"Organization"

[shadow_archmagi]

So, a lot of creatures (example is the gnoll's entry) include something like this in their statblock:

ORGANIZATION: "Solitary, pair, hunting party (2-5 and 1-2 hyenas), band (10-100 plus 50% noncombatants plus 1 3rd-level sergeant per 20 adults and 1 leader of 4th-6th level and 5-8 hyenas), or tribe (20-200 plus 1 3rd-level sergeant per 20 adults, 1 or 2 lieutenants of 4th or 5th level, 1 leader of 6th-8th level, and 7-12 hyenas; underground lairs also have 1-3 trolls)"

What exactly is this useful for? I mean, is it just meant to save me the effort of figuring out how many gnolls I should have if I want to have the party attack a gnoll tribe? Does anyone use these?

[Claudius Maximus]

That's exactly what it's for, and I use them occasionally. So yeah.

[Umael]

You can also use it for a plot hook, if you are creative enough.

"Um, wait, what do you mean a PACK of dragons? I didn't think they did that..."

[shadow_archmagi]

On an unrelated note, I need a tribe of NPC brutes for my PCs to murder (plot hook is they've been hired to make the area safe for caravans).

Since this is their first fight in their first campaign with their first characters, I don't want to run Tucker's Kobolds type enemies. They first need to get the idea of straightforward slaughter.


Then, once they've gotten niiice and accustomed to it, I hit them with Tucker's Psionic Kobolds.

[Eldan]

It's just the last remaining bit of the ecology pages that used to come with monsters in earlier editions.

[Sstoopidtallkid]

What level? For 1 or so, Goblins.

Spoiler

Show

The party spots 1, probably kills it(Gobbo Expert[Scout]). Assuming they do so within 2 rounds(120' ahead of his band, 1/3 CR), they finish killing him just as 3 Gobbos burst out of the forest(3 Gobbo Warriors, CR 1). Track back to the Gobbo's base(or interrogate a captured one, or follow the hunting party back, or let one escape and follow him), and they come upon 5 Gobbos(mix of Warriors and Experts), dancing attendance on an Orc(either Barb or Warrior 1). He's abusive,hits the others and seems to rule through fear. Pretty soon after the party shows up, another 4 gobbos leave to investigate the party's attack on their raiders(either the raiders were supposed to check in by now, or one of the gobbos escaped). The party can either kill the gobbo investigators now, or after they deal with the camp, it doesn't matter overall(CR 4/3). Now what's obviously left in the camp is 1 gobbo(expert[cook]) and 1 Orc(either Barb or Warrior 1), with the gobbo likely not an issue(CR 1-2). After killing this, give the party a few rounds to heal and recover before they hear from one tent "Thok? Thok! I was woken! I left orders not to be DISTURBED!...Thok? Thok, ANSWER ME! What's...wrong?" At this point, the Gobbo Adept 4(CR 2), that any of the Gobbo's left alive(the cook, who is scared out of his mind, and has been babbling about 'the priest' the entire fight) will tell you had Thok under his sway(Command is always prepared, and would make Thok slit his own throat if it came to that), comes out of his tent, groggy and disoriented. Party probably gets surprise.

There. 4 encounters with CR 1-2, but hopefully none of them will be a real challenge, but they'll all feel dangerous, and should teach your n00bs about things like never taking the DM at face value in a non-Tucker way.

[bosssmiley]

It's just the last remaining bit of the ecology pages that used to come with monsters in earlier editions.

Those little snippets were fantastic plot generators back in the days when the concept of Gygaxian Naturalism was understood and respected. Losing them was one of the worst things the 3E MM did.