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Adapting 5e Monsters
Adapting 5e Monsters
I want to spend some time descibing how I might attempt converting a D&D 5e monster into Dragonbane's system.
I guess here I put all the standard disclaimers--- this is just how I do it, and I approach it less as a science and more of an art. The only rule is that there are no rules. The power of an attack, the HP, and/or any armor are all levers I can pull, together or individually, to scale a monster up and down the levels. However, "less is more!" "Season to taste" to meet the needs of the table, its adventure and its players' yaddayaddayadda.
This is coming from Chapter 8.6, where the heroes encounter a BORTHAK. Check out 5eTools' writeup of the original monster.
- Choose a DB monster to re-skin.
What kind of creature does the D&D one best match? I can make nearly any monster work by re-skinning something from DB's Rulebook or the Bestiary already. If not in a direct translation, perhaps by looking at the monster's role or the narrative function it plays. Such as:
VILLAINS: If it's not meant to be a true monster, it might be a basic Villain, or even a creature that works better as a Legion or a Grunt, like a bunch of Goblins or Skeletons. These guys get their own stats similar to a PC, with a key Skill Rank of 12 (but conceivable up to 15) and a few other trained skills like Sneak or Awareness if they seem likely. They might not get a monster attack table at all. These won't be the focus of this editorial.
GOOMBAS: These are like Villains, but they have a Monster Attack table instead of a smattering of skills. These have relatively low HP, no more than double of single hero PC's (like up to 24 or 28), and so might work in groups (or has a Swarm trait) to make them more threatening. Probably have Ferocity of 1, or maybe an adjustable Ferocity. Examples: Vampire Bats (Rulebook;) Fairy, Ant People, Worg (Bestiary). You can encounter these a few times in an adventuring day.
ELITES: A lieutenant or sub-boss. Definitely a creature or being of power. Has a Ferocity of 2 and could single-handedly face an adventuring party. Has HP equal to several PCs' worth (likely between 48 and 60) and surley one heavy attack that can total 14 or more in one roll (2D8 or more). Examples: Giant Spider, Griffon (Rulebook;) Caldyon, Mummy, Normal Sea Serpent (Bestiary). You can encounter one of these, *maybe* two, in an adventuring day. Most monsters in the Bestiary are here, with the second-most being Bosses.
BOSSES: A level-capping monster. You would definiately only encounter only one of these in an adventuring day, perhaps the end stage of the encounter or dungeon. HP is likely between 60 to 80, yet with not too much armor if at all-- having armor up to 4 might keep HP around the lower end of the scale. Two or three attacks are Very Heavy, totaling 16 or more if rolled maximum. Examples: Manticore (Rulebook;) Golem, Fire Demon, Large Sea Serpent (Bestiary).
MEGA-BOSSES: Everything about a boss, but more. Ferocity 3, perhaps. Most of their attacks are Very Heavy that total over 18 max, and often Armor up to 6; HP over 80 or 85. Very few monsters are at this level. See Dragons (in the Rulebook;) Chimera, Ancient Dragons, Huge Sea Serpent (Bestiary)
Example:
Example:
OK, so I want to reskin something to make the Borthak. This looks like it's meant to be at least an elite monster, as it caps a specfiic beat in the chapter of the adventure. In fact, I think we can bump it up to "boss" level since the heroes didn't face any significant challenges to this point, and it's likely going to be the end of the adventuring day. I'm going to consider first those creatures that seem to fit this level.
The Borthak is also beast, so I'll start in that chapter of the Bestiary. The original creature has several signature attacks, notably a BITE (with poison), Noxious Regurgitation, and tail swipes, along with some kind of weird ice-forming "Glacial Aura." I'm thinking that, with the poison and the tail, the Manticore seems to synch up well, and I play around with something about its charging attack to mimic the glacial aura. The HP isn't too terribly high for a boss, but those attacks are pretty strong.
2. Fill in the Dragonbane stateblock.
2. Fill in the Dragonbane stateblock.
MOVEMENT: I usually default to DB's statblock. DB movement lets you use that number of meters, so there's math involved if you want to truly go 1-for-1
SIZE: I usually go by feel here as well, but D&D offers more categories (Tiny, Small, Medium, Large, Huge, Gargantuan) than DB (Small, Normal, Large, Huge) and there are actual numbers involved if you really want to go there. It's more metric stuff again.
FEROCITY: It's nearly always 2 for this level of monster.
ARMOR: It's probably zero, unless there's an obvious reason for it. In which case, look for the gear equivalent. That means likely a rating of 2, although Boss or Mega-boss levels are going to be higher.
