Minions whatever the system

[JRRNeiklot]

The point of the 1 hp rule is that they go down on a single hit and there is nothing to track.

Which makes any kind of area attack that does damage way overpowered. Consider a fireball that does 1d2 damage in a 20 foot radius, save for half. What would that be in any other version of the game, a 1 1st level spell? 2nd? In 4th edition, it's too overpowered to exist.

 

[Scribble]

Which makes any kind of area attack that does damage way overpowered. Consider a fireball that does 1d2 damage in a 20 foot radius, save for half. What would that be in any other version of the game, a 1 1st level spell? 2nd? In 4th edition, it's too overpowered to exist.

Then by that definition all attacks are way overpowered in 4e, because apparently, we stopped rolling to hit?

Minions are simplified math.

Fighter does x average damage at a given level.

Minions have hit points = x.

Chances are fighter won't miss twice.

For all intent and purposes x = 1.

 

[drothgery]

Which makes any kind of area attack that does damage way overpowered. Consider a fireball that does 1d2 damage in a 20 foot radius, save for half. What would that be in any other version of the game, a 1 1st level spell? 2nd? In 4th edition, it's too overpowered to exist.

Since there weren't any extreme low-damage/large area of effect spells in the core rules of any edition of D&D I can remember (possibly excepting spells where the primary effect wasn't damage -- and even then, those were fairly high level spells), I'm thinking this is a non-issue.

 

[Clavis]

Then, what would be a minion in d20, C&C, AD&D??

In AD&D and C&C, Fighters (and only Fighters) get multiple attacks per round against 1 HD creatures. An AD&D fighter can attack ordinary humans (including your basic man-at-arms) and humanoids as many times a round as his Level. It allows the DM to replicate fiction where a great warrior takes on many opponents at once, while giving the Fighter a unique power. "Minions" in AD&D are 0-level humans, demi-humans, and humanoids.

 

[Holy Bovine]

Which makes any kind of area attack that does damage way overpowered. Consider a fireball that does 1d2 damage in a 20 foot radius, save for half. What would that be in any other version of the game, a 1 1st level spell? 2nd? In 4th edition, it's too overpowered to exist.

yup - if you use spells like in previous editions of D&D that would be way over powered. However no one 'saves' against the initial spell effect ('fireblast' we'll call it) in 4E. The caster makes an attack roll vs. the minion's Reflex defense. Fail to overcome that and it is considered a miss. And minions take no damage from missed attacks of any kind.

I love the minion rules. Simple and actually well thought out. I do think, with some work to avoid the situation JRRNeiklot rightly points out above, that they could work in 3E or earlier eds of D&D as well.

 

[Holy Bovine]

In AD&D and C&C, Fighters (and only Fighters) get multiple attacks per round against 1 HD creatures. An AD&D fighter can attack ordinary humans (including your basic man-at-arms) and humanoids as many times a round as his Level. It allows the DM to replicate fiction where a great warrior takes on many opponents at once, while giving the Fighter a unique power. "Minions" in AD&D are 0-level humans, demi-humans, and humanoids.

Oh man! I had all but forgotten that little gem of a rule from 1E! That always made me smile thinking of the time our DM used goblins (1-1HD) with powerful magic swords/bows to attack our 7th level party. We got 23 of them before they ran away