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Message: <blockquote data-quote="NotAYakk" data-source="post: 9681367" data-attributes="member: 72555">In my monster building system (inspired by 4e), Elite(N) monsters get N times the HP, (N+1)/2 times the damage (as Elite actions (aka legendary)), and Elite resistances that can either trade HP for an auto-save or make effects go away early.A level X monster has a HP budget of Y and, an attack damage budget of X, and by default 2 attacks (Merging those attacks into 1 or splitting them when making a monster is a-ok; there are 2 attacks as a standard budget).(You "buy" per-encounter damage, like dragon's breath, by spending attack damage, and can trade HP for attack damage or vice versa; HP*Damage is the constant.  Base stats/AC/Saves scale with level, but can also be purchased.)A level X elite N monster has N*Y HP, still deals X damage "x2 attacks" on its turn, but gets (N-1) elite actions that each do X damage, and has N-1 elite resists that cost Y/2 HP to use (getting an auto-save), or for spells that have "save at end/start of turn or when take damage" you can get an extra roll of such saves (including on elite actions) and lose an elite resist if you win the roll.So the dragon can choose to soak the hold monster spell, and can use an elite action and risk an elite resist to roll to save at the end of the first enemy's turn.  This encourages you to actually accept the spell, because it saves Y/2 HP.(Using up all of your elite resists on auto-saves almost halves your total HP).Example (exact numbers made up):A basic level 10 monster has 250 HP and 20 damage per attack and 2 attacks.A basic boss level 10 elite 3 monster has 750 HP, 2 elite resists, 20 damage per attack (x2), 2 elite attacks at 20 damage each.A glass cannon level 10 monster has 125 HP, 15 damage per attack and 4 attacks, and a per-encounter 60 damage AOE.A tank level 10 monster has 375 HP, and 1 attack for 30 damage.The level 10 non-elites are all "worth" a single PC of the same level.  A level 10 Elite 3 is "worth" 3 PCs of that level.To calculate HP, a level 10 monster has (Same level PC DPR) * (Same level PC accuracy) * 3 HP, and deals (Same level PC HP or Soak) / (Monster ATK vs same level PC AC accuracy) / 3 damage, where the PC HP and Soak are modelled based on your exact game edition/ruleset.  It means in a 1:1 fight a level X PC and level X monster have a 3 round battle before one drops.The model is based on a PC "without bells and whistles"; so the PC wins fights by using bells and whistles, which tends to be satisfying.  Like, fighters without fighting styles and action surge and second wind or subclasses, paladins who only smite with half of their spells (per day) and not on crits, etc.  Complex classes you just assume "don't suck" and use a simpler class as the monster baseline.You can just use "one level X monster for every level X PC", then tweak numbers/levels as needed; to do a more complex tradeoff, there is a way to turn this into an XP system, but that math is more annoying.The core of this, of course, that LR are no longer "this did nothing", but you need to land more than one save-or-suck to defeat a monster.  Monsters  are rewarded (in HP) by having the spell work for a short time (using rerolls instead of immunity): Having a monster be stunned or held for 1 PC's action is more fullfilling than it doing nothing besides strip a LR.</blockquote>

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