Correct use of minions?

[KarinsDad]

Sort of. But as you start hitting the minions, their damage capability goes down, while en equal-level standard monster will be able to keep murderizing just as well until he goes down.

This is only true if the PC(s) attacking the minions have anti-minion powers and even then it can be pretty questionable.


A single brute or soldier against a PC Cleric is less threatening than 4 minions against a PC Cleric, even though they can be the same XP.

Both tend to have the same chance to hit (for simplicity, let's say 50%, but it is usually higher for both versus a Cleric). Let's also say that the Cleric has a 50% chance to hit the enemies.


Minion Combat:

Round one: 2 hits on Cleric. 1/2 hit on Minions (let's be generous and say that the Cleric hits).

Round two: 1.5 hits on Cleric. 1/2 hit on Minions.

Round three: 1.5 hits on Cleric. 1/2 hit on Minions (another minion falls).

Round four: 1 hit on Cleric. 1/2 hit on Minions.

Round five: 1 hit on Cleric. 1/2 hit on Minions (another minion falls).

Round six: 0.5 hit on Cleric. 1/2 hit on Minions.

Round seven: 0.5 hit on Cleric. 1/2 hit on Minions (last minion falls).

So, the Cleric won in 7 rounds (instead of 8, but I had minions attack before they died in the same round, so it should be a wash). The Cleric got hit 8 times.


Soldier Combat:

Round one: 0.5 hits on Cleric. 1/2 hit on Soldier.

Round two: 0.5 hits on Cleric. 1/2 hit on Soldier.

Round three: 0.5 hits on Cleric. 1/2 hit on Soldier.

Round four: 0.5 hits on Cleric. 1/2 hit on Soldier.

Round five: 0.5 hits on Cleric. 1/2 hit on Soldier.

Round six: 0.5 hits on Cleric. 1/2 hit on Soldier.

Round seven: 0.5 hits on Cleric. 1/2 hit on Soldier.


Again, the Cleric won in 7 (or 8) rounds. The Cleric got hit 3.5 (or even 4) times. The damage was greater than the individual minion damage, but it was not twice as much. The single solider also could not flank in order to increase the chance to hit.

All in all, 4 minions are often more deadly than a single brute or solider counterpart unless the PCs have damaging AoEs or other anti-minion powers.


Like all versions of DND, numbers matter. Well used minions can be devastating. For example, minions that attack PC non-Defenders are often more effective then just attacking the PC Defender. On the other hand, 4 minions can often be taken out with 2 or 3 back to back AoE attacks. It depends a lot on party makeup and situation.

 

[rvalle]

Narrative effect: If I the DM want to have a very specific feel in an encounter then using a Minion can work quite well. One example for instance is one I used recently.

The party had entered a island-village whose inhabitants were under the control of a Aboleth. When the Aboleth commands them to detain the party they do so with complete abandonment of their own safety. Thus, they are fairly dangerous even for PCs but since they have no care about their own safety they are easily dispatched. Plus it can affect the players having their characters being essentially forced to chop down in wide swaths essentially innocent people.

Isn't there a rule saying the hit that drops a 'bad guy' can knock them
unconscious instead? Can you do this for minons that only take one hit?

rv

 

[DracoSuave]

Isn't there a rule saying the hit that drops a 'bad guy' can knock them
unconscious instead? Can you do this for minons that only take one hit?

rv

Yes.

 

[frankthedm]

Efficiently simulate a war zone.

An encounter where you're surrounded by 1hp guys as allies and enemies, and you have to wade your way to the big bad general leading his troops... catapults dropping huge rocks everywhere... that sounds AWESOME.

Hell Yeah! Minions ROCK for bring back the 1E # Appearing rates!

Fifty something orcs are a sinch with the minion rules. And makes fleshing out a Hobbo tribe a breeze.

Hobgoblin tribe (30-300 plus 50% noncombatants plus 1 3rd-level sergeant per 20 adults, 1 or 2 lieutenants of 4th or 5th level, 1 leader of 6th-8th level, 2-4 dire wolves, and 1-4 ogres or 1-2 trolls)

 

[Klaumbaz]

level 1 encounter, 2 skirmishing skeletons and 3-4 minion skellies

2 skirmishers out in front to slow the advance. minions pluck bows and weaken good guys.

dont always use them for flanking, use them intelligently to get the most out of them...

Of course i have to try and kill my players to make them feel like it was a real challenge, if i hold back, they dont feel the love. (like when the pally uses radiant damage on a skirmisher, and in retaliation he had 3 arrows in him)

 

[Stalker0]

I've found the best use of minions is scattering them around with my regular guys. Then players have to choose whether to kill the minions or focus on the big guys. Either way, minions do the job well.

Further, spread them out! Area effects are the big bane to a minion squad, but if minions can spread out and surround the party is in a lot more trouble.

Further, even by mid heroic tier minions can auto aid another. Use that to give your big guys huge attack bonuses.

 

[Foxen]

I throw them in so our party enjoys combat more...and actually feels heroic...with two Dragonborn (one with extended breath), they "feel" quite powerful as they take out several smaller minions, and the Ranger twin strike feels ulitilzed as he takes out the smaller baddies enmass. It gives the players a somewhat more dramatic battle as they battle through the smaller horde of minions while the other monster types become somewhat more threatening when they don't go down in a single hit (much to the surprise of the Dragonborn brothers!).

I really like the post above where as players go up in levels, once tough monsters then become minions....nice.

Fox

 

[med stud]

I enjoyed the cinametic feeling when I ran a bunch of minions together with an elite monster. The PCs killed their enemies left and right until it was time for the showdown with the ogre warhulk.