Converting Monsters to Essential

[gjnave]

Is there a way to convert monsters to the Essentials method?
What if you want to play a published adventure like (the one we're on next), Pyramid of Shadows? Is Wizards releasing a public formula for us?

Also, will Essential monsters even work well with a normal (non Essentials) game?

 

[AndrewDB]

Step One: Add 10 to everything
Step Two: Subtract 10 from everything

 

[Mithreinmaethor]

Is there a way to convert monsters to the Essentials method?
What if you want to play a published adventure like (the one we're on next), Pyramid of Shadows? Is Wizards releasing a public formula for us?

Also, will Essential monsters even work well with a normal (non Essentials) game?

Essentials = 4th edition

4th edition = Essentials

4th edition changed the math on monsters for the Monster Manual 2 and then once again for the Monster Manual 3. The Monster Manual 3 changes carried over into the Darksun Monsters and the Monster Vault.

 

[fba827]

The monsters will work just fine.

In fact, it's not really even noticable at heroic level unless you're sitting there with a sidebyside listing.

If you're running higher level games and/or just want the monsters to be more dangerous, then a common thing I have seen listed (even on a blog by one of the designers) is to just double the static modifier of the damage rolls for monsters. i.e. if it says 2d6+4 in the stat block, then do 2d6+8 (aka double the +4 part). While not exact it is easy to do on the fly without any prep or trouble.

The "Essentials" method isn't really anything different and is in fact 4th edition, just some incorporated errata and for monsters only the DM really sees the numbers so the players may not even notice.

Though, I will give credit for the recent monsters to be slightly more interesting in terms of what they can do and not just back and forth hitting one another for pure hit point damage...but rather some interesting spins on conditions and so on. But that's from design creativity, not a byproduct of the rules.

 

[mudlock]

There isn't an "essentials style" to monsters. After MM2, the _format_ of monster stats was changed, but the information contained in them is the same. There have been a few mathematical tweaks, the biggest being a damage boost for paragon and epic monsters, and most of the solos were re-written to be more dangerous and more fun, but all the old stuff still works.

Pyramid of Shadows is heroic tier, so there's not much to worry about. Soldier's and elite's (and especially elite soldier's) defenses were a little high, brute's to-hits were a bit low. All I'd worry about is if there are any solos; they might need a bit of a damage boost, maybe some other work, to be as terrifying as they were meant to be. But even if you don't edit them at all, they'll still work.

Seriously people, it's not 4.5.

 

[(Psi)SeveredHead]

DMG2 and MM3/Dark Sun Creature Catalog aren't Essentials products, but they use the new monster rules too. So you shouldn't refer to them as Essentials monsters; the terminology is confusing some people.

Find a product that lists the new rules. The DMG2 is good for this. I keep my set of new monster rules on a 4x6" index card. I also kept MM1 monsters on index cards anyway. I simply erase the old numbers and add the new ones. Usually only damage and occasionally an attack roll or two need updating, unless it's a solo, in which case use the new version if available or make up a new monster from scratch.

While damage draws the most attention, there's some new fiddly bits involving defenses (especially for elites and solos, which no longer gain bonuses here) and attack bonuses (brutes suffer no penalties to attack anymore). Solos only gain 4x hit points at all tiers now (less grindiness this way).

Minions come in types now (eg skirmisher minion, artillery minion, etc) and their damage might have been revamped. There's guidelines for making minions easier to use, but they're common sense.

There are some "unwritten" rules for solos to make them cooler and not as easy to shut down. Many solos get a "free attack" every round (on top of the two or three they usually get) and can "give up" that attack to remove a stunned or other such limiting condition. (In other words, PCs still get a benefit from stunning a solo, since they're taking away one of its attacks, but GMs still get to have fun as they see their solo monster not get shut down due to a single successful attack roll.)

 

[gjnave]

DMG2 and MM3/Dark Sun Creature Catalog aren't Essentials products, but they use the new monster rules too. So you shouldn't refer to them as Essentials monsters; the terminology is confusing some people.

Find a product that lists the new rules. The DMG2 is good for this.

This is good news since i have DMG2 on the way (arrives tomorrow). So this should help me to rebuild monsters if i want to then?

Ive heard that the "new" monsters are funner to play with and remove some of the drag of battle. Is this true? Are battles shorter and funner?

On a sidenote, i also heard (you hear a lot these days) that the Essential builds change-up battle quite a bit. I] (One thing that I've always disliked is how my players just glob in one spot on a map and fight.. no-one moves around the battlefield - nor does there seem to be a lot incentive to. )[/I]
Is that true as well?

