Advancing/Optimizing and Homebrewing monsters

[Yogibear41]

Today I was working up a custom monster(well sort of) for a game world I've been working on. However, when I came to picking/assigning its ability scores and feats I wasn't exactly sure how I should assign/pick them. Should I just pick any ole random feats? Should I pick feats that would actually be beneficial to the monsters combat? Should I just go with a standard 11,11,11,10,10,10 stat array, should I use the elite array? etc. and so on.

How much of a CR increase is picking good feats worth, if any? When should one use an elite array instead of the standard one?

Just for a bases of what to go off of, I made a feral Satyr, now I know it technically can't be applied and all that but its homebrew stuff so yeah.

Anyway, I ended up just using the base satyrs scores from the MM(which run of the standard 11,10... etc. array) ended up with 14,11,14,8,15,13 after feral modifier, however I switched up the Satyrs feats gained, kept the alterness base because they get it for free as a racial feat, but replaced its feats chosen of dodge, and mobility with weapon focus: claw and great fortitude. Now I know those aren't exactly super feats or anything but I thought they were better than what it started with.

Anyway following the listed Cr and adjustments for the template and such it ended up as a CR 4(no pipes), with dr5/cold iron fast healing 3 Fort+5,Ref+4,Will+6 AC 16, Touch,10 FF, 16 pretty good spot, listen, move silently, and hide checks, but only a +5 to hit with its claws and a -1 to hit with its headbutt (made it secondary) anyway I know I'm rambling here a bit. But essentially my question boils down to how much a CR increase would it be for me to use the elite array, or even just a 32 point buy build? What about picking really good feats? Or even changing its skill selection to be more optimized?


EDIT: hmm upon re-reading the MM on advancing monsters it appears the "elite array" is worth a +1 to CR

[Thomar_of_Uointer]

Its ability scores should be whatever they need to be to give the monster the AC, HP, to-hit, damage, and save DCs which are appropriate for its CR and HD. Same for feats.

Some feats that would be appropriate, like Power Attack, will drastically affect the above modifiers. You can always skip the problem by picking garbage feats like Awareness and Skill Focus. Do note that you can use feats like Weapon Focus to lower the monsters offensive attributes (between Power Attack and Weapon Focus, you can fine-tune the monster's damage and to-hit ratios pretty well). Give it mental ability scores that represent how it thinks, acts, and interacts.

Ultimately, those abilities are not player-facing, so they only matter in rare circumstances.

[Phelix-Mu]

You should always gear the monster toward
a.) its role in the encounter/campaign/world. Thus, if its a common race that fills a role similar to normal humans, then I'd peg it with the standard array (barring some kind of gestalt world with higher averages working); actually, I almost never give the standard array to anything I expect anyone to ever fight using the mechanics of the game; pcs deserve to fight at least the elite array, in my experience. Generally in 3e, pc dominance means that this kind of bone thrown to the monsters won't even register for much (except in unusual combats...very large or very long encounters mean that a change in ability scores has more impact).

b.) a somewhat sensible role for a creature of the type you are making. If it's a huge, six-legged predator lizard, then it probably should have an animal/magical beast-like stat array (higher Wisdom than Int is the main feature here). Fluff is highly mutable, of course, but you should always pick something in line with the setting, the plot, and the campaign. As such, certain optimization is silly; Travel Devotion is really good for some monsters, but it wouldn't make much sense if the creature is just some kind of predator. Rather, just give it a monster ability replicating any feat you want but which sounds weird, and then toss more utility-based feats on it (remember, if the monster is destined for combat, make sure it has at least one or two feats that will be useful to it...Item Creation feats are really useful, but the monster may never get to showcase them if it's dead in under three rounds).

Otherwise, I just try to throw the biggest can of whoop ass at the players that I can get away with. I'm a big believer in the Law of the Jungle.:smallamused: