Monster Ability Scores

[Rhewtani]

Ok - I was recently told something that didn't sound quite right. I'm looking for a quick answer, because I'm building a spreadsheet giving the "ability score ranges" for monsters.

What I was told by a friend was that "to figure out a monster's ability score bonuses, subtract 10 if it's even, 11 if it's odd, and you have the bonuses." I didn't think all monsters were built with 10s in all the stats ...

What gives?

Thanks,
Rhew

 

[Laman Stahros]

According to Savage Species, yes, that is how you do it. Seems screwy doesn't it?

 

[Rhewtani]

A bit. Savage Species ... right, should have looked there.

Finally figured it out (a moment before checking back here), 'cause I got to the Azer.

 

[Dmitr]

Remember that those are teh stats for an average monster of the type...hence all tens and elevens, before racial mods. They aren't PC level critters, so they don't get the "special" stats like a PC does (ie, 4 dice drop lowest, or the spreads, or whatever).

 

[Alzrius]

Ok - I was recently told something that didn't sound quite right. I'm looking for a quick answer, because I'm building a spreadsheet giving the "ability score ranges" for monsters.

What I was told by a friend was that "to figure out a monster's ability score bonuses, subtract 10 if it's even, 11 if it's odd, and you have the bonuses." I didn't think all monsters were built with 10s in all the stats ...

What gives?

Thanks,
Rhew

What your friend told you was the "quick and dirty" way to calculate racial ability adjustments for monsters. It does hold up, and is true. However, if you're just opening your MM to a particular page and applying that technique, you may be running into some problems if its a creature with Warrior NPC levels, or is an advanced monster (has extra hit dice, class levels, or template(s) from the base version of the monster).

Check out the top of page 7 in the (v.3.5) MM. It says right there that a monster's ability score adjustments can be found just as your friend said, so all basic monsters were given 10's and 11's in their scores, and then had their innate bonuses and penalties applied. However, Humanoids with a level in Warrior instead use the "nonelite array", with scores of 13, 12, 11, 10, 9, and 8 assigned to whatever abilities the designers wanted. Likewise, advanced monsters used the "elite array" of 15, 14, 13, 12, 10, and 8, so the "subtract 10 or 11" rule won't work there. Remember to also note that monsters who received additional hit dice or class levels may have gotten extra ability points if they gained enough.

 

[Rhewtani]

How do you discern which ones are using the elite or non-elite arrays? I'm working off of the srd at the moment (just finished C).

I'm helping our DM mix and match their favorite 1e & 2e aspects with some of the core 3e stuff. Yes, yes, convert over ... they're not ready.

They're not used to the new stats and the DM asked for a way to know the ability score ranges a monster should really have. I've got an excel sheet set up where I put the bonuses in and it gives me the low and high. It looks like monsters can have a score of 2, so I set up a bottom out at that point.

Anyway ... elite, no-elite ... how do I find 'em?

 

[Conaill]

"Ability score ranges"? Not sure what you mean with that, but there is a table in the MM for rolling stats for monsters:

http://www.geocities.com/sovelior/srd/monstersAsRaces.html

 

[Alzrius]

How do you discern which ones are using the elite or non-elite arrays? I'm working off of the srd at the moment (just finished C).

Like I said, its broken down by the listing type.

Most monsters use 10's and 11's for everything, plus racial modifiers.

Monsters that are of the Humanoid type AND have 1 level of the Warrior NPC class use the non-elite array (13, 12, 11, 10, 9, and 8). An example of this would be the entry for a "Dwarf" - a Humanoid with 1 Warrior level.

Advanced monsters use the elite array (15, 14, 13, 12, 10, and 8). An advanced monster is a "normal" monster further modified by extra natural hit dice and/or a template and/or class levels. These advanced monsters are listed right next to their "normal" counterparts. An example of this is the Hound Archon Hero under the "Archon" entry.

Remember that, for advanced monsters only, if the manner of advancement added more hit dice, be it natural hit dice or class hit dice, if the extra hit dice made it to or exceeded a multiple of 4, they'll gain an extra ability point for everytime that happened (just like for PCs).

If you're working off of the SRD, then all published errata to date should (in theory) be incorporated already. That said, here's a link to the Monster Manual v.3.5 errata file.

 

[dcollins]

Check out the top of page 7 in the (v.3.5) MM...

It's also in both versions of the DMG, in the "Characters" chapter.