I've never made a custom monster before (If you couldn't tell from the thread title) and I want to make some very specific monsters. I want to make the Marro from the old game Heroscape if anyone remembers it and I want to make these guys an important race in my world. I'm using this link, http://heroscape.wikia.com/wiki/Marro, and the cards I have of them as a basis. Basically these guys are like the orcs from LOTR where they're grown from pits. The stronger ones are psychic and their weapons are organic. Anyways, I want interesting fights that aren't too hard and also aren't too easy. What's the best way to balance monsters?
Check out the DMG or (I think) Xanathars GtE, there are a lot of good bits to help for this problem in there. Check out how to balance monster CR against party levels, then backtrack from there
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I know what you're thinking: "In that flurry of blows, did he use all his ki points, or save one?" Well, are ya feeling lucky, punk?
In addition to looking through the DMG "Creating a Monster" section (starting on Page 273) I will often look at a number of the already published monsters of similar challenge ratings to the monster I want to design. This can help to provide some extra perspective on different abilities and powers that you can add. Also, check if any of the extra monster abilities (Parry, Rampage, Innate Spellcasting, etc.) work well to emulate some of the abilities that you want the creature to possess.
For your Marro for example you can check the Githyanki or Githzerai Innate Spellcasting (Psionics) ability, the variant quaggoth with psionics, and the special abilities of duergar are also based on psionics. For organic weapons, you can often use standard weapon rules, but when describing them point out the strange materials/appearance of the weapon. Many abilities can be flavoured nicely to be psionic as needed.
Another way that you can also make custom monsters is to steal a bit from 4E DnD. It may take a bit of conversion but it can be a great way to make your monsters feel a bit different than the standard monster in the Monster Manual. I also recommend looking up Matthew Colville's videos. He has some videos on altering monsters.
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I've never made a custom monster before (If you couldn't tell from the thread title) and I want to make some very specific monsters. I want to make the Marro from the old game Heroscape if anyone remembers it and I want to make these guys an important race in my world. I'm using this link, http://heroscape.wikia.com/wiki/Marro, and the cards I have of them as a basis. Basically these guys are like the orcs from LOTR where they're grown from pits. The stronger ones are psychic and their weapons are organic. Anyways, I want interesting fights that aren't too hard and also aren't too easy. What's the best way to balance monsters?
Check out the DMG or (I think) Xanathars GtE, there are a lot of good bits to help for this problem in there. Check out how to balance monster CR against party levels, then backtrack from there
I know what you're thinking: "In that flurry of blows, did he use all his ki points, or save one?" Well, are ya feeling lucky, punk?
In addition to looking through the DMG "Creating a Monster" section (starting on Page 273) I will often look at a number of the already published monsters of similar challenge ratings to the monster I want to design. This can help to provide some extra perspective on different abilities and powers that you can add. Also, check if any of the extra monster abilities (Parry, Rampage, Innate Spellcasting, etc.) work well to emulate some of the abilities that you want the creature to possess.
For your Marro for example you can check the Githyanki or Githzerai Innate Spellcasting (Psionics) ability, the variant quaggoth with psionics, and the special abilities of duergar are also based on psionics. For organic weapons, you can often use standard weapon rules, but when describing them point out the strange materials/appearance of the weapon. Many abilities can be flavoured nicely to be psionic as needed.
Another way that you can also make custom monsters is to steal a bit from 4E DnD. It may take a bit of conversion but it can be a great way to make your monsters feel a bit different than the standard monster in the Monster Manual. I also recommend looking up Matthew Colville's videos. He has some videos on altering monsters.