#they might just be thier opinions? Why must I be cursed with knowledge! Worse

[ttrpg-smash-pass-vs]

I've been gathering all the elligible creatures for next tournament, double checking my work. And I hit the retriever.

AND THIS FUCKING THING.

This thing stopped me for hours. Because they keep changing what it IS. Because look at it, cool spider robot, right? oh, and it knows languages, that means it's either a mindless automaton (fine because it's like a toy) or it's an intelligent creature, right? Wrong? Turns out it's NEAR mindless. Red flag, especially given it has 3 int. Usually sentient creatures don't go below 5, so it's likely either a smart automaton like your phone or animal, right? Well turns out it's made from an imprisoned bebelith that had most of its intelligence removed. MOST? Is it animal level or not, because that's down to the usual animal range but it apparently still understands language. Does it even matter, does being made from an imprisoned spirit that follows orders mean it couldn't consent anyways? I made an argument for that with golems, and we know that spirits imprisoned spirits cannot fight even if they want to as long as the vessel's durable metal. But then you look at the MPMM, this new book we're going into. and hey look, they removed the "imprisoned bebelith" part that's been in every description for decades. But it is gone because it's not true anymore, or is it gone because the MPMM shortened nearly every description? Some PLAYER RACES got reduced to 3 sentences, so is that no longer canon, or is it just not included in this summarized version of it because they assume you know from Tome of Foes?

ultimately, sorry, not including it in next tournament. 14 foot spider droid with paralysis and restraint powers would've done numbers. But I am really unsure if this is sentient and if it could consent even if it was (since the ritual seems to override its free will). And I can't in good conscious include an option unless I'm confident it can consent. I'll take "I can't think of a scenario in which it would want to, but it technically could." but not "incapable of consent."