Playing monsters "smart"

[buzz]

*Deleted*

 

[The_Universe]

begin by reading this:

www.eviloverlord.com

It's a set of guidelines no villain (large or small) should be without.

 

[Storm Raven]

Generally monsters w/ an Int of less than 10 SHOULD be played pretty stupidly. Attacking from ambush is about the only advantage I'd be inclined to allow such a creature.

It doesn't take that much intelligence to employ basic battle tactics. Now, I wouldn't go putting together complicated tactics for dumb monsters (or I might, and have the execute them badly), but they'd be able to do more than just know how to ambush or make a frontal assault.

For "cannon fodder" monsters, I try to come up with a signature combat style for the ones who show up in the campaign. For example, in my current campaign, goblinoids are known for being very disciplined fighters, using ranked warriors armed with polearms and so on. Lizardfolk favor thopeshes and saparas and trip their opponents. That way, when I'm running a gang of goblinoids, I know what tactics to fall back on.

 

[Ozmar]

Rawk, Celebrim!

Goodman Games really needs to do a "Power Gamer's 3.5 Monster Strategy Guide." I'd buy that in a heartbeat.

If Celebrim wrote it, I'd buy it! I want to see this kind of analysis on every monster!

Ozmar the Greedy DM

 

[DMH]

Yeah, get Celebrim and Jonathan Richards to write a massive book, like the Complete Guides and Slayer's Guides, except on every SRD monster (excluding animals).

That would be worth its weight in gold.