The Monster Project

[Is_907]

This is sticky-worthy. Thanks for your work, Jester!

 

[MeMeMeMe]

I think there's an ape or bear or two already listed at lower levels; tiger sounds good to me at maybe 9th or 10th?

One of the things I find interesting about the new monster manual is the lack of mundane, non-magical animals. My impression is that it's not heroic for PCs to be mauled to death by badgers, so mindane animals aren't listed because they shouldn't be very powerful.
1st level characters in 4e are already heroes, so a mundane tiger shouldn't be anywhere near 9th level IMO (that's higher than a standard ogre which should stomp it flat easily).
I would recommend doing what they've done in the MM: make magical versions of tigers at those higher levels and if needed, stick mundane tigers somewhere in the 1st-5th level range.

 

[Rechan]

My impression is that it's not heroic for PCs to be mauled to death by badgers, so mindane animals aren't listed because they shouldn't be very powerful.

Except for like, the horse.

C'mon, a warhorse is level 3.

 

[MeMeMeMe]

I don't see that as contradicting my point at all. A warhorse is a powerful beast.
The gray wolf is level 2, so some natural animals are in there.
The tiger I could easily see being level 4-6, but not level 9, which is what I was responding to.

Edit: actually, now that I think of it, I'd do fearsome natural beasts like tigers as low level, but make them elite or (occasionally) solos.
That way you can get dangerous fights between heroes and tigers or rhinos or elephants, without having to make them high level. That helps to keep them firmly in the low heroic tier.

 

[catsclaw227]

Jester -- what "algorithm" are you using to create minions?

 

[Rechan]

actually, now that I think of it, I'd do fearsome natural beasts like tigers as low level, but make them elite or (occasionally) solos.

That is a really good point.

I mean, a hero isn't going to be fighting five tigers, or whatever. He's going to be fighting one.

 

[Andrew D. Gable]

I dig the work so far. I was going to convert some older monsters for my own use (still may post the ones that're above the levels you're doing), but now I might wait until you're done with this. Are you converting all older monsters, or just select ones?

May I say how annoyed I am that the MM has an elemental entry but no air/earth/fire/water elementals, all weird composite things? I'm also similarly disappointed by the lack of classic DnD magic items (no Deck of Many Things!), but that can be rectified.

 

[the Jester]

I love what you're doing here but I'm at a loss to discern what constitutes a "missing monster" worth converting? How can you possibly be "done" with level 1 monsters when you've only done a couple dozen?

Are you targeting a particular adventure? A particular rules edition? A particular monster manual?

Hmm, I guess I haven't been totally clear on that.

What I am doing is converting monsters that I think would have been super cool in the first 4e MM. Now, that's clearly a judgment call, and obviously everything I am converting wouldn't even fit in a single MM! But there are tons of monsters that I really dig that I want to have ready-made when I want them that aren't in the MM1- the mimic, the peryton, the leucrotta, etc. Some are really old school, like the three I just mentioned; some are much newer, like the dharculus and the howling abomination. It's really a pretty arbitrary list.

I say I'm "done" with 1st level because, unless someone suggests something irresistible to me, I've moved on. However, an irresistible suggestion would make me backpedal a bit.

However, with ENW2 on the horizon, it looks like I'll have a bit of a wait before I post more... that's good, I need to do a couple of story hour updates anyway!

 

[the Jester]

Catsclaw27- How am I doing minions? I'm winging it.

Really, 4e is loose- very loose. I am really liking the monster creation rules, that's for sure.

While ENWorld is down, I'll prolly convert some more random monsters, and since my 'by level' lists will be unavailable, I'll prolly just do some random favorites, or maybe just do some of my campaign-specific monsters. Regardless, I'll post 'em!

 

[Rechan]

Hey Jester! I've noticed something: You haven't done any elites or solos.

Care to give one a try? No, I don't have a suggestion as to what.