Star Spawn in 5e Dungeons & Dragons - Web DM

[@WebDM]

Thanks for watching! Want more Web DM in your life? Get our podcast on www.patreon.com/webdm, follow us on www.twitch.tv/webdm, sub to our second channel www.youtube,com/webdmplays, and follow us on twitter twitter.com/webdmshow Have a great day, y'all!

[@dragonmaster613]

What about the Foulspawn of 4th edition?

[@AudrenDev]

It'd be great if you guys added images of the monsters to illustrate what you guys were speaking of, helps alot!

[@WebDM]

Gern, agreed! Strangely, most if these monsters don't have official art, if you can believe it!!

[@AudrenDev]

@@WebDM What?! I have been fooled and lied to! This is unacceptable! - Then again that makes sense, thanks for the answer c:

[@SlayerOfWorlds]

Could you guys do an episode about running/playing dungeon crawls. Not the thematic or story behind. But actually literally running dungeon crawls. How do you navigate a dungeon. How to map dungeons as players in a realistic fashion. Or should DMs just hand out a map to ease play. How do you run groups through interior areas in a timely manner with out the players being completely lost. How to offer exploration, that doesn't slow the game down with mapping or needless questions about directions of this hall or that.

[@bryansmith844]

Jim's chanting with no sound was profoundly unsettling.

[@666lupine666]

" they are grotesque and malformed but they are not from this reality, so they are not sure how they should look, or act or behave." Me: oh cool, the Gen Con episode.

[@TheOfNothing]

what a fucking roast lol

[@coleschroeder7115]

That dude at 0:08 seconds in the back though

[@justsomejerseydevilwithint4606]

Haha! LOL

[@JPruinc]

Yeah...we might have forgotten to warn the shoppers before my proclamation...for just that reaction!

[@geoffdewitt6845]

@@JPruinc You are what we all aspire to be, sir.

[@lorgarbeareroftheword5836]

Lol, Pruitt said HARK! And so the mortals obeyed. :)

[@mbc7845]

He heard the call of Cthulhu ;)

[@MrDMSir]

Good on Jim for losing a lot of weight. I guess if you carry enough PCs you get swole.

[@thezerowulf507]

I thought I noticed that last episode.

[@Pyroproductions10]

The difference is very noticeable compared to older episodes. Proud of u Jim

[@nandodando9695]

10 seconds in and the blue guy behind you clearly harkens. Top notch harkening.

[@myboy_]

Thank you for this hilarious comment

[@distilledwill]

It would be great to have the stat blocks on the screen when the guys are talking about specific monsters.

[@MrSilvUr]

That might be a copyright issue.

[@EnderLord007]

"And HARK" *guy in the background turns around to give Pruitt a weird look*

[@elbruces]

Technically, that's a form of harking.

[@simongissler]

This was really useful in inspiring ideas for me. I've been running my friends through Curse of Strahd (SPOILERS) and a player freed one of the Dark Powers, "Zhudun, the Corpse Star" from its prison in the Amber Temple. Now that Strahd's dead and the module's over I've been thinking that an ancient evil star would make a heck of villain to take players up to level 20. Thanks guys!

[@jamescalvert4471]

At this point its I've been watching you guys a few years. It seems whenever I fall out of DnD as my focus hobby, as soon as I'm coming back to a table you guys have just made a video about my bad guys. Thanks. Serendipity is thy name.

[@martinschafer6002]

Highlight: Let the Starspawn Seer fire a Psychic Orb at the Starspawn Hulk, who mirrors all psychic damage, which hits the Great-Old-One -Warlock, who mirrors half the psychic damage back to the Starspawn Hulk, who mirrors it completely back and so on... creating kind of a resonance catastrophe. Happened last time I used these guys, I was very happy xD

[@jacobfreeman5444]

...wasn't there a battle in a final fantasy game like this? The magus sisters?

[@Gildagnir]

I love the idea of characters needing to find a way to deal with this problem. Think outside the box players.

[@EvelynNdenial]

i would run it that the hulks overload each other when they loop like that and just explode killing everything in that 10ft. and that they know that would happen and only come within 10ft of each other if they absolutely have to or intend to suicide bomb everything.

