Dungons of Dread (DDM) Monster Stats from DDXP

[erf_beto]

The hit point totals on the DDM cards are off.

Young White - will have about 290 hp
Young Black - 280 hp
Young Red - 430 hp
Young Silver - 540 hp
Fen Hydra - 750 hp
Elder Red Dragon (assuming Level 27) - about 1300 hp

While I do agree your assumptions seem true, those cards show the stats for the Roleplaying game, and not DDM. Maybe it was the Black dragon who was tweeked for the DDXP games... it's not fair to compare them, but look at the Fen Hydra, a 12th level solo brute, with its 228 HP.

 

[dm4hire]

Has anyone had a chance to add all this stuff in with the previously compiled monsters? Was looking to see if anyone has but not seeing anything. Can't seem to find the thread that Monsters & More was in to see if it has been updated yet either. Thanks.

 

[Benimoto]

The hit point totals on the DDM cards are off.

Young White - will have about 290 hp
Young Black - 280 hp
Young Red - 430 hp
Young Silver - 540 hp
Fen Hydra - 750 hp
Elder Red Dragon (assuming Level 27) - about 1300 hp

That fits in better with both the Monster Manual preview pages shown at DDXP and my experience playing. Playing Scalegloom Hall, when my party of 6 first level guys got to the Black Dragon, we opened up with everything we had. All our dailies, then an action point to use our best encounter powers. We had good luck and a few crits, and when the dust settled, we had done almost 100 damage to him in the first round. Assuming that 4th level PCs are more powerful than 1st level, I can't imagine a dragon with less than 250 HP being all that scary to mid-level characters.

750 hp for the level 12 Solo Brute Hydra fits better with the Monster Manual preview pages shown, since the level 11 Elite Controller Grell has 224 HP. I would assume that being one level higher, a brute and a solo instead of an elite monster would give you more than 4 HP, yes.

 

[Upper_Krust]

Hey all!

The hit point formula is pretty straightforward.

Level +1, x Role Hit Die Modifier*, + Con Score, x Power Hit Die Modifier**

*Role Modifiers:

Brute = 10 hp/level
Soldier, Skirmisher = 8 hp/level
Artillery, Controller = 6 hp/level
I forget what the lurker is, sorry.

**Power Modifiers

Minion = Unknown yet, 1/4 would seem appropos, but I don't know if that fits.
Elite = x2
Solo = x5

The reason the Pit Fiend is probably so far out is because it pays for extra summoned monsters with its hit points.

The Skeletal Tomb Guardian is way out, but there were lots of flaws in its write-up.

Most of the others (non-DDM) work out exactly.

It also seems likely the dragons will scale up (no pun intended) 10 levels per age category, with an age category also an increase in size.

 

[FreeXenon]

You are quite the machine UK.

..and props to your Immortals Handbook work.

 

[frankthedm]

The error is the interpretation of the meaning of that +11. It certainly applies for attacks, defence and skill checks.

The evidence is that it does not apply to damage, nor anything other than attacks, defence, and skill checks.

People have predicted that it does, I'm pretty sure they are wrong based on the available evidence.

You are right. That STR bonus does not add into damage.

Damage uses the Non level modified Stats. That is also the stat card for the dire wolf reads "STR +6⁽¹⁸⁾" but the damage bonus on it's bite is +4.

 

[TerraDave]

Knowing the creature's base attribute bonus is useful only for combat totals - which they've already figured out for you - so they went ahead and showed you the only other stat-based total of relevance(attribute bonus + 1/2 level) to save you calculation time. So, you look at their combat stats for combat rolls, look at their skill list for skill checks if they have the skill trained, look at the bottom for all ability-related checks and for non-trained skills.

I think thats it.

It is 100% confirmed that you add ability mod (as per 3E) plus 1/2 level to:
-skill checks
-ability checks
-attack roles

Its now pretty obvious you do not add it to damage. And in fact there don't seem to be special abilities that do that. In general we just are not seeing big damage bonuses on these monsters.

 

[TerraDave]

One thing I am still confused on are defenses.

Any body have the formula(s)?

 

[frankthedm]

You will notice that there is more than one way for damage to scale, consider the Pit Fiend. Most people look at its base damage and go "that sucks", they are not looking at character HP in comparison, and they miss that the Pit Fiend could easily dish out close to 100 points of damage in a round with only a modicum of luck.

Yes, much less of Whack, Whack, Whack-Dead at high levels than 3E. You can still have your HP burnt through, but there are fewer mega damage attacks such as the Leap attacking barbarian or a maximized fireball that can easily take 1/3 - 1/2 your HP in one blow. it should take more hits to be killed at higher level, not fewer.

4E isn't about having a single super awesome attack of doom. Its about having a series of tactical options that begin to leave things dead on the floor. Things like the Grick show this by the way - getting a couple of them on you (the 7th Level Brute version) is going to trim you of a lot of HP fast.

Yes, 4E is definitely trimming back on one hit kill combos and Win initaitive or DIE.

Good riddance to the Frenzied berserker x4 power attack and Sudden Maximize. And that mounted PRC that allowed for x5 damage on a mounted charge? WTF were they thinking!?

 

[Benimoto]

One thing I am still confused on are defenses.

Any body have the formula(s)?

I sure don't. The minimum seems to be 10 + 1/2 level + relevant stat mod, like most of the stats, but there's a somewhat unpredictable bonus thrown in. Anybody have any more insight?