MDR - Monster Design rules

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Monster Design Rules

As much as everyone says "One man armies are for 5th edition herohammer" we all secretly want to field such behemoths as Emperor Dragons and Vermin Lords that were taken out for the reason that they were simply too strong. There are also Warmaster creatures like Giant Bears and Carnisaurs that many people would love to field. Finally, there are those people who simply like making new creatures to inhabit the warhammer world and are extremely jealous of the VDR support that 40k gets.

The Most important rule ever
Yes, yes, this stuff again that they always say in 40K VDR rules. WYSIWYG (What You See is What you get). You must make a model of your monster and it must look the part (particularly for correct size). Taking one of Golgfag's ogres and calling him an Emperor Dragon ridden by a High Elf Prince should get you lined up against a wall and shot. Also, your opponent must agree with the use of a MDRed creature. If they do not, you cannot field your creature. If your opponent's model is the wrong size or not converted, don't let them play it!! If they have "Cheezed" up a creation so that it's unkillable, don't let them use it. If they have a cool model with fair rues to go with it and a nice story that they have spent more than 3 seconds on, you should let them field it, you can say that you fought the Greater Griffon before anyone else even saw it and everyone will say how brave you are.

** By The Way, feel free to change the names of any special abilities below to fit in with your fluff (so Poisoned Fangs might become Tail attacks for a scorpion) **

** Any Special ability listed as "Stackable" may be taken multiple times, applying the effects more than once. **

Step 1: Assign Name, Fluff/Story, Race, size of creature
Although these things may be pretty obvious, It's important to know these things before assigning statistics. They might make you think a bit more about how this creature reacts, it's origins etc. before seeing the numbers in the statistics section. I hope that by putting you through making the fluff first you don't get seduced by 10 attacks for your zombie troll (a very slow, stupid creature indeed). By Assign Size of creature, be clear if you want your creation to be ogre sized (able to be put in a unit, including low level mounts like unicorns, pegasii and Great Eagles), normal (including troops of dragon size like Dragons, Griffons, Wyverns, Hippogriffs, Greater Demons, Hydras etc.) and massive (above bloodthirster including Great / Emperor Dragons and any of your own nutty creations who probably shouldn't see the light of day). The major dividing point in size is number of wounds. On the table below (when it's time to look at it), you'll see that most statistics have a blurred line between sizes (so if you wanted, you could have an ogre with higher strength than a weak normal monster), but wounds are clearcut (a massive creature will always have more wounds than a normal creature, who in turn will have more wounds than an ogre).

Step 2: Assign Statistics
Make sure your stats are coherent with the fluff I made you come up with in Step 1(hehe, aren't I nice?). Below you'll see the minimum and maximum stats for creatures of each size. An additional rule not on the table is that the difference between a monster's toughness and wounds will always be less than or equal to 2, So if a creature has T5, it's Wounds must be between 3 and 7.

Size	M	WS	BS	S	T	W	I	A	Ld	Save
Ogre: Minimum	2	3	0	3	3	2	1	2	3	-
Ogre: Maximum	8	6	5	6	5	3	5	5	8	5+
Normal: Minimum	2	3	0	4	4	4	1	3	3	-
Normal: Maximum	10	7	6	8	7	6	8	6	10	3+
Massive: Minimum	2	3	0	5	5	7	1	4	3	6+
Massive: Maximum	12	10	7	10	10	10	10	10	10	2+

Step 3: Calculate defensive points cost
This process starts easy and gets more complicated. The easy part is the base wounds cost, but this will be modified by percentages. For an ogre sized creature, the base cost = 10 X it's wounds. A normal creature's base cost is 15 X it's wounds. A Massive creature's base cost is 20X it's wounds. These are modified by their armour and Toughness.

	T3	T4	T5	T6	T7	T8	T9	T10
- Save	-5%	+0%	+5%	+10%	+20%	+40%	+80%	+150%
6+ Save	+0%	+5%	+10%	+20%	+40%	+80%	+150%	+200%
5+ Save	+5%	+10%	+20%	+40%	+80%	+150%	+200%	+250%
4+ Save	+10%	+20%	+40%	+80%	+150%	+200%	+250%	+300%
3+ Save	+20%	+40%	+80%	+150%	+200%	+250%	+300%	+350%
2+ Save	+40%	+80%	+150%	+200%	+250%	+300%	+350%	+400%

Defensive Special Abilities
Demonic Aura: Gives the monster a 5+ Ward save against all non-magical attacks. Costs 30 pts.
Iron Hard Skin: The monster's save cannot be modified by the strength of their opponents' attacks. The save can still be modified by other abilities such as Armour piercing (handguns, the Biting Blade and similar items), and the save can be ignored completely by weapons / attacks that have these abilities. Adds a +50% modifier to the defensive base cost (so a monster with T6, a 4+ save and Iron Hard Skin would have a 80% + 50% modifier = 130% modifier)
Regeneration: Gives the monster the Regeneration ability (see page 113 from the Warhammer rulebook). This adds a +100% modifier to the defensive base cost (so a monster with T6, a 4+ save and Regeneration would have a 80% + 100% modifier = 180% modifier)
Flammable: Makes the monster Flammable (see page 114 from the Warhammer Rulebook). Gives it a -5% modifier to it's defensive base cost.

