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<blockquote data-quote="Pbartender" data-source="post: 4600651" data-attributes="member: 7533">The difference is that in 3E, players were familiar with all the possible changes you could make to a monster.&nbsp; Feats, templates, and class levels are all tools that 3E player characters can use.&nbsp; Once a player realizes, &quot;Oh, it's just a goblin with the half-dragon template and couple levels of Sorcerer,&quot; then there's really no surprises.In 4E, the bad guys use unique abilities that are outside the province of player characters.&nbsp; The suggestions for customizing monsters encourages continuing that practice.Say I want a Giant Toad (or Giant Frog) ala The Village of Hommlet...I start with the stats for a Deathjump Spider...&nbsp; Perhaps change the climb speed into a swim speed.&nbsp; Finally, change its bite attack into something more like a Roper's Tentacle/Reel/Tentacle Grab combo to emulate a long sticky tongue.&nbsp; Done.Modifying monster is not really unique to 4E, but 4E's means of doing it seems to preserve more of the mystery behind what a monster can or cannot do.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Pbartender, post: 4600651, member: 7533"] The difference is that in 3E, players were familiar with all the possible changes you could make to a monster. Feats, templates, and class levels are all tools that 3E player characters can use. Once a player realizes, "Oh, it's just a goblin with the half-dragon template and couple levels of Sorcerer," then there's really no surprises. In 4E, the bad guys use unique abilities that are outside the province of player characters. The suggestions for customizing monsters encourages continuing that practice. Say I want a Giant Toad (or Giant Frog) ala The Village of Hommlet... I start with the stats for a Deathjump Spider... Perhaps change the climb speed into a swim speed. Finally, change its bite attack into something more like a Roper's Tentacle/Reel/Tentacle Grab combo to emulate a long sticky tongue. Done. Modifying monster is not really unique to 4E, but 4E's means of doing it seems to preserve more of the mystery behind what a monster can or cannot do. [/QUOTE]

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