HD modifiers

[tetramorph]

Finarvyn , waysoftheearth , kesher , Falconer , @gronanofsimmerya , Zenopus, talysman , Vile Traveller , et al:

Okay, I thought I understood this, now I have to come to you guys for a double check (please be patient with me!):

Please explain how the suggested modifiers actually affect HD and the various things HD could (be interpreted to) affect.

HIT POINTS: for example, would a +/-1 affect each die of a total hit point roll, or only the final total? (if it is only the final total, that feels truly negligible to me, especially for monsters with very high HD, e.g. giants.)

ATTACK ROLLS: could a modifier put a monster into another category on the monster ACS attack table? For example, if a monster had 8+1 HD, would that mean it should attack using the 9HD attack category? Or, might it simply be added directly to the attack roll, so, e.g., a giant might roll a d20+2 to attack?

MULTIPLE ATTACKS: only a few monsters are described as having the ability to attack more than once per round. Does this map to HD at all? Would modifiers affect this?

DAMAGE DICE: Only a few monsters are specifically described as having modifiers to their damage. One in particular, the ogre, has a 4+1 HD but is to add +2 to damage rolls. That seems to unhook HD modifiers from damage dice. But must it? Could modifiers also modify damage dice rolls? So, for example, could a hobgoblin roll 1d+1 for damage?

SAVING THROWS: same as above, for attack rolls: could a modifier help or hurt a monster's ST category?

Anything else I might have missed?

Thanks for the help and for your patience!

[Stormcrow]

Nov 24, 2015 13:44:05 GMT -6 tetramorph said:

HIT POINTS: for example, would a +/-1 affect each die of a total hit point roll, or only the final total? (if it is only the final total, that feels truly negligible to me, especially for monsters with very high HD, e.g. giants.)

Only the final total. As far as hit points go they are indeed almost negligible.

ATTACK ROLLS: could a modifier put a monster into another category on the monster ACS attack table? For example, if a monster had 8+1 HD, would that mean it should attack using the 9HD attack category? Or, might it simply be added directly to the attack roll, so, e.g., a giant might roll a d20+2 to attack?

MULTIPLE ATTACKS: only a few monsters are described as having the ability to attack more than once per round. Does this map to HD at all? Would modifiers affect this?

A hit die bonus puts them into the next-higher category. Or at least, it does in every edition after the original. In the original, the monster attack table has a weird duplication of monster hit dice: Up to 1, 1+1, 2–3, 3–4, 4–6, 7–8, 9–10, 11&up. It's possible that those are supposed to be 3+–4, 4+–6. Otherwise, the original rules don't say.

Monsters with hit dice bonuses fighting one hit die opponents get as many attacks per round as they have hit dice, and the final attack gets the hit dice bonus applied to it.

DAMAGE DICE: Only a few monsters are specifically described as having modifiers to their damage. One in particular, the ogre, has a 4+1 HD but is to add +2 to damage rolls. That seems to unhook HD modifiers from damage dice. But must it? Could modifiers also modify damage dice rolls? So, for example, could a hobgoblin roll 1d+1 for damage?

Modifiers of any kind only affect damage rolls if the rules explicitly say so.

SAVING THROWS: same as above, for attack rolls: could a modifier help or hurt a monster's ST category?

If a monster has a +2 or more bonus, its hit dice can be bumped up one for the purpose of using the saving throw table (and for awarding experience).

[Red Baron]

Hit Points: Constitution modifier affects each die. For +x modifiers to hit dice listed for monsters/characters, the +x is added to the total.

Attacks: The +x can bump a monster up or down into the next hit dice category for attacks. When making multiple attacks against normal types, the monster makes a number of attacks as a 1st level fighting man equal to its number of hit dice, and the +x modifier from hit dice is added to the highest attack roll. ie. An ogre attacking villagers makes 4 attacks, add +1 to the best roll.

MULTIPLE ATTACKS: See above.

DAMAGE DICE: No. Only monsters with listed bonus damage get bonus damage, and only when they are making a single attack.

SAVING THROWS: See attack rolls.

[Finarvyn]

Stormcrow pretty much nailed it.

It's possible that those are supposed to be 3+–4, 4+–6. Otherwise, the original rules don't say.

This is how I've always done it, but it looks better to write "3+ to 4", "4+ to 6" and so on.