Monster Melee - 3e Horror Monsters

[@esperthebard]

About the mohrgs getting blinded: The only official undead that is immune to being blinded is the skull lord (and a few other obscure undead from modules). Skeletons, mummies, ghosts, wraiths, flameskulls, etc. all can be blinded, though I did specify on the Blinding Nails feature that it cannot blind incorporeal creatures. About the mohrgs getting frightened: Some undead can be frightened, some can't. It's case by case. Banshees, liches, mummies, ghosts, revenants, and shadows are immune to frightened (most of them cause frightened). Ghouls, skeletons, vampires, wights, and zombies are susceptible to frightened, and mohrgs are more like these undead, so I went this route. Crits against the wheep: I overlooked a few crits against the wheep when it was paralyzed. This happened earlier in the fight until I double checked the rule and clarified that the blinded morhg didn't need to see the paralyzed target to score the auto crit, and indeed, didn't even need advantage at all, just to be within 5' of the paralyzed target. These extra crits wouldn't have changed the outcome of the battle though, as the wheep still wouldn't have gotten very low on hp.

[@doctorteethomega]

Dem's da rules. But it's case by case. I'd agree that this would count as magical blindness.

[@redfaux74]

@@esperthebard - People are thinking the nails are actual nails. They're not. They're a necromantic, psychic attack.

[@thewaver8]

I'm surprised that skeletons don't have immunity to the "blind" status...

[@ChilleBruh]

“Oh no my eyes!! Wait… I already didn’t have eyes”

[@KainaX122]

Yeah, you’d think they have something like a natural pseudo-dark-vision or a Detect Life ability

[@The_Squatch_97]

​@@ChilleBruhYoho!!

[@The_Squatch_97]

​@KainaX122 I'd go with blindsight

[@KainaX122]

@@The_Squatch_97 yeah, forgive me. I like watching this stuff but I’ve never actually played DnD, so I’m clueless what the various abilities are called 😅

[@theLizardof0z]

Alright - we see the power house. Time to turn up the competition. BRING IN THE TOWN GUARDS!!!

[@ChilleBruh]

RIP Elmar, there are candidates from the survivors to level up and assume the Champion’s Mantle however!

[@theLizardof0z]

@@ChilleBruh ahh, yeah - that damned wolf. Ah, he'll be fine. Local cleric will bring him back. 🤣

[@Calvinier]

But Alexander is Alive!! I liked him at first sight!

[@redfaux74]

Elmar, resurrected hopefully, will need a Paladin and a few priests of Torm for that! 😢 Likely a few Mages too.

[@adventurer3288]

@@Calvinier Same, I think he won initiative in the first video so I hoped he would end up as the leader

[@flashtyb]

The Druid Crew vs A Goblin Warband (Team Druid) - 2x Druid (Whatever circle fits best) - 1 Dryad - 1 Pixie - 1 Tamed Owlbear (Team Goblin) - 1 Goblin Leader - 4 Goblins - 2 Bugbears - 1 Worg (with a Goblin mounted)

[@ChilleBruh]

Would be a fun battle to watch

[@flashtyb]

I imagine the goal would be protecting a Druidic site from the warband. Druid Goal: Protect the site, and/or kill or drive away the warband Goblins Goal: Destroy the site, loot any wood from the nearby trees and the wreckage for potential Goblin siege engines

[@emperorjayzee1288]

This was a very fitting match for this time of year.

[@esperthebard]

🎃

[@KainaX122]

@@esperthebard🎃👻💀🎃👻💀🎃👻💀

[@josephbutler4950]

The wheep is a super cool creature. I really like dangerous creatures with solid stat blocks and super debilitating abilities. Makes the PCs have to use their minds more than brute force. I would love to use him in my compaigns!

[@warsor1186]

"Any attack that hits the creature is a critical hit if the attacker is within 5 feet of the creature." From the paralyzed condition. Doesn't matter if you have advantage or not. Every hit on the Wheep should have been a crit. Paralyze is really the only advantage the mohrg had and it was a shame to see them flail against its regen. Any monster with regen is almost a cheat against something without a way to outdamage it.

