User talk:Guy/TCreature
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- Threat Level 101
- A "balanced" encounter will pit 3 or 4 protags against a monster with a threat level (TL) equal to the protags' average proficiency bonus.
- Each monster's threat level (TL) is roughly equal to two monsters of the threat level immediately beneath it. Example: One TL4 monster should be about as difficult as two TL3 monsters, and two TL3 monsters should also be about as difficult as four TL2 monsters.
- You can quickly raise a monster's threat 1 level by doubling its damage and hit points; or lower its threat 1 level by halving its damage and hit points. There's ideally a little more involved, but this is good enough to quickly adjust a monster's threat level.
- If respecting the "balanced" encounter suggestion, early levels will have easier fights, and high levels will have more difficult fights. High-level parties may need to use greater strategy and more resources to prevail.
| Threat | PB / TL | Max HP | Max Dmg | AC/DC 8 + double PB |
Hit double PB |
Examples |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | 1⁄4 | 5 | 1 | 8 | +0 | — |
| — | 1⁄2 | 10 | d4+1 | 9 | +1 | — |
| Mook | 1 | 20 | 5 | 10 | +2 | a commoner |
| Minor | 2 | 40 | 10 | 12 | +4 | a soldier, or 2 commoners |
| Moderate | 3 | 80 | 20 | 14 | +6 | a veteran, 2 soldiers, or 4 commoners |
| Large | 4 | 160 | 40 | 16 | +8 | a champion, 2 veterans, 4 soldiers, or 8 commoners |
| Huge | 5 | 320 | 80 | 18 | +10 | 16 commoners |
| Legendary | 6 | 640 | 160 | 20 | +12 | 32 commoners |
| Epic | 7 | 1280 | 320 | 22 | +14 | 64 commoners |
| Titan | 8 | 2560 | 640 | 24 | +16 | a kaiju, a titanic giant, an ancient wyrm, or >100 commoners |
| God | 9 | 5120 | 1280 | 26 | +18 | a deity incarnation, two titans, or >250 commoners |
Few monsters max out every category. Monsters listed in the splat bestiary have each have a listed role, which defines in general terms which part of its threat level is the highest.
side note: Legendary threat (PB6) is a soft cap. Monsters of higher threat level should generally be reserved for large or overpowered parties. Fittingly, bounded accuracy begins to fall apart after PB6. When DC exceeds 20, "you can only succeed on a nat 20" becomes increasingly frequent.
- Adjusting threat level
- To increase threat level by 1, you double a creature's hp (or halve how much damage it takes) and you double the damage it deals.
- To decrease threat level by 1, you halve its HP (or double the damage it takes) and halve the damage it deals.
- You can also increase/decrease attack bonus, AC, and /or DC by 2 per level (but it's less important).
The numerical combat strength(es) and weakness(es) of a monster are proportional at each threat level. A glass cannon is always a glass cannon. A tank is always a tank.