Alternate Advancements

[FireLance]

The DMG presents standard rules for increasing a monster's level: basically, increase the monster's attack rolls and defenses by one for every level added, increase the damage dealt by the monster's attacks by one for every two levels added, and increase the monster's hit points for each level added by an amount depending on its role.

Alternate advancements are a variant approach to increasing a monster's level similar to 3e templates, in which some or all of the standard adjustments gained by a monster for adding a level are replaced by other abilities. The following is an example of an alternate advancement.

Shadowtouched

The shadowtouched alternate advancement may be used to create a creature that has been tainted by necrotic energy. Some may be natural creatures that were corrupted because they strayed into an area infused with dark power. Others have attained this status through the use of obscure rituals.

Shadowtouched
Level: +1
XP as its new level
Initiative +1 if its new level is even
Senses Perception +1 if its new level is even; darkvision
HP as its role and new level
Defenses +1 to its three highest defenses
Resist 5 necrotic; increase necrotic resistance to 10 if its new level is 11th or higher, and to 15 if its new level is 21st or higher

Powers
or Necrotic Smite (standard; encounter) * Necrotic
The shadowtouched creature makes a basic attack. If it hits, it deals additional necrotic damage equal to 5 + half its new level, and the target is weakened (save ends).
Bloodied Retaliation
The shadowtouched creature gains a +2 bonus to attack rolls against the creature that first bloodies it in an encounter.

Skills +1 if its new level is even
Ability Scores modifiers +1 if its new level is even​

The shadowtouched alternate advancement does not change the base creature's origin. However, a successful Arcana check allows a character to recognize that a creature is shadowtouched, even if he is unable to identify the base creature, and to know the powers and resistances of the shadowtouched alternate advancement, as per the rules for monster knowledge checks.

The following is an example of a shadowtouched creature:

Shadowtouched Dire Rat, Level 2 Brute
Medium natural beast (XP 125)

Initiative +3
Senses Perception +6; darkvision
HP 48; Bloodied 24; see also bloodied retaliation
AC 16; Fortitude 16, Reflex 14, Will 11
Immune filth fever; Resist 5 necrotic
Speed 6, climb 3

Bite (standard; at-will) * Disease
+4 vs. AC; 1d6 + 2 damage, and the target contracts filth fever; see also bloodied retaliation
Necrotic Smite (standard; encounter) * Necrotic
The shadowtouched dire rat makes a bite attack. If it hits, it deals an additional 6 necrotic damage and the target is weakened (save ends).
Bloodied Retaliation
The shadowtouched dire rat gains a +2 bonus to attack rolls against the creature that first bloodies it in an encounter.

Alignment Unaligned
Languages –
Skills Stealth +8
Str 14 (+3) Dex 15 (+3) Wis 10 (+1)
Con 18 (+5) Int 3 (-3) Cha 6 (-1)​

Thoughts?

 

[jSpengler]

I really like this concept. I love the concept of "templates" in 3rd edition, though I know their complexity goes against the paradigm of 4E. This, however, is a delightfully elegant 4E adaptation of the template's basic function.

If you have any more templates, please share. My mind is already churning with ideas.

 

[FireLance]

I'm glad you liked it, jSpengler!

I thought of doing up an alternate advancement for a basic skeletal creature, but it ended up looking rather boring. I think that in order for an alternate advancement to look interesting, it needs to add a new power or two. So, instead of a vanilla skeleton, I decided to do one based on the old idea of a skeleton that explodes when killed. Yes, the MM has the boneshard skeleton, but I'm not going to let that stop me. This alternate advancement can be applied to other creatures to create a variety of exploding skeletons.

Bonesplinter Skeleton

The bonesplinter skeleton alternate advancement can be used to represent animated skeletons whose bones have been specially treated to release dangerous splinters when hit. Although this makes them brittle and vulnerable to blunt weapons, it is cold comfort to those fighting them at close range.

