I do certainly consider alternate powers, especially when I'm not happy with the standard power - eg I was considering alternate Orc powers long before the healing strike ability was replaced with Savage Demise. I don't use enough dragons or undead to use Draconomicon or Open Grave; I'd really like a lot more humans - as it is I have to refluff Orcs, Tieflings etc as Humans, and make my own. Over-used monsters like Human Bandit and Human Town Guard could certainly do with alternate powers.
How do you feel about monster templates?
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I do certainly consider alternate powers, especially when I'm not happy with the standard power - eg I was considering alternate Orc powers long before the healing strike ability was replaced with Savage Demise. I don't use enough dragons or undead to use Draconomicon or Open Grave; I'd really like a lot more humans - as it is I have to refluff Orcs, Tieflings etc as Humans, and make my own. Over-used monsters like Human Bandit and Human Town Guard could certainly do with alternate powers.
(Psi)SeveredHead
Adventurer
This. I steal abilities or ideas off of the templates, but don't use them themselves. They were designed with MM1, which often had poor elites with only one attack a round. Not one of the templates in the DMG1 gives enough combat power to be worth the title of elite.
Most templates are useless, as they promote the monster to elite but generally don't give extra attacks, damage, or countermeasures. They are rather poorly designed, IMO. In addition, making the base monster elite is limiting in terms of encounter design.
Now that I think about it, they might be useful to add to normal monsters if you kept the end result as a normal monster (ignoring the HP and defense boosts). For example, a "half-dragon" template could be: add the dragonborn racial power and add a clumsy flight speed. You could also promote the creature to elite, but that's a separate issue, and you have to give it some at-will multi-attack capabilities in that case.
And if the base monster was already elite or solo, you have to incorporate the new abilities into its action economy somehow.
Now that I think about it, they might be useful to add to normal monsters if you kept the end result as a normal monster (ignoring the HP and defense boosts). For example, a "half-dragon" template could be: add the dragonborn racial power and add a clumsy flight speed. You could also promote the creature to elite, but that's a separate issue, and you have to give it some at-will multi-attack capabilities in that case.
And if the base monster was already elite or solo, you have to incorporate the new abilities into its action economy somehow.
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Dice4Hire
First Post
I reflavor monsters a lot, so I have no need to do the scribbling on the monster sheet that a template would entail.
I generally have few encounters anyway so I rarely reuse monsters, which makes it less needed to have templates.
I would have liked to see these in 3E though.
I generally have few encounters anyway so I rarely reuse monsters, which makes it less needed to have templates.
I would have liked to see these in 3E though.
Vael
Legend
I have used templates, but it's been awhile since I've DMed my own material (I DM Encounters most of the time, others DM our home games).
Actually, a template caused a TPK. I added the Devastator Template to the Soulrider Devil Eladrin Arcanist. Between Devastator's ability to recharge it's encounter power combined with the Soulrider's ability to take damage to recharge his encounter area power, and the boosted hitpoints, that monster rained fire on the party for the whole encounter. It's minions were dropped early, leaving a single ally that the Soulrider could avoid blasting.
I dunno, I still like the idea of templates, especially adding class templates. The idea of adding PC powers to monsters amuses me.
Actually, a template caused a TPK. I added the Devastator Template to the Soulrider Devil Eladrin Arcanist. Between Devastator's ability to recharge it's encounter power combined with the Soulrider's ability to take damage to recharge his encounter area power, and the boosted hitpoints, that monster rained fire on the party for the whole encounter. It's minions were dropped early, leaving a single ally that the Soulrider could avoid blasting.
I dunno, I still like the idea of templates, especially adding class templates. The idea of adding PC powers to monsters amuses me.
Dr_Ruminahui
First Post
I've tried templates but found them underwhelming. So now, I just tend to tweek monsters on my own.
That said, I do tend to use the template/companion character rules when trying to build an enemy who is an identifiable class (so, opposing paladins, etc.)... I hunt through character builder and drop appropriate powers for that class into the monster, adjusting damage to fit.
That said, I do tend to use the template/companion character rules when trying to build an enemy who is an identifiable class (so, opposing paladins, etc.)... I hunt through character builder and drop appropriate powers for that class into the monster, adjusting damage to fit.
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I recently changed the way I DM by preparing as little as possible before a session and just going with the flow. Because of this, my encounters can have somewhat bland monsters because I have to think of everything on the spot without making it too powerful. So I actually have decided that I'm going to use my own take on monster templates for future encounters. Basically I'll decide on a 'theme' for the encounter based on what has transpired and add that as a 'template' to the monsters in that encounter.
