Monster exp per ability question?

[nwelte1]

Has anyone done a deconstruction of which abilities are assigned to which special cateagories for exp assignment? I.e. is SR5 a category II or III ability for determining exp?

I searched the forum and did not find an answer.

Reason I am asking, is I am puzzled by how some ex values were assigned to monsters in the book. I became puzzled by this when I was playing with rules to come up with short stat block for all age categories of all dragons.... I was bored. This caused me to examine the core monsters in more detail. So far I have done an exp break down of all monsters and their variations per their descriptions from Aboleth-Devourer. I notice a lack of consistency or application of the rules for exp assignment. I suspect this was do to creative influence and for balance purposes.

For example:

Achaierai's exp breaks out as follows:

Base: 120

3+ attacks: 60

darkv.: 60

limited regen: 90

height: 90

Sr5:120

Total: 540---- it matches the book.

Assuming I am assigning abilities to the right category.

However, looking at basalisk the same rules do not apply

Base: 120

darkv.: 60

petrigying gaze: 120

Total: 300--- this does not match book value.

Since petrification attacks are clearly designated as cat. III abilities the only way to get the baslisk ability to match that in the book is to not include the 60 points for darkvision. In which case, the achaierai's values would have to be adjusted as well. This would mean the achaierai's values would then been short of the book value by 60points, requiring limited regen and height to be both elevated to cat. III in order to balance the stats as stated above with the book value. It is highly unlike that either height or limited regen are intended to be assigned exp as a cat. III ability because neither seems to equate to the raw power of save or die effects used as examples for cat. III abilities.

Similarly, I notice some creatures and exp values that were impossible. For example the Bodak. It is impossible for the Bodak to have 1610 exp since as a 9 HD creature none of the exp categories have any exp amounts that contain a 10's digit.

To much time on my hands............

Penny for your thoughts.

[Omote]

No, I've never broken it down, but I thought I might attempt such a feat once... once. Now, I just eyeball it and wing it.

......................................Omote

FPQ
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Duke Omote Landwehr, Holy Order of the FPQ ~ Prince of the Castles & Crusades Society

[Fizz]

You're making the assumption that all XP assignments in the book are a direct result of that chart. I don't think they are.

Particular combinations of abilities might be more (or less) potent that the two abilities taken individually. Thus requiring an XP adjustment. Alternatively, some might just be typos- maybe they forgot to add the Darkvision value.

The chart is meant as a guideline for creating your own monsters. They should all be close, but i would not expect it to be an exact science.

-Fizz

[nwelte1]

No I don't expect them to exactly match, hence why I stated that I assumed that some of the differences were due to creative/artistic reasons or for game balance reasons.

Regardless, the heart of my post was with regard to whether anyone had done a break down of key abilities.

Or to add to my previous inquiry, perhaps what defines a junique ability vs. an extraodinary power? Perhaps the answer is that unique abilities are ones that would be based upon skill and physical attacks while extraordinary abilities are those that transend physics and encompass abilities which are magic or "fantasy" related i.e. shadow form, invisibility, etc.

[gideon_thorne]

The XP assignment was done via creative/artistic reasoning, full stop. The XP system is more intuitive than methodological.
_________________
"We'll go out through the kitchen!" Tanis Half-Elven

Peter Bradley

[nwelte1]

Sweet that is what I figured. Do the trolls have a suggestion as to how to differentiate between unique and extraodinary? Just curious..... not that I intend to be hard bent on rules in a game that is rules light. It is just my nature to analysis rules and see how they interrelate....... the curse of being the Devil's Advocate ala Keanu Reeves.

[serleran]

If no other monster has it, it is unique.

And yes, "someone" has done a deconstruction of most everything in C&C... I wonder who that is.

[nwelte1]

I don't suppose your desconstruction is available. I see that your class deconstruction is covered by NDA. I am guessing the same would be with your monster stat deconstruction.