[@myownmusic8182]

Web DM: "And hark!" Guy in background: *Actually harks*

[@sluggardly]

My DM used these guys to brutal effect. It's a Planescape-inspired campaign where the multiverse is slowly being overtaken by a force known as Mother Void, that is devouring worlds and even the gods of on the outer planes are being corrupted. Our cleric's deity was one of these, and to prevent her being taken over by the influence of the Void we had to go through an elaborate ritual in an old temple to break her connection to her deity. The larger part of this involved defending her from the "choir" of corrupted celestials sent by her former god, which were now all star spawn in an event I like to refer to as the Tower Defense from Hell. Buckets of grues, four or five hulks, and three or four manglers running around the shadows in the temple to drop on us out of nowhere, and a seer who kept teleporting the "spawn point" for the waves closer and closer to the party. Plus the uncertainty of our cleric's standing spiritually meant if she dropped in the battle her soul would be unable to be resurrected. My wizard watched his apprentice get his heart torn out by a mangler. It was nasty.

[@kylestanley7843]

I really like this for many reasons. Very good idea!

[@PeterFendrich]

I remember in the Elder Evils supplement (one of my favorite 3.5 books), the introduction specifically states that the inclusion of these creatures in your campaign signifies a world altering event. That even if the PC's somehow thwart the goals of the Cults and/or Monsters serving evils, and are able to avert total annihilation, that the world will never be the same for having dealt with this type of issue. I think it's a great example of something you guys have mentioned before, how some DM's are afraid to wreck their world. The Elder Evil Book is a great place for a DM to start to realize that sometimes the best stories are going to stem from events where the PC's have to realize that even if they win, the skies will bleed... (literally perhaps....)

[@ameliafeyparsons4816]

Early on in my homebrew campaign, the party went to a town for a comet festival. They then had to investigate a ghost sighting. Ultimately they found out that the ghost was tied to the comet and he was trying to warn the town about the elder gods before the comet left again for another 1000 years. He was imprisoned in the comet by the elder gods for discovering their existence. Later when the elder gods revealed themselves they appeared as large circles in the sky through which you could see the stars. But if you looked closely those stars would occasionally blink. and by blink I mean briefly open, revealing an eye, rather than closing and concealing it.

[@WebDM]

COOL!

[@JoeAuerbach]

I use this sort of material in my game: the stars in my setting are basically the eyes of beings from beyond reality looking in at the cosmos, watching and trying to get in and figure out how to unmake it.

[@kyubii972]

Sweet thanks, my current campaign has alot of Tharizdun/Eldritch vibes that I needed some inspiration for.

[@racekitty]

Something that I like about eldritch horror is that sometimes beings like Cthulhu find us humans just as scary and foreign as we do them and I find that to be awesome.

[@FirstnameLastname-kn5sw]

Pruitt must be a Harkonnen, coz that was a top-notch HARK! I would have harked even for a vagrant.

[@SuperVaderMan]

Note about the Star Spawn Hulk's psychic mirror since it's poorly worded and easy to misunderstand: it doesn't apply its reflected damage an additional time, all it does is amplify the AoE for the original psychic attack that hit it. If there are 2 Hulks standing around your party and you use Vicious Mockery on one of them, it doesn't ping pong that 1d4 damage around forever and wipe your party. All it does is apply the original attack's 1d4 damage over a massive AoE.

[@efreetheawesome]

Could the next video be about "Huge or Bigger Monsters That Don't Fit In Their Own Video"?

[@WebDM]

We have a number of monster videos coming up!!

[@snarkmarx]

All these videos I have watched before, and I will watch again.

[@cloudberry_6010]

gotta love Pruitt's shirt in this episode

[@jgr7487]

0:07 I love how the buyer just looked back at Pruitt!

[@jimmy_smith27]

Bring back "Allabar, Opener of the Way" to 5e. How can anything be better BBEG for your campaign than a evil living planet? That thing make tarrasque looks cute.

[@kylestanley7843]

Feel free, your campaign. Though I understand the need to convert if to 5e rules.

