Rules for creating Minions

[catsclaw227]

I am looking through the MM and the DMG and I can't find anywhere a reference about creating minions. What are their general defences, to hit, special abilities, damage per hit, etc.

Lots of good stuff about making other monster types or modifying an existing monster, but nothing about general minions.

For example, I need some minion dopplegangers and minion drow.

 

[Sitara]

Tkae the doppleganger in the MM.

Give him 1 hp.

You have your minion.

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

Tkae the doppleganger in the MM.

Give him 1 hp.

You have your minion.

At least one crucial step is missing: Minimize damage (eg, tread all rolled dice as if you had rolled a 1.)

 

[ObsidianCrane]

Minions have 1HP and do not die on a miss.
They do static damage; if lvl < 10 dmg = 1/3(lvl)+3 else dmg = 1/3(lvl)+2 (round down as always).
(eg level 12 does 12/3+2 = 6 damage, the same as level 9)

They have no healing powers of their own.
They generally have -1 to all defenses.
They only have Basic Attacks.

Otherwise they appear to be the same as any other creature of their type.

 

[Eyada]

I've been looking into it, and here's what I've come up with:

-----------------------
Steps required to make a Minion out of a particular monster:

-Reduce monster's HP to 1.
-Set damage for attack equal to the minimum damage it can possibly deal. (i.e., as if all damage rolls were 1's.).

So, a Doppleganger Assassin (Level 8 Lurker) Minion would be:
HP: 1
Attack: Dagger +13 vs AC; Damage 6.
-----------------------
-----------------------

Steps required to make a new Minion from scratch without any base monster:

-Set HP to 1.
-Generate the new creature using the rules on pg.184-185 of the DMG. The new creature should have AC, defenses, attack bonuses, etc, appropriate to its level.
-Set damage by using the "Damage By Level: Normal Damage Expressions" chart on pg.185 of the DMG. Use the "Low" column and replace all "die expressions" (eg, 1d6, 2d6, 1d10, etc, etc) with a 1.


So, an ENWorld Poster (Level 21 Lurker) Minion would be:
HP: 1
Attack: Flame and Troll +26 vs AC (Or +24 vs Will, depending); Damage 8.
-----------------------

Reality-checking that against most of the Minions in the Monster Manual yielded good results. Those methods should produce balanced, playable Minions.

 

[ObsidianCrane]

Thanks Eyada you sorted the issue I was having with damage

 

[MortalPlague]

So, an ENWorld Poster (Level 21 Lurker) Minion would be:
HP: 1
Attack: Flame and Troll +26 vs AC (Or +24 vs Will, depending); Damage 8.

Do minions still get Spam (close burst 3, +20 vs Fort for 8 damage and stun)?