D&D 5E (2014) 5e on Hard difficulty

[CapnZapp]

But I am making a series of "hardcore" monsters

Just as a heads up; I would never want to be a player in Dave's campaign.

In comparison, the existing rules are difficult enough.

[emoji6]


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[CapnZapp]

Never going to happen.

You can't crush my dreams!



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[dave2008]

Just as a heads up; I would never want to be a player in Dave's campaign.

In comparison, the existing rules are difficult enough.

[emoji6]


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Not every monster has to be hardcore

 

[dave2008]

Nice work on the AD&D monsters. I can put together some tables. Is it right to say that the goal is to be able to afford these hardcore beasties in deadly encounters?

Not necessarily. The hardcore monsters come in 2 varieties:

1) It is standard monster with more options (different types of attacks, push, stuns, etc., ranged options, etc.). That gives a DM the tools to quickly and easily provide challenging encounters. Just like MM monsters you would need a lot of these to fill up an encounter budget. The don't really increase the challenge, the just make it easier for the DM (which could affect the actual challenge of course).

2) The elite monsters are designed to provide that same challenge, but with fewer monsters., or more of a challenge with the same number of monsters.

Thus moderate challenge (AKA "hard") might be one of the elite monsters (depend on XP budget) and two might be an extreme challenge (AKA "deadly"), but you could achieve the same challenge with 2 and 4 standard monsters respectively of the same CR. The difference is determined by the XP. Elites have 2x the XP of standard of the same CR. So they fit easily into the encounter budgets, but don't increase AC and to hit bonus so much that it becomes a very one side fight. At least that is the idea. I haven't worked on those beast in several months (trying to finish up another project and then I will get back to them).

 

[UngeheuerLich]

I think the game as presented is challenging enough. IF players can't rest at will...
Also using existing rules like grapple shove and help can work wonders.

But I admit that having battlemaster templates could prove helpful.

 

[clearstream]

I think the game as presented is challenging enough. IF players can't rest at will...

Pacing out resting for sure helps!

Also using existing rules like grapple shove and help can work wonders.

Check for how many creatures the designers were thoughtful enough to include Athletics or Acrobatics, then contemplate Shield Master, and come back about this grapple and shove working wonders

 

[UngeheuerLich]

Pacing out resting for sure helps!


Check for how many creatures the designers were thoughtful enough to include Athletics or Acrobatics, then contemplate Shield Master, and come back about this grapple and shove working wonders

That is an issue indeed. I use advantage and disadvantage liberately.
Usually bigget creatures have advantage against you. And you have disadvantage grappling them...
Although using two hands while they are using just one hand you may cancel a bit of that. It works wonders. Same for shoving. I know that is not explicitely stated but being bigger sounds like you have advantage normally.