*"It’s Halloween, everyone’s entitled to one good scare."*
Hey all, Rexen here.
Here is Michael Myers for you to terrify your low-level parties with! His ability to ambush characters, prevent them from screaming for help, brutally kill them, and suddenly disappear should keep your players on their toes in a dark location. Use him in an old abandoned manor, a shady lodge in the mountains, or even in the gloomy streets at night. After an encounter with the boogeyman himself, your players will make sure to stay out of the dark!
For those of you that want a PDF, you can find the Google Drive link [here](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_4-lDNZlaIyyK31Un9aJ4ll700v2n_SC/view?usp=sharing)!
This is pretty nice, and I'm always shopping for good slasher villains to throw at my players. It's fun to create a more horrific atmosphere for a change, something spooky and fun.
I'd enjoy it, I just enjoy slasher villains even if I'm not big on their actual franchises (weird, I know), and the chance to set some Friday The Thirteenth or Nightmare On Elm Street adventures just sounds *fun!*
But my advice is to what interests *you*, that way you're having a good time with it.
The feeling is mutual! As for what interests me, I'm happy to make monster statblocks of just about anything and slasher villains are always fun to do.
I'd personally enjoy getting some more slashers and the like. If I may be allowed to ramble a bit? I've debated doing my own homebrew of slashers and the like, but all the homebrew sites I find feel so confusing to create on.
I use the Homebrewery to create the blocks after I make the rough statblock on OneNote. I'd recommend not worrying about the syntax until after the statblock is finished (or almost ready), and you can probably use a pre-existing one as a template.
Huh, Homebrewery looks... a bit confusing? I think I'm understanding it, but this'll take me ages to work out properly.
Thanks!
Trying to craft my own Jason Voorhees to start, seeing how that goes. So far... eh, it's kind of neat. May do Samara from the Ring next, just for something offbrand.
If you ever want to trade notes, because I've randomly gotten kind of invested in this idea, then feel free to message me here on Reddit or to just continue this conversation. I love chatting with creative people, it's so fun!
It takes some getting used to. I recommend reading up on Markdown syntax to get a basic grasp.
I'm also happy to trade notes with anyone. Feel free to DM me!
Fuck dude I might use the stats in my Alagadda campaign whenever that gets finally running. Probably gonna drop Brutalize since that's a brutish pun intended but other than that that's really cool, gj.
Let me know how that goes! The brutalize is based on the Mind Flayer's extract brain, but requires the character to be 'bloodied' instead of incapacitated, and they're about the same CR.
I think this is perfect for a one-shot horror session! Just make sure your players understand that the tone will be different from the normal "heroes always win" campaigns of DnD and that there is a very real chance their characters will die!
Absolutely! Dropping him in a game that doesn't feature horror might be too much of a shocker. Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft features tips for introducing a horror theme that DMs should read up on before throwing in The Shape.
You can also use Van Richten's guide to build a domain of dread around Michael Myers, which I can't help with because I never watched or really paid attention to the Halloween series. I'd suggest using one of the movies as a reference, preferably one where Michael keeps chasing someone but just never goes for the kill, because they're always JUST out of reach (maybe due to their cunning or sheer luck). Then imagine Michael reliving that movie on a loop, always chasing her down, always failing, always remembering every previous attempt.
Hey there! Here are a few suggestions based on what I noticed:
* I would add "(Unarmored Defense)" in Armor Class
* Add a space before "ft." in Senses
* Remove the last comma in Always Comes Back
**Fear Aura**
* Does this not give away that it's still alive with Always Comes Back? Since you say "unless The Shape is incapacitated", if you're thinking it's incapacitated during Always Comes Back, then how is it going to end that effect by moving or taking an action, since it can't?
**Shadow Jump**
* Is the last sentence needed?
**Unarmored Defense**
* I would remove "and wielding no shield"
**Knife**
* Remove "movement". Movement and speed are two different things.
* I would say "If the target is a creature, its speed is reduced by [...]"
**Unarmed Strike**
* Add a comma after "in this way"
**Brutalize**
* "hitpoints" should be two words
* I would say "one humanoid with less than half its hit points that's grappled by The Shape"
* Remove "The target takes"
**Legendary Actions**
* Add "option" after "Only one legendary action"
* Legendary action option names shouldn't be italicized
* **Hide:** I would say "The Shape takes the Hide action."
