I've been reading the minions thread here with some interest. Personally, I think that minions are a very promising means to creating some tense, exciting encounters. At the same time, I can see why some people might be uncomfortable using minions.
So, for those with a fundamental opposition to minions, I'd like to know how you might create a similar encounter without using the minion mechanic. How would you create an ecounter against 40 opponents without creating a bookkeeping challenge, without overwhelming the party, and without creating an encounter with no real threat (eg, 40 rats vs. a party of 10th level PCs)?
I'll be forthcoming about the question. The reason I ask is that I think the minion mechanic opens up a lot of scenarios that are very difficult to achieve otherwise, and I have a hard time imagining an alternative that doesn't come with its own set of problems that are just as discongruous, or even more so. Still, I'd love to hear other's thoughts on this and perhaps be convinced that there is a better way.
So, for those with a fundamental opposition to minions, I'd like to know how you might create a similar encounter without using the minion mechanic. How would you create an ecounter against 40 opponents without creating a bookkeeping challenge, without overwhelming the party, and without creating an encounter with no real threat (eg, 40 rats vs. a party of 10th level PCs)?
I'll be forthcoming about the question. The reason I ask is that I think the minion mechanic opens up a lot of scenarios that are very difficult to achieve otherwise, and I have a hard time imagining an alternative that doesn't come with its own set of problems that are just as discongruous, or even more so. Still, I'd love to hear other's thoughts on this and perhaps be convinced that there is a better way.
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