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 Monsters
as Characters
Okay,
so everyone (pretty much) likes the idea of
playing monsters as characters now and then.
Including me. But figuring out their equivalent
level is tough. Here are a few tips:
1.
Ignore CR. The factors that go into making a
good challenge and a good PC are so different
that, really, CR is no help. Why is that? Good
designers know that a monster is only "on
the scene" for a very short while -- usually
just a few rounds.
So,
for example, it shouldn't make much difference
to a monster's CR if it has a spell-like ability
usable at will or usable once per day. And there's
virtually no difference between a monster being
able to use it at will and being able to use
it three times per day. However, the distinction
makes a huge difference when you are a PC, someone
who's "on the scene" in every encounter.
Further, if a powerful creature has access to
a plethora of spell-like abilities (like a balor),
that really doesn't affect its CR too heavily,
because it will only use three or four of them
in a given encounter. But that kind of flexibility
matters a lot to a PC. These are just a couple
of examples.
2.
Read everything the DMG has to say on the subject
of balancing races. Then read everything it
has to say about balancing classes and levels.
The reason for this latter advice is that you
need to look at monsters as classes. If I'm
playing an ogre, it's sort of like I've multiclassed
out of ogre and into whatever class I've taken.
3.
Look at a monster's ability score modifiers,
Hit Dice, natural armor, damage, and special
abilities. Pay very close attention to the following
things:
- Huge
Strength (or any high stat, but Strength can
unbalance a character the quickest)
- Spell
resistance
- Damage
reduction
- Invisibility
- Etherealness
- Poison
- Wings
Any
of the above factors can throw a game way out
of balance very quickly.
The
following abilities are more manageable (but
still really good to have), because they are
less generally applicable or are more in line
with abilities that regular characters can get:
- Elemental
resistance
- Amphibious/water
breathing
- Scent
- Improved
grab
- Darkvision
- Skill
bonuses (and other things that normal races
give a PC)
4.
Now, consider the monster's abilities and compare
them to the abilities of various classes. Every
2 points of Strength, for example, is almost
like a +1 base attack bonus (plus, remember
high HD creatures already have a base attack
bonus). Spell resistance is a spell that
normal PCs don't get until they are 9th level.
Don't
be too worried about abilities that work once
per day. Having one is a lot like being able
to cast that spell (so that's pretty easy to
balance). Use the minimum caster level for the
ability as a starting point for determining
a level equivalency for a monster with magical
powers.
Be
very worried about spell like abilities usable
at will. That's way better than even a high-level
sorcerer can do. If I can effectively cast blindness
at will, like a nymph (in an area, no less),
that's WAY better than being able to cast the
spell. The only reason that a nymph might be
allowable as a PC at all is because she has
to turn off that ability most of the time to
avoid hurting her party. The nymph's blindness
ability is more like a 6th-level spell, really.
And her death-dealing ability is like an 8th-level
spell (sort of like destruction, but
again, it's in an area). And she can do it all
the time. So 15th level is our starting place
for a nymph.
On
the other hand, she has very few hit points,
and no special Armor Class. So 15th level is
a little unfair, perhaps.
On still the other hand (we're dealing with
monsters, so we can have three hands, right?),
she casts spells like a 7th-level druid. So
the nymph is like a 7th-level druid with a glass
jaw and a couple of really overpowered magic
items. Probably something like a 10th-level
character equivalent. Even then, I'm not sure
I'd allow a nymph PC in my campaign. She'll
be killing things left and right, and the rest
of the party will have to take steps continually
to make sure she's not taken out by even the
wimpiest fireball. (The moral: Not all monsters
make good PCs, even if you come up with an appropriate
level equivalent.)
Let's
take another example. Something hard. Something
weird. How about a vrock? Okay, he's got 8 HD,
so that's a base attack bonus of +8. He's got
a +8 Strength modifier, so that's like another
+4. Already, he's in the 10th-level range. (Sure,
a 6th-level fighter has a +12 attack bonus too,
but that's because he's got Strength-enhancing
magic, good feats, and a good magic weapon --
the vrock can get all those too.) He doesn't
have the feats of a fighter, though, but he
does have lots of natural attacks that do decent
damage. That's almost a wash. So he's sort of
like a 10th-level fighter, let's say.
But
he's got SR at 22. A 11th-level cleric casting
spell resistance gets SR 22, and that's
got a shorter duration. He's got damage reduction
20/+2, so that means that he can ignore the
attacks of your average low-level fighter or
dire animal. Just ignore them completely --
like they weren't even there. And, holy cats!
He can cast mass charm at will. He can cast
mirror image and teleport without
error -- at friggin' will. That's all beyond
a 12th-level fighter. Couple that with tanar'ri
resistances and immunities, and the vrock's
more like a multiclass fighter/sorcerer 10/7.
At least. So I'd say 17th level.
So
would a vrock make a good 17th level character?
I'd say probably. He won't be nearly as good
a fighter as the fighter, and he won't be nearly
as good a sorcerer as the sorcerer, but he's
got a lot of flexibility (and a smart player
will have a field day with teleport without
error and mirror image at will).
So, I'll stand behind that 17th-level figure
and would happily play a vrock in a 17th-level
party.
So
there you have it. Some things to think about
as you get started. Is it easy? In a word, no.
It's very hard. Look at every factor of the
monster, and make lots of comparisons to things
already in the system. Good luck.
Illustration
by Unseelie Court
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