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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Corsair" data-source="post: 2122844" data-attributes="member: 23477">Build your own monsters.  It's a whole lot easier than it sounds, too. I like to figure out what kind of monster I want to make, find something superficially similar and a couple CR lower, then add on abilities.Lets say I want to build a CR 5 big hulking rock monster of doom.  (Kinda like the one Hodgie mentioned)  We want this to challenge your level 3 party.  So look at something they should be able to beat, and tack on appropriate abilities and buffs, possibly templates.An Ogre should be beatable and not a major challenge, but its a large humanoidish shaped creature, so it'll do.  Lets up its dex to 10, turn that +3 hide armor into natural, and maybe tack on an extra 2 more natural, just for kicks.While we're at it, its made of freaking stone.  Outsider [Earth] right there.  Lets also give it DR 5/Adamantine.  Not a lot mind you, but enough that you'll be able to describe how the characters sword seems to barely scratch it, when normally it would have bit into flesh.  Oh and lets give it one more hit die and a +4 to its con, for a net +16 HP, +1 attack.Looking good so far, but it doesn't seem quite right...  turn its club into a slam attack...  oh heck give it two slam attacks, but at 1d8+7 (instead of the book ogre which gets 2d8+7 on one attack).  We also need something to make it unique and scary.  Maybe make it immune to fire, cold, and electricty.End result is you have a CR 4 or 5 monster (you can make that up after the party fights it.  Adjust that number based on how difficult the fight went) all by fiddling with the numbers and slapping a couple abilities on.  You can also just use templates for the mechanical adjustment.Templates are your friend, Example 1:Take that same ogre.  Slap a half dragon[Black] template on it.  Drop the breath weapon, but instead give it 1d6 acid damage to all of its natural attacks.  Give it a new description.  Possibly that of a hulking 9 foot tall lizard man.  Oh, and just for fun, give it trogolodyte stench, but with a DC 2 higher than a normal trog.See if your rules lawyer can figure that one out! <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />Some people metagame without trying.  Personally I have a good memory, and I've DMed enough that I know a lot of these things pretty well.  I love it when my DM busts out something I've never seen before, because its more enjoyable for me.</blockquote>

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