FireLance
Legend
I was looking through the monsters listed in the DM's book in the Essentials Red Box and noticed that some of them had differences from the pre-Essentials versions of similar monsters which might hint at changes in monster design philosophy.
For example:
1. Hobgoblin Battle Guard
Its share shield ability grants an adjacent ally a +2 bonus to AC and Reflex as an immediate interrupt, as compared to the Hobgoblin Soldier's phalanx soldier that grants itself a +2 bonus to AC while it is adjacent to an ally. This seems to me to be an anti-grind measure since the Hobgoblin Battle Guard can't increase his own AC, and two adjacent Hobgoblin Battle Guards can only increase each others' AC only once per round.
2. Orcs
Instead of warrior's surge, which restores hit points, all the orcs in the book have savage demise, an encounter ability which allows them to take a standard action as an immediate interrupt when reduced to 0 hit points. This also seems to be an anti-grind measure. In addition, it allows an orc who realizes it is going to be killed by an archer to charge at the archer and possibly kill him first, which somehow amuses me greatly.
3. Grasping Zombie
A regular zombie doesn't get much of an advantage for grabbing an opponent. A Grasping Zombie deals +5 damage against a grabbed opponent. I approve. If you want monsters to use iconic tactics, give them a good reason to use them.
4. Kobold Quickblade
In a similar vein, the Kobold Quickblade can shift one square as a minor action, three squares as a move action, and deals +2 damage for every square it shifts on its turn before it makes its attack. This is a monster that wants to literally run circles around you.
5. Oozes
Here's one for the simulationist side: the last sentence of the Ooze trait for both the Gelatinous Cube and the Green Slime reads, "The cube/slime cannot be knocked prone."
Thoughts?
For example:
1. Hobgoblin Battle Guard
Its share shield ability grants an adjacent ally a +2 bonus to AC and Reflex as an immediate interrupt, as compared to the Hobgoblin Soldier's phalanx soldier that grants itself a +2 bonus to AC while it is adjacent to an ally. This seems to me to be an anti-grind measure since the Hobgoblin Battle Guard can't increase his own AC, and two adjacent Hobgoblin Battle Guards can only increase each others' AC only once per round.
2. Orcs
Instead of warrior's surge, which restores hit points, all the orcs in the book have savage demise, an encounter ability which allows them to take a standard action as an immediate interrupt when reduced to 0 hit points. This also seems to be an anti-grind measure. In addition, it allows an orc who realizes it is going to be killed by an archer to charge at the archer and possibly kill him first, which somehow amuses me greatly.
3. Grasping Zombie
A regular zombie doesn't get much of an advantage for grabbing an opponent. A Grasping Zombie deals +5 damage against a grabbed opponent. I approve. If you want monsters to use iconic tactics, give them a good reason to use them.
4. Kobold Quickblade
In a similar vein, the Kobold Quickblade can shift one square as a minor action, three squares as a move action, and deals +2 damage for every square it shifts on its turn before it makes its attack. This is a monster that wants to literally run circles around you.
5. Oozes
Here's one for the simulationist side: the last sentence of the Ooze trait for both the Gelatinous Cube and the Green Slime reads, "The cube/slime cannot be knocked prone."
Thoughts?