Scaling Monsters
Monster Power Scaling
Not every Goblin encountered by a group of adventurers needs to be identical to every other Goblin. Some creatures are tougher, stronger, or more dangerous than others.
Monsters that present a serious threat to beginning adventurers may become little more than an inconvenience after those characters gain several levels or acquire magical weapons.
Monster Power Scaling provides the Game Master with a simple way to increase the difficulty of an existing creature without creating an entirely new Bestiary entry.
A monster may be increased by one or more Power Levels, written as +1, +2, +3, and so forth. Each Power Level increases the creature’s Hit Points and offensive capabilities while leaving many of its original statistics unchanged.
Adjustments per Power Level
| Statistic | Adjustment |
|---|---|
| Hit Points | +1 Hit Die and +1 HP |
| Attack Scores | +1 to all Attack Scores |
| Defense Score | No change |
| Attack Targets | No change |
| Defense Target | No change |
| Limited-use Tactics | +1 use for every 2 Power Levels |
| Limited-use Powers | +1 use for every 2 Power Levels |
| Spell and Power Damage | +1 damage per Power Level |
| Experience Points | +10% of the original XP per Power Level |
| Other Statistics | No change |
Hit Points
Each Power Level adds one Hit Die of the same type already used by the creature, plus 1 additional Hit Point.
For example, a creature with 4d6+2 Hit Points becomes:
- +1 Power: 5d6+3 Hit Points
- +2 Power: 6d6+4 Hit Points
- +3 Power: 7d6+5 Hit Points
Creatures using another type of Hit Die continue using that same die. A creature with d3 Hit Dice, for example, continues adding d3s as its Power Level increases.
Attack Scores
Increase every Attack Score possessed by the creature by 1 for each Power Level. Attack Targets remain unchanged.
For example, a creature that normally attacks at 5d6 at 4+ attacks at 8d6 at 4+ when increased to +3 Power.
Defenses
Power Levels do not normally increase a creature’s Defense Score or alter its Defense Target.
More powerful creatures are harder to kill because of their increased Hit Points and more dangerous because of their improved Attack Scores, but they do not become progressively more difficult to hit.
Tactics and Powers
When a Tactic or Power has a limited number of uses, increase those uses by 1 for every 2 Power Levels.
For example, a Power normally usable (3) times may be used (4) times by a +2 or +3 creature, and (5) times by a +4 or +5 creature.
Tactics and Powers without a limited number of uses are unaffected.
Spell and Power Damage
Damage caused by a creature’s Spells and Powers increases by 1 for each Power Level.
For example, a Spell that normally inflicts 2d6+3 damage inflicts 2d6+6 damage when used by a creature at +3 Power.
Experience Points
A creature’s XP value increases according to its total Power Level. Multiply its original XP value by the amount shown below.
| Power Level | XP Multiplier |
|---|---|
| +1 | ×1.5 |
| +2 | ×2 |
| +3 | ×3 |
| +4 | ×4 |
| +5 | ×6 |
| +6 | ×8 |
Round fractions to the nearest whole number. For example, an Ork normally worth 300 XP is worth 1,800 XP when increased to +5 Power.
Other Statistics
Unless specifically adjusted by the Game Master, Ability Scores, Initiative, Awareness, Morale, Movement Speed, Immunities, Resistances, Weaknesses, ranges, and other statistics remain unchanged.
The Game Master may improve a creature’s Ability Scores but should do so sparingly. Remember to adjust the creature’s modifiers and any affected Attack or Defense Targets.
Scaling Example
Consider a monster with the following statistics:
- Hit Points: 6d6+2
- Attack Score: 5
- Attack Target: 4+
- Defense Score: 4
- Defense Target: 5+
- Power: (2) 1d6+1 damage
Increasing the creature to +5 Power produces the following:
- Hit Points: 11d6+7
- Attack Score: 10
- Attack Target: 4+
- Defense Score: 4
- Defense Target: 5+
- Power: (4) 1d6+6 damage
The creature’s Defense Target, Attack Target, Ability Scores, and other statistics remain unchanged.
Power Scaling preserves a creature’s basic identity. A +5 Goblin is still fundamentally a Goblin; it represents an exceptionally dangerous example capable of threatening adventurers who would ordinarily have little difficulty dealing with its kind.
This allows the Game Master to continue using familiar creatures throughout a campaign without rebuilding their statistics or replacing them simply because the adventurers have become more powerful.