DM's Best Friend Table

[Ry]

Here's the current version of my DM's Best Friend table. This is the upshot of my work on analyzing the statistics of monsters and NPCs - so far I've collected about 1500 entries, although I've done more data entry data for the less linear elements (i.e. Hitpoints).

Using the table:

[sblock]Say you're stuck for a monster, or don't like looking them up.

You know its CR. You know your monster is a big wad of hitpoints with high AC and it has a special ability that the PCs can save against.

Look at the table, in the column for the CR of your monster. You instantly have the hitpoints, attack modifier, likely damage on the main attack, save DC for the special ability, Armor Class, and Saves.[/sblock]

 

[Ry]

Oh, and as you can probably guess, the hit points are rounded to the nearest 5 points (except for CR 1/4 creatures) and these numbers are generated by using 3rd-order polynomial trendlines off of the scatter data.

 

[Ry]

Here's some tables; the first shows the scatter chart for all creatures and NPCs' HP, the second shows one of the groupings within that category: Creatures who have the majority of their HD due to Type, and with Fortitude as their highest saves.

 

[Emirikol]

Ry,

THat's a cool chart. It will be very handy for my games were I don't use standard elements of the game. All I need is a monster description (big tentacled horror with gaping mouth) and I can reference a CR/HP/AC etc.

Thanks!

Jay

 

[Emirikol]

It's interesting to see how fast monster saves ramp up in the middle and lower levels!

What on Oerth made you want to do this chart?


jh

 

[Ry]

I'm working on the "Ultimate Winging-it Table"

Think of it like this: I'm throwing 2 mummies at the party while 3 manticores attack from a chamber overhead. My party is level 10, and this is a pretty important battle. The CRs should be about 6 for the manticores and 8 for the mummies.

In front of me (and I have the beginnings of this chart already) is a chart like the one attached. Also I've got a couple of cards handy:


Manticore
Darkvis 60, Low-light, Scent
Fly 50 (clumsy) Flyby Attack
Tail spikes:
Volley of spikes: 6 rolls at atk-2 (19-20)
Close in Claw/Claw/Bite

Mummy
Undead, DR 5/-
Vulnerable to fire
Slam plus Rot
Mummy Rot (1 min, 1d6 Con, 1d6 Cha)
Despair (Wil vs. 1d4 rds fear paralysis)

PC Barbarian attacks mummy; I check my chart for AC of a CR 8. PC hits, does crit damage, and I check the mummy's HP on the same column.

PC Mage casts a fireball, I look for a "Other" save for the manticore because I don't think they have high Reflex.

Two other PCs go to melee with the mummies; again, I'm back at the same spot on my one chart.

There's an element of mastery when you're working off of one chart consistently, compared to relying on memory, and there's a huge speed benefit relative to flipping pages. Every time the players make an attack roll, I'm looking at around the same spot for my monster's AC. I'm getting used to both where the AC is on the chart, and what ACs are appropriate at this CR. In a way, it's like a handy helper on the way to ballparking everything.

 

[Emirikol]

Do your players realize you're using it? I mean, after having played in the RPGA for a couple dozen years, I've run into enough players who have a lycanthropic RAIN MAN spaz attack because the AC of your monster may be off by one.

Have you run into any of that resistance?

jh

 

[Ry]

I used a version of this in the past, but didn't distribute it because it was really just me looking at a bunch of monsters, then writing down my best guess.

The players knew, and loved it, because it meant we gamed more often and it went a lot faster. There was no page flipping anymore - and heck, the cards were rarely used because my job in bringing in a mummy was "remember the important stuff about mummies".

 

[Ry]

Oh, and also in the "why on earth did you do this?" line - I was home sick from work with a TERRIBLE virus for 2 weeks. I couldn't think creatively, just sat in a chair... so I found a table of SRD monsters, did a few calculations, and started adding more monsters to it.

 

[Emirikol]

The players knew, and loved it, because it meant we gamed more often and it went a lot faster.

I think thats brilliant. You've found a way to game faster and more.

jh