PDA

View Full Version : [4e] Altering XP values for Minions and Soldiers



RebelRogue
2011-02-05, 06:31 AM
Someone (I'm almost sure it was Oracle_Hunter, but I couldn't fint the original post) suggested altering the XP values for these monster roles. IIRC, the suggestion was to cut Minion XP to 1/4 and adding 25% to Soldier XP. My questions are:

b) Is this a good idea, overall?
a) If yes, are these exact numbers good or do they need a little tweaking?

I personally like the idea, since minions are sort of weak for their XP values, while soldier do pack a punch.

Kurald Galain
2011-02-05, 06:47 AM
I haven't noticed any particular discrepancy about soldiers, but I agree that (most) minions aren't anywhere near the threat that their XP value would lead you to believe.

Generally, any autohit or zone effect annihilates minions before they can even blink, and a decent controller has plenty of such effects.

DragonBaneDM
2011-02-05, 12:02 PM
That doesn't sound too shabby!

Regardless of "low damage", Soldiers are tough to hit, and hit really easily. That alone makes them more dangerous than any other type of monster.

There are ways around this, of course. A lot of auto-damage and having a huge amount of HP in the frontrunning. But I agree. Minions are ridiculously easy to kill past a certain level, I'd argue 10, and soldiers are tough straight through the game.

Now here's my question: What about a Soldier Minion?

Fox Box Socks
2011-02-05, 12:09 PM
Minions are a lot like Tucker's Kobolds: it isn't that they're weak, you just have to know how to build them correctly.

You know what are really annoying?
-Minions that can turn invisible
-Minions with death triggers
-Minions that grapple
-Minions that drain healing surges
-Minions with threatening reach
-Minions that can deliver save-ends effects
-Monsters that create minions
-Minions that create other minions
-Minions that, when they die, split into two minions
-Minions that continue to pour onto the battlefield until the party satisfies condition X (they just KEEP EFFING COMING until the somebody can close that door)

Minions that do things are scary. Really scary. Scarier than solos scary. You just have to have them, you know, do things.

DragonBaneDM
2011-02-05, 12:13 PM
You know what are really annoying?
-Minions that can turn invisible
-Minions with death triggers
-Minions that grapple
-Minions that drain healing surges
-Minions with threatening reach
-Minions that can deliver save-ends effects
-Monsters that create minions
-Minions that create other minions
-Minions that, when they die, split into two minions
-Minions that continue to pour onto the battlefield until the party satisfies condition X (they just KEEP EFFING COMING until the somebody can close that door)


The Corruption Devil Minions are a great example of these, albeit their Epic Tier.

Also, the idea of a saving throw against automatic damage can make them a lot more survivable.