Monster Design--from a designer's standpoint

[Saishu_Heiki]

I love it!

And I am really liking how it simplifies the ability of the DM to run the monsters. The Bonesnapper makes a ton of sense, and the abilities describe exactly how to use them. The ability for the monster to be completely self-contained in its statblock (as opposed to needing to check feats, spells, SLAs, etc.) is the greatest change I have seen for 4e.

I am 100% buying your book as soon as it is released. Any other treats... please?

 

[FitzTheRuke]

I LOVE the look of that beastie up there.

As a retailer and a player, I look forward to your book.

Having just run the pregens through a battle with that black dragon, (they won, but it was a close call, and MAN did I have fun!)


During the lead up to the dragon, I made up a spellcasting skelletal controller on the FLY, and no one was the wiser. It was awesome. It conjured up a screaming ghost-thing that flew around the room doing necrotic damage.

Oh yeah, I made up a skeletal monster brute that knocked the paladin prone and started chewing on him too... that was on the fly too... wow monster design is easy and fun!

Fitz

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Gone are those cheesy voices in my head from 3E that limit everything to replicating spell effects. In 3E the concept was there couldnt be a power that PCs couldnt have access to--its not fair! they cried. That is a bunch of BS in my view. I am so glad to see a rule set go away from that.

Hear, hear.

 

[Stalker0]

This is the sort of thing we are working on. Note that it has our comments and notes for later revision when we get the rules.

Even this old Fiend Folio creature is now way more fun then it has ever been in any prior edition.

Bonesnapper Level 4 Brute (really a brute?)
Medium aberrant beast (type??) XP 175
Initiative +3 Senses Perception +2, darkvision(?)
HP 64; Bloodied 32

Might want to bump those HP a little. Its going to be in melee, and its AC isn't that high.

 

[keterys]

Yeah, I've been loving the 4e style of monster design for months now... few minutes each night, and poof, monster. Up over 140 now, though I'll admit I'd shelve a bunch as random silliness

Monsters!

 

[frankthedm]

Bonesnapper Level 4 Brute (really a brute?)

+9 vs. AC; 1d10 + 4 damage (crit: 1d10 + 16);

Uhm, is that really how 4E crits work? If has a crit based damage d10 die, is it not (crit: 14 +1d10)?

 

[fnwc]

Bonesnapper Level 4 Brute (really a brute?)

+9 vs. AC; 1d10 + 4 damage (crit: 1d10 + 16);

Uhm, is that really how 4E crits work? If has a crit based damage d10 die, is it not (crit: 14 +1d10)?

Unless the crit does an additional 1d10+16, which would be exceedingly nasty.

 

[RodneyThompson]

Gooooooood, gooooooooood.

You want this, don't you?

 

[keterys]

Nah, just looks like the math is off by 2 there. But, really, I doubt they're at the 'verifying the math' stage of this, nor should they be without rules.

 

[Li Shenron]

It certainly seems much easier to design new monsters in 4e than in 3e.

Do they use the same progression by level for attacks, saves and skill bonuses as characters? That would seem the easiest way to make sure the monster has the level you want it to have.

How do you instead calculate how many XP it is worth?