How do you stat the town guard?

[UngeheuerLich]

I would use minions of appropriate level...

maybe minions with 2 hp and when reduced to 0 hp, unconscious or badly hurt that fighting is not possible anymore...

the captain is a soldier(leader) of about the same level...

the general goal is:
you don´t want them to die, but don´t want them to steal the show...

edit:
As i agree, that people should really not scale with level... (other than replacing monsters 8 levels lower with minions of equal level) the enviromental damage actually can to a certain extend:

at epic level you can do things with a coffee cup you can´t do at level 1....

 

[ExploderWizard]

It doesn't matter. Encounters with city guards are not fun. Move past the guards and on to the fun!

 

[Infiniti2000]

Thanks for the responses, all! But, note that I never said the PCs would be fighting the guards. (I kind of tricked you there, sorry!)

In this case, there's a good chance that the heroes may fight alongside a couple of guards or that they'll have some guard-like support. It'll only happen if things go well for the party, so I don't expect it to impact XP.

 

[Nifft]

Thanks for the responses, all! But, note that I never said the PCs would be fighting the guards. (I kind of tricked you there, sorry!)

You only tricked yourself. Things the PCs don't stab shouldn't need a level at all. They're environmental effects or the expression of a skill challenge inside the combat.

Cheers, -- N

 

[Sanzuo]

You only tricked yourself. Things the PCs don't stab shouldn't need a level at all. They're environmental effects or the expression of a skill challenge inside the combat.

Cheers, -- N

I need to be ready to stat up anything on the fly. My PCs will stab anything if they consider it to be profitable/entertaining.

 

[lukelightning]

Use the handy-dandy chart in the DMG and DM screen regarding challenges by level. The DCs can be AC and the defenses, etc.

 

[Regicide]

If the PCs are levels 1-5, the guards are L5 Elite Soldiers.

If the PCs are levels 6-10, the guards are L7 Soldiers, their sergeants are L8 Elite Brutes (Leader).

If the PCs are levels 11-15, the guards are L12 Minions, their sergeants are L12 Brutes, and their captains are L15 Elite Controllers (Leader).

If the PCs are levels 16-20, the guards are a single Huge Swarm (L17 Brute), the royal S.W.A.T. team are L16 Artillery, and the knight-champion of the Kingsguard are L18 Elite Skirmishers (Large, because mounted).

If the PCs are level 21-30, the guards are polite.

Cheers, -- N

And... the points of light concept falls flat on it's face as the guards could annihilate everything in the countryside that the players could ever hope to get to. Of course, maybe you're not running points of light like 4E is based around.

Players are heroes, guards are minions. There may be some exceptional personalities around that are guards (three musketeers), cooks (under siege), retired adventurers (also under siege), ridiculously talented children (anime) etc.

 

[The Human Target]

Good idea! These things are more fun in the abstract, anyways. I could see a bunch of skills being useful, particularly athletics and acrobatics, and you're free from hard-and fast combat rules so you're free to make up more impressive stunts to describe what you are doing.

Yeah, its been more fun for us, and feels really cinematic.

I tried having stated out fights in a city game I ran, and 4E just doesn't support it as a tactical combat.

 

[Saeviomagy]

And... the points of light concept falls flat on it's face as the guards could annihilate everything in the countryside that the players could ever hope to get to. Of course, maybe you're not running points of light like 4E is based around.

How so? If the guards all head off to take care of threat A, threat B crushes the town.

 

[Nifft]

And... the points of light concept falls flat on it's face as the guards could annihilate everything in the countryside that the players could ever hope to get to. Of course, maybe you're not running points of light like 4E is based around.

Players are heroes, guards are minions. There may be some exceptional personalities around that are guards (three musketeers), cooks (under siege), retired adventurers (also under siege), ridiculously talented children (anime) etc.

Points of Light are:
1/ light because they actually are defended against the darkness; and
2/ points because they don't cover much area (i.e. a town).

Town Guards are just fine in PoL.

Cheers, -- N

PS: If you think about guards fighting monsters, you're doing it wrong. 4e is not a simulation.
PCs fight monsters. Guards only need stats in so far as they fight PCs.