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<blockquote data-quote="Doc Eldritch" data-source="post: 4295104" data-attributes="member: 68817"><p>Hmmm, I know exactly what the OP means, but I finally realized something that made it easier for me. Making monsters in 4e is like making them in 2e or old red box DnD. Make them do what you want. The guidelines are just there to help you out, but you decide what they do, and they do that. You pretty much have to completely drop the 3e mindset (this is both good and bad, I think). But monster creation IS a lot faster. For instance, for a thread on RPG.net, I made up an Iron Golem. Took me about 20-25 minutes and that was mostly because I had to double check some things and pull out my old 2e Monstrous Compendium to look at something. Just for reference, I'll include it below.</p><p></p><p><span style="font-size: 18px">Iron Golem</span> Level 19, Elite Soldier (4800 xp)</p><p></p><p></p><p>Initiative: +9 Senses: Perception +9, Darkvision</p><p>Hit Points: 368 Bloodied: 184</p><p>AC: 37 Fortitude: 41 Reflex: 25 Willpower: 26</p><p>Immune: Disease, Poison, Sleep, Fire; Vulnerable: Lightning 5</p><p>Saving Throw: +2</p><p>Speed: 6, can not shift</p><p>Action Points: 1</p><p></p><p>Slam (standard, at will)</p><p></p><p> <p style="margin-left: 20px">Reach: 2, +26 vs AC, 3d6+8 damage, target is pushed 1 square and dazed (save ends)</p><p></p><p>Double Slam (standard, at will)</p><p></p><p> <p style="margin-left: 20px">The golem makes 2 Slam attacks</p><p></p><p>Golem Rampage (standard, recharge <img src="http://www.enworld.org/forum/images/smilies/5.gif" class="smilie" loading="lazy" alt=":5:" title="Five :5:" data-shortname=":5:" /> <img src="http://www.enworld.org/forum/images/smilies/6.gif" class="smilie" loading="lazy" alt=":6:" title="Six :6:" data-shortname=":6:" /> )</p><p></p><p> <p style="margin-left: 20px">The golem can move up to its Speed +2, and can move through enemy spaces, provoking opportunity attacks as normal. When it enters a creature's space (enemy or ally), it makes a Slam attack against that creature. The creature remains in its space and the golem must leave the space after it attacks. It must end its movement in an unoccupied square.</p><p></p><p>Fiery Healing (immediate reaction, at will)</p><p></p><p> <p style="margin-left: 20px">When the golem is hit by an attack dealing fire damage, it heals itself for an amount equal to the damage the attack would have dealt.</p><p></p><p>Toxic Exhalation (standard, recharge <img src="http://www.enworld.org/forum/images/smilies/6.gif" class="smilie" loading="lazy" alt=":6:" title="Six :6:" data-shortname=":6:" /> , recharges when bloodied)</p><p></p><p> <p style="margin-left: 20px">Close Blast: 4, +24 vs Fortitude, 3d10+7 poison damage and ongoing 10 poison damage (save ends)</p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"></p><p>Alignment: Unaligned Languages: -</p><p>Str: 26 (+17) Dex: 7 ( +7) Wis: 8 (+8)</p><p>Con: 24 (+16) Int: 3 (+5) Cha: 3 (+5)</p><p></p><p>But most of this was made up, using their guidelines, and what I thought an Iron Golem should have, based on old 2e stuff. Now, for a more unique creature, I would probably find some kind of beastie that was slightly similar in nature to my idea (ie, in terms of how it fights and approximate level), to give me some ideas on what is considered "fair" in 4e. As I get better at eyeballing things and how the PCs can deal with threats, I will probably not even need to do that.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Doc Eldritch, post: 4295104, member: 68817"] Hmmm, I know exactly what the OP means, but I finally realized something that made it easier for me. Making monsters in 4e is like making them in 2e or old red box DnD. Make them do what you want. The guidelines are just there to help you out, but you decide what they do, and they do that. You pretty much have to completely drop the 3e mindset (this is both good and bad, I think). But monster creation IS a lot faster. For instance, for a thread on RPG.net, I made up an Iron Golem. Took me about 20-25 minutes and that was mostly because I had to double check some things and pull out my old 2e Monstrous Compendium to look at something. Just for reference, I'll include it below. [SIZE=5]Iron Golem[/SIZE] Level 19, Elite Soldier (4800 xp) Initiative: +9 Senses: Perception +9, Darkvision Hit Points: 368 Bloodied: 184 AC: 37 Fortitude: 41 Reflex: 25 Willpower: 26 Immune: Disease, Poison, Sleep, Fire; Vulnerable: Lightning 5 Saving Throw: +2 Speed: 6, can not shift Action Points: 1 Slam (standard, at will) [INDENT]Reach: 2, +26 vs AC, 3d6+8 damage, target is pushed 1 square and dazed (save ends)[/INDENT] Double Slam (standard, at will) [INDENT]The golem makes 2 Slam attacks[/INDENT] Golem Rampage (standard, recharge :5: :6: ) [INDENT]The golem can move up to its Speed +2, and can move through enemy spaces, provoking opportunity attacks as normal. When it enters a creature's space (enemy or ally), it makes a Slam attack against that creature. The creature remains in its space and the golem must leave the space after it attacks. It must end its movement in an unoccupied square.[/INDENT] Fiery Healing (immediate reaction, at will) [INDENT]When the golem is hit by an attack dealing fire damage, it heals itself for an amount equal to the damage the attack would have dealt.[/INDENT] Toxic Exhalation (standard, recharge :6: , recharges when bloodied) [INDENT]Close Blast: 4, +24 vs Fortitude, 3d10+7 poison damage and ongoing 10 poison damage (save ends) [/INDENT] Alignment: Unaligned Languages: - Str: 26 (+17) Dex: 7 ( +7) Wis: 8 (+8) Con: 24 (+16) Int: 3 (+5) Cha: 3 (+5) But most of this was made up, using their guidelines, and what I thought an Iron Golem should have, based on old 2e stuff. Now, for a more unique creature, I would probably find some kind of beastie that was slightly similar in nature to my idea (ie, in terms of how it fights and approximate level), to give me some ideas on what is considered "fair" in 4e. As I get better at eyeballing things and how the PCs can deal with threats, I will probably not even need to do that. [/QUOTE]
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