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Minions and Temporary Hit Points
- Thread starter quindia
- Start date
The rules do state that minions die when struck, which seems to suggest that temp hp is of no benefit to them. Other arguments for this also point out that having to keep track of temp hp for them just adds to the book-keeping, which kinda defeats the purpose of giving minions just 1 hp.
However, if you consider the purpose of temp hp, it makes sense to allow minions to benefit from it (since the PCs would need to cleave through these "buffer hp" before the minion actually takes any real damage.
Personally, I couldn't be bothered.
However, if you consider the purpose of temp hp, it makes sense to allow minions to benefit from it (since the PCs would need to cleave through these "buffer hp" before the minion actually takes any real damage.
Personally, I couldn't be bothered.
ValhallaGH
Explorer
Two interpretations:
1) Minions die when struck. Period. That 1 hp is just there to make them look cool.
2) Temporary HP are a form of resistance (says so in the Temporary HP description), and minions can benefit from resistances (says so in the minions entry). Ergo, minions can benefit from temporary hp, meaning you have to deal 1 damage beyond all resistances and temporary hp to kill a minoin.
I think that 2 is correct but you'll hear plenty of argument.
1) Minions die when struck. Period. That 1 hp is just there to make them look cool.
2) Temporary HP are a form of resistance (says so in the Temporary HP description), and minions can benefit from resistances (says so in the minions entry). Ergo, minions can benefit from temporary hp, meaning you have to deal 1 damage beyond all resistances and temporary hp to kill a minoin.
I think that 2 is correct but you'll hear plenty of argument.
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ValhallaGH
Explorer
Please delete.
Also, it is worth noting that some minions possess some sort of resistance (the devil minion has fire resistance, IIRC). Seems kinda redundant for them to possess any sort of ability which mitigates damage if a hit will always kill them, so I believe that temp hp should work for them using this logic.
questing gm
First Post
I remember there was an official answer for this but it's probably lost somewhere in the clutter of the internet somewhere.
IIRC, minions do benefit from temporary hitpoints.
IIRC, minions do benefit from temporary hitpoints.
Well, IIRC, a WOTC employee chimed in and mentioned that, yes, minions benefit from temporary hit points.I remember there was an official answer for this but it's probably lost somewhere in the clutter of the internet somewhere.
IIRC, minions do benefit from temporary hitpoints.
Does that make it official? Dunno.
Does that make me use the rule in my game? Definitely no. Imho, it would completely defeat the purpose of minions. I'd rather rewrite the effect granting the temporary hit points to do something else when used on minions.
Nifft
Penguin Herder
There's only one monster that grants allies temporary HP.
It grants 5 temporary HP in a burst.
Note that 5 is less than the minimum damage from a hit at that critter's level (L2, so party should have +1 items). However, 5 is more than expected side-effect damage (e.g. Cleave's secondary effect should be 3 to 4).
So, here's what I am doing for minions with temporary HP:
Each minion only has three states:
--- Has Temp HP
--- No Temp HP
--- Dead
If you deal side-effect damage less than the temp HP that a minion has, it loses all of them anyway, and is one hit (or side-effect) away from being killed. If you hit, you probably kill it anyway: announce your damage, he's very likely to be dead.
I don't track temp HP for minions. They either have some, or they don't. One extra bit of information per minion, plus the number of temp HP they'd have at most, and I know everything important.
Cheers, -- N
It grants 5 temporary HP in a burst.
Note that 5 is less than the minimum damage from a hit at that critter's level (L2, so party should have +1 items). However, 5 is more than expected side-effect damage (e.g. Cleave's secondary effect should be 3 to 4).
So, here's what I am doing for minions with temporary HP:
Each minion only has three states:
--- Has Temp HP
--- No Temp HP
--- Dead
If you deal side-effect damage less than the temp HP that a minion has, it loses all of them anyway, and is one hit (or side-effect) away from being killed. If you hit, you probably kill it anyway: announce your damage, he's very likely to be dead.
I don't track temp HP for minions. They either have some, or they don't. One extra bit of information per minion, plus the number of temp HP they'd have at most, and I know everything important.
Cheers, -- N
