Anti-grind Monster Templates: Overlord and Rager

With my group now well into Paragon (level 13) and with six players, we're watching two things happen.

First, combat is taking longer and longer. Last night, in the climax of Trollhaunt Warrens, the final battle took two and a half hours. People had fun but it was really long.

Second, it's becoming harder and harder for me to scare my group. Monster damage just isn't high enough to break through resistances, temporary hitpoint gain, and healing spurts that require no surges. Also, any sort of BBEG becomes an instant target for status effect powers so it spends the first five to ten rounds with a bucket on its head and a kick-me sign on its ass. It has the hitpoints to come around, but why waste all that time?

Ideally, I didn't want to add any house rules. Stalker0's Anti-Grind article is a great start, but with six players at level 13, even using these rules still leaves a grind in my game.

Instead I want to add some very small, very minor house rules that will speed up my game, not nerf the players, and give them a good threat. Ravyn's "Brutal 4e" rules were my starting place: House Rule "Brutal 4E" - d20/3E Rules - General - Necromancer Games - Message Board - Yuku

So now I'm considering adding two templates to some of the monsters in my game to speed the game along and maybe, just maybe, get to four fights a night instead of two. Here are my template ideas:

Overlord

This template is applied to the main villains of an adventure. Named nasties the DM wants the party to pay special attention to and particularly hate.

Overwhelming Damage: This creature's damage increases by 1 per 1/2 level.
Devastating Critical: This creature gains +1d10 per tier on critical hits.
Mountanous Fortitude: When stunned, this creature instead loses its next standard action. All other actions are unaffected.
Leader's Will: When dazed, this creature instead loses its next minor action.

(notes: Would a hitpoint loss work well here to speed things up more or better to give lords full hitpoints? What about doubling the damage instead of just adding 1/2 level? Too swingy?)

Rager

This template is applied to any creature to turn it into a brutal killing machine sacrificing power for its own well being.

Overwhelming Damage: This creature's damage increases by 1 per 1/2 level.
Devastating Critical: This creature gains +1d10 per tier on critical hits.
Brutality Sacrifice: This creature begins with 1/2 its normal hitpoints.

I considered doubling the damage delt instead of adding 1/2 level but I think that might make it too swingy. This is a little more controlled and less noticable at the table. The idea isn't to apply this to ALL monsters, just every once in a while or on side battles to speed things along.

Please give thoughts and criticisms. I'd like to make these rules "solid" to the point where I can run them a lot and know I'm not going to totally unbalance the game.

Thanks to TheRavyn for the 4e Brutal idea: House Rule "Brutal 4E" - d20/3E Rules - General - Necromancer Games - Message Board - Yuku

How would these templates affect rewards? Would an overlord give XP like an elite and the rager just be even?

I too like the Brutal rules and have been trying out a version myself. My strategy is to increase all monster damage by one die type (replace d6s with d8s etc.) and cutting HPs by 1/3 to 1/2. This has worked well for regular combats and is not obvious on the other side of the screen. Basically, whenever I hit, the players feel it, but when they hit, the monster goes quick. It is fun to roll handfulls of d12s. Initiative becomes more important of course.
As for solos and elites, I haven't tried it yet, but I am thinking that a power like "Shake it Off" or something that allows a Save at the beginning as well as the end of each round would help a lot. It wouldn't invalidate all effects, but would emphasize the badass-itude of the opponent.
Btw, I dig your website
cheers