19	So in the third chapter of Hoard of the Dragon Queen the information about the roper on page 26 is pretty confusing.   Here is my problem: In section 10A it says the Roper is full, curious about strangers, and not averse to talking. however... in section 10B it acts as if the roper is part of the defense, and it's just going to go after the party as the Kobolds are attacking, quite possibly to drag them towards the guard drakes. however... In the Monster Manual it says Ropers has no languages - it's not even capable of understanding people, much less communicating!   So, okay, the third part can be hand-waved away easily enough (this is a world of magic, it shouldn't be a big deal to pretend that somewhere out there a roper is capable of speech). But how am I, as DM, supposed to roleplay that roper to the characters? Is it meant to talk to them? If the party doesn't attack it, but also doesn't tell it where it can get food, what does it do?
#2 Theros Nov 24, 2014 4:07:47	I used a lazy southern accent for ORBUS the Roper. I kept him in the shadows and totally had the party convinced he was a beholder! Ha Ha Ha There's two immediate sources of food that comes to mind. The rangers outside the valley who were still hunting deer and bringing it right to the cave entrance, and the frozen meat located in freezer next to where you fought all the bat swarms.
(Reply to #2) invisiblemoose	Theros wrote:
#4 Theros Nov 24, 2014 11:41:09	Oh! I understand now. You defiantly need to get a bit inventive because the book doesn’t really tell you. This is the way I interpreted the situation. . The roper had a sweet deal going with the cultists. He would act as a layer of protection for the eggs in exchange for the cultists bringing him food. He can hang snug and cozy in the back of the cave while they do all the hard work. He’s currently not hungry but has been hearing the sounds of combat throughout the cave for a while. He also just witnessed a group of adventurers kill the kobolts and ambush drakes he normally hangs out with. The PC’s enter near his attack range to get the eggs. Right about now his future seems uncertain, so he needs answers and potentially take action. The party looks pretty worn down and may not be much of a threat. He speaks with the party and opens a dialogue. The party tells them in one way or another that the cultists are dead and they’d like to take/destroy the eggs. Now the Roper needs to review his info and make a decision.   If the PC’s are lying then the cultists will still be around and the arrangement can continue.   If the PC’s are telling the truth that means his free ride may be over. Either two things will happen. The cultists will return or they won’t, in which case he’ll need to move on to greener caverns.   If the cultists are gone the eggs don't matter anymore except as an emergency food source.   Having a few hundred pounds of preserved meat would make his journey to another lair a lot easier.   He knows he'll take SOME damage if he fights the PC's. That might make things harder when he's looking for a new lair.   Option A: Kill the PC’s Option B: Bargain with the PC’s
#5 invisiblemoose Nov 24, 2014 12:08:51	So in other words ignore the bit where it actively aids the kobolds as it's irreconcilable. Works for me! Thanks!
#6 Coredump00 Nov 24, 2014 13:13:17	I posted here a couple of weeks ago with the same observations (except I was more complainy)   A roper, especially if unseen, *especially* if attacking with the kobolds/Drakes... should be an almost sure TPK.  So I think you have to ignore the part with the kobolds.   Perhaps think of it as the kobolds *assuming* the roper will help... but since its full, it doesn't.
(Reply to #6) invisiblemoose	Coredump00 wrote:
#8 jhalo Jun 27, 2015 14:02:09	In the 1e Monster Manual, Ropers are listed as having "Exceptional" intelligence, so somewhere along the line they've gotten much dumber.  The 4e Monster Vault gives them an Intelligence of 11, and has them speaking Primordeal.   I'm assuming that the Kobolds have taught the roper some rudimentary Draconic (seems consistent since the Drakes also understand Draconic) so that they can speak to it.  The 5th edition MM has the Roper with an Intelligence of 7, which seems within the bounds of learning a language.   I'll speak as the Roper in a kind of pidgin : "Rock Mouth want meat.  Want find much meat.  Needs eat.  Who feed Rock Mouth?  Dragon dogs dead..." and have him be sad.   The party in my campaign should get to this room during the next session, and a couple PCs speak Draconic.  I think I'm going to have the roper just doing exactly what the Kobold's tell it.  So, the party will hear the Kobolds instructing the roper.  So, the roper will no longer attack once the Kobolds are dead or incapacitated.   Round 1 :  Kobolds let go with Glue bombs and fire bombs Round 2 :  Kobolds repeat Round 3 :  Kobols instruct "Rock Mouth" to grab PC's... "Here's meat, Rock Mouth, grab it!".  I'm only going to have 4 tentacles.  The Roper can only Reel 25' on it's turn, and I've positioned it far enough away that it won't be able to bite on the same turn that it grabs with the tentacles.  That gives the PC's one turn to sever the tentacle or break free.   When the Roper attacks with tentacles, I'm going to have it shout "Meat!"  At least one of the PC's has a leg of antelope with him.  If they throw the meat towards the Roper, I'll have it instead use a tentacle to grab the meat.
#9 Jaxom Jun 30, 2015 11:14:21	jhalo wrote: