#modron hierarch

[desertdruidcrafts]

Modron hierarchs (minus the Hexton, which I drew here back in 2019) and the last of the inevitables, the zelekhut. Going to need these in Sigil for sure. Got some humanoids coming next, including a bunch of bards

[littledragoncorp]

Planescape: Adventures in the Multiverse - Alt Cover

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[the-outer-bureau-daily]

Report #31

Written by: Agents Fadia, Ges, and Taila

Mission Classified as: Formian Irregularity

Report: Agents agreed to negotiate a base on Nirvana and were encouraged by the Modron Hierarch, Noonien, they met on the Central Cog to help solve their Formian problem. These sentient ant centaurs who normally exist in a rigid hierarchy of order were acting chaotically! It was and is rather unsustainable on the plane that exemplifies Law and Order!!

Upon arriving at the last site where aberrant Formians were encountered, agents found dead humanoids and Modrons, then were surprised by Formians and were attacked. As the battle unfolded a Formian Myrmarch and her retinue intervened and ended the battle. She explained that multiple Formian colonies have been affected. The brains of the aberrant Formians they dissected had been Evolved. Near the affected colonies they also found a lantern-like device with a strange orb at its center.

The Myrmarch loaned the device (and a dead aberrant Formian) to the agents for them to study. They also provided a banner to the agents that will allow any agent carrying it safe passage up to her colony entrance and receiving chamber. She also strongly encouraged agents to bring more help if infiltration into affected colonies is the next step they take towards completing their mission.

[thecreaturecodex]

Mind Flayer, General Information

"Elder Brain Variant" © Wizards of the Coast, by Nino Is. Accessed at Art of MtG here

[While the OGL 1.1 debacle was going on, I said that I was going to keep my distance with Wizards' IP for a while. Why the change? Well, Wizards accidentally (on purpose?) released a bunch of previously Product Identity monsters into the Creative Commons, including the mind flayers. And I had been contemplating the illithidae as my next D&D monster project for a while, since I was commissioning art for the modron hierarchs.

My take on the mind flayers is going to be, like many of my versions of D&D monsters, somewhat iconoclastic. Namely, I don't like the elder brain very much. At least, not as they are typically interpreted, as the masters of a hivemind of unquestioningly obeying illithids. That makes the basic illithid into a minion and a drone. The combination of controlled by elder brains and the ever-increasing emphasis on ceremorphosis makes the mind flayers feel like the Borg. Which is less interesting than the original 70s and 80s version, where it was a species made up entirely of evil masterminds. I want to re-inject some of the respect for the normal illithids into this version.

My flavor text draws inspiration from all of the various mind flayer interpretations that have come before. A major source of inspiration was "The Sunset World", an article from Dragon 150. The various creeds were a big deal in 2e, as illithids played major roles in both Planescape and Spelljammer, but have been all but forgotten since them. I'm ignoring the time travel element from 3.5's Lords of Madness, but I am using their interpretation of mind flayer emotions. I am also finally giving them a mechanical weakness to bright lights, which somehow has been flavor only for the last 47 years.]

Mind Flayer The mind flayers are a species of hyper-intelligent, imperialist aliens that view other creatures as slaves and cattle. Their empire spans over dozens of planets, but is currently in something of a declining period due to slave revolts, conflict with the Dominion of the Black and other misfortune. Mind flayers are known for their decentralized organization and various means of travel and conquest. Some use spaceships, but most travel from planet to planet using the Astral and Shadow Planes as corridors. The mind flayers hate bright light, and the late stages of their planetary conquests include changing the atmosphere or stars of planets in order to reduce their illumination to a comforting red hue. The hub of their empire, although it is likely not their home world, is Ssirik-Akuar, the Sunset World.

As the name suggests, mind flayers use mind-influencing magic to control their enemies and allies alike. But they are also avid consumers of brains. A mind flayer can survive on an omnivorous diet of meat, fungi and plants, but grows listless and unhealthy if it does not regularly consume the brains of sapient creatures. A mind flayer can inject its tentacles straight into the brains of its victims, pithing them. Most of the time, this brain-dead individual’s brain is consumed by that mind flayer, but pithed victims are required for the mind flayer’s bizarre reproductive cycle.

What are thought by some to be different species of mind flayers are in fact different stages in a complex life cycle. The most commonly encountered mind flayers, illithids, are the equivalent of males. The elder brains that illithid colonies gather around are the equivalent of females. Illithids periodically fertilize the elder brain’s eggs, and the elder brain lives in a pool of slime crawling with mind flayer tadpoles. Illithids insert these tadpoles into the pithed body of a Medium-sized, mammalian humanoid in order to allow their young to reach maturity. Inside a host body, the tadpole insinuates into the remaining nervous system and eventually replaces its tissues like a cancer, transforming the body into an illithid. A few tadpoles, fed special enzymes by the elder brain, grow into ulitharids instead. An ulitharid is essentially an immature elder brain that spends decades learning as much as it can and coordinating the efforts of illithids before metamorphosing into a new elder brain. Most mind flayers do not concern themselves with matters of gender, and most of their bodies have lost the secondary sexual characteristics of their former lives.

Mind flayers are supremely arrogant, and their interactions with other species are usually exploitative and predatory. They present themselves as being without emotion, but in truth they are capable of regulating their emotions more directly than other creatures by consciously releasing chemicals. An illithid’s emotions are typically disdain, spite, arrogance and a lust for power. They rationalize their fears as concern and self-preservation. Almost all mind flayers consider themselves part of one or more “creeds”, which are philosophical callings that influence how mind flayers pursue their goals of conquest and consumption. Mind flayers do not discriminate between sources of power, and arcane, divine and occult magic, as well as alchemy, are common pursuits.

Mind Flayer Deities The primary god of the mind flayers is Ilsensine, the God Brain. Mind flayers consider Ilsensine to have been the first elder brain. According to the Venerator Creed, Ilsensine’s priesthood, when an elder brain dies, its knowledge passes to Ilsensine. Ilsensine’s unholy symbol is a green brain with two tentacles, and its favored weapon is the tentacle. Those few worshipers of Ilsensine that aren’t mind flayers treat unarmed strikes as their favored weapon. Ilsensine is lawful evil, and their domains are Charm, Evil, Knowledge, Law and Magic. Ilsensine’s subdomains are Hatred, Memory, Slavery, Thought and Tyranny. A cleric of Ilsensine can use the Hatred subdomain to modify the Evil domain.

A recent emergence in mind flayer culture is the rise of the Creed of Thoon. Thoon is a mysterious entity associated with the Plateau of Leng. Thoon’s followers are devoted to violent expansion, extracting vital essences from their victims along with brains and harnessing them into strange constructs that blur the line between living and non-living. Thoon’s unholy symbol is a complex rune made of tentacles, and its favored weapon is a heavy flail. Thoon is neutral evil, and its domains are Artifice, Evil, Madness and War. Thoon’s subdomains are Alchemy, Construct, Nightmare and Tactics.

Mind Flayer Mechanics “Mind flayer” is a subtype of the aberration type, with the following characteristics:

Spell resistance equal to 15 + the mind flayer’s CR

Affectless (Ex) A mind flayer gains a +4 racial bonus on all saving throws against emotion effects

Light blindness

Sunlight Sickness (Ex) A mind flayer in direct sunlight is sickened, as well as suffering penalties from its light blindness

Pith (Ex) A mind flayer can make a coup de grace attempt as a full round action without provoking attacks of opportunity against a helpless or pinned opponent. The coup de grace must be made with a specific natural weapon, listed in the mind flayer’s entry. This coup de grace does not function against creatures that have no head or no brain, and creatures with multiple heads are not killed if they fail the save (although that head is no longer functional).

