GITP Monster Competition Chat Thread

[RTGoodman]

My first ever entry to a competition, the Hidden Flame, is now up. I'm not entirely sure of the CR, though, any suggestions?

Well, there's no exact science to figuring out CR, but there are a couple of ways to do it. You can try to eyeball it and maybe playtest it, or you can use VT's method for determining it, found here. It's the method I usually use, and seems to be fairly good.

A challenge rating is how tough an encounter with this beast will be. Generally a creature of, say, a CR of 5 should be a standard challenge for a party of 4-5 5th level characters. To defeat this creature will cause them to use up roughly 1/4th to 1/3 their daily resources such as spells, potions, etc. This depends on the build of the party, their items, terrain, and many other factors, but in general it is more or less accurate.

Figuring out this challenge rating is the real fun part, and probably the most challenging bit of monster making. Its as much guestimating as anything, and there are no true rules to determine it exactly. Here is the closest method I've been able to come up with, though creatures with an enormous ammount of hit points or really low-leveled creatures will still be innacurate. The best way is to play-test the creature with parties of varying CR and find out which one most closely fits. Here though is the guestimator method:

#1. Divide creature's average HP by 4.5 to 6.5.
4.5 for 5 HD or lower, 5 for 6-10 HD, 5.5 for 11-15 HD, 6 for 16-20 HD., 6.5 for 20-25 HD.

#2. Add 1 for each five points above 10 its AC is, subtracting 1 for every 5 below.

#3. Add 1 for each special attack (+2 to +5 or more if its got a decent number of spells in its spell-like abilities).

#4. Add 1 for each quality unless you deem it worthy of more. Add 1 for each resistance and 10 points of DR it has, and 2 for each immunity. Subtract 1 for each vulnerability.

#5. Add 1 for every two bonus feats it has.

#6. Divide total by 3. This should be its rough CR.

[hylian chozo]

Thanks, it turns out that my guess was accurate. CR is around 5.

[Bhu]

Are templates allowed in the competition?

[BisectedBrioche]

Are templates allowed in the competition?

I don't think that they were allowed in previous ones. If its an aquired template you could create a creature which "spreads" it.

[Malachite]

Well there's my first too. Not particularly a monster as such, but it'd be a nice little random encounter or mini-plot arc.

[BisectedBrioche]

I like it, good job Malachite

[belboz]

A new aberrant horror for your delectation.

Comments, suggestions, criticisms, etc much appreciated.

[RS14]

Are templates allowed in the competition?

I was wondering the same thing. It turns out that VT clarified this here. Phooey.

[TheLogman]

I made a monster! Please PM any advice, critiques, fixes, ect.

[RS14]

The Spook is now up. Any comments are appreciated.

[Vaynor]

I made a monster! Please PM any advice, critiques, fixes, ect.

It's referencing Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy, correct?

Anyways, I like it. No time to look at in depth now, maybe later.

[Corncracker]

Just need Flavor Text and My Rift Demon is ready to roll.

The idea I built him off of is an alternate method of keeping out of site, and came up with the Idea that he'll hide in the rift between the dimensions, and from there launch an attack on his target.

In addition, his attacks have the ability to deaden ones senses, mostly helpful in those prolonged fights. :p

I like my Rift Demon.

[Stycotl]

the skratta-sker are up. i had fun with this one, as evidenced by its length...

[Duchess_of_Elysian]

The Glass Golem is up, just bare bones right now, will add the rest as I have time to get it written. I'm not very experienced at making monsters so I thought I would keep it simple. I'm happy with it, although I'm pretty sure the CR is way off.

[RS14]

The Glass Golem is up, just bare bones right now, will add the rest as I have time to get it written. I'm not very experienced at making monsters so I thought I would keep it simple. I'm happy with it, although I'm pretty sure the CR is way off.

That actually looks about right, using VT's method:

#1. Divide creature's average HP by 4.5 to 6.5.
4.5 for 5 HD or lower, 5 for 6-10 HD, 5.5 for 11-15 HD, 6 for 16-20 HD., 6.5 for 20-25 HD.

