Okay - will readjust other two to 4th and 6th level casters and make thralls and critters. Anything else you want to tweak with the base monster before moving to thane/jarl?
Well we've got a bit of a ways to go as there's still the Description.
After checking
Pine Kindred Version #5, I came up with the following tweaks.
Firstly we should put in some numbers for those "##" and "+#" in Spellcasting.
Let's see, Spell Save DC is 8 with +0 for Wis and +2 Proficiency for DC 10.
Attack roll is just the bonuses, for +2.
So that's "(spell save DC 10; +2 to hit with spell attacks)" for that bit.
Secondly, shouldn't there be spaces between Multiattack, Scimitar and Darts in the Action section?
Thirdly, the Multiattack should have "scimitar attacks" not "sabre attacks". I copy-pasted the previous iteration and forgot to change the weapon name. Oops!
Fourthly, the Wailing Shriek seems more potent in some elements and less potent in others, at least compared to the original.
The
White Dwarf #21 version affected everyone within "ear shot" (i.e. anyone who could hear it) and caused those who failed a Morale check at -20% to flee for an awful long time. The 1–8 turns duration being 10 to 80 minutes since an AD&D turn is 10 melee rounds, each of which is a minute!
However, it only affects Non-Player Characters, not PCs. The use of a Morale check suggests the intention was it can make the adventurer's hirelings and henchmen run away, but the Player Characters are brave heroes made of sterner stuff.
I don't believe 5E distinguishes between Non-Player and Player run creatures like the really old-school games do.
Also it didn't cause any combat penalties, while
frightened causes disadvantage on ability checks and attack rolls, which is really effective in 5E.
I'd rather just have the victims be supernaturally compelled to run away, kind of a "reverse harpy song" were they victims are trying to widen the distance between themselves and the monster rather than narrow it.
For that matter, does it have to be a bonus action? The original text doesn't specify.
How about we make it an Action that they can use as part of their Multiattack, like a Wight's Life Drain?
Maybe make a creature that save successfully immune for 24 hours against that "rank" of Pine Kindred? Perhaps have it limited by Hit Dice?
The Harpy's Luring Song seems a good foundation to base it on.
What do you think of this:
Shrieking Wail. The pine kindred howls a terrifying dirge. Every humanoid and giant within within 300 feet of the pine kindred that can hear the wail must succeed on a DC 10 Wisdom saving throw or be compelled to flee in panic until the wail ends; acting as if they had failed their save against a suggestion spell telling them to "run in terror". The kindred must take a bonus action on its subsequent turns to continue wailing. It can stop wailing at any time. The wail ends if the kindred is incapacitated. While affected by the wail, a target ignores the wails of other pine kindred. If the target is within 300 feet of the kindred, the target must move on its turn away from the kindred by the most direct route, trying to get as far away as possible. The target tries to circumvent opportunity attacks and obvious damaging terrain, such as lava or a pit. Whenever it takes damage, the target can repeat the saving throw. The target can also repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns. If the saving throw is successful, the suggestion effect ends on it. The suggestion also ends if the target stops hearing the wail or flees outside ear shot (i.e. more than 300 feet away from the wailing kindred). A target who successfully saves is immune to the wails of any pine kindred with the same or fewer Hit Dice as the kindred they saved against, but can be affected by the shrieking wails of pine kindred with more Hit Dice, such as Thanes or Jarls.
If we made it part of a Multiattack we'd need to tweak the above by replacing the "bonus action" with "multiattack action" and replace Multiattack with.
Multiattack: The pine kindred makes two scimitar attacks or two dart attacks. It can use its Shrieking Wail in place of one scimitar attack or dart attack.
Currently I prefer the Multiattack version.