[thecreaturechronicle]

Found this gem of a Tumblr page with PF stats to monsters I definitely use in my games. My favorite being the Modrons. I'm seeing you're on a break from this, but if you do return to doing monster stats, I noticed you stopped at Decaton. Would love to see the rest of the Modrons statted out, been looking for good ones since 3.0's Web Enhancement. Paizo did only the first 5 in Dragon Magazine (it seems everyone's scared to go past that point!) LOL

I had plans to convert all of the Modrons, but I got stuck on the Nonaton and never got any further. The problem with the Hierarch Modrons is that most of them are pretty samey - the only real difference in their powers is how many attacks they get and what level of spells they can cast. And my biggest weakness as a monster designer is that I'm just not very creative. I was pretty good at balancing monsters for their CR, but not at coming up with new abilities that aren't just copied from other monsters. So I got frustrated and dropped the project.

I'm not going to finish the modrons, I'm afraid, because my monster converting days really are done. I would like to share this art of the Nonaton I commissioned from my good friend @ingdamnit, though.

[nicthedm]

Almost finished the Hierarch Modrons. New video out today with their lore and stats.

Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPcFsxfrenLv_Nx0oxSmBhA

[msxr]

The Religion plays a strong part in many peoples' lives in the known world ranging from the worshipping of prophets to mythical beings and cults.

Known religions

Imperial Cult of the Great Sun  (  Warmth, life, humanity, ruling dynasty, emperor, army )  The cult of the Great Sun was formerly only one of various religions in the Empire, popular only in its core regions. This situation changed during reign of the predecessor of Emperor Fergus, about a hundred years ago, who initiated a series of major reforms. The ruler was looking for a symbol which would unite the realm better and more permanently than only the ruling dynasty. By skillfully managing with cash and giving priests his monarchic favor, he made the cult begin to gain a new crowd of followers throughout the whole Empire. In exchange, the Emperor demanded absolute support for his policies from the clergy, practically making priesthood another form of civil service.Then the monarch issued a special decree called "March 8th Edict" which granted the cult the status of official state religion. Though during reign of the Usurper its rights were diminished, its position increased after Emhyr var Emreis and his army overthrew the usurper. The cult has its roots in the Elven cult of nature. The primary deity is the Sun, giver of warmth and life, protector of humankind, but also capable of being cruel and destructive. Since the "March 8th Edict" it has also been the patron of the ruling dynasty. The most important holidays are the Equinoxes and birthday of the current Imperator, currently July 26. The central ceremonies are held in the capital, performed by the Imperator acting as the High Priest, head of the religion.All holidays are celebrated with great pomp, to the accompaniment of solemn music and in the presence of all major officials, commanders, and aristocrats. After official ceremonies, folk games with food and beverage take place.  It is noteworthy that a number of customs related with the holidays are derived directly from Elven tradition. Priests of the cult wear white raiments embroidered in gold and silver during devotions, celebrations, and holidays; as casual clothes they wear black civilian dress.

Nordling Pantheon Nordlings believe in a vast pantheon of numerous gods, goddesses, mystical powers and local forces, as well as human Prophets and Saints. Their religion is not as organized as the Imperial Cult of the Great Sun – it lacks of one head above the whole cult, instead being centered around regional hierarchs, archpriests of given deities and charismatic leaders such as Grand Masters of knightly orders and self-proclaimed Prophets.Settled priests usually follow a single deity but acknowledge and respect others while the wandering ones tend to invoke all the gods.[2] Some of the deities are known as the Immortal Ones.[3]It should be noted that while most of one deity's followers believe in the existence of another one, they do not necessarily worship the latter in the same way as the primary one – and, in extreme cases, can even hate it and its followers, as in case of the persecuted Coram Agh Tera cult. Deities Aesculapius Shani's necklace. Aesculapius is a mythological figure after whom the Rod of Aesculapius on the Merchant Street is named. Shani wears an amulet depicting its symbol, a snake entwining a staff.TriviaAsclepius was a hero and the god of medicine in ancient Greek religion and mythology. Coram Agh TeraFor the full article, see Coram Agh Tera. DagonFor the full article, see Dagon .Epona?For the full article, see Horse deity. HuldraFor the full article, see Huldra .KreveFor the full article, see Kreve. LilvaniFor the full article, see Lilvani.Lyfia For the full article, see Dana Meadbh.Melitele For the full article, see Melitele.Morrigan For the full article, see Morrigan.NehaleniFor the full article, see Nehaleni.Pereplut? Priests of this deity are common in Ebbing. They have a wooden temple in Claremont and while they protest against harming animals in the Arena, they do not mind harming humans. At the square in front of the temple Bonhart tortured Ciri with the riding-whip, the priests did not intervene.TriviaThere is an area in Ebbing called Pereplut Swamps. It is the name of a god of rivers and dance in the Slavic mythology, so it is possible that this Ebbinger deity is called Pereplut as well. SednaFor the full article, see Sedna. UroborosFor the full article, see Uroboros.Veyopatis For the full article, see Veyopatis.Verna Many people living in Velen worship a deity called Verna the Merciful, whose shrines are often desecrated by blasphemers trying to make a point, like in the quest Defender of the Faith.

Ofieri beliefs    Lands of Ofir have different deities and beliefs, depending on the region. They believe that important matters should be discussed outdoors with gods for witnesses. In contrast to the Northern Realms, the faith doesn't conflict science, and many clerics are great scholars valued by people for wisdom. z

Skellige Pantheon The Gods of the Sea and goddess Freya are chief objects of worship throughout Skellige. Undoubtedly, the latter is revered by the Islanders above all other deities, and she is a central figure in their religious system. They grant her the venerable title of the great modron, meaning "mother" in their tongue, for Freya is the patron of fertility, love, and beauty. She also poses as the patron of soothsayers, clairvoyants, telepaths, as symbolized by her sacred animals: the cat, which sees and hears while being unseen, and the falcon, who watches everything from the sky, and by her jewel: the necklace of foresight Brisingamen.]Apart from these, Islanders revere mythical hero Hemdall,[9] his mistress Heulyn, and their children, founders of the most powerful clans and the first alleged rulers of the archipelago: Grymmdjarr, Modolf, Broddr, Otkell, Sove, and Tyr.[2] They also trust and believe in local druids, who are seen as wise men and act as diplomats, royal advisors, warriors, and wielders of magic.[ There are also two forgotten deities: Svalblod and Melusine. Svalblod was worshiped by a cult cast out of Skellige, for even in a land of violence-orientated culture, these worshipers practiced rituals so drastic that they repulsed the minds of many. When it got too far, jarls brought an end to it and by 1272 only the henge in Fornhala remained standing.Melusine was a siren but was so strong, large, and different from the others that some Islanders worshiped her as a semi-divine being. She hibernated in a cave at the southern cliffs of Spikeroog, leaving at times to hunt. The locals feared her enough to worship her and even built a massive shrine in her cave, remembering her as the mad and dangerous Lady Melusine of the Depths

Zerrikanian beliefs Zerrikanians are known to worship dragons and make sacrifices before images of the said creatures.The religion is founded upon a legend of the golden dragon Zerrikanterment and how he created a protective barrier around Zerrikania by burning forests around and thus turning them into deserts and wastelands.They believe that before the dragons there was no other god, that they are the creators and rulers of the world. The priestesses are in charge of the worship. They explore all religious knowledge, are fluent in writing, and use the heavenly gift, meaning that they use magic drawn from dragons who are the only creatures apart from cats that are known to absorb magical energy.

[onion-souls]

Do you think it's better to make your own setting for a D&D game or to do an established one? I've been wondering ever since I watched Zee Bashew's newest video. If you think the latter, do you have a favorite?

I prefer to make my own settings. I just like having more control over the world’s layout and history, especially the cosmology and pantheons. I think it’s easier to make the geography and politics work with the plots you want rather than jumping into the big, decades old sandbox settings like the Forgotten Realms, Oerth, or Krynn and trying to weave your plot into it. Also, you can improvise more freely without contradiction, and don’t have to worry about the “why isn’t (high level superheroic NPC) helping with this?” Issue.

There are some settings worth running, I think: if you want Ravenloft-like gothic horror, just run Ravenloft. It’s the best at what it does.

