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Hit Points. Did 3.0 Or 3.5 Get it Right?
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<blockquote data-quote="Neonchameleon" data-source="post: 9253921" data-attributes="member: 87792"><p>You actually describe the scene - and minions are the people outclassed. 4e, unlike other D&Ds, leant into monsters having different roles in their societies.</p><p></p><p>At low level this means that minions are basically non-combatants. Orc minions were from memory "orc drudges" and armed with a club while wearing hides. Kobold minions were (again from memory) "kobold tunnellers" armed with their mining picks. As a general rule any unnamed NPCs who are picking up whatever implements they can and are not trained warriors are minions. They don't belong on the battlefield other than because of desperation. (See also: The pitchfork and torch waving mob). And if the DM isn't conveying that then they aren't doing their job. Meanwhile the standard monsters have names like Orc Berserker, Orc Scout, Kobold Slinger, or Kobold Quickblade. They know their way around violence. If the DM isn't making the difference clear then that's on them.</p><p></p><p>Also NPCs who are clearly out-levelled can also be treated as minions by the DM. Those guards who were a problem for you but not quite the equals of the PCs at level 1? When they come back at level 10? You can now treat them as minions; same XP value if you level them up 8 levels and turn them into minions but simpler to manage. The PCs have gone up nine levels. They're now a speed-bump and the PCs can <em>style</em> on them.</p><p></p><p>There are exceptions for <em>named</em> NPCs of course. Prince Leoric XVII might be good at posing with a sword and might wear shiny golden armour, but he's never faced someone in training who wouldn't be flogged if he actually hit the Prince. He thinks he's all that - but a real warrior is going to cut of that head he never puts a helmet on because it would mess up his hairdo. Also Dean Alcarde might know everything there is to know about portal magic and be able to block an entire circle of enemy mages from opening portals single handedly. But he's 178 years old, needs a cane to walk, and has never been in a physical brawl in his life. If someone can actually <em>reach</em> him with a sword he too is a minion. Both of those might be surprises for the PCs, but they should be the sort of surprise that make the players say "oh, of course" rather than ones that came out of nowhere.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Neonchameleon, post: 9253921, member: 87792"] You actually describe the scene - and minions are the people outclassed. 4e, unlike other D&Ds, leant into monsters having different roles in their societies. At low level this means that minions are basically non-combatants. Orc minions were from memory "orc drudges" and armed with a club while wearing hides. Kobold minions were (again from memory) "kobold tunnellers" armed with their mining picks. As a general rule any unnamed NPCs who are picking up whatever implements they can and are not trained warriors are minions. They don't belong on the battlefield other than because of desperation. (See also: The pitchfork and torch waving mob). And if the DM isn't conveying that then they aren't doing their job. Meanwhile the standard monsters have names like Orc Berserker, Orc Scout, Kobold Slinger, or Kobold Quickblade. They know their way around violence. If the DM isn't making the difference clear then that's on them. Also NPCs who are clearly out-levelled can also be treated as minions by the DM. Those guards who were a problem for you but not quite the equals of the PCs at level 1? When they come back at level 10? You can now treat them as minions; same XP value if you level them up 8 levels and turn them into minions but simpler to manage. The PCs have gone up nine levels. They're now a speed-bump and the PCs can [I]style[/I] on them. There are exceptions for [I]named[/I] NPCs of course. Prince Leoric XVII might be good at posing with a sword and might wear shiny golden armour, but he's never faced someone in training who wouldn't be flogged if he actually hit the Prince. He thinks he's all that - but a real warrior is going to cut of that head he never puts a helmet on because it would mess up his hairdo. Also Dean Alcarde might know everything there is to know about portal magic and be able to block an entire circle of enemy mages from opening portals single handedly. But he's 178 years old, needs a cane to walk, and has never been in a physical brawl in his life. If someone can actually [I]reach[/I] him with a sword he too is a minion. Both of those might be surprises for the PCs, but they should be the sort of surprise that make the players say "oh, of course" rather than ones that came out of nowhere. [/QUOTE]
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