[@johngleeman8347]

I'm glad someone noticed. Don't think it would matter, but you never know. XD

[@esperthebard]

Good catch! There definitely should have been a few more crits against the wheep in there. Though it still wouldn't have dropped very low in hp. I almost went with 4 mohrgs after my initial playtest against the 2 was so dominated by the wheep.

[@KevionDs]

I want a group of mimics vs a dragon who tried to take them for their horde

[@redfaux74]

No way..... 😂😂😂 We want to see a group of SWAT team Dopplegangers rescue the Mimics. 😍

[@404Skry]

I absolutely love this series, Esp! I'm always looking forward to the next Monster Melee upload in my feed. Your monster sound effects are so good and enthralling. I really appreciate the effort you put in to organizing and GMing these encounters - thank you for your hard work and dedication to making our lives a bit more fantastical :^)

[@esperthebard]

Thank you so much! In the near future, I'm going to try going a little more into the story side of things and feature a scenario with the guardsmen after Elmar's death and their departure from the ruins of Fjarlstead. Let's see how that gets received.

[@jasonpuchniak3629]

I love these old 3e monsters! Great to see you bring them into 5e!

[@MinillaToGo]

A fight between Gripplis and Duodrones would be cool.

[@ChilleBruh]

🍿

[@davidlewis8814]

The Wheep is brutal! The blinding attack is so “flavorful”!

[@Vampire123411]

If there was a rematch, I'd propose the following: just add a few Guard NPCs into the middle of the arena. Those could be a buffer to slow down the Wheep and as a resource that Mohrgs could turn into zombies, which could either grapple the Wheep or just add extra Slam attacks. Story: Bunch of guards were sent to retake a prison graveyard from a few zombies. Little did they know, the three zombies were Mohrgs. If that wasn't bad enough, in the same moment arrives the Wheep sent by a local necromaner to retrieve three skeletons of criminals.

[@ChilleBruh]

Happy day, MONSTER FIGHT!! Thanks for these uploads, future fights I would love: Goblinoids v. Gnoll war band Baphomet v. Yeenoghu Gold Dragon v Red Dragon Kraken v. Terrasque

[@esperthebard]

I'm planning on a battle with gnolls, maybe against lizardfolk.

[@purplehaze2358]

Having this playing as background audio as I researched.. parrots, of all things, was an.. interesting experience, to say the least.

[@samwhary5498]

I wish 5e had monsters like these. I learned about them from your channel if memory serves... and i wished i could have fought them. At least now i get to watch them fight each other.

[@LuxuriaU]

I switched over to 3.5 two years ago. I recommend it. My favourite game system I've tried, and I've tried a lot after I left the gateway drug of 5e.

[@dave-daveson]

Hell Yeah! Love the Mohrg and gave my PCs quite a nasty time with it... (also had it converted to 5e)

[@JinZanmato]

Cool undead creatures. Happy halloween folks! 👍

[@esperthebard]

Happy Halloween!

[@DmDungeonMastery]

Im with you esper, i want to keep the heavy metal dark fantasy alive in 5e! I plan on trying to convert older edition monsters into 5e creatures also! I love these creepy monsters

[@kyuugoki]

Reminds me of that scene in SAO when MC just stands there tanking a gang of attackers cause his regeneration out heals the damage.

[@BeatchBall]

A spooky fight, for the spooky season.

[@SpiderKenji]

This is super cool! I don't know much about the 3rd edition monsters so seeing some blasts from the past that aren't the usual 5ed or in the newer books is exciting!

[@Braley21]

I love seeing monsters I've never heard of before. You're awesome dude!

[@redfaux74]

Thank you Esper! ❤ That was gruesome, appalling, chunky, visceral, oozing with gore! I love it! Great Halloween special! I'd like to see something like this against humans. 😢 What a feast that would be! 😅😅😅

[@pykeembers1575]

I used both of these in the final session of the solo campaign i ran for my wife. Amazing undead creepiness

[@nightflame69]

That one being out of the fight so long was the deciding factor. And the one that was blinded so the flanking wasn’t effective.

[@stamatisvolanis8482]

I was just wondering when a monster melee will be released. You're in my mind, Esper! Rooting for the wheep

[@johngleeman8347]

I would have added a whole bunch of zombies in service to the trio of mohrgs. That is one of their most horrifying abilities after all.

