MUSER’S MENAGERIE 2 – More Iron Gods Adventure Path Monsters for Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition

IRON GODS 5E BESTIARY – Part Two
One of the most important things that needs to be converted in order to run the Iron Gods adventure path using 5^th edition Dungeons & Dragons is the roster of exotic monsters encountered by the players along the way.

As I noted last week, the task of converting over even just the monsters from Fires of Creation is a pretty daunting one, so this entry will simply be the second batch of conversions, taken from the third part of the Fires of Creation.

If you are planning on playing the Iron Gods adventure path, these monsters may represent SPOILERS!

Finally, for those who were not here last week, I should mention again that I do not plan to convert over any monsters that are found in the Monster Manual, unless the differences between the Pathfinder and 5E versions are so marked that to use the 5E versions would result in an unbalanced encounter.

So, with those comments out of the way, let’s get to the critters!

IRON GODS BESTIATRY: Fires of Creation – Part Two

ADVANCED GHELARN
Large aberration, unaligned
Armor Class 16 (natural armor)
Hit Points 76 (8d10 + 32)
Speed 30 ft.
STR 19 (+4) DEX 10 (+0) CON 19 (+4) INT 3 (-4) WIS 14 (+2) CHA 3 (-4)
Saving Throws: Con +5, Wis +4
Skills: Perception +5, Stealth +3
Damage Vulnerabilities: thunder
Damage Resistances: fire
Senses darkvision 60 ft., tremorsense 30 ft., passive Perception 14
Languages: –
Challenge 3 (700 XP)
Carapace. The ghelarn typically shelters within a hardened, rocklike shell that houses all its vital organs. By withdrawing its tentacles and sensory stalks into its shell, the ghelarn gains total cover until the beginning of its next turn. The shell doesn’t provide cover against spells that do not cause damage, and the ghelarn’s movement is limited to downward burrowing during this time. The benefits of the shell can be lost if it is destroyed (AC 19, 10 hit points), though it regenerates in 2d6 days. A ghelarn caught without its carapace has an AC 10.
False Appearance. While the ghelarn remains motionless, it is indistinguishable from a patch of desert rocks.
Quagmire. The ghelarn secretes a quagmire of sticky fluid a few feet below the sand where it lives. This fluid extends in a 10-foot radius around the creature and acts to trap victims. Creatures who enter, or begin their turn, in this radius must make a DC 13 Strength saving throw or become restrained. As an action, the restrained creature can make a DC 15 Strength check, escaping from the quagmire on a success. The quagmire has AC 11 and 5 hit points.
ACTIONS
Multiattack. The ghelarn makes two slam attacks.
Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d6+4) bludgeoning damage.
Leeching Tendrils. A living creature that is restrained for more than one round by the ghelarn’s quagmire, takes 1d6 damage. It continues to suffer this damage every round that it is restrained.

GHELARN
Large aberration, unaligned
Armor Class 15 (natural armor)
Hit Points 59 (7d10 + 21)
Speed 30 ft.
STR 17 (+3) DEX 10 (+0) CON 16 (+3) INT 3 (-4) WIS 14 (+2) CHA 3 (-4)
Saving Throws: Con +5, Wis +4
Skills: Perception +4, Stealth +2
Damage Vulnerabilities: thunder
Damage Resistances: fire
Senses darkvision 60 ft., tremorsense 30 ft., passive Perception 14
Languages: –
Challenge 2 (450 XP)
Carapace. The ghelarn typically shelters within a hardened, rocklike shell that houses all its vital organs. By withdrawing its tentacles and sensory stalks into its shell, the ghelarn gains total cover until the beginning of its next turn. The shell doesn’t provide cover against spells that do not cause damage, and the ghelarn’s movement is limited to downward burrowing during this time. The benefits of the shell can be lost if it is destroyed (AC 19, 10 hit points), though it regenerates in 2d6 days. A ghelarn caught without its carapace has an AC 10.
False Appearance. While the ghelarn remains motionless, it is indistinguishable from a patch of desert rocks.
Quagmire. The ghelarn secretes a quagmire of sticky fluid a few feet below the sand where it lives. This fluid extends in a 10-foot radius around the creature and acts to trap victims. Creatures who enter, or begin their turn in, this radius must make a DC 13 Strength saving throw or become restrained. As an action, the restrained creature can make a DC 15 Strength check, escaping from the quagmire on a success. The quagmire has AC 11 and 5 hit points.
ACTIONS
Multiattack. The ghelarn makes two slam attacks.
Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6+3) bludgeoning damage.
Leeching Tendrils. A living creature that is restrained for more than one round by the ghelarn’s quagmire, takes 1d6 damage. It continues to suffer this damage every round that it is restrained.

HETUATH
Medium undead, neutral evil
Armor Class 16 (natural)
Hit Points 32 (5d8 + 10)
Speed 30ft.
STR 16 (+3) DEX 16 (+3) CON 15 (+2) INT 8 (-1) WIS 12 (+1) CHA 12 (+1)
Saving Throws: Str +5, Dex +5
Skills: Athletics +5, Perception +3, Survival +3
Damage Resistances: fire; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical weapons
Damage Immunities cold, lightning, poison
Condition Immunities exhaustion, poisoned
Senses darkvision 60ft, passive Perception 13
Languages: Kasatha
Challenge 3 (700 XP)
Deathlink. Hetuath can see through the eye sockets of any of his undead tribesmen and give them simple commands while doing so. This ability has a maximum range of 1 mile. While doing so, he is aware of his surroundings, but cannot take actions.
Undying Curse. Even if completely destroyed, Hetuath rejuvenates after 26 hours pass, his body reconstituting from nothing if need be to carry on his undead existence. This perpetual cycle of eternal unlife persists until the habitat module’s sky is reactivated, or until the remains of Hetuath are put in an area where the rays of the rising sun can strike them.
ACTIONS
Multiattack. The Hetuath makes two melee or ranged attacks.
Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d4 + 3) piercing damage.
Shortsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) piercing damage.
Javelin. Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, range 30/120 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6+3) piercing damage.
LEGENDARY ACTIONS Hetuath can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action option can be used at a time and only at the end of another creature’s turn. Hetuath regains spent legendary actions at the start of his turn.
Ranger’s Senses. Hetuath makes a Wisdom (Perception) check with advantage.
Arms Everywhere! Hetuath makes a melee or ranged attack.
Whirlwind Attack (Costs 2 actions). Hetuath slashes with all the weapons in his hands. Each creature within 5 feet of Hetuath must succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw or take 6 (1d6 + 3) slashing damage and be knocked prone. Hetuath can then move up to half his speed without drawing attacks of opportunity.

