Reducing "grind" with monster design

[Quickleaf]

I've made some time-saving changes to monsters IMC and wanted to share for feedback and, uh, because "sharing is caring." These aren't intended to radically speed up combats - I posted elsewhere that I believe in a "copper buckshot" approach to reducing grind (that is the sum of changes can substantially reduce combat time) - just to address some trouble spots.

I've gotten rid of (1) monster healing, (2) insubstantial, (3) weakened, and (4) stunned in monster design. Instead I've created replacements to capture the same feel.

Monster Healing
The idea here is to buy the monster more time to do cool stuff.

Shake off conditions: This can get the desired effect of allowing a monster a chance to act when it otherwise wouldn't be able to.
Immediate attack: If the monster is particularly aggressive, like an Orc, you might grant it a charge attack when bloodied.
Recharge power: Alternately the monster might recharge one or more encounter powers when it is bloodied or takes damage. This approach is good for elite like vampires which already has a stack of HP.

Insubstantial
Swapping out insubstantial takes a good feel for the particular monster and what its brand of insubstantiality is supposed to represent. You may want to give the monster standard HP when swapping out insubstantial.

Damage threshold trigger: The idea here is that if an attack does less than X damage (I like prefer 1/5 HP total), then the monster benefits from a triggered power. For example with specters I have the removed from play until the start of their next turn if they take damage below the threshold.
Missed attack targets ally: When an attack misses the monster it is re-rolled against an ally adjacent to monster or attacker (melee), against an enemy that would be roughly in line of fire if attack continued thru monster (ranged), or who is within burst/blast. This models attacks passing thru a ghost.
Ethereal deflection: The attacker and their weapon/implement becomes ethereal when they hit, such that they can't be targeted by non-ethereal allies' powers and their attacks can only hit ethereal creatures. Probably a save ends or until end of next turn effect. Best if combined with some non-insubstantial monsters.

Weakened
Good flavor with boring mechanics that definitely increase grind.

De-buff: End all buffs on the PC. I like to combine this with some other effect to give it bite.
Cannot score critical hits: This models a mild weakness, but for it to have real teeth it should last longer than most conditions, perhaps till the monster is killed. In some cases this might work as an aura.
Unable to spend surges: Coincidentally this works nice as an alternative to healing surge damage for wights and such, and it really conveys the sense of being weakened.

Stunned
While the stunned condition certainly makes a fight with a dracolich scary it also makes it terribly boring.

Lose next standard action: Somewhere between a daze and a stun, this effect best models something like dragon fear where the PCs are hesitant about attacking some monstrous power. However they still have the good sense to move, heal, etc.
Interupt to end turn: Either allow the monster to negate one attack per turn (the strong version), or make it an opportunity attack when the monster takes damage from an attack (weaker version). The cool thing about the weaker version is that it represents a savage monster roaring and slashing wildly very well, and can effectively shut down multi-attackers and muck with the PCs' tactics. I like to combine it with a push.
Stunned in a parallel world: Best reserved for boss fights, this acts just like stunned only the PC faces some parallel hazard or puzzle. To escape and return to their body, they need to solve or come up with a countermeasure within a couple rounds. If they do really well I like to gve them a temporary boon. If they can't escape in time, they suffer some nasty fate which has an impact when they "come back."
End all sustained powers & ongoing effects: This works good for magic spells which stun, though it is best combined with other effects above.


That's it, Just some things I've explored in my games. Hope they're helpful!
If you use any of these ideas (or have used something alon these lines already), post to let me know how it went.

 

[Arctic Wolf]

I like these ideas. And I would give you another point, but it has been too soon

 

[Will Doyle]

Some really good ideas here!

"Unable to Use Surges" is an excellent condition that would utterly terrify my players. Hell, I'm going to use that next session.

 

[(Psi)SeveredHead]

I've made some time-saving changes to monsters IMC and wanted to share for feedback and, uh, because "sharing is caring." These aren't intended to radically speed up combats - I posted elsewhere that I believe in a "copper buckshot" approach to reducing grind (that is the sum of changes can substantially reduce combat time) - just to address some trouble spots.

I've gotten rid of (1) monster healing, (2) insubstantial, (3) weakened, and (4) stunned in monster design. Instead I've created replacements to capture the same feel.

Insubstantial
Swapping out insubstantial takes a good feel for the particular monster and what its brand of insubstantiality is supposed to represent. You may want to give the monster standard HP when swapping out insubstantial.

