Building Encounters DMG1 p54

Artillery Artillery monsters excel at ranged combat. They’re well protected against ranged attacks, but more vulnerable in melee.
They often spread damage out over multiple characters in an area. Because they’re more fragile than average monsters, they count on
being protected by a line of brutes or soldiers, or skirmishers that help them to draw off attacks.

Brute Brutes have relatively low defenses but high hit points. Brute monsters specialize in dealing damage in melee. They don’t hit
as often as other monsters, but they deal a lot of damage when they hit. They don’t move around a lot, and they’re often big. Brutes are
easy to run, so put multiple brutes of the same kind in an encounter to provide the baseline muscle for the monsters.

Controller Controller monsters restrict enemy options or inflict lasting conditions. Position controller monsters just behind a
front line of melee-focused monsters, and use them to attack the PCs at short range with their control powers. Most controllers can stand
their ground in melee, so they often wade right in beside the brutes and soldiers. Controller monsters can be complex to run in numbers,
so limiting an encounter to one or two controllers of the same type is usually a good idea.

Lurker Lurker monsters have some ability that lets them avoid attacks, whether by striking from hiding or by turning into an
invulnerable statue while regaining strength. They usually deliver one devastating attack every few rounds, while concentrating on defense
in between. Use lurkers as surprise additions to encounters with other monsters or as sneaky assassins.

Minion Minions are designed to serve as cannon fodder for other monsters (standard, elite, or solo). Four minions are considered
to be about the same as a standard monster of their level at heroic tier.

Skirmisher Skirmisher monsters use mobility to threaten the player characters. Their combat statistics define the baseline for
monsters, but their mobility is their defining feature. They often have powers that let them dart in, attack, and retreat in one action.
Skirmishers like to fight alongside soldiers and brutes because those monsters tend to stay in one place and draw a lot of the party’s
attention, giving the skirmishers room to manoeuvre around this front line.

Soldier Soldier monsters specialize in drawing the characters’ attacks and defending other monsters. They have high defenses and
average hit points. Their attacks are accurate, but they don’t do exceptional damage. They tend not to move around, and they often have
powers that hinder other creatures from moving around them. Use soldiers in an encounter to keep the party in place, preventing its
members from attacking the artillery or controller monsters behind the soldiers or chasing after the skirmishers. Soldiers often have
abilities that allow them to work well together. Use groups.

Elite Monsters An elite monster counts as two monsters of its level. Elite monsters are tougher than standard monsters and
constitute more of a threat than standard monsters of their main role and level. Elite monsters are worth twice as many XP and are twice
as dangerous. Elite monsters make great “mini-bosses,” allowing you to add a tougher opponent to a mix of monsters without creating an
entirely new monster. A group of ogres led by an elite ogre reduces the number of ogre figures on the table without diminishing the
encounter’s level.

Solo Monsters Solo monsters are specifically designed to appear as single opponents against a group of PCs of the same
level. They function, in effect, as a group of monsters. They have more hit points in order to absorb the damage output of multiple PCs,
and they deal more damage in order to approximate the damage output of a group of monsters. A solo monster is worth the same amount
of XP as five monsters of its level. It provides the same level of challenge as five monsters. A solo monster might have tendencies that
flavor it toward the brute, soldier, skirmisher, lurker, artillery, or controller role. Each type of chromatic dragon, for example, leans toward
a different role. Red dragons have soldier tendencies, while blue dragons behave much like artillery monsters. However, a solo monster can
never completely take on a different role, because the roles are largely defined by how monsters interact with other monsters in an
encounter. Every solo monster has to be able to stand and fight on its own.

Leader “Leader” is not a stand-alone role. It is an additional quality or subrole of some brutes, soldiers, skirmishers, lurkers, artillery,
and controllers. Leaders are defined by their relationship to the monsters under their command. A leader monster, like a leader PC, grants
bonuses and special abilities to its followers, improving their attacks or defenses, providing some healing, or enhancing their normal
abilities. Aside from one special ability to enhance its allies, a leader functions as its primary role indicates. Add a leader to an encounter
with monsters that gain the greatest benefit from the leader’s abilities. For example, a leader that gives a defense bonus to nearby
creatures is a great leader for brutes, who have weak defenses otherwise.

A good rule of thumb is to pick a brute or soldier monster and use two or three of them. Pick one or two monsters of other roles to round
out the encounter. Brutes and soldiers create the front line of the combat and give skirmishers, lurkers, artillery, and controllers the room
they need to succeed. When you start making encounters, this general rule makes for interesting combats. You can still create a great deal
of variety by slightly adjusting encounters to take advantage of the strengths of the latter four roles.

Simple Encounter Substitutions

✦ Minion Monsters: Replace one standard monster with several minion monsters of the same level.
✦ Elite Monsters: Replace two standard monsters with one elite monster of the same level.
✦ Solo Monster: Replace five standard monsters with one solo monster of the same level.
✦ Traps and Hazards: Replace one standard monster with a trap or hazard of the same level.