Correct use of minions?

[Lojaan]

Hi all!

I'm not new to D&D but I'me very new to GMing - I'm about to GM my first game. I've been doing heaps of research trying to get my head around all the new stuff and the thing that look ages to figure out is how to use minions properly. I think I've got it worked out and I just wanted to run it by you guys;

Just as the players are split into roles, so too are monsters (nothing new here). Whereas players have striker, defender & controler, monsters have minion, brute & skirmisher/artillery (I put these together as they're both hard to get to damage dealers).

Each of these roles is easy for one type of character, and deadly to another.

*Brutes are the staple food of defenders, and the bane of controllers.
*Skirmishers/Artillery (and the scarier lurkers) are toys for strikers to play with and in their turn, play havok with defenders.
*Minions (and their big brothers - soldiers) are absolute cannon fodder for controllers, BUT, used correctly, will completely pwn strikers

Hence, minions aren't 'throw away' creatures, they're a valid threat, and a GM tool to both foil strikers, challenge defenders, and let controllers show off all their fancy stuff.

In other words, your rogue or ranger getting too cocky? Or is your party striker heavy? Try a full minion encounter. Watch those pretty boys, flanked, overwhelmed and dragged down crying for a wizard.

What do you think? Am I on the right path?

 

[Otterscrubber]

Minions can definitely make things interesting if your group does not have any AE to deal with them, and also if they decide to ignore them cuz their "just minions". They get lotsa rolls and will wear you down fast if you are not careful.

Although my ranger is a melee dragonborn with enlarged breath weapon. We call him "Monkey-burner" for his impressive ability to drop the minions. We do not have a wizard in our group so it often falls to him to take them out, which he has done surprisingly well at.

 

[Dice4Hire]

Minions are great. A threatthat cannot be ignored, but also an attack that could work better elsewhere. A hard choice in combat.

I have run a few combats, and oddly minions seem to sur vive a long time, as players concentrate onteh guys with flashy, ranged abilities nad ignore the more pedestrian little minions. Butthe minions do a lot of damage while being ignored, usually tothe non-defenders.

 

[Incenjucar]

I like to use minions as flank tools and barriers, for the most part, as well as a way to magnify leader powers.

 

[DracoSuave]

Don't forget, on average 4 minions will do more average damage than the equivalent level monster.

 

[Fallen Seraph]

I use minions mainly for very specific things, that alter depending on the circumstance.

-Showcase the randomness of combat: A group of Orcs is facing the party, a couple of them are minions so when they go down they represent; a single blow that beheads them, a twist of fate that causes them to be impaled on a spear, etc.

-To showcase how dangerous mobs are: In general, even someone who is fairly good fighter has a harder time dealing with large groups since they can overpower them.

-Narrative effect: If I the DM want to have a very specific feel in an encounter then using a Minion can work quite well. One example for instance is one I used recently.

The party had entered a island-village whose inhabitants were under the control of a Aboleth. When the Aboleth commands them to detain the party they do so with complete abandonment of their own safety. Thus, they are fairly dangerous even for PCs but since they have no care about their own safety they are easily dispatched. Plus it can affect the players having their characters being essentially forced to chop down in wide swaths essentially innocent people.

 

[Staffan]

Don't forget, on average 4 minions will do more average damage than the equivalent level monster.

Sort of. But as you start hitting the minions, their damage capability goes down, while en equal-level standard monster will be able to keep murderizing just as well until he goes down.

 

[DracoSuave]

Sort of. But as you start hitting the minions, their damage capability goes down, while en equal-level standard monster will be able to keep murderizing just as well until he goes down.

Indeed, it balances out in the end. But you can't -ignore- the minion just because its single hitpoint seems trivial. These aren't your dnd2 or 3 kobolds any more. There's no 1/2 level anythings.

 

[Bagpuss]

I use minions mainly for very specific things, that alter depending on the circumstance.

-Showcase the randomness of combat:

-To showcase how dangerous mobs are:

-Narrative effect:

I think you've missed one.

Show how much the adventures that have progressed: A creature that might have been a Brute/Soldier before before becomes a minion when they have advanced in levels. IE: Ghouls, Zombies.

 

[DracoSuave]

Efficiently simulate a war zone.

An encounter where you're surrounded by 1hp guys as allies and enemies, and you have to wade your way to the big bad general leading his troops... catapults dropping huge rocks everywhere... that sounds AWESOME.