How do you play YOUR monsters?

[fourthmensch]

We must offer a sacrifice to the great 3catcircus before we are able to reap his blessings. Let us begin chanting...

Kobold Special Forces Troopers
Kobold Special Forces Troopers
Kobold Special Forces Troopers!!!

No, I will not let this thread die until I hear about this. Sue me .

I agree! Let's see the killer kobolds!

 

[Zappo]

At last someone else who can use kobolds to scare would be heros.

OT, but I remembered an instance where the party was in the middle of hostile territory, full of all manners of mid-to-high-CR monsters and patrolled by evil dragons. After another day of slaying trolls and giants, as they are checking the area to see if it is safe to set up camp, I tell one of them that he sees a lone, unarmed kobold confidently coming down from a hill towards the party.

They fled immediately as fast as they could.

 

[Lu Wei Fong]

Intelligence and Wisdom are very important for determining how a monster fights, but there is something else I factor in as well. That is the circumstance of the fight. Your typical orc grunt will fight to the best of his malicious ability. When the tide is turned and he sees that his side will probably lose, he'll bail. However, if one of the PCs just slew one of his best friends since childhood or something, then chances are he'll go a little berserk and go all-out. Say the BBEG the PCs have been thwarting repeatedly is cornered by them again. First instinct? Go out that secret door, but maybe she's just so fed up with the party that she decides to make a stand and kill the *&#@ers. Maybe a pair of trolls who just saw one of their companions taken out by flankers will get the bright idea to copy what they saw and flank a PC.
So yeah, while Intelligence and Wisdom are certianly the primary factors, somethimes a bizarre circumstance adds a little bit of flavor and feeling to the combat.

 

[drunkmoogle]

My only qualm about adding in wisdom is that I've always figured it as how you percieved the outside world, and how closely you pay attention to details. Utilizing those details is INT based to me. A high WIS, low INT character may have a photographic memory and may actually do better on a standardized test because of that, but a high INT creature retains the information and readily applies it to situations.

Those guidelines depict a typical group of individuals. Obviously, personality and emotional events screw around with things. Non-combatants would flee at first opportunity. Berserkers may act more on instinct than intellect. Dumb humanoids may eventually learn their lesson and refine their tactics (by putting ranks in Knowledge: Tactics, no less ).

Great feedback, guys! I'll take a look at animals in the near future, and you've inspired me to go watch Discovery Channel.

Oh, 3catcircus, you're not off the hook yet. Look what you've started!!!

 

[shilsen]

I agree! Let's see the killer kobolds!

You don't need kobold special forces troopers. A bunch of normal kobolds lobbing alchemist's fire can put a serious hurting on over-confident PCs who forget the big gap between their touch ACs and normal ACs.

As for the original question, I'll use Int and Wis and place more emphasis on Wis than Int.

 

[the Jester]

I try to play monsters according to their mental stats, alignment, and nature. So for instance, a giant trapdoor spider (int -) will use stealthy tactics- it's a sneaky bugger! But in general, dumber monsters don't know their options as well. I figure most animals and stupid monsters pretty much have one or two major tactics, and that's about it. The smarter they get the better their tactics, and the more I try to plan out the monster's tactics in advance.

About monsters fighting to the death: while most animals won't, lots of supernatural monsters will- some hate their own existence, some don't care if they die.

 

[scourger]

I play them to the best of my ability. It helps the story if they have motivations that I have considered.

 

[frankthedm]

Animal level Int means they use animal tactics [wolf pack]. I wind up killing PCs when they think foes are going to to attack the stronget members when looking for food.

Pack hunters [even the dire ones] go for the weakest appearing of the group and when the pcs act like parental herd animals and guard a single weaker pc, they have made that PC a target.

 

[MonsterMash]

I try to research real animals hunting styles for their attacks and animals will also tend towards self preservation, e.g. withdrawing if hurt, etc.

Even the not so smart races like Orcs and the other goblinoids use tactics to some extent in my games, e.g use missile fire and magic at range and then closing to attack, use ambushes, traps, etc.

 

[kigmatzomat]

I use a similar mental gradation with some variation depending on motivation.

Mindless thug: typically dumb undead or rampaging beasts like the gray render. Basic combat tactics are understood but no complicated use of cover, tactics, or mobility. Depending on the type of beast they either try to hurt everything in reach or kill off opponents one at a time.

Cunning predator: describes most int<4 predators. Most cunning animals are either hunting for food or displaying dominance/territory. Dominance will be against the biggest while food will be the "weakest" according to feral logic. (alone, slow, weak/thin, small, etc) Pack animals will harry the group while allowing the toughest members to focus on the chosen individual while lone predators will try to use some semblance of stealth and ambush. During dominance fights some predators will not break off but virtually all hunting battles will result in withdrawl as the animals take 50% hp. They may not flee but retreat to edge of fight or join in a better fight (like joining a 4:1 battle in their favor) These kinds of foes do not recognize spellcasters as such and can be confused/routed by magic.

Basic intelligence: this covers most anything beast/abherration/humanoid/etc that has an int >6 and <16 and isn't described as being a berserker or especially tactical. Ambushes, reasonable use of available tools, feints, ability to recognize weapons and armor and judge threat levels based on their presence, and group tactics should happen. They are generally not experts but are thoroughly competent. Often they focus abuse on the casters to increase the odds.

Dangerous: these are highly trained or capable foes. Maximum use of items is achieved and the fights are planned out rather extensively. Tactics will change dynamically as they re-evaluate their opponents. Especially cunning tricks, like combining Summons with Shadow Conjurations and pure illusions to sow confusion on the battlefield. Traps will often be laid and special attacks used on the individual most susceptible to it (i.e. using ranged attacks on fighters while grappling casters).