Making Minions out of Molehills 4th ed

[HMS Invincible]

I believe someone came up with good rules for turning standard monsters into minions. Can someone copypasta?

Also, has anyone tried giving minions range attacks? I know they've done it once in the MM(2?)

[dr.cello]

I was under the impression minions were just monsters with one hit point?

[Anyr]

Plenty of minions already have ranged attacks. Are you certain that you're clear on the definition of what makes a minion?

[Dhavaer]

I was under the impression minions were just monsters with one hit point?

They also do a set amount of damage and take no damage on a miss.

[HMS Invincible]

Plenty of minions already have ranged attacks. Are you certain that you're clear on the definition of what makes a minion?

I only know about the trident seapeople that get to throw their trident once for a range attack. Page numbers and examples?

[RTGoodman]

I only know about the trident seapeople that get to throw their trident once for a range attack. Page numbers and examples?

Decrepit skeleton (MM, has a shortbow ranged basic attack), kobold minion (MM, javelin RBA), halfling stout (MM, sling RBA), gnoll minion (RPGA Blades for Daggerdale, longbow ranged attack), orc pyromaniac (Dragon 374, flaming pitch ranged attack), and a ton more, according to the Compendium.

[Ninetail]

I believe someone came up with good rules for turning standard monsters into minions. Can someone copypasta?

My method:

Take a monster. Say a shadow hound, for instance.

Reduce its hp to 1.

Take its attacks and figure an average-ish damage. A minion always does constant damage. The shadow hound's bite normally does 1d8 + 4 damage, so a shadow hound minion's bite could do 7 or 8 damage (just lower than average).

Reduce its number of powers. Keep its basic attack, and keep its most defining power, but ditch the rest. In the case of the shadow hound, you might choose to discard Baying and keep Shadow Ambush (changing its effect to a constant bonus, say +3). If you think both of them are defining, you can keep them both; this is mainly a guideline to simplify running the minion.

Cut its xp value to minion standards.

This method works really well for any heroic-level monster I've tried it on, and more than a few paragon-level monsters too.

[Thajocoth]

Also increase each defense by 2. Minions are a little harder to hit. A good example is to compare the monster Black Pudding with Black Pudding Spawn (both MM2, Ooze section.) The spawn is just a conversion of BP to a minion. It's kept only 1 attack, one other ability, +2 to all defenses, reduced xp val and reduced to 1hp (immune to miss damage). It also keeps it's resists, init, perception and such.

If you need an example of a ranged minion, Orc Pyromaniac. I forget what dragon mag... They're listed as "minion artillery" instead of just "minion".

[Ninetail]

Also increase each defense by 2.

Ah, forgot that.

Though even if you don't, it'll still work out fine for a quick improvised encounter.

[Decoy Lockbox]

My method:

Take a monster. Say a shadow hound, for instance.

Reduce its hp to 1.

Take its attacks and figure an average-ish damage. A minion always does constant damage. The shadow hound's bite normally does 1d8 + 4 damage, so a shadow hound minion's bite could do 7 or 8 damage (just lower than average).

Reduce its number of powers. Keep its basic attack, and keep its most defining power, but ditch the rest. In the case of the shadow hound, you might choose to discard Baying and keep Shadow Ambush (changing its effect to a constant bonus, say +3). If you think both of them are defining, you can keep them both; this is mainly a guideline to simplify running the minion.

Cut its xp value to minion standards.

This method works really well for any heroic-level monster I've tried it on, and more than a few paragon-level monsters too.

I'm suprised they didn't add this stuff into the DMG/MM, but it seems most DMs figure it out on their own.

In the first game I ran, I decided that minions would do regular monster damage...yeah, that didn't go so well, but it was freaking hilarious when the halfling rogue lost a 1 on 1 fight versus a minion because he kept missing.