Grunt rules: Tougher minions

[Simplicity]

So if a minion if 4 standard monsters, and requires a single hit to kill.
Wouldn't it be common sense to have a type of monster between a minion and a standard monster? Something that is just a bit tougher?

How about something that is worth only 1/2 a standard monster?

Grunt: Requires 2 hits or one critical to kill. Takes no damage on a miss. Always uses average damage on a hit.

 

[malcolm_n]

It's easy enough, I suppose. But, it is book keeping in that you have to know which of the (assumed) 2 you've already struck. Also, when would they be applicable that a Minion or a lower level monster lackey wouldn't achieve the same results?

 

[Timeboxer]

In my opinion, to solve malcolm_n's problem you'd ideally want the Grunt to have Resist All N, where N is some level-appropriate number.

That way, there's no book-keeping, grunts can take some damage but shrug it off (to give that "tough" feeling), but any criticals, encounters, and dailies will pretty much instantly kill one of them.

 

[FireLance]

I had an idea for demi minions which were changed from minions as follows:

1. Change hit points to (1 + level) x 4 + half Constitution score.
2. Remove the note that a missed attack never damages the monster.
3. Double the XP award for the monster.

Some examples from my previous thread on this (adapted from the Orc preview):

Orc Clubber (from Orc Drudge)
Level 4 Demi Minion (XP 88)
Medium Natural Humanoid
Initiative +0
Senses Perception +0; low-light vision
HP 27; Bloodied 13
AC 16, Fortitude 15, Reflex 12, Will 12
Speed 6 (8 while charging)
Club (standard, at-will) * Weapon
+9 vs. AC; 5 damage
Alignment Chaotic evil
Languages Common, Giant
Str 16 (+3) Dex 10 (+0) Wis 10 (+0)
Con 14 (+2) Int 8 (-1) Cha 9 (-1)
Equipment hide armor, club

Orc Chopper (from Orc Warrior)
Level 9 Demi Minion (XP 200)
Medium Natural Humanoid
Initiative +3
Senses Perception +3; low-light vision
HP 47; Bloodied 23
AC 21, Fortitude 19, Reflex 16, Will 16
Speed 6 (8 while charging)
Battleaxe (standard, at-will) * Weapon
+14 vs. AC; 6 damage
Alignment Chaotic evil
Languages Common, Giant
Str 17 (+6) Dex 11 (+3) Wis 10 (+3)
Con 15 (+5) Int 8 (+2) Cha 9 (+2)
Equipment leather armor, light shield, battleaxe​

 

[keterys]

HP 1

Grunt's Toughness
Grunt has Resist all 5 + 2 * level. Once it has been successfully hit, it loses this resistance and becomes bloodied for the encounter.

 

[malcolm_n]

I could see that making a difference. FTR, I wasn't trying to be a nay-sayer, I just couldn't see how this would fill a niche of it's own without stepping on toes. I have thought about it more though, and I could see using them to give the impression that it's tough but still not the focus. Also, I like that this sorta makes them the Elite of the minions.

 

[Timeboxer]

HP 1

Grunt's Toughness
Grunt has Resist all 5 + 2 * level. Once it has been successfully hit, it loses this resistance and becomes bloodied for the encounter.

Something like this, exactly. Missed attack still does no damage. Double minion XP seems appropriate as well.

 

[That One Guy]

I'm glad other people like the idea of beefy minions. Soap, here's something I tried running based on those hp 10 Vampire spawn minions. You remember those things, right? Well, I thought they were some kind of damage threshold minions... I ran some pretty fun tests last session. Thus, they're not just one hit mooks, but a small amount of damage threats (which when combined w/ vulnerabilities gets pretty rewarding).

 

[WhatGravitas]

What about bloodied - a grunt hit once is bloodied, a bloodied grunt hit is dead.

Similar effect (i.e. twice what a minion would take), but you can track it like the other wounded conditions (small marker on mini base, if you're using minis), and powers that play on bloodied opponents get something to do.

And it fits the "half-dead" of a grunt hit once pretty well.

Cheers, LT.

 

[KKDragonLord]

I felt the need for something like this in my latest session, the players are very dismissive of the minions, and just by seeing a big number of enemies they take for granted that the minions are minions. What i thought to counter it was to give the minions a variable amount of Hits they take to die by rolling a d3 or something, this way the players can't know for sure if a minion is a minion and don't have a clue to the amount of hit points they might have. If they are hit by an AoE some of them will die instantly, and some will remain, the players will be very worried about the remaining ones and about being overwhelmed.