WotC_Dave: You will be able to make monsters...weaker...

[w_earle_wheeler]

It sounds like a great idea... but if he's just now getting around to writing it, how much playtesting will it get?

It sounds like it might be just as "dangerous" as the 3.5 way of doing it.

 

[Snapdragyn]

I really do not like the falling building poster. Even with the mention of the WWII poster which inspired it, the visual (& the Eberron event on which it's based) hits way too close to 9/11 memories for me.

 

[Charwoman Gene]

Those propaganda posters are completely brilliant.

I didn't read the whole article and though you meant the blogger was posting propaganda.

I am very stupid today.

 

[Henry]

I really do not like the falling building poster. Even with the mention of the WWII poster which inspired it, the visual (& the Eberron event on which it's based) hits way too close to 9/11 memories for me.

A falling airship would have been more thematically appropriate, though (after the original WW2 poster that had a sinking ship on it. Interestingly, I think that's where the old phrase, "loose lips sink ships" came from.)

 

[delericho]

I like that dea. Not so much for the idea of a "lesser beholder", but in that now they won't feel compelled to provide a Warrior 1 as the 'stock' Drow. The literature suggests that Drow are extremely powerful wizards and warriors, but the Drow in the MM... not so much.

Either way, a good thing to have guidelines for.

Oh, and the propaganda posters didn't suck. (Although I was half expecting a comedy response to accusations of "WotC propaganda" in the run up to 4e.)

 

[Kunimatyu]

I'm a big fan of weaker versions of existing monsters.

I once had an 8th level party fight an extremely old and rusted Iron Golem, but it was a lot of work -- I'd love to have a few basic guidelines and go from there.

 

[the Jester]

One alteranative to the juvenile version...the old version that is showing its age (actually, I just realized you could do this right of 3rd ed, assuming the aging rules work the same for all creatures, though, I don't know how easy it would be).

Yeah, I have used a venerable ogre against a party of 1st to 2nd level pcs before. It was pretty sweet- a good challenge, but obviously weaker than a young spry ogre (he had grey hair and was all wrinkly) so he didn't instantly scare all the pcs away. I think I've used older versions of other monsters one or two more times, too- just apply the age penalties and hey presto, you have turned that CR 3 into a CR 2.

 

[Pale]

Not an un-useful tool for the DM's arsenal. I think taht most of us veterans could fudge it anyway, but I still think that it's better to have a system and guidelines for such things.

 

[Reynard]

It's a little strange to write a rule and say "Don't use this too often." But I guess not every tool needs to be a Swiss army knife. Some of them can be resistor lead forming tools instead.

Except for Save-or-Die, of course...

On topic: Neat idea, but it is going to end up entirely too complex and probably won't see the light of day till MMII in 2009. Really, there are two easy ways to make lesser versions of monsters. One, you grab a copy of savage species and make it less than starting powerful. Two, you use a monster that fits the same niche and same general purpose as the monster you want, dress it up in desired monster's clothing and be done with it. "Oh my god, it's a Vampire!" and the DM is smiling because he used a wight's stats. The former has the problem of accessibility and fiddling with numbers. the latter has no downside at all that i can see.

 

[Ogrork the Mighty]

This is a good idea. There's been lots of times I could have used a mechanism to make a monster weaker than normal and having the mechanics rather than an ad hoc system is a great idea.