CREATING MONSTERS

Dungeon Master’s Guide p174: Increasing or Decreasing Level

Boosting a monster’s level is easy.
 Just increase its attack rolls, defenses, and AC by 1 for every level you add.
 For every two levels, increase the damage it deals with its attacks by 1.
 The monster also gains extra hit points at each level, based on its role (see the “Monster Statistics by Role” table on
page 184).

Decreasing a monster’s level works like increasing it, but in reverse. For each level down, reduce the creature’s attack rolls, defenses, and
AC by 1 and drop its hit points based on its role. For every two levels, also reduce its damage by 1.
This process works best for adjusting a monster’s level up to five higher or lower. Beyond that, the monster changes so much that you’d do
better to start with another creature of the desired role and level range.

Dungeon Master’s Guide p184:

When you really need to create something from scratch, the guidelines here will help you with the process.

Monster Design Steps Following these steps won’t result in a fully designed and developed monster, but
they’ll provide a good approximation.
1. Choose Level. The level of the monster determines its key statistics, including defenses, attack bonuses, and hit points.
2. Choose Role. A monster’s role suggests the kinds of powers it uses in combat. Chapter 4 describes monster roles more fully, and the
Monster Statistics by Role table on this page shows how a monster’s role influences the statistics and powers you give it.
3. Determine Ability Scores. It’s helpful to think of ability scores in pairs, each pair corresponding to one of the three defenses (Fortitude,
Reflex, and Will).
Ability scores also help determine the monster’s attack bonuses, ability and skill checks, and Armor Class.
On average, the highest ability score of a pair is equal to 13 + one-half the monster’s level. For example, the target score for an 8th-level
monster is 17 (13 + 4). However, set the ability that governs the monster’s primary attacks to be 3 higher, or 16 + one-half the monster’s
level. An 8th-level monster that relies on melee attacks should have a Strength of 20.
4. Determine Hit Points. Level and role determine hit points. The monster gains a flat number of hit points at each level, just as characters
do. Use the Monster Statistics by Role table to set hit points.
5. Calculate Armor Class. A monster’s Armor Class is based on its level and role. Average AC is equal to 14 + the monster’s level, but some
roles alter this target number, as shown in the table.
6. Calculate Other Defenses. A monster’s level determines its defenses. A given defense based on an average ability score is equal to 12 +
the monster’s level. For every 2 points the ability score varies from the average, adjust the defense by +1 (if higher) or –1 (if lower).
7. Choose Powers. The most complex part of monster creation is creating powers for the monster.
For inspiration, check the powers for creatures in the Monster Manual. That book has a list of monsters by level and role, so you can
quickly look up other creatures that are similar to your new monster. Then either choose some powers that seem right, modifying them as
needed, or create new ones of comparable effect.
A monster needs a basic attack, which can be melee or ranged and is usable at will; some kinds of monsters might have a second basic
attack. Then add one encounter power or rechargeable power per tier (one at heroic, two at paragon, three at epic).
8. Calculate Attack Bonus. The monster’s attack bonus is a function of its level and role. Powers that target AC typically have a higher
attack bonus than those that target other defenses.
9. Set Damage for Attacks: Use the Damage by Level table to set damage for the monster’s attacks. Most at-will attacks should use the
medium normal damage shown on the table. For attacks against multiple targets, the melee attacks of artillery monsters, and controller
attacks that also include significant control functions, use the low normal damage column.
For attacks that have low accuracy (including brute attacks) and the high-damage attacks of lurker monsters, use the high normal damage
column. Use the limited damage expressions for powers the monster can use only once or twice a fight—powers that have encounter
recharge or recharge rolls.
10. Additional Details. Monster design doesn’t stop once you’ve done all the math. Add flavor, appearance, and tactics to round out your
creation.