Bonesplinter Skeleton
Level: +1
Type change to animate; the bonesplinter skeleton creature also gains the undead keyword
XP as its new level
Initiative +1 if its new level is even
Senses Perception +1 if its new level is even; darkvision
HP as its role and new level
Defenses +1 to all defenses
Immune disease, poison; Resist 10 necrotic; increase necrotic resistance to 15 if its new level is 11th or higher, and to 20 if its new level is 21st or higher; Vulnerable 5 radiant, 5 weapon damage from flails, hammers, maces and staffs

Powers
Bonesplinter Backlash
An adjacent creature that damages the bonesplinter skeleton creature with a melee attack or an attack with the Weapon or Force keywords takes damage equal to 2 + 1/2 its new level.
Bonesplinter Burst (when bonesplinter skeleton creature is reduced to 0 hit points)
Close burst 1; +5 + its new level vs. AC; 3d6 + 1/2 its new level damage. Miss: Half damage. Increase damage to 4d6 + 1/2 its new level at 6th level, 5d6 + 1/2 its new level at 11th level, 6d6 + 1/2 its new level at 16th level, 7d6 + 1/2 its new level at 21st level, and 8d6 + 1/2 its new level at 26th level.

Skills +1 if its new level is even
Ability Scores modifiers +1 if its new level is even​

The bonesplinter skeleton alternate advancement does not change the base creature's origin. However, a successful Religion check allows a character to recognize that a creature is a bonesplinter skeleton, even if he is unable to identify the base creature, and to know the powers and resistances of the bonesplinter skeleton alternate advancement, as per the rules for monster knowledge checks.

The following is an example of a bonesplinter skeleton creature:

Bonesplinter Skeleton Gray Wolf, Level 3 Skirmisher
Medium natural animate (undead) (XP 150)

Initiative +5
Senses Perception +7; darkvision
HP 46; Bloodied 23; see also bonesplinter burst
AC 17; Fortitude 15, Reflex 15, Will 14
Immune disease, poison; Resist 5 necrotic; Vulnerable 5 radiant, 5 weapon damage from flails, hammers, maces and staffs
Speed 8

Bite (standard; at-will)
+7 vs. AC; 1d6 + 2 damage, or 2d6 + 2 damage against a prone target.
Combat Advantage
If the bonesplinter skeleton gray wolf has combat advantage against the target, the target is also knocked prone on a hit.
Bonesplinter Backlash
An adjacent creature that damages the bonesplinter skeleton gray wolf with a melee attack or an attack with the Weapon or Force keywords takes 3 damage.
Bonesplinter Burst (when bonesplinter skeleton gray wolf is reduced to 0 hit points)
Close burst 1; +8 vs. AC; 3d6 + 1 damage. Miss: Half damage.

Alignment Unaligned
Languages –
Str 13 (+2) Dex 14 (+3) Wis 13 (+2)
Con 14 (+3) Int 3 (-3) Cha 10 (+1)​

 

[CapnZapp]

4e already has templates.

In order to better understand your motivations, so as to give useful feedback, can I ask you why you can't make Shadowtouched and Bonesplinter Skeleton into proper 4E templates?

(They don't add levels to the monster, they make the monster into an Elite. But that's pretty much the exact same thing!)

 

[FireLance]

It's a pretty simple reason: it allows for smaller increases in power. Applying a 4E template theoretically doubles the monster's power. However, sometimes you just want to increase it slightly, by raising the monster's level. Alternate advancements are just another way of doing this.

 

[CapnZapp]

It's a pretty simple reason: it allows for smaller increases in power. Applying a 4E template theoretically doubles the monster's power. However, sometimes you just want to increase it slightly, by raising the monster's level. Alternate advancements are just another way of doing this.

Okay, thanks for explaining. Then this isn't for me, I guess: I don't think there is much of a need of this kind of fine-tuning in 4E.

(Adding or removing a level is a pretty small change in power as it is - 4E characters are routinely able to defeat monsters - even in groups - from their own level up to four levels above).

You could also simply apply a standard template without changing hit points. That provides all the extra spice without a significant chunk of the power-up.

Good luck though - more templates is always good!