Damage threshold trigger: The idea here is that if an attack does less than X damage (I like prefer 1/5 HP total), then the monster benefits from a triggered power. For example with specters I have the removed from play until the start of their next turn if they take damage below the threshold.
Missed attack targets ally: When an attack misses the monster it is re-rolled against an ally adjacent to monster or attacker (melee), against an enemy that would be roughly in line of fire if attack continued thru monster (ranged), or who is within burst/blast. This models attacks passing thru a ghost.
Ethereal deflection: The attacker and their weapon/implement becomes ethereal when they hit, such that they can't be targeted by non-ethereal allies' powers and their attacks can only hit ethereal creatures. Probably a save ends or until end of next turn effect. Best if combined with some non-insubstantial monsters.

For me, the missed attack targets ally is the best of the lot. Not only does it still allow damage to fly around, but it would cause less damage problems than the damage threshold.

Weakened
Good flavor with boring mechanics that definitely increase grind.

De-buff: End all buffs on the PC. I like to combine this with some other effect to give it bite.
Cannot score critical hits: This models a mild weakness, but for it to have real teeth it should last longer than most conditions, perhaps till the monster is killed. In some cases this might work as an aura.
Unable to spend surges: Coincidentally this works nice as an alternative to healing surge damage for wights and such, and it really conveys the sense of being weakened.

I especially like that last one. If you have a lurker assassin with a weakening poison, this could make it easier to explain why the target is unlikely to survive the attack. (Eg you just lost half your hit points and only fast healing or a long ritual can help you, and the first can't be done yet!)

Stunned
While the stunned condition certainly makes a fight with a dracolich scary it also makes it terribly boring.

Lose next standard action: Somewhere between a daze and a stun, this effect best models something like dragon fear where the PCs are hesitant about attacking some monstrous power. However they still have the good sense to move, heal, etc.
Interupt to end turn: Either allow the monster to negate one attack per turn (the strong version), or make it an opportunity attack when the monster takes damage from an attack (weaker version). The cool thing about the weaker version is that it represents a savage monster roaring and slashing wildly very well, and can effectively shut down multi-attackers and muck with the PCs' tactics. I like to combine it with a push.
Stunned in a parallel world: Best reserved for boss fights, this acts just like stunned only the PC faces some parallel hazard or puzzle. To escape and return to their body, they need to solve or come up with a countermeasure within a couple rounds. If they do really well I like to gve them a temporary boon. If they can't escape in time, they suffer some nasty fate which has an impact when they "come back."
End all sustained powers & ongoing effects: This works good for magic spells which stun, though it is best combined with other effects above.

I especially like the interrupt to end the turn.

Monster Healing
The idea here is to buy the monster more time to do cool stuff.

Shake off conditions: This can get the desired effect of allowing a monster a chance to act when it otherwise wouldn't be able to.
Immediate attack: If the monster is particularly aggressive, like an Orc, you might grant it a charge attack when bloodied.
Recharge power: Alternately the monster might recharge one or more encounter powers when it is bloodied or takes damage. This approach is good for elite like vampires which already has a stack of HP.

I like all of these except removing monster healing. Sounds odd, right?

Very few monsters (beyond MM1 orcs* and warforged, that is) heal. The ones that do usually have a flavor that leans that way. I would expect if I'm fighting mind flayers (brain eating), vampires or clerics of Pelor that the opponents should have some healing ability.

In short, I don't think opponent healing comes up often enough to warrant new rules. Compared to weakened and insubstantial, which have entire "clusters" of monsters devoted to that.

*Which, as you noted, were changed to "Savage Demise", so the orc can, in fact, charge when it dies.

 

[Rechan]

I love the Weakened condition fix. Going in my houserule file.

Insubstantial I'm less pleased with. Mainly because it looks like it would slow things down - there's now a threshold (slightly more complicated than just halving or a resistant). Even though I think 'attacking missed allies" is a very flavorful rule, it's going to add another task-resolution (Roll, resolve) which can eat extra time as people figure out. And the Ethereal deflection is just unnecessary tedium.

I agree with @(Psi)SeveredHead on monster healing.

I like the first two suggestions for Stun. It still lets monsters use minor action attacks, and a move action to get the hell out of dodge. It makes them slightly less of a sitting duck, but still doesn't let them do cool stuff.

 

[Quickleaf]

Some really good ideas here!

"Unable to Use Surges" is an excellent condition that would utterly terrify my players. Hell, I'm going to use that next session.

