Doing the Monster Math for the original MM

[Aegeri]

Mine is still doing soldiers at +2 attack and brutes at -2 attack, I think, and I seem to recall the damage still being off.

Maybe it's cause I've been mostly doing minions lately though, and they're just a bit off.

Yeah, mine often routinely "does it wrong" as well. I'm not sure if all the new math is programmed in yet. Deleting and replacing usually at least improves things for many monsters.

 

[CovertOps]

As I posted in another thread I didn't have to delete any powers to get MB to update to the new math. There are 4 fields that contribute to each power's damage (for purposes of this I edited a copy of the Goblin Warrior from MM1). I clicked on his "Spear" attack to get it's stats in the middle window and scrolled all the way down to see the following under "Attacks":

Type: Normal (-) - options [Normal (-), Limited (+75%), None (0)]
Average Damage: 6 (the "reset" arrow was highlighted green)
Dice Sides: 8 (options 4, 6, 8, 10, 12)
Modifier: Low (-25%) - options [Low (-25%), Medium (-), High (+25%)]

• I changed "Modifier" to "Medium".
• I clicked the reset arrow to the right of average damage.
• I changed the dice sides to any other type, then back to d8.

This gave me average damage of L+8 (9) and an expression of d8+5 and took me way more time to write this post than to make the changes.

I think these new options are really cool. You get control over how random the damage can be by changing the die type used (more smaller dice or fewer larger dice). You can create a creatures encounter power that affects an area by setting both "Limited" and "Low". If you don't like how much damage a creature is doing, just change it up or down in the "average", but I don't see this as ever really being needed. I'd rather give a creature another limited expression attack once than up it's normal attack.

 

[CovertOps]

Mine is still doing soldiers at +2 attack and brutes at -2 attack, I think, and I seem to recall the damage still being off.

Maybe it's cause I've been mostly doing minions lately though, and they're just a bit off.

Even when "reset" I saw this change happen so I'd say they need to fix that. I got the following:

L+3: Brute
L+5: Controller, Lurker, No Role, Skirmisher
L+7: Artillery, Soldier

 

[Aegeri]

I think they haven't adjusted the damage properly. I think a decent way of thinking about things is your average monster is level + 8 in damage and a brute is level + 10 (25% more) in average damage. But otherwise it can get pretty tricky! With some luck the next update with correct the damage expressions.

 

[caudor]

This is a terrific thread! Very helpful for someone like me that has been searching for answers on this.

Unfortunately, I've got to add a stupid question:

What are NADs? (what does it stand for)

Thanks.

 

[Aegeri]

I will correct this oversight in the OP as well, as a bunch of random acronyms doesn't help anyone now I think of it.

NAD = Non-AC defenses. That is a creature or characters Fortitude, Reflex or Will.

 

[Aegeri]

I will add some examples of updating some regular creatures if I can get some time later.

 

[Colmarr]

For instance, I'm using the shadar-kai witch in Sunday's game. How would she be updated?

Strictly using the new damage and monster numbers, without variation for new powers or other new design, she would be:

Shadar-kai Witch Level 7 Controller
Medium shadow humanoid XP 300
HP 77; Bloodied 39
AC 21; Fortitude 18; Reflex 20; Will 19
Speed 6
Initiative +6
Perception +4
Low-Light Vision
Standard Actions
m Blackfire Touch (fire, necrotic) • At-Will
Attack: +10 vs. Reflex
Hit: 2d8 + 6 fire and necrotic damage.
R Beshadowed Mind (necrotic) • Recharge 5, 6
Attack: Ranged 10; +10 vs. Will
Hit: 3d8 + 5 necrotic damage, and the target has no line of sight to anything more than 2 squares from it (save ends).
C Deep Shadow (necrotic) • Encounter
Effect: Aura 2; thick, writhing shadows surround the shadar-kai witch. The witch and any other shadow creatures in the aura gain concealment. In addition, enemies that enter or start their turns in the aura take 5 necrotic damage, and enemies (including flying ones) also treat the area within the aura as difficult terrain. The shadar-kai witch can sustain the aura as a minor action. However, the effect ends if she uses shadow jaunt or moves more than half her speed on her turn.
Move Actions
Shadow Jaunt (teleportation) • Encounter
Effect: The shadar-kai witch teleports 3 squares and becomes insubstantial until the start of her next turn.
Skills Acrobatics +8, Stealth +13, Arcana +12, Religion +12
Str 13 (+4) Dex 16 (+6) Wis 12 (+4)
Con 13 (+4) Int 19 (+7) Cha 17 (+6)
Alignment unaligned Languages Common
© 2010 Wizards of the Coast LLC, a subsidiary of Hasbro, Inc. All rights reserved. This formatted statistics block has been generated using the D&D Adventure Tools.

The Fort Defence is a little higher and the Will defence a little lower than standard (12 + level) because of her ability modifiers. Otherwise, she reflects the new design numbers.

Note that the only real change is to the damage for the powers, where average damage went up by 4 for Blackfire touch (approx. 30%) and by 7 for Beshadowed mind (approx 80%).

 

[zoroaster100]

Thank you for sharing the analysis of how to upgrade MM monsters to the new Monster Vault/MM3 design standards. If I might ask, how would the guidelines differ when upgrading MM2 monsters to these latest design standards?

 

[Oldtimer]

Strictly using the new damage and monster numbers, without variation for new powers or other new design, she would be:



The Fort Defence is a little higher and the Will defence a little lower than standard (12 + level) because of her ability modifiers. Otherwise, she reflects the new design numbers.

Note that the only real change is to the damage for the powers, where average damage went up by 4 for Blackfire touch (approx. 30%) and by 7 for Beshadowed mind (approx 80%).

Isn't level+3 the target number for attacks vs NAD? That would give her +10, but you put her at +11.