Mooks - a good idea?

[Hussar]

I don't understand the attraction of a fight that poses no challenge to the party. It's like playing chess with a three-year-old, or trying to beat a computer game on "Sandbox-easy" setting with all the cheat modes enabled... dull.

Is there something I'm missing?

I would assume that with the mooks is the guy that is actually the challenge. And, to be fair, handing the party a cakewalk once in a while is immensely satisfying. Certainly not for every fight, but, let's face it, when you are 10th level, being able to obliterate a room full of mooks just feels good.

Realistically, there isn't much difference between using 1 hp and a 1st level warrior with 4 hp. The wizzie isn't going to waste magic missiles on mooks when burning hands or color spray or sleep works so much better.

But, yeah, the idea of mobs of mooks getting plowed through on the way to the BBEG does have its attractions.

 

[Evilhalfling]

yes but a wall of fire facing the mooks kills everyone in the area- not its intent.

as long as you dont stop players from rolling damage. (ie they shouldn't know)
do they also always fail saves? that would make flaming sphere useful..
and charm person too good.

 

[Umbran]

Is there something I'm missing?

Cinematics. That's what you're missing.

Sometimes, it is good to set up something in the game that is more about style than game rules - mooks are not intended to be a challenge. They are intended to set the scene, and help control the flow of action.

The OP seems to be suggesting having only three type - Bosses, sub-bosses, and mooks. There's an occasional game (like Feng Shui) that can work well that way, but I expect that in D&D, mooks would be better as a situational thing - when you need something around the BBEG to slow the PCs down to increase dramatic tension, you toss a horde of mooks in the way. In short, use them when they are dramatically appropriate, not all the time.

 

[Darklone]

I did similar stuff though I always used 5 hp mooks and later level 2-6 NPCs... worked too.

The 5 hp mooks are stylish to kill with alchemist fire or burning hands... add a houserule that anyone hurt with less than 5 hp left has to make a Will save or flee... I don't mind hordes of mooks running away from my PCs while they climb the hills of the fallen mooks who weren't so lucky.

 

[iwatt]

Cinematics. That's what you're missing.

Exactly. When my players run into mooks, you start seeing all types of unconventional tactics going on. Mook tossing is an extremely popular sport, in which my players gamble who can toss a mook farther, or mook bowling, in which they see who can drop more mooks with a single mook toss.

You also get to see more uses of Overrun, trample, chandelier swinging etc..., when PCs aren't forced to take the most optimal tactical choice every round, but can opt for style instead.

 

[Darklone]

That's why I prefer to fight hordes of low level mooks (as mentioned up to level6 for sergeants). I simply love to see the PCs use their last fireball scroll with big effect

 

[RFisher]

When running the Decipher LotR game, I used their mook rule on occasion. They suggested that besides 1-hit mooks, you might also have the occasional 2- or 3-hit mook. It worked fine. A mob of them could still be a bit challenging. But they aren't really as much about challenge as pacing & color.

Considering that the lowest powered monsters in D&D are often effectively 1-hit mooks, I don't see any problem with simplifying them to 1 hp or just 1-hit.

 

[Philotomy Jurament]

I use mooks for some things. They work well for the "conan hacking his way through a horde of lesser warriors" type of thing. I don't make mooks the ONLY part of the fight, though.

 

[mmu1]

If I were to do mooks, I'd probably steal from Star Wars d20, actually - NPC classes get higher BAB, saves and skills as they go up in level, but their HP don't really increase. (I figure I'd probably give them HP equal to their CON, like in SW, or just max HP at 1st level and +1 per every level afterwards, or something) That means they're actually able to land a blow on the heroes, but go down like flies.

Though how exactly you handle enemies that drop from one hit isn't especially important - what I am curious about is what you mean when you say you'll only have mooks, mini-bosses and bosses? Does that mean you intend to have - in most encounters - a horde of mooks, and a single fully-statted "boss" NPC? What about encounters between the party and a group of fully-statted NPCs? Or several non-mook monsters?
Basically, handling hordes of mooks and single "boss" NPCs is what the D&D system is worst at - the "sweet spot", as far as solid encounters go, is using multiple enemies somewhat less powerful than the individual PCs, or two or three enemies about as or a little more powerful than an individual PC.

 

[Falkus]

Spycraft 2.0 has a great rule system. Instead of hitpoints, minions and other umimportant NPCs simply have damage save bonuses, and they have to make a roll against a target number based on the damage they take when hit, or they go down.