Customizing Monster Levels

[Fungah]

I'm trying to figure out just how I should change the stats of monsters if I want to adjust their levels to be closer-matched for my PCs. The DMG tells me how I can change HP based on their role, plus I found this article from WotC: http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/4ex/20080418a

"Boosting a monster’s level is easy. Just increase its attack rolls, defenses, and AC by 1 for every level you add. For every two levels, increase the damage it deals with its attacks by 1. Decreasing a monster’s level works like increasing it, but in reverse."

That method seems flawed...
Based on what it says, initiative and abilities won't change at all. The way I see it, each ability score bonus, each defense, armor class, initiative, skills, and attack rolls should all be increased/decreased by 1 for every 2 levels the monster is modified. That way the attack rolls, defenses, and AC change the same as the article dictates, but the rest of the monster also changes accordingly. Am I missing something, or is my method more accurate?

Also, I was going to put this in the House Rules forum, but decided not to because I'd rather use official ruling if there's some out there that I completely overlooked. I don't know if the article should be considered canon or not.

 

[keterys]

Yeah, you should (in/de)crease ability bonuses, skills and init and such as well.

Attack and Defenses are _already_ decreased by 1 per level, so should not change further.

 

[Mal Malenkirk]

It works well enough for just one level or two.

I wouldn't care to try turning out an orc berseker into an epic monster that way, though.

But since monsters can be relevant for a wider spread of levels, I'd rather not bother with tweaking their stats. I just use more or less of these against the PC.

 

[DLichen]

Yeah, if you try to scale large levels, the difference in damage die and hp start getting significant.

 

[D_E]

But you can use the info in the DMG to increase HP and Damage Dice too. The only thing that might give problems is special abilities.

 

[Rechan]

One thing I've done is just subtract the monster's level from their attacks and 1/2 level from damage, and then tack those abilities onto a monster role of equivalent level.

For instance I took the stats of a Hobgoblin Warcaster (Level 3), and tacked on the abilities of a Shadar-Kai witch (level 8), with the -5 to attacks and -2 to damage of abilities.

Then there's always this.

 

[Fungah]

That's an awesome link! I'll definitely be using that.