HP: Take a cue from the monster you're reskinning. If there is any armor, the HP should be lessened. Trying to figure out monster math is harder than cracking the TikTok algorithm. But my personal rule of thumb is to try to make them to equivalent to a party of PCs. If we take it for granted that 12 or 13 is an "average" of any given PC's health, then a party of 5 would be around 60 HP. Raise or lower of course to make it more or less challenging.
Example:
Example:
MOVEMENT: The manticore's Movement of 16 sounds fine.
SIZE: The D&D Borthak's "Huge" is roughly DB's "Large," which is listed for the manticore.
FEROCITY: 2
ARMOR: None
HP: The manticore's is 44. This sounds about right. Although this is a monster for my own table, so I can be very bespoke. I want to make it 60 (my 4 PC heroes' total is 61).
(Edited later: Wait! I noticed the attack table is very aggressive, with each attack dealing out some level of damage. I wonder if that level of power means the HP is relatively lower to help balance things? I will keep it at 44.)
3. Adapt D&D's traits.
3. Adapt D&D's traits.
TRAITS: Most traits can be lilfted entirely and listed in DB's statblock separate from its monster attack table. This can be cosmetic or have some minor rules. Sometimes there isn't a DB equivalent, so I don't bother with it at all. Similarly, DB doesn't worry about Skill ratings and languages, although some of this, like Darkvision, could make it into the re-skinning if you want to. If it's anything that's going to be an attack or actual action, that should find its way into the Monster Attack table, instead.
Example:
Example:
The Borthak doesn't need the Manticore's trait of Wings. I don't need to list D&D's Darkvision; I can narrate that or assume it within Dragonbane. Instead, I need to worry about the Borthak's Glacial Aura and Webbed Feet. The latter is easy:
WEBBED FEET: A borthak has complete freedom of movement over ice and snow.
The aura is a bit tricky to adapt, as Dragonbane doesn't assume such tactical grid movement as D&D does. There is an example of something like this with the DB forest troll's Overwhelming Stench, but I decided to keep it closer to the original.
Original:
At the end of the borthak's turn, slippery ice covers surfaces within 10 feet of the borthak. This ice is difficult terrain. When a creature other than the borthak enters the ice's area for the first time on a turn or starts its turn there, it must succeed on a DC 16 Dexterity saving throw or have the prone condition. The ice disappears at the start of the borthak's next turn.
Reskinned:
GLACIAL AURA: The ground beneath a borthak is perpetually covered in slippery ice and snow. Anyone who comes within 4 meters of a borthak is considered moving through rough terrain (see Rulebook, page 44.)
4. Create a DB Monster Attack table with D&D's listed actions.
4. Create a DB Monster Attack table with D&D's listed actions.
The DB monster attack tables contain broad similarities. It's always a D6 table, with attacks roughly broken down into:
Single Attack, Normal damage: Basic strike
Single Attack, Heavy damage: Powerful strike
Multi-Attack, Light damage: Double strike, or area of effect
Fear Attack: Victim rolls on the Fear Attack table. Occaisonally, this can be an area of effect or an additional effect that follows a basic strike.
Movement Attack: One variety allows a creature to move + attack. Another variety forces the victim to move and suffer damage + a prone condition.
Special Attack: An attack that uses a creature's unique physiognomy, or something that involves the enviornment. Usually this is a single attack, perhaps inflicting a condition rather than doing damage, but could mimic any of the variety of attacks.
DAMAGE: As for damage, I use the suggested dice from the monster I'm reskinning. If I'm worried, I can double check against the weapons list, noting if the monster is hitting as hard as, say, a Broadsword (normal, or "Common") or a Greatsword (more heavy, "Rare"). Or a spell cast at Power Level 1 (normal) versus Power Level 3 (very heavy). If a condition or something like a poison accompanies the damage, then the dice should be lowered.
And of course the fun part is the flavoring! Rewriting the attack to match the new skin. Also, I like to do some mixing and matching. Swapping one creature's heavy attack with another special attack from a different creature in order to find the best fit.
Don't forget those exclamation points!
Example:
Example:
The D&D Borthak has a few basic actions that would swap in well to a monster attack table. Namely: Bite, Stomp, and Reactive Tail (which would become a kind of Tail Swipe.) The Noxious Regurgitation translates easy into a special ranged attack. Multiattack could also easily have its own row. That's five, so we are left with one more row on the attack table. The Borthak's legendary action is simply more Move and an extra Bite, so we can combine this using a movement attack type.
