D&D 3E/3.5 Creating new monsters (the 3.5 way)

[caudor]

OK, I've never created a new 3.5 monster. I would like to create a dozen or so new monsters to use in my campaign.

I already know one of the challenges I'll face: getting the crunchy parts right according to the 3.5 rules. I'll have to select an appropriate CR, make sure it has the right number of feats and powers appropriate for its hit dice. There may even be common stumbling blocks/issues I haven't thought about yet.

I suspect I'll find guidelines for monster creation in the 3.5 Monster Manual; however, has anyone else...perhaps any d20 companies...published any rules or guidelines for creating monsters?

Better yet, if you have experience creating new monsters (3.5 rules) and would like to offer a tip, I'd appreciate any advice.

 

[the Jester]

First- start with a concept.

Figure out its size, type and hit dice.

Figure out its ability scores.

With these three things taken care of, you have the basics of what you need for all your number crunching.

 

[MerricB]

I suspect I'll find guidelines for monster creation in the 3.5 Monster Manual

You will, and they're quite extensive.

The best advice is to compare your monsters to others, though, and then to playtest it. (2 monsters vs. 4 PCs of 2 levels greater than the CR).

Cheers!

 

[devilish]

There's one in Grim Tales/Bad Axe Games: in the back
there's creature creation formulae and an CR<->EL conversion
charts.

Haven't playtested what I've created with it yet...

-D

 

[Greatwyrm]

It's not really 3.5 specific, but the best advice I can give you is don't do any more work than you have to. It's pretty easy to take standard creatures, make some small or even cosmetic changes, and come up with something new enough to keep people guessing.

For example, in my last game the group ended up in a large, abandoned graveyard. When inspecting a very large crypt, they found two very beautiful, but creepy goth chicks, that smelled of old death. They made cobwebs and dead grass spring from the ground and entangle the party. They tried to charm the party and were resistant to melee damage. When the fight started to go against them, the goths melted into nearby tombstones, only to step out of ones across the graveyard and continue the fight. At one point, one even "disappeared" by changing herself into a grave marker that looked like a statue of an angel. I had a table full of veteran players that had no idea what they were up against.

All I did was take a completely off the rack dryad and change the description -- all the abilities were pretty much the same. Entangle just produced dead vegetation and such instead of vines and grass. Tree stride let them move between headstones instead of trees. The power that let them change to look like trees let them look like grave statues instead. Instead of a tree, they were linked to the crypt the party found them in. Totall cosmetic changes -- all "new" monster.

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

It's not really 3.5 specific

...

Totall cosmetic changes -- all "new" monster.

Wow. *yoink*

Impressively done!

 

[caudor]

All I did was take a completely off the rack dryad and change the description -- all the abilities were pretty much the same. Entangle just produced dead vegetation and such instead of vines and grass. Tree stride let them move between headstones instead of trees. The power that let them change to look like trees let them look like grave statues instead. Instead of a tree, they were linked to the crypt the party found them in. Totall cosmetic changes -- all "new" monster.

Greatwyrm, that's pretty clever approach. I'm impressed, and will look at doing that myself.

Thanks to everyone for the tips. The info is very helpful!

 

[Greatwyrm]

Thanks, all. I'm actually trying to do something like this at least once in every adventure now. Here are a few I've already come up with. I'm also going to start another thread soon to gather similar ideas and discuss others.

1. Take a standard skeleton and tie a flask of alchemist's fire inside the rib cage. When the skeleton is destroyed, the flask falls. I gave the PCs a REF save DC 10 (12 if they were using a two handed weapon or shield) to catch the flask before it broke. That's not so bad, until you put the skeletons in an old barn full of dry straw and guarding a hostage. I figured that was worth a two level bump to the Encounter Level.

2. Dryad thing I mentioned earlier.

3. I needed an ugly close combat critter that feeds on magical crystals. I took a dire ape, changed the type to magical beast, changed the description, and allowed it to make a targeted dispel magic against whoever it hit with a claw attack, and upped the CR by one. Now, I have my Crystal Gorgers.

4. Seen the Twig Blights in MMII? I wanted a slightly meaner version. I added 1 HD and Weap. Finesse: Claw. I also added an ability that allowed them to "grapple" a target they hit with a claw attack, but instead of a regular grapple the target is affected as if it failed its save vs. the spell entangle . Changed the CR from 1/3 to 1. Behold, the Strangle Blight.

 

[Saeviomagy]

Wasn't there a dragon article and pdf file that had guidelines on CR estimation?

Basically you had 1 for each hit dice (with reductions for certain die types, like undead), 1 for each special ability, charts that let you work out how big a creature of certain hit dice should be, etc.

Then you tally up the total points and convert to a CR.

Not perfect, but gives you a good starting point for the standard "comparison with equivalent PC" test that any new creature should go through.

I get the feeling that it was released for d20 modern, to compliment the monster creation guidelines there.

 

[Greatwyrm]

Wasn't there a dragon article and pdf file that had guidelines on CR estimation?

Yep. It was shortly after 3.0 came out, IIRC. I think you could even download it from the WotC website at one time.