Same with Dark Sun’s post-apocalyptic Mad Max/Dying Earth shtick.

Planescape could be fun, but it does have the problem of so many D&D planes being incredibly boring and too dangerous to go to - with the big exception of the Fire Plane’s City of Brass, capital of the efriti, the elemental and quasi-elemental planes are just one element forever, which is hard to do much with; the positive and negative energy planes kill you in seconds; it’s hard to come up with too many internal conflicts on the Good-aligned upper planes without tarnishing them; Limbo is too chaotic for it to feel like anything other than a DM screwing with you; the Modrons of Mechanus are fun for a while but an extensive, hierarchal bureaucracy of rigid-thinking robots gets exhausting for multiple stories. That just leaves the base setting, the City of Sigil, the neutral wastes around it, and the Lower Planes as exciting adventure locations, and the hells, abyss, etc. can be hard to run before mid-to-high levels without cheapening their horrors. But at least Sigil and its politics are well-fleshed out and complicated enough to use for multiple adventures, and the Blood War is one of the coolest parts of D&D and justifies all the alignment wank.

As an alternative, Spelljammer is amazing, and I’ve always wanted to run a Farscape/Lexx inspired game in it, but you need a group very onboard with its unique high fantasy setting(s) and boatloads of wacky and fiddly rules. I have yet to run a game that did more than tip its toe in it, when I brought in Giff or when I used the Neogi as stand ins for Welles’ Martian invaders.

[upon-seas-of-glass]

I’m starting a personal project to convert the Hierarch Modrons from the Planescape AD&D setting into 5e statblocks. Here’s my rendition of the Decaton, the next level up from Pentadrones. I’m taking some liberty with the spellcasting abilities that the hierarch modrons all possess in AD&D, because a lot of them also have innate abilities that are a little redundant. I want to make the 5e versions feel a little more specialized for their specific rank and purpose, so the Decaton is one of the hierarchs which have exclusively healing cleric spells prepared, while others might have more utility or damaging spells. Decaton Large construct, lawful neutral Armor Class 17 (natural armor) Hit Points 95 (10d10 + 40) Speed 30 ft., fly 10 ft. (hover) Str 13, Dex 15, Con 18, Int 14, Wis 14, Cha 15 Skills Perception +8 Senses truesight 120ft., passive Perception 18 Languages Modron Challenge 8 (3,900 XP) Axiomatic Mind. The decaton can’t be compelled to act in a manner contrary to its nature or its instructions. Disintegration. If the decaton dies, its body disintegrates into dust, leaving behind its weapons and anything else it was carrying. Magic Resistance. The decaton has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects. Spellcasting. The decaton is a 10th-level spellcaster. Its spellcasting ability is Wisdom (spell save DC 13, +5 to hit with spell attacks). The decaton has the following cleric spells prepared:

Cantrips (at will): mending, resistance, guidance 1st level (4 slots): healing word, cure wounds 2nd level (3 slots): prayer of healing, lesser restoration 3rd level (3 slots): mass healing word 4th level (3 slots): locate creature 5th level (2 slots): mass cure wounds

Modron Medic. The decaton can only target modrons (including itself) with any of its cleric spells which heal creatures. These spells can affect any tier of modron, regardless of whether or not the decaton can conceive of its existence.

Actions Multiattack. The decaton makes ten tentacle attacks. Tentacle. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 2) bludgeoning damage.

“The decatons are the lowest order of officials found in modron society. These creatures appear as 10-tentacles spheres on stumpy legs. They are the overseers of the physical welfare of the base modrons, the voice of the great power to the working class. One decaton is assigned to each sector of the realm, while the remaining 36 serve on the staffs of the 36 legions of the modron army.

The spherical decatons fly by generating a light gas within their bodies, rendering them lighter than air. Generally they only rise into the air in order to get an overview of the situation when commanding modron armies.”

(Decaton description from the original Planescape Monstrous Supplement, image of decaton from the Planescape adventure, The Great Modron March)

[thecreaturecodex]

Modron, Quarton

Image © @tredlocity​

[In the original Monster Manual 2, quartons have absolutely no unique abilities whatsoever. Which allowed them to be a blank slate for me. So I gave them powers of crafting and construction, and also a bunch of references to the spells and magic items of original AD&D that assumed that high level characters would settle down and build their own dungeons. On a related note, is the lyre of building a joke about Nero? Or is there some myth or story about construction sped up by playing a lyre that I don’t know?]

Modron, Quarton CR 18 LN Outsider (extraplanar) This humanoid giant has four arms, two enormous and two small. It has fan-like wings growing from its back, and a head like a helmet. A symbol of a diamond sits on the center of its forehead.

Quartons are the modron hierarchs that represent Primus’ mastery over artifice. They are engineers and builders of incredible skill, mixing magical and mundane techniques to create buildings and tools that are unparalleled throughout the planes. They often act as architects and supervisors, coordinating the efforts of lesser modrons to perform the bulk of the labor, and then adding the finishing touches to optimize efficiency. As such, a single quarton may oversee construction projects throughout Regulus, delegating to a team of decatons for most of the day-to-day affairs.

Although quartons have four arms, they are decidedly uneven in size. The smaller pair is used for spellcasting, while the larger pair is used for combat and manual labor. A quarton typically carries a massive two-handed hammer as a badge of office, and blows with this hammer can shatter inanimate objects and clear earth and stone with ease. A quarton often focuses its strikes in combat on enemy gear rather than on their flesh, hoping to demoralize foes and persuade them of the wisdom of surrender. If this fails, or if fighting chaotic enemies, the quarton instead fights with maximum lethal efficiency.

As quartons rarely leave the bustle of Regulus, they provide tools in order for other modrons to fulfill the will of Primus on other planes or planets. Their workshops build the vast majority of the weapons wielded by modrons, and they also provide hierarchs on the Great Modron March with tools for securing and defending territory. Instant fortresses, lyres of building, and simple scrolls of stone shape and move earth are provided to expeditionary forces. On the rare occasions where a quarton leaves Regulus, it is usually to inspect a site captured by modrons to determine if it is suitable for long-term occupation, and to design fortifications to spec if it is.