How does this convert directly into DB's Manticore?
Bite = "Razor Sharp Bite!" Changing slashing to peircing damage, making note of the acid saliva
Stomp = "Claw Attack!" Adding meters to clarify the ranged movement
Tail = "Sweeping attack!" Changing to bludgeoning damage
Noxious Regurgitation = "Spike Rain!" Although I will need to tweak this by taking a cue from other "spew" attacks such as those from a Fire Demon.
Legendary actions Move/Bite = "Crushing Charge!"
I notice the Manticore is missing a direct translation of its Multiattack, so I'll have to tweak the left over "Tail Strike." That's fine, as Tail Strike! doesn't match exactly the Borthak's physiognomy, and the D&D tail's action makes a better fit for the Sweeping Attack. The Griffon's Sweeping Claws is always nice to reskin. Also, technically the D&D version's tail action is a reaction. This doesn't match the action economy in DB and would take away the player's power to control their initiative so I don't want to add that.
Looking things over, I notice I'm missing out on a fear attack type, however, making this monster a bit more powerful as ALL its attacks deal some kind of damage.
I also notice I'm missing an opportunity for more flavor. The Borthak is a beast of cold and corruption. I want to modify the Stomp attack to flavor the extra damage as Cold, and leave a condition, looking to the Wight for direction.
FINAL RESULT
BORTHAK
BORTHAK
Ferocity: 2
Ferocity: 2
Movement: 16
Movement: 16
Size: Large
Size: Large
Armor: --
Armor: --
HP: 44
HP: 44
Adapted from:
Manticore
Webbed Feet: A borthak has complete freedom of movement over ice and snow.
Webbed Feet: A borthak has complete freedom of movement over ice and snow.
Glacial Aura: The ground beneath a borthak is perpetually covered in slippery ice and snow. Anyone who comes within 4 meters of a borthak is considered moving through rough terrain (see Rulebook, page 44.)
Glacial Aura: The ground beneath a borthak is perpetually covered in slippery ice and snow. Anyone who comes within 4 meters of a borthak is considered moving through rough terrain (see Rulebook, page 44.)
1
1
Razor Sharp Bite!
The borthak bites a player character with its many fangs, covered in acidic saliva, inflicting 3D8 piercing damage.
Razor Sharp Bite!
The borthak bites a player character with its many fangs, covered in acidic saliva, inflicting 3D8 piercing damage.
2
2
Swiping Claws!
The borthak sweeps its claws foreleg in a wide arc, attacking all player characters within 2 meters. Each victim suffers D8 slashing damage and is knocked down.
Swiping Claws!
The borthak sweeps its claws foreleg in a wide arc, attacking all player characters within 2 meters. Each victim suffers D8 slashing damage and is knocked down.
3
3
Sweeping Tail!
The borthak whips its tail at two opponents. Both victims suffer 2D6 bludgeoning damage and are knocked down.
Sweeping Tail!
The borthak whips its tail at two opponents. Both victims suffer 2D6 bludgeoning damage and are knocked down.
4
4
Bounding Charge!
With full force, the beast charges at the player character with the highest STR within 10 meters. The victim suffers 3D6 bludgeoning damage and is knocked down.
Bounding Charge!
With full force, the beast charges at the player character with the highest STR within 10 meters. The victim suffers 3D6 bludgeoning damage and is knocked down.
5
5
Noxious Regurgitation!
The monster spews a stream of acid in a cone 10 meters long, whose width at any given point is equal to the distance from the borthak. Anyone hit by the acid spray takes D10 acid damage and are subjected to a paralyzing poison with potency 12. Armor has no effect.
Noxious Regurgitation!
The monster spews a stream of acid in a cone 10 meters long, whose width at any given point is equal to the distance from the borthak. Anyone hit by the acid spray takes D10 acid damage and are subjected to a paralyzing poison with potency 12. Armor has no effect.
6
6
Cold Stomp!
The beast runs up to an opponent within 10 meters, knocking them down with a powerful stomp of its paw and leeching them of heat. The attack inflicts 2D8 bludgeoning damage, plus D6 of cold, of which armor has no effect. The victim is prone and also becomes cold (see Rulebook, page 54) and cannot heal HP or WP until they get warm.
Cold Stomp!
The beast runs up to an opponent within 10 meters, knocking them down with a powerful stomp of its paw and leeching them of heat. The attack inflicts 2D8 bludgeoning damage, plus D6 of cold, of which armor has no effect. The victim is prone and also becomes cold (see Rulebook, page 54) and cannot heal HP or WP until they get warm.
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