Monster Statistics by Role:

Skirmisher Brute Soldier Lurker Controller Artillery

Initiative bonus +2 — +2 +4 — —
Hit points 8 + Con 10 + Con 8 + Con 6 + Con 8 + Con 6 + Con
+ (level × 8) + (level × 10) + (level × 8) + (level × 6) + (level × 8) + (level × 6)
AC Level + 14 Level + 12 Level + 16 Level + 14 Level + 14 Level + 12
Other defenses Level + 12 Level + 12 Level + 12 Level + 12 Level + 12 Level + 12
Attack vs. AC * Level + 5 Level + 3 Level + 7 Level + 5 Level + 5 Level + 7
Attack vs. other Level +3 Level + 1 Level + 5 Level + 3 Level + 4 Level + 5
defenses*

*Reduce the attack bonus by 2 for powers that affect multiple creatures.
Dungeon Master’s Guide 2:
More art than science. monster creation can be tricky—and it's about more than Just the numbers.
Monster Manual 2 introduces a few tweaks to monster creation, particularly for elites, solo monsters and minions. Use the
following information to supplement what's presented on page l84 of the Dungeon Master's Guide.
CREATING NEW ELITES
Elites no longer gain additional bonuses to all defenses. Instead, follow the same rules as for standard monsters. If you want to
adjust an older monster in use the same scale, dropping all its defenses by 2 can work in a pinch (but might be a bit generous to
the PCs.
CREATING NEW SOLOS
The creation of solo monsters has changed in three major ways.
Hit Points: Multiply hit points by 4. Monsters of 11th level or higher no longer have quintuple hit points.
Defenses: Solos no longer gain extra bonuses to all defenses. Use the same defenses as for a standard monster.
Better When Bloodied: This type of change isn't as straightforward. When a solo monster is bloodied, it should become more
dangerous and more mobile.
Add a couple of abilities from the following list to reflect this advantage:
+ Recharge one or more limited powers and possibly use one right away (such as a dragon's bloodied breath power).
+ Gain an at-will attack that deals more damage, or deal more damage with all attacks while bloodied.
+ Gain an extra attack per round (as a minor action, part of a multiple attack power, or a larger area or close power).
+ Gain a damaging aura.
+ Move after becoming bloodied, or gain a new movement power. Movement might include shifting, teleportation, flight or phasing
—anything to keep the fight from becoming static.
These guidelines are intended to make the monster feel more deadly, but without allowing the fight to get too long. Therefore,
don't give a monster additional hit points or higher defenses when it's bloodied.
CREATING NEW MINIONS
Expendable fodder, minions appear in big groups with the sole purpose of dying quickly and making the PCs feel cool. They should
have simple mechanics to match, and they also have roles to make it easier to determine the types of combat tactics they use.
You can create a new minion from scratch, or remove abilities from a standard monster to make a simpler minion. Most steps in
creating a minion (including setting defenses and attack bonuses as well as determining its role) are the same as for a standard
monster, with the following exceptions:
I. Adjust Hit Points: All minions have I hit point, and a missed attack never damages a minion.
2. Keep It Simple: Minion abilities shouldn't require record-keeping. For instance, a minion’s attack shouldn't have an effect that a
save can end, nor should it have recharge abilities (and probably not encounter abilities). Immediate action powers are also rare.
Some exceptions, though, are fine: A goblin minion might have the immediate action Goblin Tactics power so it still feels like a
goblin.
3. Set Damage for Attacks: Use the Minion Damage by level table to set damage amounts for a minion's attacks. Remember that
minions don't use dice for damage, just flat values. Minion damage is roughly half of a standard creature's damage.
MINION DAMAGE BY LEVEL:

Level Standard Damage Brute Damage

1st - 3rd 4 5
4th - 6th 5 6
7th - 9th 6 7
10th - 12th 8 10
13th - 15th 9 11
16th - 18th 10 12
19th - 21st 11 13
22nd - 24th 13 16
25th - 27th 14 17
28th - 30th 15 18

Artillery minions deal 25% less damage on multitarget and melee attacks. At the heroic tier, four minions are equivalent to one standard monster.
Five minions are equivalent to one standard monster at the paragon tier, and six at epic. Design encounters at the paragon tier
with five minions of a given type instead of four, and at the epic tier with six minions instead of five.