Quarton                 CR 18 XP 153,600 LN Large outsider (extraplanar, law, modron) Init 27 (fixed); Senses darkvision 60 ft., Perception +32 Aura shield of law (DC 25) Defense AC 33, touch 20, flat-footed 26 (-1 size, +7 Dex, +4 deflection, +13 natural) hp 300 (20d10+160 plus 30); regeneration 5 (chaotic, force) Fort +18, Ref +23, Will +25 DR 15/chaotic; Resist acid 10, cold 10, fire 10; SR 28 Defensive Abilities constructed, freedom of movement Offense Speed 40 ft., fly 60 ft. (average) Melee +3 adamantine earth breaker +31/+26/+21/+16 (2d8+16/19-20x3) or 2 slams +29 (2d8+9) Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft. Special Attacks infuse arms and armor (7/day), titanic strikes Spell-like Abilities CL 19th, concentration +26 (+30 casting defensively) Constant—detect chaos, freedom of movement, shield of law (DC 25, self only) At will—clairaudience/clairvoyance, crafter’s fortune,  greater command (DC 22), greater teleport, order’s wrath (DC 21), protection from chaos (DC 18) 3/day—dispel chaos (DC 22), fabricate, greater dispel magic, move earth, wall of force, ward the faithful 1/day—dictum (DC 24), guards and wards, sequester Spells CL 18th, concentration +28 (+32 casting defensively) 9th—etherealness, mass heal (DC 28), prismatic sphere, quickened righteous might 8th—dimensional lock, quickened divine power, earthquake, statue, stormbolts (DC 27) 7th—mass cure serious wounds (DC 26), quickened prayer, quickened protection from energy, symbol of stunning (DC 26), wall of iron 6th—blade barrier (DC 25), forbiddance, greater dispel magic, heal (DC 25), major creation, true seeing 5th—breath of life (DC 24), dispel chaos (DC 24), quickened divine favor, fabricate, pillar of life, plane shift (DC 23), scrying (DC 24) 4th—blessing of fervor, dimensional anchor, discern lies (DC 23), dismissal (DC 23), minor creation, spiritual ally, tongues 3rd—cure serious wounds (x2, DC 22), locate object, magic vestment, stone shape (x2), wrathful mantle 2nd—find traps, grace, sound burst (x2, DC 21), spiritual weapon (x2), wood shape 1st—animate rope, ant haul, bless, cure light wounds (x3, DC 20), entropic shield, shield of faith 0th—detect magic, guidance, read magic, virtue Domain—Artifice Statistics Str 28, Dex 24, Con 26, Int 25, Wis 29, Cha 25 Base Atk +20; CMB +30 (+34 sunder); CMD 51 (53 vs. sunder) Feats Combat Reflexes, Craft Magic Arms and Armor (B), Craft Rod (B), Craft Wondrous Item (B), Critical Focus, Greater Sunder, Improved Critical (earth breaker) Improved Sunder, Power Attack, Scribe Scroll (B), Shield of Swings, Stand Still, Staggering Critical, Stunning Critical Skills Craft (armorsmithing, masonry, weaponsmithing) +36, Diplomacy +15, Disable Device +28, Fly +26, Knowledge (arcana, dungeoneering, religion) +25, Knowledge (engineering, planes) +28, Perception +32, Perform (strings) +28, Sense Motive +30, Spellcraft +28; Racial Modifiers +8 Craft, +2 Perception Languages Celestial, Infernal, Modron, telepathy 100 ft (49 miles with modrons) SQ coordinated ally, fixed initiative, ultimate craftsman Ecology Environment any land or underground (Regulus) Organization solitary or pair Treasure double standard (+3 Large adamantine earth breaker, other treasure) Special Abilities Infuse Arms and Armor (Su) As a standard action, a quarton can touch a set of armor, a weapon or fifty pieces of ammunition and make them magical. This ability can confer a +4 enhancement bonus, or weapon or armor special qualities equivalent to a +4 enhancement bonus, or a mixture. The abilities granted must be appropriate for the type of weapon or armor, and the quarton cannot confer any ability with an alignment other than lawful. A quarton cannot use this ability on the same piece of equipment multiple times at once, but can use it to increase the enhancement of already magical weapons or armor. A bonus conferred in this way lasts for 20 minutes. A quarton can use this ability a number of times per day equal to its Charisma modifier. Spells A quarton casts spells as an 18th level cleric with access to the Artifice domain. Titanic Strikes (Su) A quarton deals double damage to inanimate objects with its weapon attacks, and can use any tool to clear earth or stone as per a mattock of the titans. Ultimate Craftsman (Ex) A quarton gains a +8 racial bonus to all Craft skills, and gains four item creation feats as bonus feats. A quarton can create non-magical items in ¼ the time as normal. By meditating for eight hours, a quarton can change one or more of the Craft skills it is trained in to another Craft skill.

[thecreaturecodex]

Modron, Octon

Image © @tredlocity​

[Those of you who are familiar with the modrons of 1e may notice that I am leaving out a big bit of modron flavor text. The idea that there are a set number of modron hierarchs of each tier. This I am intentionally leaving out, because I think it is stupid. Namely, the numbers of each tier are way too low. They’re the square of the modron’s number (so 100 decatons, 81 nonatons, 64 octons, etc). And in 1e, Mechanus is infinite. So you have an infinite plane, with just 100 supervisors, 81 sheriffs, 64 governors? D&D in general has difficulty with population sizes (cities always are underpopulated compared to real world medieval cities), but comparing these numbers to literal infinity just makes the problem even more noticeable. So I am leaving the numbers of each rank of hierarch intentionally blank. Do with them what you, as a GM, will.]

Modron, Octon CR 12 LN Outsider (extraplanar) This stoutly build creature has a single large eye set in its head, which is surrounded with an ornate collar. It has eight arms, and appears to be wearing a metallic set of robes.

Octons are bureaucrats and middle managers par excellence. They act as regional governors in Regulus, overseeing the tasks of lesser modrons, coordinating large scale construction or expansion projects and keeping tabs on law and order in their province. Their collars give them enormous magical mobility, and they are sometimes seen floating at the tops of buildings or swimming through waterworks in order to properly inspect them. They are rarely found in each other’s company, although by no means are most octons alone—they usually travel with a decaton to delegate to, and a large staff of drones to follow orders. When multiple octons come together, it is usually to discuss a project that would affect all of their districts or to share intelligence about visitors to be aware of (such as mortal adventurers).

Octons may look rather unassuming compared to decatons and nonatons, but they are even more dangerous combatants than those ranks. Octons are trained in the martial arts, and each octon has a specific fighting style that they use—these fighting styles are about the only individuality given to octons, and so they are proud of their skills. The octon statistics presented here show specialization in defensive techniques. Although octons are proud, they are not foolish; their first move when confronted with interlopers from another plane is typically to send them back where they came from with magic.

An octon is fastidious and precise in its movements, mannerisms and speech. They are sticklers for following all of the rules, even those of spelling and grammar, and get irritated with anyone who does not consider such proprieties. On the rare occasions they are found outside of Regulus, octons often serve as ambassadors. In these roles, they are usually granted authority to make some decisions, but usually defer major treaties or declarations to the tertians.

Octon     CR 12 XP 19,200 LN Medium outsider (extraplanar, law, modron) Init 23 (fixed); Senses darkvision 60 ft., detect chaos, Perception +22 Defense AC 26, touch 17, flat-footed 26 (+6 Dex, +1 dodge, +9 natural) hp 156 (13d10+65 plus 20) Fort +9, Ref +14, Will +13 DR 10/chaotic; Resist acid 10, cold 10, fire 10; SR 21 Defensive Abilities constructed, freedom of movement, uncanny dodge Offense Speed 30 ft., fly 60 ft. (good), swim 60 ft. Melee unarmed strike +19/+14/+9 or +17/+17/+12/+12/+7 (2d6+4) Special Attacks monastic training Spell-like Abilities CL 13th, concentration +17 Constant—detect chaos, freedom of movement, tongues At will—calm emotions (DC 16), clairaudience/clairvoyance, dimension door, haste, order’s wrath (DC 18), protection from chaos (DC 15), telekinesis (DC 19) 3/day—dismissal (DC 19), greater command (DC 19), greater teleport 1/day—dictum (DC 21), true seeing, wall of force Statistics Str 18, Dex 22, Con 20, Int 19, Wis 21, Cha 19 Base Atk +13; CMB +17 (+19 grapple); CMD 34 (36 vs. grapple) Feats Alertness, Combat Expertise, Deflect Arrows, Dodge, Improved Grapple, Improved Unarmed Strike (B), Stunning Fist, Weapon Finesse Skills Diplomacy +17, Fly +27, Knowledge (arcana, engineering, history, local) +14, Knowledge (planes, religion) +17, Perception +24, Sense Motive +22, Spellcraft +14, Swim +26, Use Magic Device +14; Racial Modifiers +4 Fly, +2 Perception, +4 Swim Languages Celestial, Infernal, Modron, telepathy 100 ft. (9 miles with modrons), tongues SQ coordinated ally, fixed initiative, motility collar Ecology Environment any (Regulus) Organization solitary or conference (2-5) Treasure standard Special Abilities Monastic Training (Ex) An octon gains Improved Unarmed Strike as a bonus feat as well as the unarmed strike damage bonus and flurry of blows of a monk equal to its Hit Dice. Octon hit dice stack with monk levels for these class abilities. Motility Collar (Su) An octon’s collar gives it a fly speed of 60 feet and a swim speed of 60 feet as a supernatural ability. It also grants it a +4 racial bonus to Fly and Swim checks.