[@adamderbycomposer]

They kind of reference it in the Star Spawn section of Tome of Foes. They changed it to Atropus, The World Born Dead. But it’s just a paragraph. Cultists of The World Born Dead receive “Gaze of Corruption (recharge 6). The cultist targets one creature it can see within 30 ft. Target must succeed on DC 15 CON save or take 16 (3d10) necrotic damage and be poisoned for 1 minute. The poisoned target can repeat the save at the end of each of its turns.”

[@dragonmaster613]

As a ordained priest of C'thulu, I bless this vid and may those who comment gain advantage on wisdom from the madness! C'thulu Fhagn

[@mbc7845]

I'a I'a!

[@TheFearmonger]

I know that sudden surge of people mustve been frustrating but honestly as a viewer I dont hate it. Seeing a bunch of people in the background having fun, looking at these kind of games, bringing their kids etc., just reminds you that yeah, these creatures can be a cool campaign, and a campaign for these kind of people. Loud ass people tho, tell em to quieten down or Jim "knuckles" Davis gonna get em :D

[@WebDM]

This. - Producer Trav

[@davidhollowelljr949]

Y'all's thumbnail game is the pinnacle

[@WebDM]

Thank you!

[@MikeLeonard]

Was having a pretty crappy day. A WebDM notification brightened it up a bit. Thanks, fellas!

[@WebDM]

Hope your day continues to improve, Michael!

[@robertmcdonald3736]

Currently working on a homebrew with this in mind: using Elder Evils and Sandy Petersen's COC work to build it. Basically, the BBEG is an Elder Power from the Void beyond the Far Realm which was brought to the world by the incursion of the PCs

[@patient_6925]

You guys have amazing timing. Ive been debating bringing in star spawn into my campaign

[@crimfan]

I'm running a campaign where these kinds of monsters feature highly. One thing I find helps a lot is to build in weaknesses that involve the PCs by doing their research or having some other benefit. Having them have other fail conditions, not just simple "they fight to the death" can really help. Needing to close the gate, rescue or kill the vessel, etc., all help a ton. The super high threat of the monsters means if you just try to slog through them, you lose. Best make sure the players understand that, though. I do that a lot with monsters more broadly. For example, most predators only fight until they get about half HP and then they bug out if they haven't managed to get what they want. Attacking strongly can induce a panic reaction and get them to leave early.

[@samsonfgc3472]

Thank you so much. Fairly new DM here and these things fit in perfectly.

[@alexshortall5237]

I really wish Mordenkainen's included an illustration of all of the Star Spawn together. The description of the grue I feel like I can get a handle on, but I have a hard time picturing the rest of them. Maybe that's a feature rather than a bug, since Lovecraftian descriptions were often imprecise, but very evocative. It certainly keeps the players guessing as to what creature from the books it is that they're fighting. I have a very experienced player in my group and I think she still isn't aware that the low level mooks they've been fighting have been grues. I guess it allows every DM to put their own spin on it. In my game, the grue is a scampering, smiling, staring, hairy little ugly man, the mangler is like a licker from Resident Evil but with more arms and less tongue, the hulk is like a brute from Dead Space, and the seer is more humanoid, but mutated and covered in eyes. Of course, whenever any one of them dies, they either melt into ichor, explode into a swarm of worms that wriggle away into any crack or crevice they can find, or mutate into a creature from the Thing until someone kills it with fire.

[@RFieth]

Somewhat disappointedly, I think the Star Spawn in Mordenkainen are re-named (or at least based on) Foulspawn from 4e. Compare their descriptions in Mordenkainen with this image: vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/forgottenrealms/images/f/fe/Foulspawn.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20180220031451

[@alexshortall5237]

@@RFieth that checks out! They look a lot different than I pictured.

[@Licjr]

As a proud owner of Elder Evils, I really want to do a 5e campaign with Kyuss as the big bad

[@EpherosAldor]

I don't know why I read "Elder Elvis" but now I'm interested...

[@Licjr]

Epheros Aldor All will kneel before the rock of the jailhouse, the hunka hunka burning love, the Elder Elvis. Cast aside your suspicious minds and rejoice

[@JackedUpLope]

When the guy in the background who gave Pruitt a weird look during the intro made me laugh so hard.

