Foolish Frost Posted October 24, 2008 Report Share Posted October 24, 2008 Bestiary builds, what do monsters do with experience? Seriously, I see them with a disadvantage that gives them hundreds of XP, but what's it for? Seems important, and I found nothing in search for the forums. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Obvious Posted October 24, 2008 Report Share Posted October 24, 2008 Re: Bestiary builds, what do monsters do with experience? Are you talking about the published character sheets for monsters? If that's the case, they're basically given free points so they can fit a certain power level without needing a bunch of aimless disadvantages...for example, disadvantages that don't make a dragon more dragonlike. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Foolish Frost Posted October 24, 2008 Author Report Share Posted October 24, 2008 Re: Bestiary builds, what do monsters do with experience? So I should add their XP to the standard 75 build points for monsters in the bestiary to figure out what power level they actually are? For example: A cheetah is a 75 base point critter, and has 99 Xp listed in disadvantages. That means it's actually a 174 point creature? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Obvious Posted October 24, 2008 Report Share Posted October 24, 2008 Re: Bestiary builds, what do monsters do with experience? So I should add their XP to the standard 75 build points for monsters in the bestiary to figure out what power level they actually are? For example: A cheetah is a 75 base point critter, and has 99 Xp listed in disadvantages. That means it's actually a 174 point creature? Essentially, yeah. Don't get too caught up in using points to determine power levels, though. The points determine how effective a character/animal/monster is on a campaign-wide scale. Most of the time, though, you only use monsters for combat, and if they've spent most of their points on combat abilities, they will totally pwn PCs that spent a lot of points on non-combat stuff, assuming they have equal point values. For combat purposes, it's best to compare OCVs, DCVs, SPD scores, damage-dealing ability, and defenses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghost-angel Posted October 24, 2008 Report Share Posted October 24, 2008 Re: Bestiary builds, what do monsters do with experience? It's an accounting trick to make "the points balance" - and really completely meaningless. And using points to figure out power level is a bad idea in Hero anyways. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BNakagawa Posted October 24, 2008 Report Share Posted October 24, 2008 Re: Bestiary builds, what do monsters do with experience? If they save enough points, they can use the +5 = X2 rule to have a litter... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aylwin13 Posted October 24, 2008 Report Share Posted October 24, 2008 Re: Bestiary builds, what do monsters do with experience? Wouldn't they just buy some Followers? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Hiemforth Posted October 24, 2008 Report Share Posted October 24, 2008 Re: Bestiary builds, what do monsters do with experience? Points are for players. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Killer Shrike Posted October 24, 2008 Report Share Posted October 24, 2008 Re: Bestiary builds, what do monsters do with experience? Base + Disads + XP = Total Points available. So, in reverse, if you spend say 200 points on a monster and their base is only 50 and you only took 50 points in Disads...then the other 100 points must be XP. In the HERO System, XP is nothing more than any points not accounted for by Base and Disads. Think of the X as being short for EXTRA instead of EXPERIENCE and its less disorienting. In the old days they used to track it with a "VILLAIN BONUS" Disadvantage instead but there's no need to stigmatize people like that in this kindler gentler world we now live in. However if that makes more sense to you, you can also track it like that. It's just point accounting gimmicks, and in this case it really doesn't matter what label you stick on it or which side of the equation you chose to carry it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egyptoid Posted October 25, 2008 Report Share Posted October 25, 2008 Re: Bestiary builds, what do monsters do with experience? In my campaign, the monsters buy RKA BOECV, just for laughs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CTaylor Posted October 25, 2008 Report Share Posted October 25, 2008 Re: Bestiary builds, what do monsters do with experience? Yeah, that's one of those just arbitrary and goofy things I hope 6th eliminates. I don't have "bonuses" in my monster builds because they are only of (very slight) use in campaigns built around a specific point value, and anyone who runs Hero can figure out in their head a 400 point creature is more powerful than a 150 point hero without the goofy "monster bonus". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susano Posted October 29, 2008 Report Share Posted October 29, 2008 Re: Bestiary builds, what do monsters do with experience? I give my creatures Experience Point Bonuses so they feel like they've accomplished something. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Killer Shrike Posted October 30, 2008 Report Share Posted October 30, 2008 Re: Bestiary builds, what do monsters do with experience? I give my creatures Experience Point Bonuses so they feel like they've accomplished something. I agree, positive reenforcement is usually the best approach in the care and feeding of NPC's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Obvious Posted October 30, 2008 Report Share Posted October 30, 2008 Re: Bestiary builds, what do monsters do with experience? I agree' date=' positive reenforcement is usually the best approach in the care and feeding of NPC's.[/quote'] As long as you don't get too touchy-feely about it. These guys have to be willing to die for the cause, you know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sean Waters Posted November 7, 2008 Report Share Posted November 7, 2008 Re: Bestiary builds, what do monsters do with experience? Creatures store XP in their excess lairs, and adventurers who defeat them can claim it for their own. No, wait... Actually I've never understood that either. Better to increase their base cost, to give an idea of how challenging they are (although that also doesn't work well, being very situational). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SSgt Baloo Posted November 7, 2008 Report Share Posted November 7, 2008 Re: Bestiary builds, what do monsters do with experience? It's simple. Monsters don't do anything with their experience. They keep making the same mistakes over and over and over.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BNakagawa Posted November 7, 2008 Report Share Posted November 7, 2008 Re: Bestiary builds, what do monsters do with experience? It's simple. Monsters don't do anything with their experience. They keep making the same mistakes over and over and over.... Not the Super Adaptoid! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pinecone Posted November 14, 2008 Report Share Posted November 14, 2008 Re: Bestiary builds, what do monsters do with experience? Sorry didn't read the thread first...for beastys I like to buy Red in tooth and claw for them with EP's. Makes them "elite" , sorta makes sense, and usually doesn't break the game perameters... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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