[thecreaturecodex]

Modron, Secundus

Image © @tredlocity​

[The secundus modrons actually have unique abilities, albeit class abilities from multiple other classes. They’re monks, clerics and wizards all in one. I simplified their casting a bit, in the manner of some of the other shared spell list monsters out there like gold dragons and guardian nagas, and gave them some abilities that aren’t just copies of character class abilities. I asked Tred to give them a crook and flail because the art for the modron hierarchs in the original MM2 always reminded me of Akhenaten.

Incidentally, if you want to make these guys even more complicated, I could see giving them access to a second spell list other than sorcerer/wizard. A divination or enchantment based secundus could use the psychic spell list, for example, or a conjuration or transmutation one use the druid list.]

Modron, Secundus CR 23 LN Outsider (extraplanar) This metallic humanoid is tall and gaunt, clad in robes. It carries a crooked rod in one hand and a jointed flail in the other. The symbol of a half-circle is embedded in its forehead.

The secundi are the most powerful of the modron hierarchs save for Primus himself. They are nearly unique creatures—only seven exist at any time, although when one is slain, a new secundus is rapidly promoted from the ranks of the tertians. They represent the domain of Magic, although Primus’ other domains (Artifice, Knowledge and Law) are all reflected in them as well. Their primary task is to facilitate the will of Primus however it needs to be done. At any time, several of the secundi can be found in the Great Modron Cathedral maintaining the Energy Pool and communing with Primus directly, while others are coordinating the efforts of lesser modrons. They are the final line of defense between Primus and any who would dare attack him, and great incursions into Regulus are met with a secundus response after an initiation of hostilities and the reports of scouts.

A secundus is well suited to this task of defense, as they are alone the equal of an entire regimen of wizards, clerics and monks. A secundus can strike with lightning speed, set up lethal vibrations in an enemy, and are capable of casting a wide variety of offensive and defensive spells. On the off chance they do not have just the right spell prepared for the occasion, a secundus can call upon the versatility of magic itself and cast almost any spell. This can only be used once per day, so most secundi typically save this ability for an emergency or highly unusual foe. The seven secundi each have specialized in a different school of magic—all of the schools except for necromancy are currently represented.

One of the many tasks of the secundi is to analyze reports from individual modrons and make suggestions for who is to be promoted amongst the hierarchs when casualties occur. Primus makes the ultimate decision, of course, but appreciates the plurality of viewpoints. This also acts as on-the-job training; each secundus knows that, if the unthinkable happens and Primus is slain, the next Primus will be chosen from their ranks. The secundus who commits the greatest act of service to the forces of Law within a week of Primus’ death will be the next Primus. Each of the secundi already has contingency plans lined up in case of Primus’ demise.

The seven secundi each have a simple alphanumeric designation, reflecting their order of creation and chosen school of magic. When a secundus is slain, the numbers decrease by one, and the new secundus adopts the number 7. Although there are no current redundancies in the schools specialized in by the secundi, it is not impossible that such a thing may happen in the future if Primus wills it. The seven secundi are CO-1, AB-2, TR-3, EV-4, DI-5, IL-6 and EN-7.

Secundus               CR 23 XP 820,000 CR 23 LN outsider (extraplanar, lawful, modron) Init 37 (fixed); Senses darkvision 60 ft., detect chaos, greater arcane sight, Perception +41, true seeing Aura shield of law (DC 28) Defense AC 40, touch 24, flat-footed 40 (-1 size, +10 Dex, +1 dodge, +4 deflection, +16 natural) hp 475 (27d10+297 plus 30); regeneration 10 (chaotic, force) Fort +24, Ref +29, Will +31 DR 15/chaotic and epic; Resist acid 10, cold 10, fire 10; SR 34 Defensive Abilities constructed, freedom of movement, uncanny dodge Offense Speed 50 ft., fly 80 ft. (perfect) Melee unarmed strike +38/+33/+28/+23 (4d8+12) or unarmed strike flurry +36/+36/+31/+31/+26/+26/+21 (4d8+12) or +4 axiomatic nunchaku +42/+37/+32/+27 (1d8+16 plus 2d6 lawful) or +4 axiomatic nunchaku flurry +40/+40/+35/+35/+30/+30/+25 (1d8+16 plus 2d6 lawful) Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft. Special Attacks flurry of blows, quivering palm Spells CL 20th, concentration +32 (+36 casting defensively) 9th—maximized cold ice strike (DC 30), mage’s disjunction (DC 31), mass heal (DC 31), meteor swarm (DC 33), overwhelming presence (DC 31), symbol of vulnerability (DC 31) 8th—maximized breath of life (DC 27), discern location, quickened divine power, greater spell immunity, fire storm (DC 33), maze, protection from spells 7th—forcecage (DC 31), greater scrying (DC 29), mass cure serious wounds (DC 29), quickened protection from energy, quickened remove blindness/deafness, resonating word (DC 29), spell turning 6th—antimagic field, banishment (DC 28), chain lightning (DC 30), disintegrate (DC 28), heal (DC 28), quickened mirror image, quickened owl’s wisdom 5th—cone of cold (DC 29), quickened divine favor, greater forbid action (DC 27), quickened magic missile, mark of justice, prying eyes, spell resistance 4th—cure critical wounds (DC 26, x2), fire shield, inflict critical wounds (DC 26, x2), imbue with spell ability, resilient sphere, tongues 3rd—archon’s aura (DC 27), dispel magic, fireball (DC 27), haste, magic vestment, prayer, searing light (x2) 2nd—arrow of law (DC 26, x2), bear’s endurance, blur, bull’s strength, magic mouth, spiritual weapon (x2) 1st—cure light wounds (DC 23, x2), identify, magic missile (x3), ray of enfeeblement (DC 23, x2) plus 7 0th--detect magic, read magic, stabilize, virtue Domain—Magic Spell-like Abilities CL 23rd, concentration +33 (+37 casting defensively) Constant—detect chaos, freedom of movement, greater arcane sight, shield of law (DC 28, self only), true seeing At will—clairaudience/clairvoyance, greater command (DC 25), greater teleport, order’s wrath (DC 23), protection from chaos (DC 19), sending 3/day— dictum (DC 29), dispel chaos (DC 25), finger of death (DC 27), geas/quest, greater dispel magic, wall of force 1/day—anyspell (DC 29), gate (DC 29), power word kill Statistics Str 34, Dex 30, Con 32, Int 31, Wis 35, Cha 31 Base Atk +27; CMB +40; CMD 55 Feats Combat Casting, Craft Construct, Craft Magic Arms and Armor, Craft Rod, Craft Wondrous Item, Divine Interference, Dodge, Gorgon’s Fist, Greater Spell Focus (evocation) (B), Improved Initiative, Improved Unarmed Strike (B), Maximize Spell, Medusa’s Wrath, Quicken Spell, Scorpion Style, Spell Focus (evocation) (B), Stunning Fist Skills Acrobatics +37 (+45 when jumping), Climb +24, Diplomacy +34, Fly +40, Intimidate +34, Knowledge (arcana, planes) +37, Knowledge (dungeoneering, engineering, geography, history, religion) +34, Linguistics +34, Perception +41, Sense Motive +39, Spellcraft +37, Stealth +29, Swim +24, Use Magic Device +37; Racial Modifiers +2 Perception Languages Celestial, Infernal, Modron, 24 others, telepathy 100 ft (81 miles for other modrons) SQ coordinated ally, coupled casting, fixed initiative, monastic training, school training Ecology Environment any land or underground (Regulus) Organization solitary, council (2-4) or party (1 plus 2-12 modrons) Treasure double standard (+4 axiomatic nunchaku, rod worth 60,000 or less, other treasure) Special Abilities Anyspell (Sp) Once per day, a secundus can cast any 8th level or lower spell from any spell list as a spell-like ability. This spell has the normal casting time for that spell. This is treated as a 9th level spell. Coupled Casting (Ex) A secundus can use spells with somatic components without penalty if it is wielding a rod in one hand and a weapon in the other. Flight (Su) The fly speed of a secundus is a supernatural ability. Flurry of Blows (Ex) A secundus gains the flurry of blows class ability of a 20th level monk. Monastic Training (Ex) A secundus gains Improved Unarmed Strike as a bonus feat, and deals unarmed damage equal to a 20th level monk. It also gains proficiency with all exotic weapons with the monk descriptor. Quivering Palm (Su) A secundus gains the quivering palm ability of a 20th level monk, except that it can maintain a number of quivering palms in different creatures equal to its Wisdom modifier (12 for an ordinary specimen). The save DC to resist a secundus’ quivering palm is Fortitude DC 35. This save DC is Wisdom based. School Training (Ex) A secundus gains Spell Focus and Greater Spell Focus feats for one school of its choice as bonus spells. It may apply the effects of these feats to its spell-like abilities as well, including to appropriate spells simulated with the anyspell ability. Spells A secundus casts spells as a 20th level cleric with access to the Magic domain. It may also prepare and cast spells from the sorcerer/wizard list as if they were cleric spells.

