Monster Creation Guidelines

[Morrus]

Note - this is a draft of a work in progress (one that has only just been started, in fact). I'm only posting it because [MENTION=20805]Primitive Screwhead[/MENTION] has been making lots of critters!

 

[Primitive Screwhead]

Thanks!

 

[Morrus]

Updated version. Still very much a work in progress.

 

[Primitive Screwhead]

Cool,

I haven't been able to commit serious time to it, but last night I did a scrub of the 30ish critters I have in my database {added most of the ones in the attached} and have been working to re-align the level of the critters with the encounter assumptions. Basically the critters I had built were higher level than they should have been compared to the Goblin and Human.

My 'key' critters so far.. meaning the ones that are easier to compare threat level, are the Human, the Wolf, the Ogre, and Bear.

I keyed in one of the Dragon's from a previous PDF, and I think the new defense method has better results.

 

[Morrus]

How do you mean? You mean you recalculated the XP values and levels? That calculation hasn't changed since the August N.E.W. playetst document, so your critters' levels shouldn't have changed. Add up the three best attributes, highest skill rank, equipment modifier, and square the result.

 

[Primitive Screwhead]

Other way around, I had spec'd the Wolf based on a previous published Wolf in the NEW document and was using that as my of 'is this critter stronger or weaker than a wolf' to estimate what level the new creature was. Since three of my players were casters and looking at familiars, I worked up a number of critters that could be familiars and they ended up to be in the 1 to 3 level range.

With a human farmer being level 1 to include in my 'is this critter stronger/weaker' estimate, that shoves cats, bats, and lizards down to level 0.. since those are not a equal threat one on one with a human farmer. So I adjusted status until their level dropped.
It also drops where the Wolf should be and adjusts pretty much all the other animals I had done.
I left the Dragon alone

 

[Morrus]

Other way around, I had spec'd the Wolf based on a previous published Wolf in the NEW document and was using that as my of 'is this critter stronger or weaker than a wolf' to estimate what level the new creature was.

Why were you estimating it, rather than calculating it?

Incidentally, here's the latest version. New dinosaurs, giant, gorgons, templates.

 

[Morrus]

So, as you may have gathered, the aim here is - like most of the game - to empower you in the creation of your world. So this is a bit toolkit-like. You have the building blocks to create a wide variety of critters just by applying traditions and templates to basic creatures. The aim then would be to expand the list of basic creatures and provide some examples of upgraded ones.

So the guidelines are there, and they're pitched at being about 90% specific and 10% exception. They're there to help, not restrict. If a guideline is preventing you from doing something when designing a monster, you simply override it.

 

[Primitive Screwhead]

Why were you estimating it, rather than calculating it?

I was working in the reverse of how you are working.
You are starting with a base creature and building up, then calculating XP and level.. which esitmates what sort of threat the critter would be to PCs.

I am starting with the estimate of what sort of threat I am looking for, getting the average stats for that level, and then modifying to fit the critter.

The aim then would be to expand the list of basic creatures and provide some examples of upgraded ones.

Exactly. The more base creatures listed the easier it will be to fit custom creatures into the mix.