Monster creation

Leveling Up

Use these guidelines to raise an existing monster by one or more levels.

  1. Raise its attack bonuses and defenses by 1 per added level.
  2. For damage, hp, and related special abilities (like healing), multiply the monster’s stats accordingly:
Levels Added Damage Multiplier
+1 level x 1.25
+2 levels x 1.6
+3 levels x 2.0
+4 levels x 2.5
+5 levels x 3.2
+6 levels x 4.0

Monster Creation

Initiative

Establish a monster’s initiative bonus by adding its level to a modifier between –1 and +9.

Modifier Speed Example
–1 Super-slow and utterly clumsy oozes, zombies
+0 Slow and clumsy animated statues
+1 Awkward or small city guards, dire rats
+2 Average hellhound, human thug
+3 Just above average derro sage
+4 Quick owlbear
+5 Fast wyvern
+6 Really fast gnoll ranger
+7 Fast like a fast PC ogre mage
+8 Blindingly fast rakshasa
+9 Competing with the rogue  

Attack Bonus

Add or subtract 1 to adjust how accurate a monster is.

Strike Damage

Orient yourself around the average damage for a monster’s attack at any given level. When it comes to large (or double-strength) or huge (or triple-strength) monsters, you don’t have to put all their damage into one strike. Split damage up into smaller attacks or use conditional follow-up attacks.

HP & AC

Use the defense numbers as the top-end rather than the baseline unless you want the difficulty to scale up.

Better Defense/Lesser Defense

Make either PD or MD better than the other, in general.

Fear Threshold

If the monster has a fear ability, it’s the number of hit points where creatures are dazed (–4 attack) while engaged with the monster and can’t use the escalation die. It’s based on level, so that higher-level monsters are more fearsome.

Stat Adjustments

Ad hoc adjustments work fine when limited to adjustments of 1 or 2 points. If you raise a couple scores, drop a couple others.

If you want to add a full level to a monster

  • and you only want to boost its attack: Give the monster a +6 attack boost.
  • and you only want to boost AC: Give the monster a +6 AC boost.
  • and you only want to increase the monster’s hit points: Double the monster’s hit points.
  • and you only want to increase the damage the monster deals: Add a second attack or ongoing damage.
  • and you only want to increase every stat: Add +1 to attack, +1 to all defenses, multiply its damage output by 1.25, and multiply its hit points by 1.25.

Powers to Avoid

Avoid defensive powers that make it harder for the monsters to be killed unless there’s an offense to unlock the defense.

Baseline Stats for Normal Monsters

Monster Level Attack Bonus Strike Damage HP AC Better Defense Lesser Defense Fear threshold (HP)
0 5 4 20 16 14 10 7
1 6 5 27 17 15 11 9
2 7 7 36 18 16 12 12
3 8 10 45 19 17 13 15
4 9 14 54 20 18 14 18
5 10 18 72 21 19 15 24
6 11 21 90 22 20 16 30
7 12 28 108 23 21 17 36
8 13 38 144 24 22 18 48
9 14 50 180 25 23 19 60
10 15 58 216 26 24 20 72
11 16 70 288 27 25 21 96
12 17 90 360 28 26 22 120
13 18 110 432 29 27 23 144

14

19 135 576 30 28 24 192

Baseline Stats for Mooks

Monster Level Attack Bonus Strike Damage Damage to kill one (HP) AC Better Defense Lesser Defense
0 5 3 5 16 14 10
1 6 4 7 17 15 11
2 7 5 9 18 16 12
3 8 6 11 19 17 13
4 9 7 14 20 18 14
5 10 9 18 21 19 15
6 11 12 23 22 20 16
7 12 18 27 23 21 17
8 13 23 36 24 22 18
9 14 31 45 25 23 19
10 15 37 54 26 24 20
11 16 46 72 27 25 21
12 17 60 90 28 26 22
13 18 74 108 29 27 23
14 19 90 144 30 28 24

Baseline Stats for Large or Double-Strength Monsters

Monster Level Attack Bonus Strike Damage HP AC Better Defense Lesser Defense Fear threshold (HP)
0 5 9 41 16 14 10 7
1 6 10 54 17 15 11 9
2 7 14 72 18 16 12 12
3 8 21 90 19 17 13 15
4 9 28 108 20 18 14 18
5 10 36 144 21 19 15 24
6 11 42 180 22 20 16 30
7 12 56 216 23 21 17 36
8 13 76 288 24 22 18 48
9 14 100 360 25 23 19 60
10 15 116 432 26 24 20 72
11 16 140 576 27 25 21 96
12 17 180 720 28 26 22 120
13 18 220 864 29 27 23 144
14 19 270 1152 30 28 24 192

Baseline Stats for Huge or Triple-Strength Monsters

Monster Level Attack Bonus Strike Damage HP AC Better Defense Lesser Defense Fear threshold (HP)
0 5 12 60 16 14 10 7
1 6 15 81 17 15 11 9
2 7 21 108 18 16 12 12
3 8 30 135 19 17 13 15
4 9 42 162 20 18 14 18
5 10 54 216 21 19 15 24
6 11 63 270 22 20 16 30
7 12 84 324 23 21 17 36
8 13 114 432 24 22 18 48
9 14 150 540 25 23 19 60
10 15 174 648 26 24 20 72
11 16 210 864 27 25 21 96
12 17 270 1080 28 26 22 120
13 18 330 1296 29 27 23 144
14 19 405 1728 30 28 24 192
Section 15: Copyright Notice

13th Age Archmage Engine, version 3.0. Copyright © 2013-2015 Fire Opal Media. All Rights Reserved. Licensed under the Open Game License.

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