5E Hardcore - Converting Existing Monsters

question

#1

Got Hardcore mode, but I was wondering if there was a conversation or a link to show how to convert standard 5E existing monsters to Hardocre?
I’m planning to run Curse of Strahd using a blend of monsters from Monster manual but also monsters from other 3rd party providers
And does levelling work the same in Hardcore as Normal in regards to feats, ASI e.t.c?

Thanks so much


#2

The conversion is super simple.

Throw out all the stats, HP, and AC then use the CR in place of those as noted in Hardcore. Keep all of its abilities. Done. :+1:

For Heroes leveling up all of their Feat/ Ability progression stays the same.

Have fun and may your dice roll high.


#3

Ok, I think I got it so here is a basic monster
Armor Class 14
Hit Points 102 (12d10+36)
Speed 40 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
18 (+4) 11 (+0) 16 (+3) 18 (+4) 15 (+2) 11 (+0)
Skills Athletics +8, History +8, Insight +6, Perception +6,
Religion +8
Challenge 4 (1,100 XP

So in hardcore mode:
Armor class = 14
Hit points = 40
Check and attack rolls D20 +4
XP value= 800

Just making sure I got it right, I know it is Hardocre mode, but I don’t want to make it Impossible mode


#4

Yup, that’s it. It makes things really easy for the GM load to run too.


#5

I hope no one minds me piggy backing on this topic, but it’s kind of related.
I’m about to run ‘Jar of Flies’ for a group of friends and it’ll be my 3rd time DMing hehe.

What archetypes are the Swarm, Eel men, Hag and Gargoth’s Eye taken from? Wouldn’t I need to know their stats (which I can’t find in the Harcore rules/ adventure section) in order to play them fairly/ correctly?

Thanks in advance for any help.


#6

@terrangray In the following video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RAAVydZ3LtI
Hank goes into a simplified idea of monster damage:

HP Damage
6-12 1d6
13-18 1d8
19-36 2d6
37-48 2d8

The video is principally for beginners to RPGs/ DMing. Very interesting!


#7

Hey! Glad to see another new DM getting into the hobby. I would suggesting two things:

  1. TAGs - cool, evocative words that remind you what the creature is and how it works
  2. STATs - based off a die (or dice); not how everyone does it, but I like it. You can also do as Hardcore suggests and use a CR.

TAGs
SWARM
DRAIN, CLING, QUEEN
The Swarm are dangerous to even the most experienced. Latching on, they slowly drain the STATs of players. Find a way to influence Syrah’s state of mind or exterminate the swarm of fist-sized insects before they can suck the life from you.

Eel-men
SLOW, PUTRID, SLIMY
Eel and man combined. They splash through the muck after prey.

STATs
STATs are simple! Dont worry about balance. You will never get it right trust me. You can always dial it up or down. Pick one or several dice to represent the creature. Write it down and move on to thinking about funny voices, evocative art, or other cool shit for the session.

If things are too easy, an Eel-man spawns with a particularly long neck that can strike from a distance or wrap prey. See this video on challenge tuning.

SWARM
I think a d4 sounds good. I will base the its STATs and actions off that
HP: - (the challenge of the swarm is calming down Syrah; they are infinite)
ATTACK: +2 (d4*1/2)
DRAIN: reduce 1 stat by 1 at random
CLING: every round in a SWARM take d4 damage automatically

Put the players in a corner and let them figure it out!


#8

Thanks for the welcome and reply @Jack_F!

Yea, I’ve been catching up on Hank’s videos, inparticular the ‘Key Mechanics’ series, although Hardcore came out afterwards, it’s clear to see the philosophy that it comes from. Nice to see things broken down in that way though.
I’ve just sent an invite to a one-shot to my regular RPG group and got three affirmatives, so we’ll see what happens. I intend to go through quick character creation and then on to an encounter in Reiligosk Village Square where I’ll be modding the encounter to end with them worse for wear and ready to rest in the taberna.
They don’t really know it, I hope that if it goes well enough, they’ll be interested in going through the rest of ‘Jar of Flies’ in subsequent sessions.

I realise that four key attributes are heavily influenced by CR in HCM, but I was thinking of other things like, strength and such - imagining a grapple contest between PC and Eel-man. Not sure how I’d do that - Room DC perhaps?

Also, the Swarm are madness -
From PDF -
“CR 8
• D8 Hit Die
• Save with DEX if engulfed
• If engulfed when at 0 HP,
be defleshed completely
• Only harmed with area
effects, no single target”
Which means they roll +d8 for attack rather than +2, right?

I like the attack ideas of drain and cling though, perhaps that would make up for it.