Abilities / Focuses Fantasy AGE – Monster Creation/Balance Guide Monster Abilities are similar, but slightly different v.0.31 to PC Abilities. When building a monster, keep in mind the important bits. -- Accuracy : Gives a bonus 'to hit' with ranged attacks. (Lv.X Monster Name – Difficulty) Communication : Unless your monster is intelligent enough to talk, giving Focuses or even points in here is Abilities / Focuses only important for flavor. 0 Accuracy 0 Communication Dexterity : Allows for the Focuses 'Running', 'Stamina', 0 Constitution and 'Swimming' and will adjust a Monster's defense. 0 Dexterity 0 Fighting Fighting : Gives a bonus 'to hit' with melee attacks. 0 Intelligence 0 Perception Intelligence : Adjusts damage and ability to use 0 Strength magjyickal attacks. Important for magjyickal based 0 Willpower monsters. Also determines number of attacks the monster is capable of. Combat Attributes Defense HP Speed Armour Perception : Important for PCs who prefer to stealth after a failed encounter, or sneak up to their enemies. Animalistic monsters may have a heightened Perception for hunting prey. Attacks Strength : Increases damage on successful attacks. Willpower : Used to resist a large number of magjyickal attacks from PCs or other monsters. Stunts Stunt Name Stunt Abilities Extra Building Abilities / Focuses For the sake of balance against PCs, monsters will be built with a set of numbers similar to them. These numbers are based off of a 'Difficulty System' similar to Draugrs & Dank Places' Monster Level (Lv.X) Challenge Rating. -- Many times in this document, 'Monster Level' will Easy : These monsters are weak enough to be be referenced. This is either a static number considered non-entities, or are built for swarm decided before monster creation, or the average of tactics. the PCs' total levels. Normal : Built around player's levels and focusing on balanced combat. This difficulty is what most monsters should be focused on. Tough : Covering more difficult encounters, or HP : The amount of damage before a monster something akin to 'mid-bosses'. Tough monsters are perishes from combat. stronger than PCs at their own level, but can be destroyed with good tactics and teamwork! Unlike PCs, monsters do not get the negative HP rule, so keep this in mind! Brutal : Bossses, NPCs that are natural leaders or masters of their dungeons, but still killable. This is Average Monster HP should be ([Monster Level + the maximum a monster that can be while still Constitution] *1d6) + (Constitution * Monster being somewhat fair to fight. Level) Attribute Points / Focus Pools Speed : The number of yards a monster can cover in a combat round. (Or outside of combat, how fast Monsters should have attribute points that they can they can run around in general) pull from during creation. -- Average PC speed is 10 yards/5 spaces. (9.3333...) NOTE : Focuses are worth 1 Attribute points from the monster's pool. Average Monster Speed is Dex + 8, adjust to taste. Easy : 6 Ability Points + Monster Level Armor : Natural or made shielding that prevents an amount of damage from weapons or magjyickal Normal : 9 Ability Points + Monster Level attacks. (This is based off the same number that PCs get) Average PCs only have armor unless they buy Tough : 12 Ability Points + Monster Level equipment. Fighters start with 4, but none have it built in currently. Brutal : 14 Ability Points + Monster Level Average Monster Armor should be Monster Level/2 Combat Attributes rounded up. Attacks The ability of monsters in combat could be considered the meat and potatoes of monster creation. However getting too overzealous would Monster attacks are the hardest part to truly make unfair encounters, so keep the following balance. Balancing them against the nearest 'Close things in mind! Enough' weapon is the easiest arbitration at this -- point Defense : The target number to hit the monster in question. However, it is important to note that average player combat for a level 1 character of any class, Based off of the average results for 3d6 (10 – 11) including their bonuses to Strength is 1d6+5, so and the average PC defense (11), a monster should your Monster should be in line with this, if you have something based off of this. want it to be balanced. Average Monster Defense should be 11 + Monster Level + Dex. to handle. Number of Attacks Intelligence ≥ 2 A Monster should have access to a number of attacks equal to their Intelligence + Monster Level. A monster with 2 or greater Intelligence is smarter If they have zero or lower in this Attribute, then the than not only your average bear, but your average only one they should have access to is 'Dangerous PC. appendage' Combat Tactics : At this point, a monster will have several attacks, possibly even magjyycks at their Monster Tactics disposal. They will work together, form small decisions and Based on a Monster's Intelligence, they should have access to a different level of combat ability. Battle Tactics Naturally the smarter a Monster is, the more they can do to get their target. -- Many Monsters go into battle with one strategy 'Go Intelligence ≤ -1 to X, attack Y, die Z' but some Monsters (pending This monster is incapable of making major tactical on their intelligence) have a strategy. When making decisions. your Monster, the final step is to fill in any special effects from attacks, or tactical ability of monsters. Combat Tactics : With less than or only negative one Intelligence, this Monster should move in, and I often come into combat with monsters that have attack. Anything else is reserved for smarter full tactics out. This means that players can form Monsters. their own stratagem to deal with my monsters. But that's not for everyone! Intelligence 0 This monster has a normal Intelligence, and is capable of making minor tactical decisions. Combat Tactics : A Monster with 0 Intelligence is not capable of major tactical decisions, but can use the combat action 'Charge' if within range of a target. Intelligence 1 This monster has an above-average intelligence (Average among non-specialized PCs) Combat Tactics : This monster is capable of any tactical combat maneuver that a PC is. Additionally, if they are doing no damage, they may be keen on breaking away and swapping targets. Additionally, Monsters at this level will run away when they know the situation is 'too much' for them.