Humanoids Combat Reference Table

[peterlind]

So I have put together a table with our usual suspects who perform random acts of chaos and mayhem. My only sources are Vol II: M&T, Greyhawk, Holmes, and Keep on the Borderlands (original version). In making the table, it seems that a pattern forms among the various humanoid types, but goblins seem to fall out of the pattern, so I have marked (in my mind) the Goblin King and his bodyguards for an upgrade so that they fight as bugbears rather than as hobgoblins. Do you see any mistakes here? Any thoughts for improving what's here rather than following the changes that ended up appearing in the 1E Monster Manual?

drive.google.com/file/d/0B3U1JYviYYT7TEpJZVlpeTQxdGM/view?usp=sharing

[Finarvyn]

I like what you've done here. I run lots of campaigns where the main foes are orcs and the like, and this seems like a pretty handy reference for that.

[Stormcrow]

The real lesson is simply to give monsters whatever stats you want to make them able to do what you think they can do. You're not beholden to any sort of pattern you may discern in rules and modules.

[tetramorph]

peterlind, this is a helpful sheet.

I've been worrying about "giant types" recently, myself. I've been trying to think of ways to make them more interesting opponents, but not so much with mechanical differentiation (as you have so helpfully outlined here) but in terms of some kind of special ability that uniquely sets them off from the others.

The book suggests the following:
Giants are strong and get extra damage.
Ogres have ogre strength.
Trolls are wicked cool with special abilities.
That leaves the 5 other "fell" races: kobold, goblin, orc, hobgoblin, knoll (I don't use GH, so I know not the Bubear).

What differentiates these other five?

Well, orcs have their tribes to make them interesting.

How about the other four, then?

Well, I give kobolds and goblins "hive mind" so that they can almost always attack en masse. This makes them still scary even for my higher level players. I've taken down level 10 FM with a score of grappling goblins. Man that is a lot of fun.

Okay, so what about hobgoblins and gnolls?

Anyway, peterlind, thanks for sharing your helpful sheet and for getting me thinking about this again.

[Deleted]

I'm curious what's off in the 1E Monster's Manual. Did they end up that far off?