Monster Design--from a designer's standpoint

[Saishu_Heiki]

Fitz: care to share those monsters?

I am becoming very interested in the different monsters that people are coming up with. I am getting a good mix of creatures and styles. And, as I said earlier, I am looking forward to "filing off the serial numbers" of monsters to make new and spontaneous monsters... and the more I get, the better that will be.

 

[Incenjucar]

So, I wonder how long until someone starts making up some random monster ability charts.

So many crazy combos possible.

 

[Saishu_Heiki]

Incenjucar, you asked for it...

It is really limited right now, but can lead to some bizarre combinations.

Monster Type:
1-5 Humanoid
6-10 Abberation
11-15 Undead
16-20 Devil / Demon

Monster Tactics:
1-10 None
11-15 Pack Tactics
16-20 Mob Attack

Monster Attcks (melee):
1-5 Basic Attack vs AC
6-10 Shift attack (Basic attack vs AC and shift one square)
11-15 Brutal strike (Basic Attack vs AC, plus target is stunned)
16-20 Overpowering strike (Basic attack vs AC, plus target is knocked prone)

Monster Attacks (magic):
1-5 Energy spike (Basic attack vs Ref of any energy type)
6-10 Energy blast (Basic attack vs Ref of any energy type, plus 5 ongoing)
11-15 Reflecting surge (Basic attack vs Ref of any energy type, plus secondary attack on a different target)
16-20 Enervating bolt (Basic attack vs Will, plus target is stunned)

Monster Aura:
1-10 None
11-15 Incite Ally (allies in range get +2 Attack, Damage)
16-20 Weaken Opponent (Enemies in range get -2 Attack)

Special abilties:
1-5 Shifty
6-10 Regneration
11-15 Battle Fury
16-20 Massive Damage

 

[Wiman]

My shot at a Flind

Here's a shot at designing a functional Flind.

Flind
Level 8 Soldier (Leader)
Initiative +6
Senses +7, low light vision

HP 90 Bloodied 45
Speed 8
AC 22 Fortitude 21 Reflex 18 Will 18

m Flind Bar (standard, at will) Weapon
+13 vs. AC D6+5 damage, D6+7 when bloodied see also "entangle" and "bar flurry" below

Blood of Yeenoghu:
"In the pressence of gnolls the Flinds must ever be vigilant"
When with in 5 squares of gnolls the flind gets a +2 bonus to attack and damage. This is due to an obligation to protect the children of Yeenoghu from harm as well as divine protection when combating the same who have lost the way.

Pack Attack:
Flinds deal an extra 5 damage on melee and ranged attacks against an enemy that has two or more of the Flind's allies adjacent to it.

Defender of the Pack: Recharge 6 (Reaction)
"The Flind must act as the hide as the rest of the pack acts as the claws"
If an adjacent ally is in a bloodied condition and is hit by an attack the Flind may immediately react and place themselves in harms way taking the hit and damage accordingly - if the adjacent bloodied ally is a gnoll Yeenoghu looks on with favor on the blood sacrifice and grants the ally healing equal to the damage suffered by the Flind. If the ally is not a gnoll, the Flind takes an additional 2 damage from Yeenoghu disfavor and the ally gets a +2 morale bonus to AC until the end of it's next turn.

Entangle: Recharge 4,5,6 (Weapon - Flindbar) Change to Encounter, or Recharge 5,6 or Recharge 6 as per preference.
"Drawing upon years of combat experience the Flind entangles an opponents weapon"
Upon a sucessful hit with the flind bar the Flind may either use this ability or Bar Flurry below if they are powered but not both.
+13 vs. Reflex Opponents attacks are at a -4 to attack as the weapon becomes entangled in chains, upon the opponents save phase during it's next turn sucess frees its weapon from the chain, failure leads to disarm and the weapon entering the possesion of the Flind. (The Flind must use a minor action to untangle a entangled weapon before this action or Bar Flurry is used again regardless of powered or not powered status.)

Bar Flurry: Recharge 4,5,6 (Weapon - Flindbar) Change to Encounter, or Recharge 5,6 or Recharge 6 as per preference.
"The Flind uses it's skill with the Bar to add leverage to its follow up strike"
Upon a sucessful hit with the flind bar the Flind may either use this ability or Entangle above if they are powered but not both.
+13 vs. AC 2D6+5 damage, 2D6+7 while bloodied and the Opponent is dazed by the fury of the blow (save ends)

Alignment: Lawful Evil
Languages: Abyssal, Common

STR 20 (+9) DEX 16 (+7) WIS 14 (+6) CON 16 (+7) INT 13 (+5) CHA 16 (+7)

Equipment: Chain Mail Armor, Flind Bar.

My math will be totally off by the time the official rules come out I know, hope this will help out other gnoll fanatics out there. Any criticism is more then welcome (I know the Flindbar recharging on any role of the D6 will be frowned upon). Someone please make up some Flail Snails - 4e certainly seems like the edition of the Flails.

<Edit> Changed some wording and made use of some good advice.
<Edit> The Powers in the Blue would belong to a Commander varient, the Powers in standard text would belong to a Soldier varient, Changed armor to a heavier chain mail to encompass the soldier/commander aspect compared to my first try as a skirmisher. See below on Lizard's comments for good alternative (less badly worded and more 4e) versions of Entangle.

 

[keterys]

The 1/3/5, 2/4/6 thing is a little odd - you roll to recharge each ability, so just make it 4 5 6. Also... you're making the monster abilities really verbose, like a character's. I mean, I like flavor text and that's cool, but may as well stick to the script a little

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

The 1/3/5, 2/4/6 thing is a little odd - you roll to recharge each ability, so just make it 4 5 6. Also... you're making the monster abilities really verbose, like a character's. I mean, I like flavor text and that's cool, but may as well stick to the script a little

I think his idea is to have only recharge roll per round. I am not sure if that's the designer intention (Hey - Even with the new system, we can be nitpicky and demand doing things by the book ) with the original recharge mechanic, but it's an interesting idea. Though I think it can be overdone - if always one encounter power recharges, you seem to create an effect of randomly rolling the monsters next action, assuming that each power is useable each round. I think that's the real substantial critic to such a recharge approach.

 

[Kunimatyu]

What keterys said.

Also, you've got defensive abilities on a Skirmisher...sounds more like a Soldier to me.

I also disagree a bit with the idea of a powerful gnoll taking a hit for a weaker gnoll; that doesn't seem to match the race's character at all.

 

[Wiman]

All points well taken gentlemen (lady's?).

I'll edit the recharge to 4,5,6 as I was in the mindset that one roll was used for all abilities.
Soldier is also completely correct over skirmisher - however the Defender of the Pack ability will stay (on my version anyway) as Flind's IMHO don't follow a gnoll mindset as closely....the only thing I can think to describe it is the difference between a half orc and an orc in behavior. The Flind was described as a "noble" gnoll to me once with higher ideals yet the same cruelty....they are also Lawful Evil in the original Fiend Folio write up - I'll change alignment here to come to that conclusion.

Thanks all, keep it coming.

Wiman

 

[keterys]

If my DM at DDXP was wrong and it is one roll... actually, I'd suggest making it 1-3, 4-6 if you want to keep it that way.

 

[BASHMAN]

I also dont think there should be herds of these things. So Scott and I statted it up as a Solo Brute!!! He he he. Its nasty.

What no herd of Catoblepi minions able to perform a stampede as an encounter power?