Monsters And Magic Items (KotS SPOILERS)

[functionciccio]

FOREWORD 1: English is not my language. Forgive the errors I'm surely going to make.

FOREWORD 2: Right now I'm probably the only one without the books (paper ones or pdf ones), and so far my knowledge of the 4E rules is based only on the "4e_PrRC_v2_7.pdf" document available here and/or the previews on WoTC site.
I do not own KoTS either (yet), and my knowledge of the module is based (again) on the info spilled by some folks on these boards (including the full stat blocks of monsters/NPCs and the list of magic items you can find in the adventure).

FOREWORD 3: Warning, *KotS SPOILERS*.

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Now, my question is: how does the whole stuff about "adding equipment to monsters" work exactly?
Since I want my monsters to use their loot (when possible, of course), this is a very important issue for me.

Seems that lots of people on this board have already mastered the rules pretty well. I hope that someone is willing to help me out.

To make this issue less abstract, I wanna use an example.
I know that one of the magical items in the adventure is a +1 Vicious Longsword. Suppose that instead of a Longsword it's a Battleaxe. Now, I wanna give this axe to Irontooth. What happens?

Since Irontooth is a Level 3 Elite Brute, its magic threshold is +0 (4e_PrRC_v2_7, pag. 74). Thus, the +1 bonus of the battleaxe will apply normally to attack and damage, changing the attack to "+9 vs. AC; 1d8+5 damage" (instead of +8 vs. AC; 1d8+4 damage).
Correct?

Now, looking at the table regarding the increase or decrease of levels (4e_PrRC_v2_7, pag. 74), an attack adjustment of +1 corresponds to a +1 Level adjustment. But a damage adjustment of +1 corresponds to a +2 Level adjustment.
Which one I have to use? the +1 Level adjustment or the +2 Level adjustment?

Lets say I'm going with the +1 Level adjustment. To complete the "level up", I should give Iroontooth +10 HP and +1 to his defenses.
Correct?

Irontooth is now a Level 4 Elite Brute. Looking at the table of the XP Rewards (4e_PrRC_v2_7, pag. 71) is now worth 350 xp (instead of 300 xp).

But suppose that I'm already happy with Irontooth's HP and defenses and I don't want to increase them.
Is the +1 increase to attack and damage sufficient to justify a +1 Level increase (and thus an xp increase)?

Or I can say, hey, since now I "have" to increase his defences, I can give him the +1 chain mail...

Moreover, the Vicious weapon gives Irontooth an extra +1D12 damage on critical hits (4e_PrRC_v2_7, pag. 58).
How is this thing factored (or can be factored) in the whole Level adjustment/XP issue?

I understand that "tuning" monsters/NPCs is now more an art than a mathematical exercise, and I'm ok with it.
That's why I'm really curious to know how you, fine folks, are going to approach this issue.

Please be free to elaborate and to add your own examples/takes/conjectures/corrections.
The more, the better.

Thank you.

 

[Blackeagle]

I think you're overcomplicating this a bit. Unlike 3e, monster design in 4e essentially starts with deciding what it's final stats will be. You don't have to figure out exactly how a monster got a particular attack bonus.

So if you want Irontooth to have a +1 battleaxe, just keep his stats the same and say he's using a battleaxe. When (if) the player's beat him and loot his corpse, they find the battleaxe is magical. It doesn't matter if he got the +8 to his attack roll from his natural abilities, or if +7 is from the natural abilities and +1 is from the battleaxe. If the magic weapon has any really unique special abilities you could also give those to the monster. I'd definitely do this with, say, flaming, since the players would wonder why the monster didn't use the flaming ability when they fought it. With vicious I don't know if I would bother.

While the above is general advice, I'd be especially reluctant to do anything to enhance Irontooth's combat capabilities. This encounter is a TPK machine as it is.

 

[Nail]

While the above is general advice, I'd be especially reluctant to do anything to enhance Irontooth's combat capabilities. This encounter is a TPK machine as it is.

QFT.

Don't make Irontooth better. As presented he will chew through several PCs. No need to make him worse.