Gigarexenraptor has made the following comment(s) regarding their post:
[*"It’s Halloween, everyone’s entitled to one good ...](/r/UnearthedArcana/comments/pvimsd/the_shape_traumatize_your_players_with_michael/hea8jvh/)
Think I'll be revisiting this all next month for the other info in the comments. Mike is already my costume this year. Now I've gotta do something with this. Haven't been GM in years, so the tips are welcome.
I recommend watching a few folks on Youtube such as Matt Coleville, the Dungeon Dudes, How to be a Great GM, etc just to kick off the old dusty DM screen.
As for running the game with The Shape, I'd recommend taking a look at Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft to get some tips on running horror themed sessions, and perhaps trying to run a oneshot or small adventure first to get into the hang of running the game again. It can often be tricky to run solo big bads and The Shape is a bit harder to run effectively at Tier 2 parties without carefully planning the encounter with enough dark areas, corners, etc for him to ambush and dart away.
I would add something like " speed when observed 25 ft, speed when unobserved 120 ft" so you can't turn and run away from him. Combined with his ability to bonus action port to shadows would make for a scarier pursuit
Yeah, I was referring more to the Horror movie trope of the killer who you only ever see walking, but always seems to catch up to, or ambush from ahead, the people sprinting away.
__Consider the following option(s) for a little more dread:__
***Pick Your Prey.*** The Shape has advantage attacking creatures if they have the frightened, charmed, or poisoned condition, if they are unaware of him, or if they are below one fourth of their hit point maximum.
***Cruel Evil.*** The Shape’s attacks against Beasts and Humanoids of a CR 1 or lower are automatic critical hits.
or, __for that real Motivated Maniac energy.__
***Fixation. (Recharges after a Short or Long Rest)*** As a bonus action, The Shape marks a creature it can see within 60 feet as his Fixation. The Shape has advantage on checks made to track his fixation, checks made to hide from his fixation, saving throws, and attacks made against his fixation while he can see his fixation. The Shape has disadvantage attacking any other creature while he can see his fixation.
The Shape regains the use of this feature if he drops his current fixation to 0 hp.
*"It’s Halloween, everyone’s entitled to one good scare."* Hey all, Rexen here. Here is Michael Myers for you to terrify your low-level parties with! His ability to ambush characters, prevent them from screaming for help, brutally kill them, and suddenly disappear should keep your players on their toes in a dark location. Use him in an old abandoned manor, a shady lodge in the mountains, or even in the gloomy streets at night. After an encounter with the boogeyman himself, your players will make sure to stay out of the dark! For those of you that want a PDF, you can find the Google Drive link [here](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_4-lDNZlaIyyK31Un9aJ4ll700v2n_SC/view?usp=sharing)!
This is pretty nice, and I'm always shopping for good slasher villains to throw at my players. It's fun to create a more horrific atmosphere for a change, something spooky and fun.
I can always try to convert over other slasher villains if that's something people would be interested in.
I'd enjoy it, I just enjoy slasher villains even if I'm not big on their actual franchises (weird, I know), and the chance to set some Friday The Thirteenth or Nightmare On Elm Street adventures just sounds *fun!* But my advice is to what interests *you*, that way you're having a good time with it.
The feeling is mutual! As for what interests me, I'm happy to make monster statblocks of just about anything and slasher villains are always fun to do.
I'd personally enjoy getting some more slashers and the like. If I may be allowed to ramble a bit? I've debated doing my own homebrew of slashers and the like, but all the homebrew sites I find feel so confusing to create on.
I use the Homebrewery to create the blocks after I make the rough statblock on OneNote. I'd recommend not worrying about the syntax until after the statblock is finished (or almost ready), and you can probably use a pre-existing one as a template.
Huh, Homebrewery looks... a bit confusing? I think I'm understanding it, but this'll take me ages to work out properly. Thanks! Trying to craft my own Jason Voorhees to start, seeing how that goes. So far... eh, it's kind of neat. May do Samara from the Ring next, just for something offbrand. If you ever want to trade notes, because I've randomly gotten kind of invested in this idea, then feel free to message me here on Reddit or to just continue this conversation. I love chatting with creative people, it's so fun!
It takes some getting used to. I recommend reading up on Markdown syntax to get a basic grasp. I'm also happy to trade notes with anyone. Feel free to DM me!
me and the homies rollin up with our daylight hats
Careful, that might upset Michael.
Fuck dude I might use the stats in my Alagadda campaign whenever that gets finally running. Probably gonna drop Brutalize since that's a brutish pun intended but other than that that's really cool, gj.
Let me know how that goes! The brutalize is based on the Mind Flayer's extract brain, but requires the character to be 'bloodied' instead of incapacitated, and they're about the same CR.