[thecreaturecodex]

Modron, Tertian

Image © @tredlocity​

[The tertian is, oddly enough, the modron with the most adventure appearances in D&D 3.5. Which isn’t saying much. But two different high level Dungeon Magazine adventures, “The Quicksilver Hourglass” and “Diplomacy”, used the presence of a tertian as an indicator that the forces of Law were interested in the particulars of that plot. I ran the latter adventure when I was in college, and wore a DEVO energy dome as an indicator when I was speaking in character as the modron.]

Modron, Tertian CR 19 LN Outsider (extraplanar) This metallic humanoid is tall and broad, with a head like a triangular helmet. It carries an oversized mace, and a ball of similar size and composition grows from its tail.

Tertian modrons are the judges of Regulus, and they represent Law among Primus’ hierarchs, even more so than other modrons. In all legal matters concerning modrons, tertians are judges and experts, and they may act as ambassadors or attorneys to represent modron interests. Even when they are not arguing a case, their very presence may be used as a tool by the highest ecclesiasts of lawful churches. Creatures in a tertian’s presence are compelled to tell the truth, and thus tertians may be used as witnesses for especially important trials, contracts and treaties. They are the highest ranking modron that can regularly be found outside of Regulus, although they do most of this travel through astral projection.

A tertian’s actions are deliberate, to the point where they can choose to accept the average result when attacking, defending or using one of their skills. A tertian usually seeks to incapacitate rather than kill enemies, using a combination of melee and magic to batter an enemy unconscious and to stun, paralyze or otherwise hinder foes. Most tertians are comfortable in the thick of melee, using Whirlwind Attack to strike at multiple enemies and Spring Attack to avoid being pinned down.

The courts of the modrons are intimidating to mortals, but not inherently hostile. The death penalty is typically reserved for rogue modrons, chaotic outsiders or other creatures seen as beyond redemption. Mortals are considered able to be swayed, and thus sentences handed down by the tertians are more often community service, compelled by geases and marks of justice, if need be. If a defendant is seen as requiring more severe punishment, or is judged to need to be removed from society completely for a time, they are trapped in an imprisonment spell to await the months, years or centuries deemed to be a suitable sentence.  

Tertian CR 19 XP 204,800 LN Large outsider (extraplanar, lawful, modron) Init 27 (fixed); Senses aura sight, darkvision 60 ft., Perception +38, true seeing Aura shield of law (self only, DC 26), truthfulness (60 ft., Will DC 28) Defense AC 34, touch 21, flat-footed 26 (-1 size, +7 Dex, +1 dodge, +4 deflection, +13 natural) hp 334 (21d10+189 plus 30); regeneration 10 (chaotic, force) Fort +20, Ref +23, Will +26 DR 15/chaotic; Resist acid 10, cold 10, fire 10; SR 28 Defensive Abilities constructed Offense Speed 50 ft. Melee +3 adamantine heavy mace +33/+28/+23/+18 (2d8+18 plus commanding blow), tail slap +28 (2d8+5 plus pummeling) or 2 slams +30 (2d6+10), tail slap +28 (2d8+5 plus pummeling) Space 10 ft. Reach 10 ft. Spell-like Abilities CL 21th, concentration +27 (+31 casting defensively) Constant—aura sight, shield of law (DC 26, self only), true seeing At will—atonement, clairaudience/clairvoyance, greater command (DC 23), greater teleport, mark of justice, order’s wrath (DC 21), protection from chaos (DC 19) 3/day— dictum (DC 25), dispel chaos (DC 23), geas/quest, quickened greater dispel magic, wall of force 1/day—freedom, imprisonment (DC 27), mass hold monster (DC 27) Spells CL 19th, concentration +29 (+33 casting defensively) 9th—astral projection, gate (DC 29), miracle, summon monster IX (lawful only), true resurrection 8th—dimensional lock, fire storm (DC 28), greater spellcrash (DC 28), mass cure critical wounds (DC 28), shield of law (DC 28) 7th—control weather, destruction (DC 27), dictum (DC 27), greater scrying (DC 27), repulsion (DC 27), symbol of weakness (DC 27) 6th—greater dispel magic (x2), harm (DC 26), heal (x2, DC 26), hold monster (DC 26), mass owl’s wisdom 5th—break enchantment, breath of life (DC 25), commune, dispel chaos (DC 25), disrupting weapon, planeslayer’s call, plane shift (DC 25) 4th—air walk (x2), cure critical wounds (DC 24), divine power, freedom of movement, order’s wrath (DC 24), tongues 3rd—daylight, magic circle vs. chaos (DC 23), mark of obvious ethics (DC 23), prayer, protection from energy (x2), speak with dead (DC 23) 2nd— align weapon (lawful only), bear’s endurance, bull’s strength, cure moderate wounds (DC 22), life pact, make whole, shield other, spiritual weapon 1st—bless, divine favor (x2), obscuring mist, protection from chaos (DC 21), sanctuary (x2, DC 21), shield of faith 0th—detect magic, light, mending, read magic Domain: Law Statistics Str 30, Dex 24, Con 28, Int 27, Wis 31, Cha 27 Base Atk +21; CMB +32; CMD 54 Feats Bludgeoner, Combat Casting, Combat Expertise, Dodge, Mobility, Multiattack, Power Attack, Quicken SLA (greater dispel magic), Skill Focus (Sense Motive), Spring Attack, Whirlwind Attack Skills Bluff +32, Diplomacy +32, Intimidate +32, Knowledge (arcana, local, nobility, religion) +29, Knowledge (history, planes) +32, Linguistics +29, Perception +38, Profession (lawyer) +34, Sense Motive +44, Spellcraft +29; Racial Modifiers +4 Perception, +4 Sense Motive Languages Celestial, Infernal, Modron, 21 others, telepathy 100 ft. (64 miles with other modrons) SQ coordinated ally, deliberate, fixed initiative Ecology Environment any land or underground (Regulus) Organization solitary or tribunal (3) Treasure double standard (Large +3 adamantine heavy mace, other treasure) Special Abilities Aura of Truthfulness (Su) Any creature within 60 feet of a tertian must succeed a DC 28 Will save or be compelled to speak nothing but truth for the next 24 hours. A creature that saves successfully is immune to the aura of truthfulness of that tertian for the next 24 hours. A tertian automatically knows who has or has not been affected by this aura. This is a mind-influencing compulsion effect, and the save DC is Charisma based. Commanding Blow (Su) Whenever a tertian modron hits an enemy with a manufactured weapon, that creature must succeed on a DC 28 Will save or be compelled to action, as per a command spell, for 1 round. Any command applicable to the spell may be given. A tertian modron can only use this ability once per round per creature struck, but it may give different commands to different enemies. This is a mind-influencing compulsion effect, and the save DC is Charisma based. Deliberate (Ex) A tertian can choose to take 10 on any attack roll, combat maneuver roll, skill check, ability check or saving throw regardless of whether it is distracted or threatened. Pummeling (Ex) A creature struck by a tertian’s tail slap must succeed a DC 30 Fortitude save or fall prone and be stunned for 1 round. The save DC is Strength based.

