Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 Chaosmancer Nov 10, 2014 19:38:07	So I was just browsing through the Slaad entry when I noticed that the Chaos Phage disease caused by Blue Slaad can only be removed with the Wish spell... which seems crazy to me. They get two claw attacks a turn, the DC is 15 which is on the higher end of the MM saves, and it takes a 9th level spell or you're now dead and a monster?   A week or two ago I was scrambling to come up with an encounter in a ruined castle that had caught me off-guard (after expending massive resources trespassing in a witch's swamp the PC's just decided to turn around and leave once the witch showed up and asked them to) and I grabbed onto the ghost. It was a little higher Cr than the party, but I figured it couldn't be that terrible. I'm reading his abilities as I go, no prep, and almost aged our human monk by 40 years, with no way of turning back save Greater Restoration which they have no access to.   There are a lot of creatures that do stuff like this, really nasty almost permenant stuff at levels when the party does not have access to the resources to counter it.   Am I just missing something? Is there some expectation I don't understand? The monk would have retired his character, now a feeble old man, and in a college group who could break up at any time that could have been disastrous for the story and honestly for everyone's enjoyment. I don't want to take out all these monsters, I don't want to start homebrewing unless I have to (I'm a greenhorn so I might make things worse) but I don't see the reasoning or the trick to many of these things.    What don't I get here?
#2 iserith Nov 10, 2014 20:17:15	Not being able to cast greater restoration and wish represent fundamental scarcities that are good stimuli for adventuring. Perform a quest for the monastery or church and the monk's age will be restored. Find the djinn's lamp in the Great Sand Wastes and you have your wish. Learn something about the characters as they deal with these afflictions while adventuring.   When in doubt, look for the adventure.
(Reply to #2) Chaosmancer	iserith wrote:
#4 ankiyavon Nov 10, 2014 23:15:42	Why is "death from disease inflicted by monster" any different from "death because monster reduced you to 0 hp"? Particularly for non-veteran players, it's not like you can reasonably expect them to know the average damage output of every monster they might conceivably fight.
#5 MonsterEnvy Nov 11, 2014 2:09:39	First thing first. Slaadi not Slaads.    You also misread how Chaos Phage works. It's just a disease, a level 1 palidin can remove it no issue.    If the disease redcues your max hp to 0 hp you turn into a Red Slaad. Only a Wish spell can reverse the transformation. The wish part is refering to becoming a Slaad part. That can only be reversed by Wish the disease can be gotten rid of fairly easily,
#6 Chaosmancer Nov 11, 2014 6:25:30	ankiyavon wrote:
#7 iserith Nov 11, 2014 6:28:47	Chaosmancer wrote:
(Reply to #5) Danny_Montanny	MonsterEnvy wrote:
(Reply to #8) Chaosmancer	Danny_Montanny wrote:
#10 iserith Nov 11, 2014 11:45:44	Chaosmancer wrote:
#11 autolycus Nov 11, 2014 13:43:57	There is a "back to old-school" trend in the new Monster Manual with many of the creatures within it.   Creatures lurk behind every corner that might end a character's life with no warning.   This is a good thing if you get into the spirit of it. Character death is not a disaster. It's an opportunity for role play and a major twist in the story.   If you wish to play the game more like a video-game, with clearly demarked "this one is easy, this one is tough" encounters then you can modify anything you like to fit the bill. The great thing about being the DM is that you can make the game whatever you like!
#12 Noon Nov 11, 2014 18:17:54	MonsterEnvy wrote: