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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Minigiant" data-source="post: 6730678" data-attributes="member: 63508">Ignore their HD.You heard me.Ignore their HD.If that phrase confuses you, take your Dungeon Master Guide and hit yourself in the forehead with it to knock out years of traditional thought out of it.In 5th edition, NPCs were designed to fight PCs. Many times they encounter multiple PCs. So their HP and thus HD are inflated to survive the onslaught of PC attacks, spells, and magic items.When on the PC side of the battle, the main attributes PCs get out of NPCs is their attacks, languages, and "obscure" proficiencies. A NPC's giant sack of HPs doesn't help the PCs finish an encounter.  If you look at HD too hard, you might make the mistake and attribute it to power. A Berserker NPC has 9 Hit Dice but no skills and 1 great-axe attack a turn. If you give a party a few berserkers from the barbarian tribe they befriended, don't think they can take that big bad dragon now because of the 36 HD you added. You might a TPK.So ignore their HD. Look at their traits, skills, and actions.Understand this when you hand our squires, apprentices, sidekicks, and animal companions.</blockquote>