[@sirlaggzzalot]

I think this is actually a green screen

[@Incurafy]

@@sirlaggzzalot It's definitely a green screen, though the intro was probably recorded there.

[@WebDM]

It's not a green screen you guys! We always shoot on location.

[@sirlaggzzalot]

@@WebDM And Area 51 doesn't have aliens😅; anyway you should start an Instagram account and have behind the scenes pictures or something. In any event It would be a good idea to grab the name before it gets taken

[@Aaronlm91]

Oh hey, Outlaw moon! Been there once or twice. Pretty cool shop, up there with Dragon's lair.

[@DStrormer]

These aberrant creatures are so cool, but thinking about things like this always makes me wonder about magic systems. I remember back in 3.5 and even to a degree in 5th they've used psionics to illustrate how alien aberrations can be, see illithids. I start thinking about just other magic systems, non-Vancian systems such as mtg's color wheel, and how disconcerting it could be to have creatures from distant stars using magic just as alien as themselves. What do you guys think? Are there non-Vancian systems you'd like to see in the game? Any that you think would work for encroaching elder evils?

[@LawdyLawdy]

I hope they come out with a supplement that focuses on cosmic horrors like the star spawn and elder evils. I love adding lovecraftian themes to my games and i need more.

[@armundojones]

Sandy Petersen (the designer for the Call of Cthulhu rpg amongst other things) has made some supplements for 5e and Pathfinder you might find of interest... Pathfinder also has an adventure path called strange aeons though you could modify it easily for most other settings.

[@garethfarrell8146]

My homebrew campaign's endgame involves Star spawn heralding and preparing the arrival of Atropal.

[@The_Sharktocrab]

Oh my God the timing on this could not have been better! I'm about to introduce lovecraftian themes to my campaign

[@WebDM]

The great old ones whispered to us in our fever dreams that you would be....

[@robertbogan225]

15 seconds in and your spooking the store people. Lol I always think of the red mist from star trek and the way kirk just went nuts when he saw it. Like this thing just kills you for no real reason and moves on with out much of a care just collecting iron for its babys. That and it just like flies up to there ship worms its way in and starts eating.

[@lordmurderkitten6098]

Look at that man in the plaid partially hidden behind Jim who turns at 0:18... A herald who heard the call of the faithful? Perhaps...

[@thirdwordbird3011]

Nice job on the weight loss, you can do it! And nice job on the episode. I don't remember these creatures in the books.

[@thel1iontamer]

I love the change of sets you guys have on your channel.

[@philippebreault560]

Love you guys, been playing D&D for like 25 years and still i get new idea from watching your show. Hope you will do a video on the artificier (gunsmith) i thought about introducing him in my games but do you think that other classes could use a gun? And how this could change the setting.

[@williamblack2904]

When he says “And Hark!” The guy in the background just spins around surprised.

[@MrMud99]

Excellent video, I hadn't recognized all the synergy these guys have. My crew is playing ToA they might find some sinister things in the jungle alluding to future events on our version of Eberron

[@burlyd310]

The 3rd edition Elder Evil book is really good.

[@sebaseba6710]

Great episode guys! I really liked it and will definitely use some of your ideas!

[@WebDM]

Glad you found it useful! Thanks!

[@Neverfate]

I'm here for cosmic horror, creatures from beyond the stars and destroying fascists.

[@Youcallmedrunk]

Kindred spirits, you and I

[@lootfindersguild1826]

Damn right

[@HumanoidCableDreads]

Times role-playing has destroyed fascism: 0

[@Youcallmedrunk]

@@HumanoidCableDreads 2 things: 1- It's a fucking joke you doofus 2- No one cares what you think

[@uberd3323]

Drew Wishon *triggered*

[@TheClocktowerCrew]

there is an editing error on 0:44, under the posters, something is clipping over the shirts

[@goyasolidar]

Don't forget to feed the shoggoth.

[@kevinchristiansen4348]

Star spawn are like level 20 cultists of the great old ones. Fully transformed and fd up, and mutilated and destroyed, and twisted and powerful

[@vampirecmb]

Elder Evils is one of my absolute favorite D&D books ever (right behind Heroes of Horror) and I've dreamed about doing a campaign around Atropus or Kyuss

[@ryanrhino2318]

I read that as Elder Elvis.