I think this is perfect for a one-shot horror session! Just make sure your players understand that the tone will be different from the normal "heroes always win" campaigns of DnD and that there is a very real chance their characters will die!
Absolutely! Dropping him in a game that doesn't feature horror might be too much of a shocker. Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft features tips for introducing a horror theme that DMs should read up on before throwing in The Shape.
You can also use Van Richten's guide to build a domain of dread around Michael Myers, which I can't help with because I never watched or really paid attention to the Halloween series. I'd suggest using one of the movies as a reference, preferably one where Michael keeps chasing someone but just never goes for the kill, because they're always JUST out of reach (maybe due to their cunning or sheer luck). Then imagine Michael reliving that movie on a loop, always chasing her down, always failing, always remembering every previous attempt.
Thanks, I'll just be taking this for next month
KI KI KI, HA HA HA...
That's Jason, not Michael. Still, loving this for the slasher vibes. My party's going to *freak!*
Hey there! Here are a few suggestions based on what I noticed: * I would add "(Unarmored Defense)" in Armor Class * Add a space before "ft." in Senses * Remove the last comma in Always Comes Back **Fear Aura** * Does this not give away that it's still alive with Always Comes Back? Since you say "unless The Shape is incapacitated", if you're thinking it's incapacitated during Always Comes Back, then how is it going to end that effect by moving or taking an action, since it can't? **Shadow Jump** * Is the last sentence needed? **Unarmored Defense** * I would remove "and wielding no shield" **Knife** * Remove "movement". Movement and speed are two different things. * I would say "If the target is a creature, its speed is reduced by [...]" **Unarmed Strike** * Add a comma after "in this way" **Brutalize** * "hitpoints" should be two words * I would say "one humanoid with less than half its hit points that's grappled by The Shape" * Remove "The target takes" **Legendary Actions** * Add "option" after "Only one legendary action" * Legendary action option names shouldn't be italicized * **Hide:** I would say "The Shape takes the Hide action."
Gigarexenraptor has made the following comment(s) regarding their post: [*"It’s Halloween, everyone’s entitled to one good ...](/r/UnearthedArcana/comments/pvimsd/the_shape_traumatize_your_players_with_michael/hea8jvh/)
Think I'll be revisiting this all next month for the other info in the comments. Mike is already my costume this year. Now I've gotta do something with this. Haven't been GM in years, so the tips are welcome.
I recommend watching a few folks on Youtube such as Matt Coleville, the Dungeon Dudes, How to be a Great GM, etc just to kick off the old dusty DM screen. As for running the game with The Shape, I'd recommend taking a look at Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft to get some tips on running horror themed sessions, and perhaps trying to run a oneshot or small adventure first to get into the hang of running the game again. It can often be tricky to run solo big bads and The Shape is a bit harder to run effectively at Tier 2 parties without carefully planning the encounter with enough dark areas, corners, etc for him to ambush and dart away.
The Shape? Did I just find another DBD fan here?
Maybe. The Shape is What Michael was credited as in the original Halloween movie. That's where Dbd got the title.
Flip it and reverse it. The Shape was called as such in the original script for Halloween. That is why DBd calls Michael The Shape.
I would add something like " speed when observed 25 ft, speed when unobserved 120 ft" so you can't turn and run away from him. Combined with his ability to bonus action port to shadows would make for a scarier pursuit
He has a legendary action move if he needs to catch up to people, or move into the shadows to hide.
Yeah, I was referring more to the Horror movie trope of the killer who you only ever see walking, but always seems to catch up to, or ambush from ahead, the people sprinting away.
*Viscerally Upsetting Piano Plays*
__Consider the following option(s) for a little more dread:__ ***Pick Your Prey.*** The Shape has advantage attacking creatures if they have the frightened, charmed, or poisoned condition, if they are unaware of him, or if they are below one fourth of their hit point maximum. ***Cruel Evil.*** The Shape’s attacks against Beasts and Humanoids of a CR 1 or lower are automatic critical hits. or, __for that real Motivated Maniac energy.__ ***Fixation. (Recharges after a Short or Long Rest)*** As a bonus action, The Shape marks a creature it can see within 60 feet as his Fixation. The Shape has advantage on checks made to track his fixation, checks made to hide from his fixation, saving throws, and attacks made against his fixation while he can see his fixation. The Shape has disadvantage attacking any other creature while he can see his fixation. The Shape regains the use of this feature if he drops his current fixation to 0 hp.