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<blockquote data-quote="Saeviomagy" data-source="post: 5473323" data-attributes="member: 5890">Ok.. I'm not sure about this, but skill linked minions/monsters don't have hitpoints, and cannot be defeated with conventional attacks, right?Otherwise they seem like a problem best left up to the party controller while the rest of the group wipe out the non-minions.However if they don't have hitpoints, then chances are only one or two party members will be able to deal with them effectively, and characters with minion slaying abilities (which tend to be more effective than a close blast 5 with a skill) don't get benefits with those skills. And depending on what skill you choose, you might be causing the striker to spend time using his less-effective skill-slaying power instead of killing the bigger stuff. That goes double if you cop one of the social-skill monsters because there's basically no way to tell which skill will work well, and no real reason that the others shouldn't (the mercenaries are being defeated by using the bluff skill to intimidate them, for starters).All in all - if these things don't have hitpoints, they lead to more grind, not less.That said, they're a cool idea, but the concept that they're grind reducers is just wrong unless I'm missing something.Now, to make use of the &quot;monsters that can be easily defeated with skill checks&quot; concept I'd probably introduce a rule that basically runs &quot;a skill-based monster can be reduced to 1 hitpoint as a minor action with a successful roll on the appropriate skill&quot; and then run normal full-strength monsters that cost half xp.For some of your examples (dungeoneering, athletics, acrobatics, streetwise, history) I wouldn't even go that far - they either seem like situations where a minor action and the appropriate check should end in a roleplaying solution, where appropriate terrain use will end the encounter or where the skill description seems to be mirroring regular attack powers with a different mechanic.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Saeviomagy, post: 5473323, member: 5890"] Ok.. I'm not sure about this, but skill linked minions/monsters don't have hitpoints, and cannot be defeated with conventional attacks, right? Otherwise they seem like a problem best left up to the party controller while the rest of the group wipe out the non-minions. However if they don't have hitpoints, then chances are only one or two party members will be able to deal with them effectively, and characters with minion slaying abilities (which tend to be more effective than a close blast 5 with a skill) don't get benefits with those skills. And depending on what skill you choose, you might be causing the striker to spend time using his less-effective skill-slaying power instead of killing the bigger stuff. That goes double if you cop one of the social-skill monsters because there's basically no way to tell which skill will work well, and no real reason that the others shouldn't (the mercenaries are being defeated by using the bluff skill to intimidate them, for starters). All in all - if these things don't have hitpoints, they lead to more grind, not less. That said, they're a cool idea, but the concept that they're grind reducers is just wrong unless I'm missing something. Now, to make use of the "monsters that can be easily defeated with skill checks" concept I'd probably introduce a rule that basically runs "a skill-based monster can be reduced to 1 hitpoint as a minor action with a successful roll on the appropriate skill" and then run normal full-strength monsters that cost half xp. For some of your examples (dungeoneering, athletics, acrobatics, streetwise, history) I wouldn't even go that far - they either seem like situations where a minor action and the appropriate check should end in a roleplaying solution, where appropriate terrain use will end the encounter or where the skill description seems to be mirroring regular attack powers with a different mechanic. [/QUOTE]

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