[@misledflyer68]

That one guy at the background looked at Pruitt in the intro while yelling REEEEALLY wierdly XD

[@almostirrelevant9181]

Hey, I recognize that yellow cloak from the thumbnail! I use that same picture for my warforged cleric in an Eberon game:)

[@jasonniebuhr8607]

I’d love to have a PC that started as an astrologer/Diviner and then noticed something in the stars and accidentally became a Warlock of the Great Olde One. Most of their character is based off of stars and omens

[@V3n9eanc3]

A video discussing some of the Elder Evils would be awesome

[@MarcosLugao]

i dont get the bend space ability from star spawn seer, u can choose the hit or it is the first hit they get?

[@deafbardjenkins1001]

What’s up with the overlay in the top right @ 00:39

[@SpaceTrump]

I made a Monk Sun Soul/Warlock Celestial and his name is "Otis Harbinger of the Bright One" Pretty much imagined I was going around leaving light spells which were tiny portals to the Bright One, (a Star Spawn I imagined) of pure light to bring him closer.

[@taylorjjghandegan2406]

Can u guys do the next monster do sea life like merman crab people krakens and how to use them in a sea campaign

[@roboninja565]

Regarding the "two star spawn hulk infinite psychic damage" loop; It would only trigger once. Hulk 1 takes psychic damage, which is instead redirected to each creature within 10 feet. This includes Hulk 2, who then redirects that damage to each creature within 10 feet, which includes Hulk 1. HOWEVER; Hulk 1 already "didn't" take damage from that incidence of damage(note that the hulk itself isnt dealing the damage, it just sort of passes it around). The feature notes that the Hulk takes no damage from the attack, and so since they are already set up to "not take" the redirected damage(the same damage that triggered it in the first place), they wouldn't trigger their ability again, because they aren't going to take damage. However, notably, a PC within 10 feet of both hulk 1 and hulk 2 would take the damage from both of them.

[@DannyChubird]

What with all the Rob Schwalb love in this video, do you guys plan on talking about Shadow of the Demon Lord at some point in the future? I'd be quite interested in hearing your thoughts on it.

[@WebDM]

We've only played it a handful of times, but those have been amazing games!! If we get a chance to really dig in, who knows!?

[@jakobtrangsrud8264]

I would love a video on insta-death spells and abilities and how to deal with them as players and as a DM.

[@jinpae6972]

Features with the same name don't stack, so no infinite psychic damage loop from multiple hulks, though multiple hulks could increase the area of effect by forming a chain. There was also a sage advice about this.

[@craigastorian273]

Look up Tale of the Comet. 2nd addition Advanced Dungeons & Dragons. Specifically.... the Rael Race. Their enemy came out before Borg, or Terminators, etc...

[@GrnGuyBC]

That guy behind Pruitt when he yells 'Hark!'.

[@rickeymariu1]

I'm running a 3.5 campaign around the arrival of 3 elder evils. The party recieved visuons of their doom and are working to stop it.

[@SlayerOfWorlds]

rickeymariu1 Dude you can just say 3rd edition, now. No one gives a crap about the .5... anymore.

[@CthulhusDream]

Oooo an episode about me!!!

[@WebDM]

O hai!

[@mattcoyle5316]

My Warlock made his Pact with Hadar. My DM plays him as a very CN observer entity.

[@RaphaelLamour]

Thoses backgrounds freak me out because looks so real!!!

[@WebDM]

It is real....it's all real!

[@Conrad500]

Eyyyy, I've been there! Great place, shit parking lol

[@jgr7487]

put some Rot Grubs mixed with the Larva Mage's worms, wait until a melee character strike it & the Grubs go flying toward the hitter & have fun!

[@davidotoole2853]

14:40 oof barbarians I’m so sorry about that headache

[@cabalarcana6996]

After the first time I watched this video, I ran a level 15 one shot for my party. 1 Larva Mage, 1 Seer, 2 Maglers, 2 Hulks, and the arena producing 1d6 Grue as a lair action every round.