 

[(Psi)SeveredHead]

This is good news since i have DMG2 on the way (arrives tomorrow). So this should help me to rebuild monsters if i want to then?

Ive heard that the "new" monsters are funner to play with and remove some of the drag of battle. Is this true? Are battles shorter and funner?

They hit harder and die faster. So yes.

On a sidenote, i also heard (you hear a lot these days) that the Essential builds change-up battle quite a bit. I] (One thing that I've always disliked is how my players just glob in one spot on a map and fight.. no-one moves around the battlefield - nor does there seem to be a lot incentive to. )[/I]
Is that true as well?

That I don't know. Moving is too dangerous with AoOs (ironically made worse with higher monster damage). Charismatic rogues can do so, especially if they Tumble (or whatever it's called) as a utility power.

 

[MrMyth]

On a sidenote, i also heard (you hear a lot these days) that the Essential builds change-up battle quite a bit. (One thing that I've always disliked is how my players just glob in one spot on a map and fight.. no-one moves around the battlefield - nor does there seem to be a lot incentive to. )?

That's largely been the approach 4E has taken from the start - mobile and dynamic battlefields and encounters is pretty much the default goal. It doesn't always work, but many adventures feature examples of this sort.

If you've got the DMG2, I think it has some sections on unusual terrain and hazards that you might be able to add to encounters to encourage more activity on the PCs behalf. Remember that monsters can be mobile as well - if the enemies keep moving, the PCs will end up doing so as well.

 

[AbdulAlhazred]

This is good news since i have DMG2 on the way (arrives tomorrow). So this should help me to rebuild monsters if i want to then?

Ive heard that the "new" monsters are funner to play with and remove some of the drag of battle. Is this true? Are battles shorter and funner?

On a sidenote, i also heard (you hear a lot these days) that the Essential builds change-up battle quite a bit. I] (One thing that I've always disliked is how my players just glob in one spot on a map and fight.. no-one moves around the battlefield - nor does there seem to be a lot incentive to. )[/I]
Is that true as well?

Basically it goes like this:

MM1/DMG1 established basic math for monsters and provided a framework for how they were designed, monster roles (soldier,brute,skirmisher,lurker,artillery, and controller), and types (minion, standard, elite, and solo). DMG1 has a section on monster design which tells you the hit points, defenses, and expected damage output for monsters. It establishes some guidelines for monster powers, etc as well.

MM2/DMG2 made a few changes to that. Solo monsters in paragon and epic have less hit points and elite and solo monsters no longer get defense boosts vs standard monsters. Minions also got more damage, roles, and better guidelines, as well as paragon and epic solos being made cheaper (5 or 6 being equal to a standard instead of 4).

MM3 and the latest errata made some more substantial changes. All monsters get approximately 25% higher damage output and there are some changes to attack and defense numbers for most monster roles. They also introduced a new stat block format for monsters that is easier to use. MM3 solo monsters and to a lesser extent elites also generally have 'anti lockdown' mechanics, but there's no specific rule for how that works.

The differences, at least at heroic tier, aren't huge. They break down to the purely numeric adjustments, which are pretty easy to categorize, and a general shift in monster design philosophy. They moved away from using resistance and immunity so much, reduced the use of the stun condition considerably, and just generally MM3 grade monsters have better mechanics overall. MV, and to a lesser extent some other later books like Demonomicon that have monsters in them, continue with this newer and more polished monster design.

In general, since MV overlaps a lot with MM1 as to what kinds of monsters it covers, you're usually best off using the MV versions of monsters. MM1 monsters, especially heroic ones, generally still work fine, but they can benefit from adjusting their numbers in keeping with the latest errata. Many of the old monsters will work fine as-is though. You can upgrade their damage output easily enough if desired. The basic rule of thumb seems to be MM3 grade monsters do about level + 8 damage, with around 25% more for brutes. Doubling static damage in damage expressions usually gets you pretty close to that and is a decent quick way to do it. You may also want to drop soldier defenses a point or two (mostly AC), increase brute defenses to the same as skirmishers, and increase brute accuracy to the same as skirmishers too, but that isn't really critical.

FYI the newest compiled errata can be downloaded here http://www.wizards.com/dnd/files/UpdateCompiled.pdf (this provides ALL the most current errata for all books, there isn't any for Essentials yet, but it does have the newest charts for monster damage, defenses, and to-hits in there somewhere in the DMG1 section).