D&D 5E What class levels have you given monsters in encounters, to give them that extra edge?

[Hoffmand]

Since i view Psionics and magic as the same thing. I generally make illithids wizards that don’t require verbal, somatic, and material components. Although sometimes they use them to augment their abilities. And always with 7th to 9th level spells.

 

[dave2008]

So it's just giving NPCs abilities that PCs have? Then what does "levels" refer to?

From the DMG, page 283:

 

[Nebulous]

Same as GlassJaw.

If I want a creature to have an ability I just write it down.

There is 0 need to work out what a class level would be on a creature.

yeah, that is just heaps of unnecessary work

 

[Asisreo]

yeah, that is just heaps of unnecessary work

It is somewhat relevant for spellcasting traits for NPC's with cantrips since class level dictates how powerful their cantrips are, but other than that, you can just ignore the "levels" aspect.

 

[Greenstone.Walker]

I've certainly given monsters feats and features, like hobgoblin bodyguards who had the polearm master and sentinel feats.

That was the day I learnt that if you take a character's movement away, players get really, really —ed off. At least, those players did. Wow.

For monsters with innate spellcasting, I have increased the level sometimes. It seems silly that a fire bolt from a CR 15+ creature only does 1d12 damage.

 

[Son of the Serpent]

For the record i find myself not liking to NOT give class levels to any creature that has close to or more than a human lifespan (with very few exceptions provided they are intelligent). Why? Well i look at an adult dragon whos at least been alive hundreds of years and has no class levels and i think to myself "has this dragon been living on a couch for a few centuries?" It messes with me. Thats the reason for my personal preference.

 

[Flamestrike]

IMG only PCs have class levels.

Everything else has what I want it to have. I want a spellcasting Orc? I take the Orc chassis and add the spellcastting of an NPC Mage or whatever. Make a few other tweaks and eyeball the CR.

For a tougher 'elite' critter I add +2 to all d20 rolls and save DC's, double HP, and increase the damage die of all its damaging effects by 1 step per dice.

I see no reason to spend more than 10 minutes on a critter that only exists to die. A BBEG deserves more attention, but otherwise, nope.

 

[the Jester]

Yes. I've had a couple of ogres with a couple of fighter levels (action surge being the main thing), and I've also used both an owlbear and a griffon with a couple of rogue levels. There are probably a few other instances, too.

 

[Coroc]

Hi all! So I'm crafting a one-shot around a PC group that is themed around superheroes. Essentially, the PCs will be higher-level and have names like "Captain Fantastic," and "Red Lightning" that kind of stuff.

But of course, every group of super heroes needs some good villains, so I've been experiencing with taking some pretty classic monsters and giving them things you really shouldn't expect them to have, like a Hobgoblin Warlord with invulnerability armor, or my latest creation, an Alhoon with 4 levels of barbarian. My "Dr. Tentaculous" is essentially a Mind Flayer "Batman Bane."

So my question is, when have you taken monsters and given them class levels that people may not expect? Any combinations you think have really put your PCs on their toes? Feel free to add magic items as well.

If your confused about what I'm referring to, the DMG has rules for giving "PC levels" of a class as added levels to a monster's statblock.

(My Mind Flayer Barbarian; he's trained more than his mind!)

Not really class levels as such, but my orcs are built like PCs rather than mobs for that particular campaign.
Means pretty good Str, Con and AC and above average Dex, especially for archers, depending on their Level (the commanders are tougher) Armor up to three quarter plate, Weapon attacks like a PC fighter (A level 10 orc genral gets 3 attacks) Hitdice are like fighters.
I left out few other extra skills that the MM would assign to the different orcs there.

They also form structured disciplined warbands, with archers pikemen and helebardiers fulfilling their roles although they still are CE.
Somehow my orcs resemble more hobgoblins, but I do not use hobgoblins in that campaign.

The main reason I did this, is to present them as an army of Iuz, so I had to chose CE goblinoids eles I would have gone with LE hobgoblins eventually, and the other reason I had for this was to keep them quite challenging even for higher level PCs, especially in numbers.

They operate like a Landsknecht army would, pikemen protecting the archers, and tough helebardiers engaging the party in melee. The pikemen and archers would have backup melee weapons if some PC would come into melee distance.

I never tried crossovers, like your mindflayer barbarian though. I can see it as a little gimmick, but a normal mindflayer with very high intellect should be a fearsome enemy even w/o additional character levels. I cannot see how with 5e the character levels would make him much harder. In 2e that would be adifferent thing but for 5e? Just give it double hitpoints and/or some boost / advantages to saves and/or add legendery resistances or actions, if you want it to be a special challenge.

The problem I see with adding to much extras is action economy. Is it better to suck out a PCs brain or bash it in with the two handed axe? Since it is only one of these two in any given round, but nevertheless both are deadly I do not see the point.

Edit I once had one of the group fighters, a battlemaster fight a 1 on 1 duel with a human fighter champion statted to match him but a different build (Str and heavy armor vs the PCs dex build) . That one was like a PC, had action surge, second wind and so on. He won over the PC by a very narrow margin. But I am not sure if that counts as a monster to you.

 

[Coroc]

Maybe give them a clothing budget as well?

View attachment 121254

So it can afford a loincloth and a hide armor instead of that dandy outfit?