[@charlesreed5839]

Happy Halloween, Esper!

[@Lueibarkall]

Ah yes 3.5 the edition that would kick your teeth in. Back when monsters were things to be feared. I know its a old man rant at this point, but......if your dnd players are "Confident" going into a crypt or dungeon, or "Gods forbid" calculating the exp they will get from killing your boss and minions. Then the threat of death is not real.

[@redfaux74]

@Lueibarkall - 100% agreed. If you aren't scared to enter the dark, deep, unknown.... then it is time to upscale the evil. That is what Illythid, Drow, Gith, Aboleth and undead are for. In my game, undead (even Zombies) gave off a negative energy. Their footprints would show the next day because it "burnt" the ground with an unholy cold energy. Things like Vampires had that but in an aura. They didn't "see" with their eyes. They could sense the living. It was hard to hide from them. This burning of your soul (by touch or by being too close) caused soul damage and would get worse over time. It HAD to be healed by special cleric spells. You wouldn't receive rest and had to check every day or just die. Undead should be very scary things. They FEED off the energy of the living.

[@Lueibarkall]

@@redfaux74 That's awesome man, like I remember playing older edition campaigns when it was like new to the hobby (13 or 14 basically a big kid) and the games were nail-biters back then. It was all 3rd and 3.5. I personally lost my first character, a fighter, to a shadow and terrible dice rolls. Died from strength drain.

[@redfaux74]

@@Lueibarkall - Those were good days. You were SCARED of undead back then. The last thing an undead wanted to do was "slam attack" or whatever they call it today. It's just dumb.

[@lewisc.5869]

Are these updated monsters from older editions published somewhere?

[@redfaux74]

He has a video on "10 forgotten monsters" from 2 years ago. Go watch it!!! ❤ It is disgusting and horrific. The title might be off....

[@loganfrandrup6590]

Just to add to the advertisment, Monstrous Heros is the perfect gift for yourself for Halloween. Let your players not just hide as monsters, but BECOME monsters for a one-shot. >:) Also, Thank You Esper! I saw the Mohrg Years ago and thought it was perfectly horrifying so I'm happy to see a good conversion for it for 5e. Now to figure out how to diffrentiate between this version of the Wheep and Dungeon Dad's version 🤔(bare in mind, Both will be used >:) )

[@bootlipnaga]

Aren't undead immune to frightened?

[@esperthebard]

Some are, some aren't

[@BuddhaMonkey7]

I feel like that wheep should be a higher CR. Fear, permanent blinding, high AC, and regeneration is a lot to get through to deal any damage, and it's not like its offense is weak either.

[@esperthebard]

Keep in mind that the CR system is really based on the monster fighting a party of player characters. So in reality, someone in the party will have radiant damage to shut down its regeneration, magic weapons to bypass its resistance, and lesser restoration (only 2nd level spell) to cure the blindness. Most parties could handle the wheep pretty well.

[@damianmorningstar3150]

@@esperthebard you mean more than likely have Radiant damage in a game like D&D you never assume something

[@FrostSpike]

@@esperthebard I don't believe that Lesser Restoration will cure the blindness caused by destruction of the actual physical eyes, just the magically induced variety. You'd need Regenerate for that. In the Lingering Injuries table on pg. 272 of the DMG it actually says: "Lose an Eye. You have disadvantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight and on ranged attack rolls. Magic such as the regenerate spell can restore the lost eye. If you have no eyes left after sustaining this injury, you're blinded." In other words, Lesser Restoration removes the game condition, it doesn't fix the underlying cause of that condition (it won't even remove a blindfold).

[@jasonz7788]

Thanks esper

[@wratched]

I'm not sure I want to meet the guy who invented mohrgs.

[@redfaux74]

There is worse out there. 😢 Esper made a video on "10 forgotten too gross for 5E" monsters 2 years ago. You must see it. Bring a barf bag. 😂😂😂

[@wratched]

@@redfaux74 Went back and listend to AJ Pickett's audio on Mohrgs. Turns out I was thinking of the Mohrg mother from Pathfinder. Dear god listen to that at your peril.