[thecreaturecodex]

Modron, Quinton

Image © @tredlocity​

[It’s time for me to finish off my version of the modrons. See here for a general overview of them mechanically and conceptually. I have previously complained about how samey the modron hierarchs are, and this continues my attempts to differentiate them more from one another. I decided to keep the cleric casting at the upper tiers, and to give each of them a different one of Primus’ domains.]

Modron, Quinton CR 17 LN Outsider (extraplanar) This metallic humanoid has five arms, four growing from the usual places and one on its belt like a tail. It has fan-like wings and large shoulders, and carries a staff in its hands. Its face is dour and lean, with heavy brows and sunken cheeks.

The quintons are modron hierarchs that represent Primus’ mastery over knowledge. Primus understands the mysteries of the universe in ways that baffle and frighten mortal minds, and quintons are responsible for filtering that knowledge into axioms that mortals and modron drones alike can understand. They work most closely with the septons, organizing and collating their efforts and periodically publishing works collecting together all that is known of a particular topic. No source of inquiry is too small or too petty for a quinton, and one of the few markers of individuality among them is their particular special interests.

Quintons see combat as a distraction from valuable thinking time; they are not as thrilled with tactical possibilities as hextons are. Instead, they try to end combat swiftly and efficiently and get back to their studies, or bolster allied modrons to fight for them. They are invested with divine power through Primus, and any quinton is the match of the finest mortal spellcasters. All quintons carry a magical staff as a badge of office, which they use to supplement their own spellcasting. A quinton can use magical items with remarkable speed, and always has useful scrolls and wands on hand. Their understanding of the universe contains truths that are almost incomprehensible to non-lawful creatures, which quintons can use as a weapon to disrupt formations and allow themselves to escape.

Although quintons seem dour and withdrawn to mortals, among modrons they have something of celebrity status. Modrons need to rest and relax, even if they do not require food or sleep, and every modron sets aside time for recreation in order to maximize efficiency during working time. The most popular recreations are puzzles, ranging from simple word searches and small physical toys for monodrones, up to elaborate logic problems and cryptograms for the hierarchs. Quintons design and write these puzzles and have them distributed to the masses by quadrone messengers. Some of these puzzles have made it to the Material Plane, and the most elaborate of them have been mistaken for books in lost languages or works of particularly obscure philosophy.

Quinton              CR 17 XP 102,400 LN Large outsider (extraplanar, lawful, modron) Init 29 (fixed); Senses darkvision 60 ft., detect chaos, detect magic, low-light vision, Perception +29 Aura shield of law (DC 25) Defense AC 32, touch 19, flat-footed 26 (-1 size, +6 Dex, +4 deflection, +13 natural) hp 273 (18d10+144 plus 30); regeneration 5 (chaotic, force) Fort +18, Ref +21, Will +23 DR 15/chaotic; Resist acid 10, cold 10, fire 10; SR 28 Defensive Abilities constructed Offense Speed 40 ft., fly 60 ft. (average) Melee 5 slams +24 (1d12+6) Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft. Special Attacks rapid activation, stunning revelation Spell-like Abilities CL 18th, concentration +25 (+29 casting defensively) Constant—detect chaos, detect magic, read magic, shield of law (DC 25, self only), tongues At will—clairaudience/clairvoyance, greater command (DC 22), greater teleport, order’s wrath (DC 21), protection from chaos (DC 18) 3/day—commune, quickened dimension door, greater dispel magic, greater scrying (DC 24), vision, wall of force 1/day—dictum (DC 24), greater prying eyes, moment of prescience Spells CL 17th, concentration +25 (+29 casting defensively) 9th—foresight, mass heal (DC 27) 8th—discern location, maximized flame strike (DC 23), greater spell immunity, maximized slay living (DC 23) 7th—greater restoration, legend lore, extended mass bull strength, mass cure serious wounds (DC 25), repulsion (DC 25) 6th—banishment (DC 24), blade barrier (DC 24), find the path, geas/quest, heal (DC 24), maximized searing light 5th—breath of life (DC 23), extended divine power, mark of justice, plane shift (DC 23), maximized spiritual weapon, true seeing 4th—communal protection from energy, control water, cure critical wounds (DC 22), debilitating portent, dimensional anchor, divination, freedom of movement 3rd—cure serious wounds (DC 21), daylight, invisibility purge, prayer, remove blindness/deafness, speak with dead (DC 21), stone shape 2nd—aid, detect thoughts (DC 20), extended divine favor, eagle’s splendor, lesser restoration, extended shield of faith, zone of truth (DC 20) 1st—abundant ammunition, bane (DC 19), bless, compel hostility (DC 19), comprehend languages, cure light wounds (DC 19), sanctuary (DC 19) 0th—light, mending, resistance, stabilize Domain—Knowledge Statistics Str 22, Dex 23, Con 26, Int 31, Wis 26, Cha 25 Base Atk +18; CMB +25; CMD 35 Feats Combat Casting, Craft Staff, Dimensional Agility, Extend Spell, Improved Initiative, Maximize Spell, Quicken SLA (dimension door), Scribe Scroll, Spell Penetration Skills Appraise +28, Diplomacy +22, Fly +17, Knowledge (all) +33, Linguistics +28, Perception +28, Profession (publisher) +23, Sense Motive +26, Spellcraft +28, Use Magic Device +20; Racial Modifiers +4 Knowledge (all), +2 Perception Languages Celestial, Infernal, Modron, telepathy 100 ft. (36 miles with other modrons), tongues, 15 others SQ coordinated ally, encyclopedic knowledge, fixed initiative, item use Ecology Environment any land (Regulus) Organization solitary or confluence (2-5) Treasure double standard (staff worth approximately 40,000 gp, other treasure) Special Abilities Encyclopedic Knowledge (Ex) A quinton treats all Knowledge skills as class skills, and gains a +4 bonus on all Knowledge checks. Item Use (Ex) A quinton can use all spell completion and spell trigger magic items as if they were on its spell list. Spells A quinton can cast spells as a 17th level cleric. It gets access to domain spells from the Knowledge domain. Rapid Activation (Su) A quinton can use a spell trigger or spell completion magic item as a swift action. It may use this ability a number of times a day equal to its Intelligence modifier (10 times for an average specimen) Stunning Revelation (Su) As a standard action, a quinton can speak aloud a great and unsettling truth of existence. All creatures that can hear the quinton within 30 feet must succeed a DC 23 Will save or be stunned for 1d4+1 rounds. On a successful save, they are staggered for 1 round. A creature that succeeds its save is immune to the stunning revelation of that quinton for the next 24 hours. Creatures with the lawful subtype are immune to the stunning revelation. A quinton can use this ability three times per day, and must wait 1d4 rounds between uses. This is a language dependent compulsion effect. The save DC is Charisma based.

[thecreaturecodex]

Modron, Decaton

Image © @tredlocity​

[The original take on the modron hierarchs are pretty same-y, mechanically speaking. They all have cleric casting, one more hit die than the one immediately less powerful, but one less attack. They have basically nothing as far as unique abilities in either 1e or 2e. There’s a reason they have been basically neglected since then: 3e has them appear in a web enhancement for Manual of the Planes, they’re skipped in 4e and only mentioned in passing in 5e.

So I’m redesigning them, some sticking close to the source material, some going way off. I’m going to limit full casting to the top five ranks, but wanted to give all of them some sort of unique abilities in combat, and some sort of role in modron society besides “passing down orders to the next rank”. Tred designed for me the decaton through the hexton so far, and I like their blending of original images with new ideas. This is probably the one most similar to its Planescape envisaging]

Modron, Decaton CR 10 LN Outsider (extraplanar) This metallic creature is spherical, its body resting on two stumpy legs. Ten long cables grow from its body, articulated like tentacles, and it has an oversized mouth in the center of its body. Multiple eyes on articulated arms whirl around it, constantly scanning its surroundings.

