Creature template to challenge large parties

[Darazel]

Hello everyone,

my group currently consists of 6 players. We just switched campaigns and are picking up again with characters from a couple of years back, who are just entering mid-level territory (party level 8). I noticed that with 6 players, encounters need to beef up quite a bit (that was expected), but also encounters against single, powerful foes are often dysfunctional easy compared to larger groups of weaker foes, even when the EL is about the same (I realize the Encounter Level system is wonky).

I am strongly suspecting that the discrepancy regarding available actions (action economy) is a major factor in this (as it often is in other gaming systems). I therefore created a template that I hope will help mitigate the problem a bit by addressing available actions directly. I just want to be able (from time to time) to drop individual foes in front of the six guys and still want to have an exciting combat experience.

As I am not experienced in creating homebrew material, feedback would be appreciated. Thanks.


Formidable Creature
Formidable creatures can appear anywhere, but especially where the plot or other dramatic aspects call for an interesting encounter, whithout the option of
deploying multiple creatures.

Creating A Formidable Creature
"Formidable" is an inherited template that can be added to any creature.

A formidable creature uses all the base creature’s statistics and abilities except as noted here. Do not recalculate the creature’s Hit Dice, base attack bonus, saves,
or skill points if its type changes.

Special Qualities
A formidable creature retains all the special qualities of the base creature and also gains the following.

Quick To Act (Ex): A formidable creature gains a +5 bonus to initiative.

One Man Party (Ex): A formidable creature gains a second round worth of actions per turn, on the initiative count 10 points lower than its actual initiative result.
It can spend its full allotment of actions on each activation. Swift actions can be spent once per activation. Immediate actions deplete the swift action that would
normally be available at the next activation only. Effects that would normally be in place until the creatures next round are only in effect until its next activation
(e.g. AC penalty after charging). Effect and spell durations tracked in full rounds are handled normally (and therefore are in effect for the double amount of activations
compared to normal creatures). When conducting actions that take multiple rounds (e.g. casting spells with a casting time of 1 round or more), each activation
reduces the remaining duration of the activity by one round. Therefore, if activation 1 (on initiative 22) is spent beginning to cast Summon Monster I, the summoned
monster would appear directly before activation 2 (immediately before initiative 12). A formidable creature can spend a full round worth of actions during a surprise round.

Avoid Overcomplication (Ex): A formidable creature cannot delay. It can prepare actions, but the action only stays readied until its next activation. The formidable
template has no effects outside of combat.

Challenge Rating
Same as base creature +1.

Level Adjustment
Same as the base creature +3.

[Kayblis]

This is a cool application of many useful tips for big groups, "The boss is two orcs". There are very few creatures that have something similar, namely the Demon Prince Demogorgon has two heads with different personalities and rolls two initiatives to act twice each round. This idea of acting on an init of 10 lower is a good lower version of rolling twice.

I believe you shouldn't add LA to the template, though, as it makes it seem that players can pick it up somehow. A +1 to CR is decent if you care to calculate CR at all, because the 6-man group has way more resources and actions than the usual 4-man balanced party the books expect.

[Darazel]

I believe you shouldn't add LA to the template, though, as it makes it seem that players can pick it up somehow.

Good point, and I absolutely agree. However, not providing a LA somehow felt incomplete. Personally, as a DM I would not allow this template for players, except for a party of only 1 or maybe 2 players.


A +1 to CR is decent if you care to calculate CR at all, because the 6-man group has way more resources and actions than the usual 4-man balanced party the books expect.

I have been using CRs as a baseline for years, therefore I wanted to define how I will include this template in my calculations. I am still utilizing the EL system for determining appropriate encounters, although in my mind I adjust the party level by +1 for each character beyond 4. Therefore, a 'typical' encounter for the 6-people level 8 party is currently EL 10. It works well enough as an approximation.

Thanks for your feedback!

[King of Nowhere]

I think it's worth a +2 to challenge rate. And a party of 6 is easily worth a +2 to the effective party level, so they balance out. the monster now has more actions compared to a party of 4 (1 monster round for every 3 player rounds, as opposed to 1 every 4), but the monster still has its limited hit points.

Do note that another problem with a large party is to make a challenging encounter without being deadly. As there are 6 characters, they need a stronger foe, and a stronger foe is more likely to kill one of them. Also mathematically expressed as "to have a death in a party of 4, you need to kill 25% of the party. In a party of 6, only 17% of the party need to die".
Basically, if your monster acts twice in a round, it may not save him from 6 pc worth of trying to kill it, but it will hurt whoever it focuses really fast.

This is not a problem if you are ok with increased lethality or decreased challenge. if you want to still deplete party resources without too much risk of character death, I suggest looking for area effects. A nice fireball won't kill anyone in the party, but it will still hurt everyone.

[MaxiDuRaritry]

The template should add some (temp?) hp, improve (touch?) AC, and boost saves against anything that would trip the freedom of movement or protection from evil switches (or perhaps rerolls?). That would give more survivability against the damage and other debilitating effects that the extra party members would be able to inflict when the whole party focuses on it.

[PraxisVetli]

I'm currently running with 7 Gestalt, so I feel your pain.

Definitely up the CR for them. With 6 players, that group is a party and a half. I personally would up things 1-3 CR, depending on how experienced your group is. You know them better than we do.

Another thing that can help is take a look at Legendary and Lair actions from 5e. It allows for the creature to act at the end of other creatures turns. It can perform an action off a list, then once it's Init comes, it takes it's actual turn. The creature gets an attack worth each 1, 2, and 3 points. It gets 3 points each round, to be used as needed.
Think certain charge based magic items.

It can make for a terrifying twist in the encounter if your players don't know it's coming. Though obviously not all groups like that kind of surprise.

I've used this on particularly impressive beasts in the world, those few that have risen above the standard food chain. It really helps define that individual as something, well, Legendary. Incidentally, those usually are the type that would be wandering solo.

For example my players encountered a Tyrannosaurus that I had put the Monster of Legend template on. It's Legendary actions were:
1 point: Make a bite attack
2 points: Tail Sweep attack
3 points: Roar, Will vs Panicked

Nothing puts you on your toes like having your paladin charge up and lance, then watching the monstrosity reach down and Snatch and Swallow your Pally ON THEIR TURN.
Pure fear, man. Absolute terror. Made what should have been a bag of HP's they could out-perform into a raging monster they had to be wary of.

[HouseRules]

Lanchester Equations give the two boundary of optimization.

Lanchester Square Law - Theoretical Optimization (TO) Squaring The party size.
Lanchester Linear Law - Theoretical Pessimization (TP) The Party Size.

Then there is the stupid average of the two - the Triangular Law.

What that means is the following

Party Size Triangular Square
1 1 1
2 3 4
3 6 9
4 10 16
5 15 25
6 21 36
7 28 49
8 36 64
9 45 81
10 55 100
11 66 121
12 78 144
13 91 169
14 105 196
15 120 225
16 136 256
17 153 289
18 171 324
19 190 361
20 210 400


Since a party of 4 has three values (TP) 4 (A) 10 (TO) 16, we look at the ratio (16:4 = 4) and see a range of +4 EL to -0 EL based upon how well the party interacts.
Technically, the game assumes that Lanchester Linear Law holds, and that is why there is no experience bonus for simultaneous multiple enemies.