Question on downgrading a standard monster to a minion?

[MrBeens]

If you use mine, make sure there's a second attack that does more damage vs. immobilized enemies. That's part of the fun of ghouls and the reason I always pair them with grabby zombies. Ghouls freeze you, then they rip into you to start eating you.

Yeah minions work really well when they synergise with other monsters in the encounter, setting up combo attacks or increasing the power of the normal monsters.

 

[wedgeski]

DMG2 has a section on what kind of abilities a minion should have. "Save Ends" and in general attacks which require any book-keeping are frowned upon, and usually an ability that would be an Encounter-level power for a non-minion, or anything that requires a recharge, should be avoided.

 

[NewJeffCT]

DMG2 has a section on what kind of abilities a minion should have. "Save Ends" and in general attacks which require any book-keeping are frowned upon, and usually an ability that would be an Encounter-level power for a non-minion, or anything that requires a recharge, should be avoided.

Thanks for that - I'll check into the DMG2 when I get home tonight.

Would changing 'save ends' to 'until the end of the ghoul minion's next turn' be an acceptable change?

 

[Nullzone]

Give the wight minions a touch/grab attack; deals damage and lowers all defenses by 1 for each wight grabbing the player, standard grab rules apply.

 

[wedgeski]

Would changing 'save ends' to 'until the end of the ghoul minion's next turn' be an acceptable change?

I personally would reserve such an effect for a non-minion, but for reasons which are mostly to do with how I use minions myself, i.e. in large quantities and with lower than by-the-book XP. When I use minions they tend to swarm across the whole battle-mat (great fun), so I'd do something like make their grabbing/paralysis a movement-impairing or healing-impairing aura.

 

[NewJeffCT]

I personally would reserve such an effect for a non-minion, but for reasons which are mostly to do with how I use minions myself, i.e. in large quantities and with lower than by-the-book XP. When I use minions they tend to swarm across the whole battle-mat (great fun), so I'd do something like make their grabbing/paralysis a movement-impairing or healing-impairing aura.

In another thread of mine, Quickleaf had mentioned Hanged Ones as undead monsters - minions that immobilize a foe if at least 3 of the Hanged Ones are within X number of squares of the foe. (forgot the exact number of X, but it may be 5)

 

[Mengu]

Here is how I would go about it...

[sblock]
Wight Minion
Medium natural humanoid (undead)
Level 5 Minion
XP 50
Initiative +7 Senses Perception +0; darkvision
HP 1; a missed attack never damages a minion.
AC 19; Fortitude 18, Reflex 17, Will 16
Immune disease, poison; Resist 10 necrotic;
Speed 7
Traits
Necrotic dispersal
When a wight minion is destroyed, adjacent creatures take 3 necrotic damage
Standard Actions
m Claw (standard, at-will) Necrotic
Attack: Melee 1 (one creature); +10 vs. AC
Hit: 7 necrotic damage, the wight shifts 1 square.
Alignment Evil Languages Common
Skills Stealth +10
Str 18 (+6) Dex 16 (+5) Wis 6 (0)
Con 14 (+4) Int 10 (+2) Cha 15 (+4)


Ghoul
Medium natural humanoid (undead)
Level 5 Minion
XP 50
HP 1; a missed attack never damages a minion. Initiative +8
AC 19, Fortitude 17, Reflex 19, Will 16 Perception+2
Speed 8, climb 4 Darkvision
Immune disease, poison; Resist 10 necrotic
Traits
Paralytic Stench * aura 1
Enemies who start their turn in the aura are slowed until the end of their turn.
Standard Actions
m Claws At-Will
Attack: Melee 1 (one creature); +10 vs. AC
Hit: 8 damage.
Skills Stealth +11
Str 14 (+4) Dex 19 (+6) Wis 11 (+2)
Con 15 (+4) Int 10 (+2) Cha 12 (+3)
Alignment chaotic evil Languages Common
[/sblock]

Makes them simple to run as minions should be, yet with just a touch of the right flavor.

 

[aco175]

There is a Lich Claw minion, +/- lev14, that immobilize when 3 are next to you when you start your turn.

I have taken monsters and turned them into minions, but I added several levels before making it a minion. I find it adds a bit of realism when a fire beetle at first level is still around at level 8, if only as a minion and not completely vanished from the world.