In 3e it was possible for creatures to have non-ability scores. A creature without a strength score was incorporeal, a creature without an intelligence score was mindless, and a creature without a constitution score was immune to effects that required a constitution save.
In 5e, all of that is gone and every monster has all six ability scores. Traits like incorporeal, mindless and so forth are covered by different rules if they reappear at all. Being incorporeal is now the trait "incorporeal movement," which allows movement through creatures and objects as if they were difficult terrain. Being mindless is no longer a thing, so undead and constructs may be charmed or dominated if they are not specifically immune or the effect does not specifically exclude them.
I do not see a problem with these changes. It is all magic anyhow, so it does not need to operate on logic derived from a pseudo-scientific understanding of the real world.
Analyzing the intelligence scores of the undead in the MM reveals more interesting changes. With the exception of ghosts and revenants, all undead are of evil alignment regardless of intelligence. I personally find this rather strange: in order to have an alignment I would think you need to be intelligent enough to understand the concept of morality. In real life we see dolphins and apes engaging in murder, cannibalism and rape at the drop of a hat, but in the game rules they are unaligned. In 3e this was added solely because so many effects, like paladin class abilities, targeted alignment. In 5e there are few if any effects that actually target alignment; e.g. a paladin may detect celestials, fiends and undead but not their alignment, while divine smite simply adds radiant damage to their attack with bonus damage against fiends and undead.
Relative intelligence of undead
- “Non-intelligent” (1): none
- Commentary: Surprisingly, there are no undead of this level of intelligence... at least not in the MM.
- “Animal intelligence” (2-3): Beholder Zombie, Ogre Zombie, Warhorse Skeleton, Zombie
- Commentary: Compared to 3e, zombies (and animal skeletons) are now of animal intelligence rather than mindless.
- “semi-intelligent” (4-5): Crawling Claw
- Commentary: One data point is not enough for an analysis.
- “low intelligence” (6-7): Ghoul, Minotaur Skeleton, Mummy, Shadow, Skeleton
- Commentary: They probably got brain damage due to decomposition or something. Curiously, skeletons were mindless in 3e but are now of low intelligence; this may have been inspired by Warhammer Fantasy, which makes this distinction between more intelligent skeletons and less intelligent zombies.
- “dull-witted” (8-9): none
- Commentary: no comment.
- "Average (human) intelligence" (10-13): Banshee, Death Knight, Ghast, Ghost, Mummy Lord, Revenant, Specter, Vampire Spawn, Wight, Will-O'-Wisp, Wraith
- Commentary: Huh. It seems that undead made mostly from humans and demihumans have the same average intelligence.
- "Highly intelligent" (14-15): Bone Naga
- Commentary: no comment.
- "Genius intelligence" (16-17): Dracolich, Flameskull, Vampire
- Commentary: I guess that makes sense...? I really have nothing to compare this to.
- "Supra-genius intelligence" (18-19): Death Tyrant
- Commentary: no comment.
- "Godlike intelligence" (20+): Demilich, Lich
- Commentary: Of course! Because why wouldn't the lich family be this intelligent?
Relevant links
- https://rpg.stackexchange.com/questions/76850/can-my-undead-minion-be-charmed-into-attacking-me/76860
- https://www.reddit.com/r/DnD/comments/2nffyr/skeleton_template_5e/
- http://dungeonsmaster.com/2012/10/5-ways-to-make-mindless-undead-more-interesting/
- http://dungeonofsigns.blogspot.com/2016/09/monster-archelogy-greater-undead.html
- http://dungeonofsigns.blogspot.com/2016/01/monster-archeology-lesser-undead.html
No comments:
Post a Comment