I have a question that has always puzzled me. When creating a home brew monster, can you choose to give it magic from multiple classes, and what rules apply when creating them? I understand about everything else, I'm just puzzled about choosing classes for monsters. Also would you use the same method for creating races as you would monsters or is that process more complex?
Creating races as in playable races by the PC's? That is more complicated, because really, you don't want to have an obviously best or worst option for PC's.
For creating monsters, you can do whatever you want to do really. For magic from multiple classes, just treat it like a College of Lore Bard Additional Magic Secrets ability, so the casting, attack modifier, and save modifier are all based upon the same Attribute. Just don't get too crazy with the spell selection. Most of the time monsters are "one and done" things, rarely are they recurring. So instead of giving a monster Mage Armour for example, just boost its AC to 13 and note it is Mage Armour (and thus can be dispelled or affected by an Anti-Magic field). Another thing to keep in mind, most combats only run 3-5 rounds, so without Legendary or Lair Actions, a monster really doesn't need more than 3-5 spell choices. On the most basic level, give a Monster a Damage Spell (and you can choose the damage type, even use a different type each use if you want), a Defense Reaction Spell (Shield for example, or Counterspell if you are feeling evil), and a Utility/Control Spell (Illusions, Walls, Fly, Dimension Door, Bless, Healing Word, Heroism, etc.) and then they can cast one as their Action and maybe one as their Reaction.
You will be using the monster, so if you underpower or overpower it, you can adjust it on the fly during the encounter(s). You don't play by the same rules as the PC's do... ;)
I have a question that has always puzzled me. When creating a home brew monster, can you choose to give it magic from multiple classes, and what rules apply when creating them? I understand about everything else, I'm just puzzled about choosing classes for monsters. Also would you use the same method for creating races as you would monsters or is that process more complex?
Creating races as in playable races by the PC's? That is more complicated, because really, you don't want to have an obviously best or worst option for PC's.
For creating monsters, you can do whatever you want to do really. For magic from multiple classes, just treat it like a College of Lore Bard Additional Magic Secrets ability, so the casting, attack modifier, and save modifier are all based upon the same Attribute. Just don't get too crazy with the spell selection. Most of the time monsters are "one and done" things, rarely are they recurring. So instead of giving a monster Mage Armour for example, just boost its AC to 13 and note it is Mage Armour (and thus can be dispelled or affected by an Anti-Magic field). Another thing to keep in mind, most combats only run 3-5 rounds, so without Legendary or Lair Actions, a monster really doesn't need more than 3-5 spell choices. On the most basic level, give a Monster a Damage Spell (and you can choose the damage type, even use a different type each use if you want), a Defense Reaction Spell (Shield for example, or Counterspell if you are feeling evil), and a Utility/Control Spell (Illusions, Walls, Fly, Dimension Door, Bless, Healing Word, Heroism, etc.) and then they can cast one as their Action and maybe one as their Reaction.
You will be using the monster, so if you underpower or overpower it, you can adjust it on the fly during the encounter(s). You don't play by the same rules as the PC's do... ;)
Thanks, that clears things up a bit...I think I got it now.