with all demons having a form or another of telepathy, but not Fiendish Creatures, the Abyss may actually be strangely silent and austere, only troubled by the screams of beasts and the fury of the elements, screams of agony and the talk of the few souls sent there… and demons consider mortal so lowly because they speak, like animals and victims rather than even the lowlier demon. But addresses one by telepathy and without a word, and it will treat you like an equal, reacting to you as with a demon without it even realizing its reaction (like how it has been observed in Iraq and Afghanistan that the people there, when talking with US soldiers, will primarily address not the most graded officer but to the one with facial hairs). Demons think lowly of music and musicians, and consider bards barely above insects. Well, wizards, druids and clerics think the same way about bards, but let’s not digress…
Getting hit by lightning gives you laser powers and auto-tune.
This actually isn’t as new as you think : Courtesy of Mystara: Lighting Zombie
”A lightning zombie looks just like a normal member of its race, except that its skin is a uniform light gray. Otherwise, they appear much as they did when alive; they can speak and are often hyperactive in their mannerisms. In darkness they give off a faint glow.
Lightning zombies have a flair for the dramatic. They prefer flashy clothing and jewelry, the more the better.”
Also: what spell-like abilities should replicate the lasers if I wanted to do an updated of this monster based on this?
What if instead of always having human faces, their head resembles whatever sapient race they were born near (or just take their parents face if they are sufficiently isolated.)
Sort of like how the spider-people aranea have their “disguise” form based on whatever race they “imprinted on” at birth.
Meet, the “mongrelfolk”, the most racist thing D&D has ever done. Anti-miscagenation propaganda.
However a race of igors that you roll up like a an old style Gamma World Mutant. with a table for each body part would be amazing.
So, heres how to save it:
Change the name
Make them the result of a failed attempt to mass produce a race of shapeshifters to act as spies. (one setting I think did this)
They can work very well along warforged as a concept, a living reminder of a terrible war.
I wouldn’t make them a core race only because they deserve a whole book to themselves.
I do think it would be better for the majority of “good” races to as a whole treat them more with pity and condescension rather than the outright hate they show goblins and orcs.
I’d play up they aren’t actually as pitful as everyone thinks they are and they survive by cooperation and the strength of community bonds. And given how children may look nothing like their parents would also lead to interesting social dynamic.
I like the idea of some bugbears friendly to communities they live near them. However I think they would still be obsessed with the concept of fear and mostly solitary.
Basically imagine a bugbear coming down for festivals and acting as a Krampus figure, or going door to door threatening to eat naughty children if not offered wine and food.
(Note that friendly does not mean not mean not an enabler of probably bad parenting technigques. I’m basing this off real life traditions of people in costumes)
“a human’s brain for he must have a strong mind an elf’s heart for he must have a kind soul a dwarf’s liver for he must have a robust body pour my sap for my blessing will flow through his veins"
they followed the instruction but little did they know their experiment was doomed from the start as they were given a tiefling’s heart in place of a dwarf’s. The result wasn’t perfect but it was a child non-the-less and they would love him the same
Monsters and Stuff 