“Stone World: an island as deadly as it is mysterious. Sitting off the coast of Sehrabadd, it holds the title of none having set foot on its shores to tell the tale. However, one part of the island set its foot on the mainland. Yesterday turned out to be a nightmare for the residents of Kerakith, as a renegade school of laserfish from the island wreaked havoc on the city’s waterways. One citizen claimed: ‘All I saw was a flash of bright light, then I smelled my own charred skin.’” Thumbleberry Thunkin, reporter.
When thinking of monsters that would fit on a prehistoric island, dinosaurs and giant versions of existing beasts were the easy picks. But what really stuck with us was something much less serious, at least initially. What screams classic RPG more than a giant catfish shooting lasers and hoisting itself out of the water to attack players? And thus, the laserfish was born.
When designing a monster that was originally a silly idea, it can be easy to focus too much on the “comedy” of the creature without putting enough thought into making sure it’s still engaging when it comes to actually playing the game. While the laserfish is definitely a little foolish, it’s no joke in combat, especially with numbers.
Rather than the lasers being just a gimmick, the entire stat block revolves around them. While the damage and ability to hit characters at range is certainly nice, the biggest positive of Eye Laser is its second effect: causing targets to burn.
Beyond the little bit of damage that burning can cause, the flames are merely fuel for the Bonus Action Scarf Down the Scorched, which gives the fish not only a way to better incorporate its Bite, but also allows for a quick burst of movement. The laserfish can jump up to 50 feet toward a burning creature and make a bite attack, dragging anything that it hits as the beast continues moving. An unlucky character could find themselves pushed into laserfish-infested waters if things don’t go their way.
The laserfish isn’t a complicated monster, nor is it exceptionally threatening with just a description, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be challenging in the right scenario. Hopefully, you enjoy the laserfish and use it as proof that even silly monsters can be deadly if you want them to be. All it takes is a little outside-the-box thinking.
By Ivo Hoying
Epigraph by Inti Navia
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