Non-Attack Damage for Monsters?

[kaomera]

OK, how do you figure appropriate damage for the abilities of a monster that aren't attacks? An example would be auras - do you consider the aura damage when figuring the damage from the monster's normal attacks? And how much damage is enough / too much (for the aura)?

What about a monster that has a non-attack, damage-dealing power in place of an attack (frex: a standard-action burst / blast / line / etc. that doesn't require an attack roll)? What if said monster doesn't actually have any normal attacks?

 

[Evilhalfling]

The only aura damage I have ever used is 5.
although I have seen level 2 monsters that do 2 damage as aura.
Usually I have a base monster that I am modifying, and I don't increase aura damage past 5. In paragon I have seen 5 aura damage become irrelevant with one mass resistance spell, so it might need a bump at level 10.

Damage from other attacks that don't use rolls? I don't think it has ever come up. I would probably just cut normal damage by 25%. ie (Level +8)*.75

 

[Aegeri]

Standard scaling types of values are 5/10 at heroic, 10/15 at paragon and 15/20 at epic. These aren't hard and fast rules of course, because numerous enemies do different things like the Balor, who gains a 30 fire damage aura when bloodied. In general though, I make typed energy auras/effects more damaging than non typed. So I use the higher values for a fire aura and the lower value for a non-typed aura.

Generally speaking if you're unsure, start looking at monsters of the same type and level. See what sort of damage they are doing and get it into the same ballpark.

 

[the Jester]

I definitely figure things like damaging auras into a monster's average damage (e.g. if average damage is 18 and it has an aura that does 5 damage, I'll make its main attack average 13 points).

 

[S'mon]

I suggest counting aura damage in the appropriate-damage per round calculation (monster level+8 per round) but you should probably knock something off for expected resistances, especially for the most commonly resisted damage types. I'd suggest -5 at Paragon and -10 at Epic; ie don't count the first 5 or 10 points of aura damage in your appropriate-DPR calculation.

BTW I count ongoing damage as one instance of damage equal to the effect, so ongoing 5 points of poison damage counts as 5 points of DPR. Does that seem right? I can see a case for counting it as less than that, especially at Paragon & Epic; certainly apply the -5/-10 Tier modifier for expected resistances.

 

[S'mon]

What about a monster that has a non-attack, damage-dealing power in place of an attack (frex: a standard-action burst / blast / line / etc. that doesn't require an attack roll)? What if said monster doesn't actually have any normal attacks?

For damage that doesn't require an attack; I'd typically count it as standard DPR; I'd knock off 25% for broad-area-effect attacks, or if it was untyped/weapon damage like Rain of Steel. Some cases would justify knocking off 33%, ie every 2 points of such damage count as 3 to get to (monster level+8). In extreme cases of large-area untyped damage no-hit-roll effects as a standard attack I might even knock off 50%, ie count 1 point as 2.