KASATHA SKELETONS
Medium undead, neutral evil
Armor Class 13 (natural)
Hit Points 13 (2d8 + 4)
Speed 30ft.
STR 10 (+0) DEX 12 (+1) CON 15 (+2) INT 3 (-4) WIS 8 (-1) CHA 5 (-3)
Damage Vulnerabilities bludgeoning
Damage Immunities cold, poison
Condition Immunities exhaustion, poisoned
Senses darkvision 60ft, passive Perception 9
Languages: –
Challenge 1/4 (50 XP)
Four Armed Terror. The kasatha skeleton has advantage on its attacks with its claws.
Undying Curse. Even if completely destroyed, the kasatha skeleton rejuvenates after 26 hours pass, its bones reconstituting from nothing if need be to carry on their undead existence. This perpetual cycle of eternal unlife persists until the habitat module’s sky is reactivated, or until the remains of the defeated kasatha skeleton is put in an area where the rays of the rising sun can strike them.
ACTIONS
Multiattack. The kasatha skeleton makes two claw attacks.
Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5ft., one target. Hit: 3 (1d4 + 1) piercing damage.

REPAIR DRONE
Medium robot, unaligned
Armor Class 14 (natural armor)
Hit Points 55 (10d8 + 10)
Speed 30ft.
STR 17 (+3) DEX 12 (+1) CON 12 (+1) INT 10 WIS 11 (+0) CHA 1 (-5)
Skills: Medicine +4, Perception +4
Damage Vulnerabilities: lightning
Damage Immunities: poison, psychic
Condition Immunities: charmed, exhaustion, frightened, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned
Senses darkvision 60ft., passive Perception 14
Languages: Androffan
Challenge 2 (450 XP)
Repair Robot. The repair drone is proficient with engineer’s kits and the technologist meta-proficiency. The repair drone can use its action to cause an adjacent robot to regain 2d8 hit points.
Vulnerable to Critical Hits. When the repair drone is hit with a critical hit, it must make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or be stunned for 1 round.
ACTIONS
Multiattack. The repair drone makes two slam attacks or one slam and one net attack.
Net. Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, range 5/15 ft., one Large or smaller creature. Hit: The creature is restrained by a polymer mesh net. As an action, the restrained creature can make a DC 15 Strength check, escaping from the polymer mesh net on a success. The polymer mesh net has AC 17, 5 hit points, resistance to bludgeoning damage, and immunity to poison and psychic damage.
Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6+3) bludgeoning damage.

DUNGEON MUSER’S NOTES
As with the first round of Iron Gods conversions, I tried to start with an existing 5E monster (taken from the Monster Manual or one of the Tyranny of Dragons adventures) and then used the rules for creating monsters out of the Dungeon Master’s Guide to modify them.

For this second round of conversions, I also got to use a rules innovation that was introduced in the new Monster Manual that is normally restricted to higher challenge rating monsters; the “Legendary Actions” that monsters use on the players’ turns.

I’m a HUGE fan of these abilities, since they give boss-style monsters a presence throughout the round, rather than just on their turn. The advantage afforded by these extra actions is balanced by the fact that they can only be used at the end of a player’s turn, so if some of your players drop in the course of a combat, that advantage is scaled back.

The Monster Manual doesn’t give Legendary Actions to any of its lower level monsters, but I don’t see any reason why they can’t be used to make for a boss-style monster to make for memorable lower level encounters (I suspect we didn’t see any lower level monsters with Legendary Actions due to a lack of space, rather than it being an inappropriate design for low CR monsters).

With that in mind, I decided to give Hetuath Legendary Actions to make him feel like the significant threat at the gaming table that I feel he is supposed to be (I cannot wait for my players to get knots in their stomachs when they realize they have to fight him a second time, after he reconstitutes).

With the Kesatha Skeletons, I replaced their four attacks with two attacks, each at advantage, because I felt that rolling four attacks for each of them would be a bit tedious for players to sit through.

Finally, returning readers may recall that I was going to write about the robot subtype this week. Well, I’ve changed my mind about that, so I am going to save that to next entry, when I’ll be converting the Gearsmen to 5E.

RESOURCEFUL RESKINNING
Any of these stats could be repurposed to be a similar monster (for instance, the ghelarn could be used to represent a larval form of a bulette, the Kesatha Skeletons could be used as unique four-armed skeletons assembled by an intrepid necromancer, and Hetuath could become a unique deathless minion enchanted for speed).

THE FIRES OF CREATION ARE BURNING BRIGHT
With three acts down, I only have two acts worth of monsters and NPCs to go! I have draft versions of the major NPCs together, but I want to get the nameless monsters done before I unveil those conversions, so next up will be the adversaries from act four of Fires of Creation.

Until next time, I remain;

• THE DUNGEON MUSER