Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 Omegastrike Dec 03, 2014 10:21:31	Ok I would like make some new monsters/npcs or change some of the current monsters/npcs. How ever I don't currently have a refence on how to do this. Any suggestions? Like how many hit dice = what CR rating? Ability scores +/- CR? Abilities like spells +/- CR? Any other thoughts could increase/derease a creatures challenge rating?
#2 Ath-kethin Dec 03, 2014 11:31:05	There's a whole section on making and altering monsters in the DMG. With any luck it will be added to the Basic DMG soon too.
#3 Daydreamer80 Dec 03, 2014 12:16:03	Personally i find the dmg vastly overestimates the CR.  I think in part because it uses the math assuming players have no magic items.
#4 bonethug0108 Dec 03, 2014 19:53:04	They wanted to make sure magic items were truly optional. That's the only way they can do it.   Maybe they could have suggested lowering the CR by X amount given Y magic items, but this was necessary and welcome. I LOVE that the math is balanced without magic items and that when players get them they are truly special and not something needed to keep pace.
#5 Daydreamer80 Dec 03, 2014 20:00:50	Perhaps i should have been clear, what i mean is that the guideline of the CR stops being very accurate past a certain level.    If you have a party of four 10th level characters they can often wipe the floor with a cr10 monster without even breaking a sweat.   Bigger monsters , huge and colossus hold up better because of there extra hps.
#6 bonethug0108 Dec 03, 2014 20:23:45	Yeah I overlooked the keywords "in part". Apologies. I couldn't speak to that fact myself but I don't doubt it. CR is way more of an art than a science no matter how sciencey they make the formula. Too many variables(biggest being party composition).
(Reply to #6) Daydreamer80	bonethug0108 wrote:
(Reply to #5) Coredump00	Daydreamer80 wrote:
(Reply to #8) Daydreamer80	Coredump00 wrote:
#10 DaveDash Dec 04, 2014 13:12:23	Less monsters = less deadly. More monsters, thus more actions, hitpoints, etc = more deadly. Solos are and have always been weak. Even WITH legendary actions. Always give mix in lower CR monsters in the mix to soak up player resources. Give that vampire 16 skeleton minions. CR does get out of whack though. The party as a whole grows in power exponentially almost, whereas monsters are much more linear.
#11 dave2008 Dec 04, 2014 22:26:02	Omegastrike wrote:
#12 Athinar1 Dec 08, 2014 16:21:00	Has any one tryed to use the Monster Statistics by Challenge Rating, made a Excel Spreadsheet to quickly work out the CR ratings, but having problems with the exisiting monsters and the comparsions. They don't all was match   Goblin   Def HPs 6- CR 1/8 AC 15 - CR5   7 steps = 3.5 3 steps up from 1/8 = CR 1   Offensive Damage - d6+2, 5 ave - CR 0 Attack - +4 - CR 3   6 steps = 3 =   3 steps up from 0 = 1/2 CR   Average of Def and Off 1.5/2 = .75, CR 1 round up per DMG   wrong goblin is CR 1/4, 50 Exp   Any one with help
#13 ScottGreene Dec 09, 2014 19:49:28	Lots of the monsters in the MM don't appear to use the math provided by the table/steps in the DMG. CR will never be an exact science. Still a lot of playtesting, eyeballing, and "feeling" required when designing monsters.