#2. Add 1 for each five points above 10 its AC is, subtracting 1 for every 5 below.

#3. Add 1 for each special attack (+2 to +5 or more if its got a decent number of spells in its spell-like abilities).

#4. Add 1 for each quality unless you deem it worthy of more. Add 1 for each resistance and 10 points of DR it has, and 2 for each immunity. Subtract 1 for each vulnerability.

#5. Add 1 for every two bonus feats it has.

#6. Divide total by 3. This should be its rough CR.

Could you explain how concealment and Transparency interact? Normally, you can spot an invisible creature with a DC 20 (or 30 if it is still) check, but you need a check of 40 (or 50) to deny it total concealment. Is that the case with the Glass Golem, or are the spot checks to deny it total concealment?

[Stycotl]

within the next couple o' days i might even get an illustration up of the skratta-sker. might. we'll see how time goes.

[Caracol]

I wanted to partecipate to this month's competition, but I didn't find time. When's the deadline?

[BisectedBrioche]

The contests usually end on the 20th, you have 2 days.

[belboz]

Well, there's no exact science to figuring out CR, but there are a couple of ways to do it. You can try to eyeball it and maybe playtest it, or you can use VT's method for determining it, found here. It's the method I usually use, and seems to be fairly good.

Any thoughts about the appropriate CR for the Gastrus? It's big and tough, but by VT's method it should have a CR of at least *33*. And it just plain doesn't have "epic monster" written all over it, in my estimation. I mean, I'd rather fight one of these guys than a Balor any day. No SR, no range, no intelligence, ponderous movement, immune only to acid (though that DR is a toughie)...just whack at it really hard (and quickly) or zap it and you're done, no? Or heck, teleport out of it and attack it from a distance. It's not like it's going to barrel after you at breakneck speeds.

[Stycotl]

edited skratta-sker. i had forgotten to link the venom feats to the post...

[Stycotl]

another edit of the skratta-sker. since i don't have any illustrations done yet myself, i linked the creature entry to some of my visual inspirations for the fey, the cover of the jethro tull album, broadsword and the beast, and one of the concept drawings of the goblins in the movie, labyrinth.

enjoy. aaron out.

[The Vorpal Tribble]

Hey guys, I'm in the process of settling in to my new life and may be slow about getting any of this done. Just got the internet today, but I have a million things going.

[Stycotl]

new life? internet? sounds like you moved. did you buy a house or anything cool?

my wife and i just bought a house (kind of a house. more like a fixer-upper project). we're currently doing the tear-everything-apart-so-that-we-can-fix-it-up-and-move-in dealio. fun stuff.

good luck. no rush. aaron out.

[BisectedBrioche]

The internet I understand, but what's this "life" thing VT seems to have obtained? Is it a PC component?

[The Vorpal Tribble]

To put it in a nutshell, I moved away from my state and family to help work on a music magazine that my best friend started and I am the head journalist of (see my signature and click the banner to get more info on that).

She and I moved in together into the house of another who is involved in the magazine that lives in a definite 'fixer upper' that is starting to look pretty nice. So now we're all roommates.

In fact, here is me and my girls at a Three Doors Down release party...

Spoiler

Show

[The Vorpal Tribble]

Alright folks, I'll have voting up tomorrow, and probably won't be having a June contest. July however will have one!

[The Vorpal Tribble]

Voting has been opened for Now You See Me...

I have decided to still run a June contest which should be up sometime in the next day.

[Paragon Badger]

For the Epic competition, is a templated creature applicable for the entry? The base creature is standard, yet the template itself is original.

I may scrap this idea, though... Have a few others flittering through my head.

[The Vorpal Tribble]

No, no templates

[BisectedBrioche]

The Woruldoomwere is now up, I'm still working on the story (I'm not particularly happy with what I've got so far though, I might scrap it and write a poem instead) but everything else is finished.