Monster Design--from a designer's standpoint

Sure, I dont have all the rules, but seeing these 4E monsters is getting me excited!

Scott Greene and I have been going crazy making monsters. 4E is SO much easier and so much more liberating from the standpoint of monster design. The exception based design is awesome. The monsters, in my view, are far and away better in 4E. You can actually give the monsters fun powers without having to worry about making everything match some spell power. And no cheesy skill points. Ugh! DMs will be able to put monsters together so much faster. And now all the interesting monster flavor can actually be translated into combat.

I love it! I am so geeked.

Scott and I have already done the conceptual mapping out of about 50 or more monsters (we have a list of 250). We are finding the theme of the monster and the things we want it to do. We are thinking through impact on movement, threshold triggers, cool powers, ways a monster is different. There is no need for another undead that just has more hit points--but if it has different powers or abilites, then that is a cool monster. We've even been updating some older monsters. Just for kicks, today he and I updated the Bonesnapper. I updated the Charfiend from the old Creature Collection. Fun, fun, fun!!!

I dont know what the new GSL will hold, but I promise you this: Necro WILL have a monster book out for early 4E. Guaranteed. 200+ monsters. Hardback. Kick ass. Fun stuff. New stuff. Not just retreads, though you all know that if WotC will let us (either via compatibility with the OGL or by special permission) we will update the older monsters that are cool that get left behind.

Scott and I are in design overdrive right now. We cant stat or power them all out, but we can concept them, and that is a big first step. And he and I are doing it furiously.

And we are having more fun than we ever had in 3E.

Monsters ROCK in 4E! My hat is off to the people at WotC for how they did monsters.

Clark

Orcus said:

I love it! I am so geeked.

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You're not the only one, Clark. My friend and I are having nerdgasms over how flexible monster design is shaping up to be.

Glad to hear it!

I hated using the same monsters over and over in 3.x, but the general difficulty in stating new beasties made it all but required. I am excited to hear that the process is that much easier now.

I am even more excited about the ability to "file the serial numbers off" monsters and use their cool abilities and triggers for new enemies.

Now if only 4e and related supplements could be released sooner... I really need a genie.

Gone are those cheesy voices in my head from 3E that limit everything to replicating spell effects. In 3E the concept was there couldnt be a power that PCs couldnt have access to--its not fair! they cried. That is a bunch of BS in my view. I am so glad to see a rule set go away from that.

True that, one thing about 4e's philosophy in regards to monster design:

"Because 4e characters are tougher, and because status effects tend to be less debilitating and shorter in duration...its perfectly fine to have monster abilities that just WORK!! No save, no reaction from the player, it just does."

With that in mind, we've already seen a host of wonderful cool monsters with neat abilities. Here's to seeing tons more.

I am glad that I am not alone in seeing the brilliance in WoTC's monster design. Can't wait to buy your book, Clark.

Cheers,

This is the sort of thing we are working on. Note that it has our comments and notes for later revision when we get the rules.

Even this old Fiend Folio creature is now way more fun then it has ever been in any prior edition.

Bonesnapper Level 4 Brute (really a brute?)
Medium aberrant beast (type??) XP 175
Initiative +3 Senses Perception +2, darkvision(?)
HP 64; Bloodied 32
AC 16, Fortitude 18, Reflex 13, Will 12
Speed 6
m Bite (standard; at-will)
+9 vs. AC; 1d10 + 4 damage (crit: 1d10 + 16); on a critical hit, opponent is stunned (save ends). [consider other debilitating effect instead of stun, such as slow or maybe "bone break" or damage to armor when rules available].
m Tail Slap (standard; at-will)
+9 vs. AC; 1d6 + 2 damage.
Sudden Strike (immediate reaction, when the bonesnapper successfully hits an opponent with a bite attack)
The bonesnapper can make a free tail slap attack against the target of its successful bite attack. [oooh, powerful, I like it! And it finally lets the creature do what its description says it does!].
Carnage
+4 on bite attacks against bloodied opponents. [great name!]
Alignment Unaligned Languages —
Str 18 (+6) Dex 12 (+3) Wis 10 (+2)
Con 14 (+4) Int 2 (–2) Cha 6 (+0)

Come on, how much MORE FUN is that monster now than it ever has been? Lots...

Orcus said:

Come on, how much MORE FUN is that monster now than it ever has been? Lots...

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I remember the original bonesnapper as a bit dull, but it has been a while - this version comes off as something more vicious and aggressive, who will (literally) go for the jugular.

Cheers,

It's great to see you guys as excited as the rest of us.