Challenge Ratings and New Monsters [Archive] - Wizards Community

Challenge Ratings and New Monsters [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Bhodi Amashi
09-24-05, 05:44 PM I rarely use standard monsters and frequently customize them based on the party, story, or my whim..:)

The problem is how do I figure out the appropriate CR?

For example, let's take the typical human skelton. In the 3.5 MM, these are CR 1/3. So, let's say I bump them up to 3 HD, give them a gaze attack (equiv to heat metal), and give them an extra attack every round.

What's the new CR, and how do you go about figuring it out?
Nom
09-24-05, 07:22 PM There's an entire section on modifying and designing monsters in the back of the MM, and this includes CR. Have you read it? Did it help?
Bhodi Amashi
09-24-05, 07:42 PM Ahhh...thank you! You know I looked all through the DM's guide figuring it would be in there. It never occured to me to look in the MM.

Reading through it however was painful. Gathering from what I read it appears that CR "roughly" equates to:

CR = (Creatures HD) + Size Modifier

or

CR = (Creatures HD) * 1 or 2 or 3 + Size Modifier
TheChilliGod
09-24-05, 09:08 PM Um, did you read it throughly?
Check out page 293-294 of the MM. Those two pages have proper instructions for calculating CR of an advanced creature. It includes a table for easy reading.

Using that table and your example, I'd say that the advanced skeleton would be either CR 2 or CR 3.

Base CR - 1/3.
2 HD increase - According to the table, +0.
Gaze Attack - Either +1 or +2, depending on how useful you'd see this attack is to the skeleton. Fairly powerful spell for such a low CR caster, though, so more likely to be +2.
Extra Attack each round - +2 for sure.

There, Hope I made it a bit clearer.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Bhodi Amashi 09-24-05, 05:44 PM	I rarely use standard monsters and frequently customize them based on the party, story, or my whim..:) The problem is how do I figure out the appropriate CR? For example, let's take the typical human skelton. In the 3.5 MM, these are CR 1/3. So, let's say I bump them up to 3 HD, give them a gaze attack (equiv to heat metal), and give them an extra attack every round. What's the new CR, and how do you go about figuring it out?
Nom 09-24-05, 07:22 PM	There's an entire section on modifying and designing monsters in the back of the MM, and this includes CR. Have you read it? Did it help?
Bhodi Amashi 09-24-05, 07:42 PM	Ahhh...thank you! You know I looked all through the DM's guide figuring it would be in there. It never occured to me to look in the MM. Reading through it however was painful. Gathering from what I read it appears that CR "roughly" equates to: CR = (Creatures HD) + Size Modifier or CR = (Creatures HD) * 1 or 2 or 3 + Size Modifier
TheChilliGod 09-24-05, 09:08 PM	Um, did you read it throughly? Check out page 293-294 of the MM. Those two pages have proper instructions for calculating CR of an advanced creature. It includes a table for easy reading. Using that table and your example, I'd say that the advanced skeleton would be either CR 2 or CR 3. Base CR - 1/3. 2 HD increase - According to the table, +0. Gaze Attack - Either +1 or +2, depending on how useful you'd see this attack is to the skeleton. Fairly powerful spell for such a low CR caster, though, so more likely to be +2. Extra Attack each round - +2 for sure. There, Hope I made it a bit clearer.