What is the proper Attribute Array?

[HouseRules]

SRD Monsters

Among the playable Monster Race (not cohort):

13 Warriors (Standard Array 13, 12, 11, 10, 9, 8)
36 Extra 11 (11, 11, 11, 11, 10, 10)
48 Average Array (11, 11, 11, 10, 10, 10)
Troglodyte (11, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10)

[Doctor Awkward]

All monsters are created using the default array unless their stat block specifically says otherwise.

If a stat is odd, it started as an 11, if it's even it started as a 10. To get a creature's racial ability score modifiers you would subtract 10 or 11 from each stat above 10.

Was that the question?

[HouseRules]

It's more along the lines of most things have 3 sets of 11's and 3 sets of 10's. Why do some of them have 4 sets of 11's?

[ericgrau]

10's & 11s or sometimes standard array are what you're supposed to use for typical monsters. DM's choice: http://www.d20srd.org/srd/improvingMonsters.htm#abilityScoreArrays

Elite opponents get the elite array, NPC WBL, PC class levels (if any class levels) and a much higher CR.


It's more along the lines of most things have 3 sets of 11's and 3 sets of 10's. Why do some of them have 4 sets of 11's?
An author was in a purple mood that day? It doesn't really matter.

[Recherché]

It's more along the lines of most things have 3 sets of 11's and 3 sets of 10's. Why do some of them have 4 sets of 11's?

The array is whatever combination of 10s and 11s required to make all the racial attribute modifiers even numbers. Notice how none of the PC race versions have odd numbers in what they add or subtract from attributes? It's not accidental.

[Temotei]

If they have many Hit Dice, they may have increased an ability score at 4/8/12/etc.

[HouseRules]

Nope, that's the issue. The creatures ignore the gains from hit dice for many of those monsters.

[Mike Miller]

Monsters don't gain attribute increases from HD.

[KillianHawkeye]

Monsters don't gain attribute increases from HD.

They sure do if you advance them beyond their starting HD.

[Mike Miller]

They sure do if you advance them beyond their starting HD.

I was referring to their stat blocks. Perhaps I should have been more clear.

[Endril_69]

I had wondered about this myself. I always thought it was just 10x3 and 11x3 to equal out the 3d6 average of 10.5. But after seeing how many get that extra 11, it looks like they just assigned ability scores that felt right rather than making them 3 odd 3 even so they fit. The 13 to 8 array makes more sense for races that have to use a class level instead of racial hit die.

[ericgrau]

Perhaps monsters just have what they have, and the 10s and 11s things is only for conversion into PC races because they don't want odd ability score bonuses in PC races. A monster with a 17 didn't "roll" an 11. If anything it's a pseudo +7 or +6.5.

I wish they simply did away with odd ability scores or that creatures only had modifiers and no ability scores at all.

[HouseRules]

Old school modifiers (Attribute Score)/3 - 3. With some adjustment for copyright so it does not fit the formula exactly.

New school modifiers (Attribute Score)/2 - 5.