D&D 4E Making Human/Demi-Human "Monsters" in 4E

[Kel]

I am about to start a very human-focused 4E campaign (think George R.R. Martin with a bit of Krynn and Forgotten Realms). As such, many of my PC's day-to-day adversaries will be humans.

My question is: How do most 4E DM's handle the creation of such human/demi-human "monsters." Do you treat them as classic "monsters," simply looking at their intended role (skirmisher, soldier, lurker, etc.), then making-up a handful of appropriate powers? Or do you essentially build them as NPC's, assigning a class from the PHB, and chosing a few level-appropriate powers from the class list? Have you noticed any difference in the monsters' power-level between the two approaches?

On a related-note, how do you handle the leader sub-role for such monsters? For instance, if I were to throw my PC's against a group of fighters or rogues (this is purely hypothetical in case any of my players are reading this), the leader of this group built as an NPC would be a soldier or skirmisher, with no real leader-like powers. How do others handle this issue?

I'm interested in hearing the thoughts of the collective on this. Thanks!

 

[Mengu]

I treat all humans and humanoids as monsters. I don't bother with NPC templates. I can accomplish everything I need with monster blocks.

A Leader Rogue would have an ability that adds mobility or extra attacks to their allies. For instance I might add an encounter power, and as a minor action he lets all allies within 10 squares to shift 1 square (much like the kobold wyrmpriest power). I might give him a recharge power that as a standard action allows one of his allies to make a an attack with some sort of bonus.

I'd basically dig through other leader monsters, and pick what I like for the human I'm creating.

I find this to be the least amount of prep work, and it easily generates the results I want.

 

[Blackbrrd]

Treat them as classic "monsters," simply looking at their intended role (skirmisher, soldier, lurker, etc.), then make up a handful of appropriate powers.

 

[Tale]

I'd just take the monsters I want to use and call them human.

 

[OchreJelly]

I would look to whats already out there first. Here's a few of the easier options.

1) You can adjust up and down the existing human, dwarf, elf stats etc. to give you a good range of types by level.
2) you can reskin most of the humanoid monsters with little trouble to be humans. Hobgoblins work well to reskin as human disciplined soldiers. goblins work well to reskin as halfling crafty thugs. Orcs could be good "savage humans and so forth

This applies to your leader rogue type. I know there is a particular type of leader hobgolblin that may be a good candidate. You could fiddle with his AC and defenses a bit if you don't want him in heavy armor. Likewise, if you want this guy to be elite, add the rogue template to a leader-like monster and you have a bit of both flavors!

 

[Mr. Teapot]

2) you can reskin most of the humanoid monsters with little trouble to be humans.

Why stop at humanoid monsters? So far, there's no mechanical difference for being a humanoid or magical beast or whatever (AFAIK), so you could take any Medium or Small creature and call it a humanoid. I've read about other GMs calling a displacer beast a whip wielding priest of a dark god of illusions. No changes to mechanics except perhaps a keyword or two.



So far I've done a bit of making NPCs as NPCs and a bit of making NPC as monsters. But not enough to notice any particular difference about them. both methods have worked fine for me so far. Really, you have a bunch of options for making, say, an Orcish wizard NPC: make him as a new monster, make him as an NPC, apply the wizard template to an existing orc monster, reskin or modify an existing monster of the Controller role, make him as a PC... maybe something else I'm forgetting.

 

[OchreJelly]

That is true. I guess it's just often easier for me with humanoid monsters since their powers aren't often as fantastic, and could map better to a low-fantasy campaign. It would sort of be difficult to reskin a gelatinous cube, for example, but I'm sure someone here is up to the challenge .

In any event, Mr. Teapot makes a good point: Why stop at reskinning monsters when you can completely reflavor powers as well. If you're creative enough, or inspired enough then certainly look beyond humanoids.

 

[Mathew_Freeman]

Treat them as classic "monsters," simply looking at their intended role (skirmisher, soldier, lurker, etc.), then make up a handful of appropriate powers.

I'd just take the monsters I want to use and call them human.

I think these two approaches seem to be the best ideas.

 

[YuriPup]

I would think that the vast majority of your "monsters" don't need NPC write ups and they will come to quick ends.

And you don't want too many powers on the NPCs side, as it makes your job of running the combat that much harder.

 

[CapnZapp]

Or do you essentially build them as NPC's, assigning a class from the PHB, and chosing a few level-appropriate powers from the class list?

I would only do this for very important npcs. Such as allies brought along on adventures, and arch enemies that are meant to last at least two separate combat encounters.

I do want to highlight the excellent Book of NPCs, if you haven't seen it already. But as I said, I would use it sparingly.

Have you noticed any difference in the monsters' power-level between the two approaches?

I believe Paul Strack, the creator of the Book of NPCs, would have a few pointers on that. If I'm correct, the consensus is NPCs are one notch above standard monsters of their level.

On a related-note, how do you handle the leader sub-role for such monsters? For instance, I am going to throw my PC's against a group of rogues with a stereotypical ruthless rogue leader. If I just make the leader an NPC "rogue," he will be a skirmisher, with no real leader-like powers (i.e., the ability to buff or heal his underlings). Perhaps I should give him a power from the warlord list? How do others handle this issue?

Again, the easiest (and probably best) solution is to re-skin existing MM leader monsters as humans.

One highlight of 4E is that different monsters have different powers. That these powers might break the rules in various ways. And that most of these are completely unavailable to the characters.

Populating your world with "pure" NPCs only (that is NPC Fighters, NPC Warlords and so on) deprives your players of much of that sense of variety, sense of wonder.

Fighting against monsters has always been a large part of D&D, and it has seldom been as much fun as with 4E!

Just because you don't have Orcs should not have to mean you must stay out of opponents using Warrior's Surge (making an attack and getting hp back at the same time), Wounded Retaliation (making an attack when becoming bloodied) or Chaos Hammer (a magic area attack).

Sure, most (if not all) of these can/will probably be reproduced (in some way) by the player classes in the PHB series.

But, and this is my main point, that's much more complex. Unlike in 3E, monsters do not have and should not be restrained by the rules governing player characters. So what if they get some ability that a player could easily abuse?

4E makes your life as a DM easier, and one of the most important tools you have at your disposal is the sheer variety of critters in the MM! Using that is to your benefit!


Regards,
Zapp