Sorry if this has been asked before, I was just curious as to how others have been handling monsters that have age/power categories. Mostly I have been flummoxed on how to provide a good challenge to my players as they progress using Ghosts and Vampires, in previous editions I would just use the magnitude/age adjustments if I wanted a more powerful than bog standard monster. Is there a codified standard method or am I just going to have do work it out myself?
I don't believe there is currently a standard method, with only Dragons (and possibly a scant few others) having different stat blocks to represent different age groups. I do have a few solutions off the top of my head though!
First off, utilising existing stat blocks, and tweaking them so that they better match the idea in your head. Using the ghost as an example here, you could pick just about any monster in the Monster Manual and make it "ghostly", by giving it a ghost's flying speed, damage resistances and immunities, condition immunities, senses, and traits, plus the ghost's Etherealness, Horrifying Visage, and Possession actions (I would keep the monster's original offensive actions, but reflavour them with necrotic damage to be more in keeping with a ghost's spectral nature). If you wanted to keep with a ghost's traditional form, I would recommend using a humanoid monster (though not necessarily a "Humanoid"; a ghostly Arcanoloth or Fire Giant sounds just as awesome as a ghostly knight or archmage!). If you decided to use this method, I would recommend upping the DCs of the ghostly monster's new actions so that the threat they pose is still relevant (The current DC is set as 8 + the ghost's proficiency bonus of 2 + the ghost's Charisma modifier of 3, though you could certainly up it or lower it as you feel is appropriate, or tie it to a different ability score).
Alternatively, you can look for existing stat blocks that already fit what you're looking for. Using the ghost as an example again, a few alternatives I can think of are the CR 5 Wraith, or if you've got supplements, the CR 9 Jiangshi, or the terrifying CR 17 ghost dragon. This method just requires you to look for monsters that fit the theme you're after, but are more appropriate for the level your adventurers are at. Even by just tweaking a monster's description, you can get an interesting twist on what you're going for! For example, a fire elemental or Efreeti described in a spectral manner can become a flaming spirit, or a Storm Giant whose size you drop to Medium suddenly becomes a Vampire with a mastery over tempests! Remember, stat blocks are just packages of stats and abilities, and you can tweak those or present them however you need as the DM.
Another option is just reusing the normal statblocks, and increasing the difficulty via quantity, rather than quality. A swarm of a dozen ghosts flitting through the full cover of a haunted house's walls is nothing to sneeze at, and a Vampire is a lot more intimidating flanked by a pair of Death Knight bodyguards.
Finally, the tried and tested method which you've already mentioned: Homebrew. When in doubt, make your own monster. This can be as simple as doubling a monster's hit points and granting it a few extra attacks, plus possibly a couple legendary actions or resistances, to a full, scratch-built stat block that perfectly encapsulates the image in your mind.
And just as a parting note: Magic items! Always feel free to load up your monsters with magic items to up the challenge; a vorpal sword fits a vampire warrior perfectly, while a staff of the magi supplements a vampire spellcaster's magic to formidable levels.
Hope some of this helps :)) Apologies for the block of text!
Sorry if this has been asked before, I was just curious as to how others have been handling monsters that have age/power categories. Mostly I have been flummoxed on how to provide a good challenge to my players as they progress using Ghosts and Vampires, in previous editions I would just use the magnitude/age adjustments if I wanted a more powerful than bog standard monster. Is there a codified standard method or am I just going to have do work it out myself?
The DMG has an entire section on CR calculations that you can use as a codified standard method, but it's not monster-specific - it's a generic way to guesstimate a monster's CR. You'd still have to come up with specifics for what you want your monsters to do. As an example, the section covers how CR is impacted if a creature gains the ability to auto-grapple-restrain on melee hit, but you still have to decide if you want your ghosts to have that.
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Sorry if this has been asked before, I was just curious as to how others have been handling monsters that have age/power categories. Mostly I have been flummoxed on how to provide a good challenge to my players as they progress using Ghosts and Vampires, in previous editions I would just use the magnitude/age adjustments if I wanted a more powerful than bog standard monster. Is there a codified standard method or am I just going to have do work it out myself?
I don't believe there is currently a standard method, with only Dragons (and possibly a scant few others) having different stat blocks to represent different age groups. I do have a few solutions off the top of my head though!
First off, utilising existing stat blocks, and tweaking them so that they better match the idea in your head. Using the ghost as an example here, you could pick just about any monster in the Monster Manual and make it "ghostly", by giving it a ghost's flying speed, damage resistances and immunities, condition immunities, senses, and traits, plus the ghost's Etherealness, Horrifying Visage, and Possession actions (I would keep the monster's original offensive actions, but reflavour them with necrotic damage to be more in keeping with a ghost's spectral nature). If you wanted to keep with a ghost's traditional form, I would recommend using a humanoid monster (though not necessarily a "Humanoid"; a ghostly Arcanoloth or Fire Giant sounds just as awesome as a ghostly knight or archmage!). If you decided to use this method, I would recommend upping the DCs of the ghostly monster's new actions so that the threat they pose is still relevant (The current DC is set as 8 + the ghost's proficiency bonus of 2 + the ghost's Charisma modifier of 3, though you could certainly up it or lower it as you feel is appropriate, or tie it to a different ability score).
Alternatively, you can look for existing stat blocks that already fit what you're looking for. Using the ghost as an example again, a few alternatives I can think of are the CR 5 Wraith, or if you've got supplements, the CR 9 Jiangshi, or the terrifying CR 17 ghost dragon. This method just requires you to look for monsters that fit the theme you're after, but are more appropriate for the level your adventurers are at. Even by just tweaking a monster's description, you can get an interesting twist on what you're going for! For example, a fire elemental or Efreeti described in a spectral manner can become a flaming spirit, or a Storm Giant whose size you drop to Medium suddenly becomes a Vampire with a mastery over tempests! Remember, stat blocks are just packages of stats and abilities, and you can tweak those or present them however you need as the DM.
Another option is just reusing the normal statblocks, and increasing the difficulty via quantity, rather than quality. A swarm of a dozen ghosts flitting through the full cover of a haunted house's walls is nothing to sneeze at, and a Vampire is a lot more intimidating flanked by a pair of Death Knight bodyguards.
Finally, the tried and tested method which you've already mentioned: Homebrew. When in doubt, make your own monster. This can be as simple as doubling a monster's hit points and granting it a few extra attacks, plus possibly a couple legendary actions or resistances, to a full, scratch-built stat block that perfectly encapsulates the image in your mind.
And just as a parting note: Magic items! Always feel free to load up your monsters with magic items to up the challenge; a vorpal sword fits a vampire warrior perfectly, while a staff of the magi supplements a vampire spellcaster's magic to formidable levels.
Hope some of this helps :)) Apologies for the block of text!
The DMG has an entire section on CR calculations that you can use as a codified standard method, but it's not monster-specific - it's a generic way to guesstimate a monster's CR. You'd still have to come up with specifics for what you want your monsters to do. As an example, the section covers how CR is impacted if a creature gains the ability to auto-grapple-restrain on melee hit, but you still have to decide if you want your ghosts to have that.