NPC made on character generator
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DracoSuave
First Post
The problem with such a character is that he'll have the hps of a normal monster but the offenses of an elite. There's many reasons why they suggest -not- stating out an NPC like a player. One of which is the offense/defense schism. The other involves how the amount of work you put in < the amount of time you get out of it.
D&D4e was not designed around PvP combat.
D&D4e was not designed around PvP combat.
DracoSuave
First Post
Yes, but it doesn't help you create a monster with both elite-sized offense and elite-sized defense. You'll be making an army of paper tanks that way.
I'm not saying you -can't- but there's something said for having monsters be appropriately challenging across the board of offense AND defense.
I'm not saying you -can't- but there's something said for having monsters be appropriately challenging across the board of offense AND defense.
James McMurray
First Post
He's a normal monster. The DMG touches on this in the NPC section, and since he isn't getting the boosts for being an NPC, nor (presumably) any action points for being elite or solo, he's just a regular schmoe.
I made five of these for my epic campaign and they turned out pretty well. They didn't have elite hit points, so never got to use all of their spiffy powers, but still made for an interesting combat. Just be careful not to over or underpower them and you should be fine. For instance, I went overboard on giving the enemies a way to incapacitate people, and it made the fight drag out.
I made five of these for my epic campaign and they turned out pretty well. They didn't have elite hit points, so never got to use all of their spiffy powers, but still made for an interesting combat. Just be careful not to over or underpower them and you should be fine. For instance, I went overboard on giving the enemies a way to incapacitate people, and it made the fight drag out.
James McMurray
First Post
Brief follow-up to DracoSuave's point: he's absolutely right. You have to make sure they're got defenses as well as offence. Fortunately many classes have defensive abilities such as interrupts to avoid attacks or ways to heal themselves.
Gruns
Explorer
Just change the names...
I've used a plethora of different creatures just by changing the names of things in the Monster Manual and slightly adjusting the effects of certain things. (Damage types, for example).
In a current adventure I'm running, the PCs (lvl 8) are to be confronted by some elves. Instead of trying to bump up the elves 6 levels, or making some from scratch, I just used the Eladrins in the MM and called them Elves. Swap out Fey Step for Elven Accuracy, give the Fey Knights a Longbow ranged attack, remove the Incanter's Spear attack, and be done with it.
I needed a giant octopus for an underwater encounter, and a Grell worked just fine. Just removed the Poison keywords, and Blindsight. Change the Fly speed to Swim speed, and added a simple Encounter Power(Close Burst 1) that provides total concelament until the end of the Octopuss' next turn, and called it Ink Cloud.
Basically, I've found there are enough monsters of assorted types in the MM that it's much easier to tweak some things than to try to create from scratch. Just use the same role(skirmisher, brute etc) from around the same level and the only changes you need to make are for flavor purposes.
Later
Gruns
Sure, but using Character Generator is faster then using DMG guidelines for NPCs...
I've used a plethora of different creatures just by changing the names of things in the Monster Manual and slightly adjusting the effects of certain things. (Damage types, for example).
In a current adventure I'm running, the PCs (lvl 8) are to be confronted by some elves. Instead of trying to bump up the elves 6 levels, or making some from scratch, I just used the Eladrins in the MM and called them Elves. Swap out Fey Step for Elven Accuracy, give the Fey Knights a Longbow ranged attack, remove the Incanter's Spear attack, and be done with it.
I needed a giant octopus for an underwater encounter, and a Grell worked just fine. Just removed the Poison keywords, and Blindsight. Change the Fly speed to Swim speed, and added a simple Encounter Power(Close Burst 1) that provides total concelament until the end of the Octopuss' next turn, and called it Ink Cloud.
Basically, I've found there are enough monsters of assorted types in the MM that it's much easier to tweak some things than to try to create from scratch. Just use the same role(skirmisher, brute etc) from around the same level and the only changes you need to make are for flavor purposes.
Later
Gruns
DracoSuave
First Post
Well, as an example I ran an encounter recently with two elites and a normal. The elites were a warlord and a barbarian, and the normal was... well, just a normal monster. The barbarian had 120 hps, the warlord 100, and the elite around 30-40.
The party -destroyed- these elites rather quickly. I don't know what other people are doing, but it doesn't take a lot for a level 4 party (for example) to deplete a monster of 100hps. If had given these guys PC hps, they'd have had approximately 40 hps a piece or so and wouldn't have survived long enough to warrant the 1 at will, 1 encounter, 1 daily that I gave them.
PC defenses aren't easily mirrored by Monster defenses in the same way as other editions have.
In fact, -normal- monsters tend to have more hps than equivalent level PCs. Using PC rules to make normal monsters still leads to glass cannons.
The party -destroyed- these elites rather quickly. I don't know what other people are doing, but it doesn't take a lot for a level 4 party (for example) to deplete a monster of 100hps. If had given these guys PC hps, they'd have had approximately 40 hps a piece or so and wouldn't have survived long enough to warrant the 1 at will, 1 encounter, 1 daily that I gave them.
PC defenses aren't easily mirrored by Monster defenses in the same way as other editions have.
In fact, -normal- monsters tend to have more hps than equivalent level PCs. Using PC rules to make normal monsters still leads to glass cannons.
James McMurray
First Post
But there would also have been 4 of them instead of 2.
Props to you for working with what we have on hand, even just taking a couple level 8 skirmishers and mixing up their abilities, taking the stats of one, the at wills of another and the encounter of a third, come up with some new names and voila, brand new monster.
I don't think making a new monster has ever really been much easier than it is now. As a DM the tools given and the "balance" of the game seem to work out in your favor for being able to run a game so much easier than 3.5.. though I retain the right to change my tune when 4 years worth of books/options are around =)