[@anthonymay9295]

And how did it go lol

[@cabalarcana6996]

@@anthonymay9295 mostly a TPK, but the Tortle life cleric escaped

[@wyliegreer15]

Love Pruitt’s shirt

[@wyliegreer15]

Konrad Curze I don’t think keeping fascists out of our community is cringy

[@charliehoke1956]

That is where the d&d game war in scarlet is played!

[@Darknight4434]

Those kids on the back listening as you guys talk about abnormous and horrendous creatures beyond reach destroy worlds just by looking at them

[@tutrya1]

My first thought on the how to make sure you do not kill the player with these creatures is to not put all of the creatures together when the players first encounter them. Let the players have experienced these creatures more on their own and have that chance to realize that encountering these creatures together would be bad. Also, you could build up this idea through the story. Here the legend of the outside evil and its heralds from the last time this all happened and when the four heralds fought together they destroyed armies. Shot if they are supposed to some kind of herald then maybe there was early encounter where they deliver a message to the party and show how well they work together then leave power demonstrated and message delivered.

[@lorgarbeareroftheword5836]

22:40 halfling rogue is gonna get your loot :)

[@Ryan_Winter]

A little trivia for those who care. The games shop where Davis and Pruitt recorded this video is 15 to 20 minutes away from the Steve Jackson Games Headquarter, the creators of GURPS.

[@WebDM]

This is true

[@Ryan_Winter]

@@WebDM Funny, isn't it?

[@PhileasLiebmann]

These monsters are so good, but it's so difficult to ever use them because (as the boys said) if you are going to have an encounter with these then it needs to be at least an arc of your campaign if not the entire campaign about the Elder Evils.

[@mirthfulArtist]

*AND HARK!* Guy in the background: Whut?

[@AxiomofDiscord]

Fantasy Age early on its hard to gauge combat when I have played everything is super lethal. Been modifying that game to stay away from that but later in the game it is almost impossible to kill or be killed.

[@Gildagnir]

This was so inspiring! In my setting, stars are fragments of a god of pure light who foolishly tore all the light from himself trying to expand his realm, incidentally banishing him to a realm of darkness as he gave away all the light he had. What are y'alls myths for how the stars came to be?

[@FiendishSquirrle]

The stars are pinpoints of divine fire that mark the edges of a barrier that shields the world from elder evils while also telling the stories of the saints who were elevated by the goddess to further empower the barrier via constellations.

[@kyubii972]

Thanks for the product name, Ill probably be purchasing that.

[@Troglodytarum]

You would think the store would have you shoot after hours. I guess they are fine with you scaring their customers.

[@ColinPaddock]

It looks like they cleared the place.

[@Incurafy]

It's a green screen.

[@WebDM]

No, it's not a green screen. We love Outlaw Moon

[@shirophoenix01]

I love those shirts!

[@noobpro9759]

0:10 that guy "wtf is this?"

[@thevoidcritter]

"there is a dune"... I had to do a double take before I realized he was saying Tharizdun

[@thel1iontamer]

Great work guys!

[@WebDM]

Thank you!

[@rebeccab4481]

lookin great, jim. trimmed beard looks good too

[@geoffdewitt6845]

I'm actually working a GOO cult as the BBEG for my level 1 - 7 arc. I'm reflavoring the Rakdos from Ravnica to act as their cult; I'd love to see your thoughts on running cultists and creating specifically a cult in D&D? How do they recruit, sway, and/or indoctrinate their followers? What are some crazy, odd, or crazy-odd goals for a cult? How would you interject humor into the dark Lovecraftian horror of the ELDER EVILS!? Just curious.

[@brandonharrison970]

Perfect timing!

[@Guydude777]

These dastardly fellers inspire the creativity in my otherwise desolate noggin'.

[@fistimusmaximus6576]

a question for a noob are crag linnorm only pathfinder or in 5e?

[@WebDM]

It's a Pathfinder thing

[@fistimusmaximus6576]

@@WebDM damn nice creature think would really fit for the Yuan-Ti.

[@JKM395]

Another great one gents. I enjoyed your professionalism as the store started to fill up. Well done as always.

[@bmansk8520]

Man you have to wonder how many times people walk In front of the camera XD