Blog (A5E) Let’s Look At Horde Monsters!

[Steampunkette]

It's one of the best things from 4e. Minions. Still impactful on the fight, but you don't track HP.

They exist in a quantum state of alive or dead, and even a Magic Missile can collapse that waveform.

Horde are a bit tougher than that... but not by a -lot-.

 

[Micah Sweet]

It's one of the best things from 4e. Minions. Still impactful on the fight, but you don't track HP.

They exist in a quantum state of alive or dead, and even a Magic Missile can collapse that waveform.

Horde are a bit tougher than that... but not by a -lot-.

They are tougher than 4e minions enough IMO to get past my gamism complaints I always had with minions, so that works out.

 

[Distracted DM]

I'm more likely to use this version because I never adopted the MCDM Minions rules, but I am curious how they'd compare. IIRC MCDM Minions die on a single hit, you can cleave through them if you do enough damage to beat their hit points (which only exist for cleave purposes iirc?). If they pass a save vs AOE they dont die, if they fail they die. So they're a bit simpler because you don't have to track HP, buuut I think I didn't adopt them because A5E's squads were easier because there were less rolls. Though .. the MCDM minions, iirc, share a single roll up to a certain number of enemies and give a bonus to hit for each extra minion attacking.

 

[Retreater]

Something about the design seems ... off?
The AC is so low and the HP so low that they seem to pose little challenge. Like, a 3rd level character can probably one-shot this Challenge 15 example critter.
And then you're still tracking HP on a "horde" of them if you're going to run multiples to actually challenging high-level characters.
And then they get one attack - so anything that can take an action will affect the entire "horde?" So if you cast "Command" on the Horde, it affects all of them? Because they save as one creature?

 

[W'rkncacnter]

And then they get one attack - so anything that can take an action will affect the entire "horde?" So if you cast "Command" on the Horde, it affects all of them? Because they save as one creature?

each individual horde monster gets one attack and saves independently, so 5 would make 5 attacks and 5 saves between all of them

 

[Morrus]

I'm more likely to use this version because I never adopted the MCDM Minions rules, but I am curious how they'd compare. IIRC MCDM Minions die on a single hit, you can cleave through them if you do enough damage to beat their hit points (which only exist for cleave purposes iirc?). If they pass a save vs AOE they dont die, if they fail they die. So they're a bit simpler because you don't have to track HP, buuut I think I didn't adopt them because A5E's squads were easier because there were less rolls. Though .. the MCDM minions, iirc, share a single roll up to a certain number of enemies and give a bonus to hit for each extra minion attacking.

Yeah, single hit/1 hit point is the D&D 4E minion approach.

Horde monsters also have shared rolls, hit point pools, etc. but we don’t want to post the entire chapter!

 

[Morrus]

And then they get one attack - so anything that can take an action will affect the entire "horde?" So if you cast "Command" on the Horde, it affects all of them? Because they save as one creature?

Huh? I don’t know where you’re getting that from. It’s not in the article above.

 

[Uni-the-Unicorn!]

Something about the design seems ... off?
The AC is so low and the HP so low that they seem to pose little challenge. Like, a 3rd level character can probably one-shot this Challenge 15 example critter.
And then you're still tracking HP on a "horde" of them if you're going to run multiples to actually challenging high-level characters.
And then they get one attack - so anything that can take an action will affect the entire "horde?" So if you cast "Command" on the Horde, it affects all of them? Because they save as one creature?

I think you are missing something. They are not a swarm, but more like 4e minions from what I see

 

[Distracted DM]

Yeah, single hit/1 hit point is the D&D 4E minion approach.

Horde monsters also have shared rolls, hit point pools, etc. but we don’t want to post the entire chapter!

Looking forward to getting my hands on it! I hope it enters the SRD sooner than later so we can make easier use of it on the A5E FoundryVTT system! (I'd be cool with paying for an implementation as well, I'm sure I'm not the only one)

 

[Retreater]

Huh? I don’t know where you’re getting that from. It’s not in the article above.

Sure it is...

Each round, a horde monster can move and take a single action; it can’t use bonus actions, legendary actions, or damaging traits. Its actions are typically simple and can deal damage only once per round: it doesn’t make several attacks via Multiattack actions or effects that can normally target multiple creatures. When it deals damage, it gains a bonus to its damage roll equal to its Challenge Rating. It doesn’t roll extra weapon dice because it’s larger than Medium.