Black Flag Tales of the Valiant preview: The Wight

[Zaukrie]

I love the bonus actions, but then, I've got a PDF I've thought about selling basically creating templates for commanders.....

Does a wight stay in place for 24 hours to get their new followers? I understand why this is a thing, but also, don't.

 

[bedir than]

Yeah, the other way to encourage movement is to eliminate or greatly curtail opportunity attacks and to bring back an automatic flanking bonus as well as a firing into melee penalty. With 5E's broken up movement, these rules mean both monsters and PCs dive into and out of melee a lot more.

The way I've increased movement is by rewarding heroic actions with inspiration. Characters that do things should be rewarded! Taking an opportunity attack, which are almost always trivial, just doesn't matter.

Doing cool stuff does. Move, jump, burst through the crowded hall - risk! by a big damn hero

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Does a wight stay in place for 24 hours to get their new followers? I understand why this is a thing, but also, don't.

It makes sense in a Stephen King sort of way, where the undead is tainting the area by its presence.

 

[Doctor Futurity]

So the wight is no longer going to be portrayed, or reflect the concept of the barrow wight, or the draugr, then? Hmmmm.

I mean, it can still be that, of course, but surprised that its actual original reference isn't addressed at all in some way.

Agreed though, something about this approach feels vaguely 4Eish to me, but then not all things in 4E were actually bad, so weigh it as you will.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

So the wight is no longer going to be portrayed, or reflect the concept of the barrow wight, or the draugr, then? Hmmmm.

This isn't replacing the Monster Manual. I suspect a huge percentage of Monster Vault purchasers will own both books and use both books as needed. It'd be interesting to see a poll, a year after the 2025 MM comes out, looking at how many people own each of the big monster books, including Level Up's Monstrous Menagerie.

 

[Zaukrie]

So the wight is no longer going to be portrayed, or reflect the concept of the barrow wight, or the draugr, then? Hmmmm.

I mean, it can still be that, of course, but surprised that its actual original reference isn't addressed at all in some way.

Agreed though, something about this approach feels vaguely 4Eish to me, but then not all things in 4E were actually bad, so weigh it as you will.

I'm happy to move on from the old tropes...plus, as said above, we already have that wight...

 

[SlyFlourish]

This isn't replacing the Monster Manual. I suspect a huge percentage of Monster Vault purchasers will own both books and use both books as needed. It'd be interesting to see a poll, a year after the 2025 MM comes out, how many people own each of the big monster books, including Level Up's Monstrous Menagerie.

The A5E Monstrous Menagerie has completely replaced the 2014 Monster Manual for me at this point. I haven’t found a single A5E monster where I’d rather use an original.

And so far I’m digging the Monster Vault. It could do the same thing. And, of course, there’s the 2025 Monster Manual coming out in a year. So we’ll see!

 

[Voadam]

It is a natural role for them with the create zombie power now that they no longer spawn new wights. I could see them either as a lieutenant for others or as a clear leader of their own small band of dead. Necromancers using wights to get around the limits of direct zombie control makes some sense.

 

[Voadam]

So the wight is no longer going to be portrayed, or reflect the concept of the barrow wight, or the draugr, then? Hmmmm.

They did and did not before as well with their previous spawn new wights energy drain power from Basic through 1e-3e which is not really a draugr thing that I am aware of. The change is just from spawning more thinking and spawning capable wights to spawning non-communicable zombies.

4e wights did not have spawning at all with their drain healing surges mechanic and so they were probably the closest to full on barrow wights and draugr.