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Message: <blockquote data-quote="KarinsDad" data-source="post: 4270162" data-attributes="member: 2011">Actually, minion battles will often result in more damage shy of some special PC ability to take out multiple minions in a single round.As an example, a first level Goblin Minion has AC 16, +5 to hit, and does 4 points of damage. 4 of them do a lot more damage per round than a first level Goblin Lurker (AC 16, +5 to hit, D6+2 damage) or a first level Goblin Skirmisher (AC 17, +6 to hit, D8+2 damage), even though these are consider equivalent encounters based on XP.As an example, with a 40% chance to hit for the Minion, they average 1.6 points per round (each, including criticals which do not increase the damage), the Lurker averages 2.325 damage, and the Skirmisher averages 3.1 points of damage.So if there are 4 minions, they will average 6.4 of damage on the first round (assuming they win initiative) whereas the other two average less damage. In a 1 PC vs. either 4 minions or 1 non-minion, the 4 minions will probably average about 30% to 40% more damage overall. Regardless of how quickly the PC can get rid of a given goblin foe, the damage ratio (this is a ratio, not a total of real damage) would be 6.4 + 4.8 + 3.2 + 1.6 vs. 2.325 + 2.325 + 2.325 + 2.325  or 3.1 + 3.1 + 3.1 + 3.1, or 16 vs. 9.3 vs. 12.4.This is extremely rough estimating of these ratios with minions falling by the wayside quicker than non-minions, but basically valid (of course the skirmisher will take slightly longer to dispose of). And, there will be a lot of factors here, but the bottom line is that it will often take about the same amount of time to dispose of 4 minions as it does 1 non-minion, but there are typically 2 to 3 times as many overall attacks by the 4 minions for 50% to 65% of the damage of a single non-minion.The counter for this increase in monster damage by minions over same XP non-minions is to have PCs kill multiple minions with a single power such as the Fighter's Cleave power.</blockquote>

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