[@redfaux74]

@wratched - I'll go check it out. This is the season....

[@TommyTheCat83]

I grabbed these statblocks. Going to use them i a high level undead dungeon. Thanks esper.

[@MrNobu93]

Forgot to crit paralyzed Wheep

[@esperthebard]

see the pinned comment

[@Jay_76]

I spent the better part of a year attempting to convert the entirety of the original 1st edition Temple of Elemental Evil, into 3rd edition. I was maybe 50% done, when my house got flooded and it was all destroyed. Fortunately I still have the original ToEE book.

[@rickyspanish6261]

Fantastic!

[@sheriff2285]

It would be actually cool, if we could see monster melee with strahd himself, maybe vs Archon of Boundaries

[@Jimmy-p9n]

Happy Halloween Esper!!

[@LoboGuara5bruxaria]

Well, the Weep just proved to be a Juggernaut on this fight. I wonder how would it handle itself against a pit fiend or a balor...

[@nunya_bizniz]

Need many more to take on such a high ac w/ regeneration and resistance monster. That thing is scary.

[@doctorteethomega]

Why would the mohrg be blinded? It doesn't have eyeballs. I always ruled that most undead, elementals, and constructs "see" in a more conceptual way.

[@nightflame69]

That thing regenerating was Devastating!

[@m3w]

Love my copy of Monstrous Heroes!

[@saphiryos606]

Morggin' or weeping... one must choose

[@joshuatonge6188]

Bro thanks for pulling some baddies from 3rd. And bro your books looks legit. I have a ton of 2nd,3rd,and 3.5 books, so unless D&D come out with something worth buying, i doubt ill be going 5th ed or higher. Otherwise i would grab your book. It reminds me of is it savage species from 3rd? It itroduced monter feats and such. I really enjoyed the video. Back in my day my DM ruled that undead in general couldnt be blinded by conventional means due to not having real eyes. Its magic holding the skeleton together or ect... im sure you get the picture and also undead where immune to critical damge. Depending on the effects of critical we used a old warhammer % table for crit hits. Its was very gruesome. But most undead wouldnt suffer the effects due to not feeling pain ect..

[@TheCrowFairyTale]

Great episode! Elephants vs hobgoblins 😁

[@malcolmt7883]

I can see how it would be hard to come up with a reason why these weirdos would be fighting each other.

[@takeyouforgranite7850]

Before spooky season fully comes to a close, I'd love to see a battle between the two biggest liches in the multiverse: Acererak vs Vecna!

[@redfaux74]

I think that is a good idea but it would take DAYS to plan out. Too many possibilities with that level of intellect, magic items, spells and power. Impossible. You would need a whole team to manage that many details.

[@1998topornik]

Treant vs trolls is my proposition for next Monster Melee.

[@MiagolioMaxwell]

I thought the original stat block only gave it regeneration below half its health. Did you update it to normal regeneration?

[@MoniMinime]

Esper, I think you missed a couple of paralysis saving throws

[@waldowallace9102]

Happy All Hallows Eve!!!

[@lordsolaire6202]

WHEEP VS BEHOLDER !

[@J.Denzinger]

can we get a celestial group vs a primal group?

[@daniel-san9322]

This was a really cool match! If i may ask, what system are you doing this on? Im a new dm and i could use something more organized than whiteboard on discord lol.

[@SuperGamefreak18]

Im sorry but whenever I hear weep, I just hear king zora making that noise in OOT

[@BeatchBall]

Centaur vs Minotaur

[@Rikhardt99]

I know the Mohrg doesn't have blindness immunity in his stat block, but I've never seen them depicted as having eyes in any of their artwork. Seems to me like they should be immune to the Wheep's special attack, based on common sense.

[@esperthebard]

See the pinned comment

[@delaneyhodgkin]

Chimeras vs Griffons vs Manticores

[@TheCrowFairyTale]

Halflings vs Gnomes

[@lordjav1320]

Should have a rematch ware we keep adding Morgs to see howamy it takes to win

[@grek6667]

why not use the 3.5 Rules?

[@DWSP101]

What software is he using to do this table top is it? Owlbear?