Decatons are the least of the modron hierarchs, and the ones who work most closely with the drone castes. Decatons oversee the physical and mental safety of the drones, ensuring that their working conditions are safe, healing injuries and providing support and encouragement. They feel strongly protective of the drones in their care, having an attitude that is as close as the typical modron comes to feeling love. Anyone who injures or kills modrons is likely to have a decaton leading the charge against them.

Decatons are not terribly strong melee combatants—although their jaws can give a powerful bite, their many tendrils are relatively weak. However, they make excellent support units to modrons of all power levels. A decaton commander can help defend a fighting force of pentadrones and quadrones, and decaton bodyguards can provide more powerful hierarchs with magical support and frequent healing. A favorite strategy is to use a globe of invulnerability to nullify enemy casting while allied quadrones lay down a barrage of arrows. A decaton can even share its magical defenses, lending surprising durability to even weak units like monodrones if need be. Decatons rarely fight to the death, teleporting from a losing confrontation with as many of their underlings as they can, and then reporting the outcome to a superior.

A decaton is about six feet in diameter. Despite their monstrous appearances, their voices are typically soothing and gentle—although they can magnify this to a terrible shout in order to intimidate foes. They can fly via lighter than air gases, but are clumsy when airborne.

Decaton CR 10 XP 9,600 LN Large outsider (extraplanar, lawful, modron) Init 19 (fixed); Senses all around vision, darkvision 60 ft., Perception +20 Aura magic circle vs. chaos (10 ft., DC 17) Defense AC 24, touch 13, flat-footed 21 (-1 size, +4 Dex, +11 natural); +2 vs. chaotic opponents hp 135 (10d10+50 plus 30) Fort +8, Ref +11, Will +11; +2 vs. chaotic opponents DR 10/chaotic; Resist acid 10, cold 10, fire 10; SR 21 Defensive Abilities constructed Offense Speed 40 ft., fly 20 ft. (clumsy) Melee bite +13 (2d6+4), 10 tentacles +11 (1d4+2) Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft. (5 ft. with bite) Special Attacks channel repairing energy (7/day, 5d6) Spell-like Abilities CL 10th, concentration +14 Constant—magic circle vs. chaos (DC 17) At will—clairaudience/clairvoyance, cure serious wounds (DC 16), detect chaos, dimension door, dispel magic 3/day—greater command (DC 19), prayer, protection from energy, resilient sphere (DC 18), shield of faith, shout (DC 18) 1/day—globe of invulnerability, greater teleport, heal (DC 20), shield other, wall of force Statistics Str 18, Dex 18, Con 20, Int 17, Wis 19, Cha 19 Base Atk +10; CMB +15; CMD 29 Feats Bodyguard, Combat Reflexes, Hover (B), In Harm’s Way, Multiattack, Selective Channeling Skills Diplomacy +16, Fly +6, Intimidate +12, Knowledge (arcana, engineering, planes) +15, Perception +20, Sense Motive +16, Spellcraft +12, Swim +13; Racial Modifiers +4 Perception Languages Celestial, Common, Infernal, Modron, telepathy 100 ft. (1 mile with modrons) SQ coordinated ally, fixed initiative, share defenses (4/day), undersized weapons Ecology Environment any land or underground (Regulus) Organization solitary, ward (2-5) or patrol (1 plus 1-4 pentadrones and 2-16 quadrones) Treasure standard Special Abilities Channel Repairing Energy (Su) A decaton can channel energy as a cleric of its Hit Dice, except that it heals full damage to constructs and creatures with the constructed defensive quality, half damage to other living creatures, and no damage to the undead. A decaton cannot channel energy to harm creatures. Share Defenses (Su) As a standard action, a decaton can touch another modron in order to grant it damage reduction and spell resistance equal to the decaton’s own for the next minute. A decaton may use this ability a number of times per day equal to its Wisdom modifier (4/day for the average specimen).

[thecreaturecodex]

Modron, Pentadrone

Image by Julie Dillon, © Wizards of the Coast

[The last of the drone modrons, and the last modron I’m posting for a while. I’m commissioning original art for the modron hierarchs, and so am going to wait at least that long. In the original version, a pentadrone could either levitate or use its paralysis gas, but not both, because it levitated using the gas jets. Which isn’t... realistic, exactly, but made a certain kind of logical sense, something I think of as “Gygaxian naturalism”. But it’s a decently tough monster, why shouldn’t it be able to fly? I imagine they fly something like how Gamera flies.]

Modron, Pentadrone CR 7 LN Outsider (extraplanar) This strange being has five pointed lobes, like a starfish, each with a single eye and frowning mouth. It stands on five clockwork legs below, and a metallic nozzle grows from its upper surface, pivoting as it watches.

The strongest of the modron drones, pentadrones serve as delegates between the will of the hierarchs and the actions of the drones. They also serve as a police force, watching constantly for signs of rogue behavior in modron drones and eliminating the rogues when they appear. Pentadrones keep a close eye on chaotic creatures that interact with modron business or visit Regulus. If any mortal creature violates the laws of the modrons, pentadrones will paralyze them, beat them into submission, and drag them off to face judgment.

A pentadrone typically opens combat with its paralysis gas. As modrons are immune to paralysis, it doesn’t care about aiming it away from its troops. Any creatures not paralyzed are bludgeoned with its five arms, or bombarded with spells if they are chaotic. Pentadrones are skilled tacticians and make good use of their abilities, and the abilities of lesser modrons in battle. A pentadrone often fights from the air, using jets of gasses to spin and levitate. Pentadrones are the most likely of the modron drone ranks to flee from combat, as they need to report the outcome to a hierarch.

Because of their ability to hold five objectives in common at a time, and their skill at planning for future events, pentadrones often appear as introspective to other creatures. They rarely speak, unless it is to give orders or acquire information. Pentadrones are unique among modron varieties in that they have no fine manipulators—no hands, tentacles, etc. They can manage objects using one of their mouths, but doing so is not particularly efficient. Thus, pentadrones often keep a staff of monodrones on hand to serve it as limbs, taking dictation, opening doors and locks, and performing other tasks that require fine motor skills.

Pentadrone          CR 7 XP 3,200 LN Medium outsider (extraplanar, lawful, modron) Init 15 (fixed); Senses all-around vision, darkvision 120 ft., detect chaos, Perception +17 Defense AC 21, touch 13, flat-footed 19 (+3 Dex, +5 natural, +4 armor) hp 72 (5d10+25 plus 20) Fort +6, Ref +7, Will +7 DR 5/chaotic; Resist acid 10, cold 10, fire 10 Defensive Abilities constructed Offense Speed 30 ft., fly 40 ft. (poor) Melee 5 slams +10 (1d6+5) Special Attacks paralysis gas Spell-like Abilities CL 5th, concentration +8 Constant—detect chaos, mage armor 3/day—align weapon, arrow of law (DC 15) 1/day—discern lies (DC 17), order’s wrath (DC 17) Statistics Str 21, Dex 16, Con 20, Int 17, Wis 16, Cha 17 Base Atk +5; CMB +10; CMD 23 (29 vs. trip) Feats Alertness, Bludgeoner, Combat Expertise, Hover (B) Skills Acrobatics +8, Diplomacy +11, Fly +7, Intimidate +11, Knowledge (planes) +11, Perception +17, Sense Motive +13, Spellcraft +8, Stealth +11, Survival +11 (+15 following tracks); Racial Modifiers +4 Perception, +4 Survival when following tracks Languages Celestial, Common, Infernal, Modron SQ coordinated ally, fixed initiative Ecology Environment any land or underground (Regulus) Organization solitary, pair, squad (1 plus 2-6 quadrones, 2-12 tridrones) or inquisition (3-10) Treasure incidental Special Abilities Paralysis Gas (Su) As a standard action, a pentadrone can emit a 30 foot cone of gas. All creatures in the area must succeed a DC 17 Fortitude save or be paralyzed for 2d4 rounds. A creature so paralyzed can attempt an additional save against the effect as a full round action. A pentadrone can use this ability 5 times a day, but must wait 5 rounds between uses. The save DC is Constitution based.