Need help with monster design (Ray Silver, Do Not Read!)

[Emperor Valerian]

Ok... I'm new to DMing (the upcoming game is my second), and my plan is to have my players start coming across vermin and creatures touched by the "plane of ice" (I don't know if such a thing exists in D&D?). Where can I find a template for my monsters and bad guys for such a creature?

Obviously each would be resistant to cold, but how much additional cold damage would they do from biting or clawing? How would their strength, HP, CR, etc. be affected?

I'm hoping to have the party run into the first batch ( a few icy hobgoblins and small monstrous spiders) in two days. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

 

[CRGreathouse]

The Manual of the Planes (which was an excellent book, by the way) has a "cold element creature" template, which looks perfect for your needs. Out of concern for copyright as well as laziness, I won't type it up, but they deal extra cold damage based on HD (from no extra damage at 1 HD to +1d8 at 12+ HD).

3-7 HD creatures get +1 CR. Above that they get +2; below, +0.

 

[Camarath]

Try using the Cold Element Creaures Template form Manuel of the Planes. It normally works on aberration, animal, beast, magical beast, plant, and vermin type creatures but you could use it on anything you want. The creature's type becomes Elemental (cold) and the CR inceases +0 if 2 or less HD, +1 for 3 to 7 HD and +2 for 8 or more HD. The creatures gain NA +3, Chill (additional cold damage that scales with HD), Cold subtype, Icewalking, and at higher HD DR.

 

[Emperor Valerian]

Thanks alot. I'll start my search for the book immediately.