[@esperthebard]

Foundry VTT

[@DustGameplis]

Maybe ten morgues would do it

[@jasonreiyn9311]

I would suggest that the Mohrg as undead, should be immune from blindness and fear. It's not like they actually use their biological eyes to see and undead being given fear outside of from a divine source seems strange.

[@redfaux74]

@jasonreiyn9311 - But from what I understand, greater undead are able to intimidate, control, and potentially cause fear to undead whom have intellect. A newly created Lesser Vampire is certainly afraid of her Lord Vampire. He may choose to feast off of her just as quickly as not sharing with her. So it does make sense to me. Certainly most undead would highly fear a Lich.

[@RachDarastrix2]

What if they aren't in 5th edition because Grandpa did the world a favor and ridden the world of these horrible creatures?

[@allensheets9369]

does the mohrg have eyes it dont look like it

[@redfaux74]

I don't think the "nails" are real nails either. It's more like a psychic, necromantic attack.

[@NoName-qt9hx]

Hey Esper. Why dont u do a MH one? Like 20th lvl Revenant vs. 20th lvl Nefarix. Would be sooo cool. Love the book. Had my first session a lil while ago and played a protean. We had a blast and mimiced the protean language by gurgling water😂😂😂. Have some other characters ready like an ouisia/monk multiclass. Love the content❤

[@esperthebard]

@NoName-qt9hx I hoping to tie in MH sometime before long. Thank you very much, glad you're enjoying the book! Btw my most recent character was a protean too 👍👍

[@NoName-qt9hx]

@esperthebard Im looking forward 2 see tht epic battle with MH. Im really experimenting w pcs but every feature of these classes is so amazing tht its difficult 2 give them up😅. I'm trying my best 2 make strong but balanced characters. And the backstories are so wild w this book. Couldn't stop praising it if i wanted 2.

[@kajones93]

🎃

[@markmongan]

🎃👻🎃👻

[@Nemchick]

What? A skeleton has CR 1/4 but a skeleton with the tongue has CR 8? It takes a group of 4 legendary heroes to take down a skeleton with the tongue? Dnd system is no less disgusting than these creatures.

[@redfaux74]

@Nemchick - There are thousands of old time DnDers who agree 5E is heading into the grey mist, never to return again. But it doesn't have to. I tweaked everything in 2E because I could see back then where it was going. People need to understand, it is YOUR table. Modify YOUR game to make it fun, medieval, action packed, full of lore or whatever your groups goal is. I used the books as a foundation only. Otherwise we never opened them.

[@Nemchick]

@redfaux74 Couldn't agree more.

[@eerigbal7169]

Meh, I opened the video expecting 3e stuff, i got disilluded in 00:29 seconds

[@Radwar99]

Lol, blinding a skeleton by sending nails into it's empty eye sockets.

[@redfaux74]

They're not real nails. The damage it was taking from "fear" was impressive too. Personally, I love the idea that undead have a lot more going on that is observable to the human eye. The negative energies they have are naturally hostile to this world and creatures that dwell here. This thing is very powerful in its mental faculties. It is made to instill horror on many levels. Even undead that ooze horror are not immune to this level of horror.

[@LaneLibra]

Frankly I must say... I dont understand how the morhgs are susceptible to a physical blinding attack when they dont have eyes, and also how are you gonna psychically terrify an undead horror? Math aint mathin.

[@esperthebard]

see the pinned comment

[@joydjinn8692]

Oof...you should have give the Mohrgs a sun blade or something. This was pretty one-sided.

[@RicB17]

Bro, I enjoy these but honestly that was a terrible match up.

[@ethanseng1260]

I'm sorry, no hate, but I just can't take this fight seriously because I think these creatures have such goofy names.

[@Shanho69er]

I was under the impression all undead were immune to fear. I think in 3.5 they were. I didn't realize they changed that in 5e

[@redfaux74]

Undead can be intimidated, controlled by other more powerful undead. I like what he did there! ❤ Horror can definitely be scared by greater horror! 😅😅😅

[@Shanho69er]

I was wrong. I think 3.5 they were immmune. 5e changed that​@@redfaux74

[@Shanho69er]

​@@redfaux74I gotta change my comment