Credit is due to the MM1 where a rakshasa and one of the undead have this ability. And it's all over MV2.

In short, I don't think opponent healing comes up often enough to warrant new rules. Compared to weakened and insubstantial, which have entire "clusters" of monsters devoted to that.

MM1 had a looong list of monsters with healing ability.
I'll have to look back thru MM2 and MM3 to see how they stack up.

MV shares some of the same healing monsters as MM1 (death knight, vampire, mind flayer, blackroot treant). It does away with Orc healing (yah!) but adds healing for otyugh, two gnolls, and a hill giant shaman.
MV2 has scant monster healing: Gokof the Hobgoblin Necromancer, Fell Court Hellmage, Peryton, Wood Woad Juggernaut, Vampiric Mist - that's it.

The trend in the monster books has been to reduce monsters with access to healing. Maybe you're right it's not such a big deal. I just had bad memories from facing MM1 vampires and battle wights.

Insubstantial I'm less pleased with. Mainly because it looks like it would slow things down - there's now a threshold (slightly more complicated than just halving or a resistant). Even though I think 'attacking missed allies" is a very flavorful rule, it's going to add another task-resolution (Roll, resolve) which can eat extra time as people figure out. And the Ethereal deflection is just unnecessary tedium.

Thanks for the feedback.

I don't know what to say, we used the 'damage threshold' and 'attacking missed allies' to shorten combat time and make combat more interesting compared to how the combat would have gone with insubstantial RAW. On two occasions, once against specters the other against dryad/wraith things.

That last one 'ethereal curse' I haven't had a chance to test yet. With that single exception I have used the rest of these ideas in my games.

 

[Rechan]

To be fair, monsters like vampires should have healing effects. It feels appropriate. The same with monsters that have regeneration (like trolls). When it depends on a certain action (vampires have to use a certain attack, trolls can't take certain damage types) then it's informative. But a monster that can just spend an action or have a triggered effect to get more HP is not good.

I don't know what to say, we used the 'damage threshold' and 'attacking missed allies' to shorten combat time and make combat more interesting compared to how the combat would have gone with insubstantial RAW.

Hm. That's a good point.

The amount of time it takes to implement the new rule will exceed the amount of time taken up by using RAW (resulting in more necessary attacks), making it worth it.

I may be nitpicking.

 

[Quickleaf]

To be fair, monsters like vampires should have healing effects. It feels appropriate. The same with monsters that have regeneration (like trolls). When it depends on a certain action (vampires have to use a certain attack, trolls can't take certain damage types) then it's informative.

See it's the "feel" that I'm after, and i think I can be accomplished with mechanics that don't contribute to dragging out the fight. For example, the BD&D Rules Cyclopedia just gives vampires regeneration and the ability to turn gaseous when reduced to 0 HP. Their energy drain touch was scary because it cost 2 levels.

If the idea is that the vampire heals to buy time to escape, then their energy/blood drain might grant them instant alacrity.
If the idea is that the energy/blood drain establishes a supernatural connection to the victim, a disease track coupled with susceptibility to further energy/blood drain would work great.

Actual HP healing is one method of achieving a energy/blood drain feel. IMO it's not that great because it's all happening on the DM's side. You add some HP then narrate that to the players. There's no sense of increased threat beyond "damn now it's going to take longer to kill this thing before it kills us."

But a monster that can just spend an action or have a triggered effect to get more HP is not good.

Here I absolutely agree with you.

The amount of time it takes to implement the new rule will exceed the amount of time taken up by using RAW (resulting in more necessary attacks), making it worth it.

Here's what I did: Wrote a large circled number on top of the monster stat block. When a player said how much damage they dealt, I glimpsed at this number. Super easy. Less time than RAW because (a) doesnt discriminate based on what type of attack, and (b) no math is involved (even something as basic as halving damage).

But I wouldn't do this with a group of different types of insubstantial monsters with varying damage thresholds. Or with a group of players I'd just met.

I may be nitpicking.

an occupational hazard us gamers share.

 

[(Psi)SeveredHead]

On the vampire theme, if you wanted blood draining to be useful but not heal, you could have blood draining recharge more powerful attacks (as an example).

I'm a little surprised so many MM1 monsters have healing abilities. I'm running Dark Sun, which means most monsters are from the DSCC or custom. (Other than a few named templars, and a halfling druid-type, no NPCs seem to have healing in my campaign.)

 

[Rechan]

Personally I feel monsters can easily die very quickly, so it's nice to have something stay around a little longer.