Step 4: Calculate offensive points cost
Once again, this step starts simple but ends with a lot of niggly percentage modifiers (hey, it isn't easy for me either, do you know how hard tables are in HTML (Notepad) ? A lot harder than they look!!). Anyway, this section is dedicated to your monster's close combat prowess (admit it, this is the bit you've all been waiting for). The offensive base cost is:
Strength X Attacks X Size modifier
This is then modified as below

Size Modifier:
This is an artificial modifier created so that massive creatures weren't guaranteed to always have S10, A10 because it only costs 100 points and makes them insane fighters. Ogres wind up at a fairer points cost by simply using the formula SXA, so the size modifiers were introduced. Just apply it to your monster depending on what size he is.
Ogre Size: X1
Normal Size: X2
Massive Size: X4

*Percentage modifiers alter the offensive base cost only
Weapon Skill modifier

WS 3:	-10%
WS 4:	+0%
WS 5:	+20%
WS 6:	+40%
WS 7:	+60%
WS 8:	+80%
WS 9:	+100%
WS 10:	+120%

Initiative modifier

I 1:	-15%
I 2:	-10%
I 3:	-5%
I 4:	+0%
I 5:	+10%
I 6:	+20%
I 7:	+30%
I 8:	+50%
I 9:	+70%
I 10:	+100%

Offensive Special Abilities
Oh Boy, some of you are going to love this bit (my favourite is coming up, the nasty ranged attacks, hope you saved some pocket money for them). Want to decapitate your opponents in one hit? What about doing 6 wounds per attack? Would you go so far as to coat your monster's teeth in poison or setting them on fire? I thought so!!
Killing blow: Gives the monster the Killing Blow special ability as detailed on page 112 of the Warhammer Rulebook. Costs 10 X the monster's attacks value.
Impaling Claws: Gives the bearer Killing Blow that works against man and ogre-sized creatures. Normal and Massive monsters only. Costs 25 pts per attack. Poison: Makes all close combat attacks by the monster Poisoned Attacks (page 114 of that afore mentioned holy book). Costs 5 points per attack.
Nasty Attacks: May not be given to ogre sized creatures. For each failed save by your opponent, this attack does D3 wounds. Has a modifier of 200% to the offensive basecost.
Very nasty Attacks: May only be given to Massive creatures. For each failed save by your opponent, this attack does D6 wounds. Has a modifier of 400% to the offensive basecost.
Big, Fiery monster: All of the monster's attacks count as fire-based, so do double damage to flammable creatures and prevent enemies from regenerating. Has a 25% offensive basecost modifier.
Magical Essence: The monster has magic attacks so may harm ethereal creatures and nullifies demonic saves and anything else that magic attacks do. Costs 10 points
Acidic Fangs: Gives the monster the Armour piercing ability (see the weapons rules on pg 90 of the WH rulebook). Has a 75% offensive base cost modifier. Stackable.
Corrosive Saliva: May not be given to ogre sized monsters. Any models wounded by this monster get no armour save, but may take ward saves as normal. Has a 200% offensive base cost modifier.

Step 5: Calculate Ranged attack points cost
Yay!! Who else is happy that we got to this bit? (Tumbleweed rolls by). Fine, if you want you can skip it (lousy khorne players, never appreciative of the honourable side of warfare, shooting the enemy from such a position that they can't shoot / attack back).

Firstly, you need to assign the type of ranged attack. It can be a "Spit" attack or a "Breath" attack. For more intelligent races, you might want to call the spit attack something else (maybe they can carry bows), and for less civilised races (cough cough, trolls) you might want to call a breath attack a "Vomit" attack (yes, I think I've got the orcses' attention again). For the rules, A Breath attack works like a Breath Weapon (yes, page 114 again), while a "Spit" attack works like a standard shooting attack in the same way as a bow / handgun. Choose what type it is now.

Second, assign a strength value for the attack. The strength value of a ranged attack may not exceed the monster's own strength value. Now the basecost of the ranged attack is:
Strength ^ 2 X number of shots. (Strength squared X number of shots or SXSX#shots)

I'll explain the number of shots bit now. Usually this will be 1, but some people would want to have rapid firing salamanders. By the way, number of shots only applies to Spit attacks, for breath attacks this will always be 1 (you can skip this very confusing paragraph). You may shoot D3 times or D6 times. The #shots modifier will equal the highest possible roll. So D3 shots makes the formula S^2 X3, D6 shots makes the formula S^2 X6.

Ok, you can all wake up again. We now move onto everyone's favourite part, the percentage modifiers. (more tumbleweed, accompanied by sounds of Crickets). Obviously the major percentage modifier for Spit attacks is BS. Here's that table for y'all again, but this time it shows BS (oooooooh, aaaaaah, ohhhhhhh). It doesn't apply for Breath attacks.

BS 1:	-20%
BS 2:	-10%
BS 3:	+0%
BS 4:	+10%
BS 5:	+20%
BS 6:	+40%
BS 7:	+80%

Range
The range of a "Spit" attack. This also doesn't apply to breath attacks.

6":	-20%
12":	-10%
18":	+0%
24":	+10%
30":	+20%
36":	+40%
48":	+80%
72":	+150%

Ranged Attacks special abilities (These MAY ACTUALLY BE TAKEN BY BREATH WEAPONS!!!! (WOW!!)
Venomous: The monster's ranged attacks are Poisoned Attacks (page 114 for about the 5th time). Puts a +50% modifier on the ranged base cost.
Acidic: Gives the monster's ranged attacks Armour Piercing (page 90 for the second time). +75% modifier to the base cost. Stackable.
Gaseous: Ignores target's armour completely. Ward Saves are unaffected. +200% modifier to base cost
Fiery Glands This shooting attack counts as a Fire attack so does double damage to flammable creatures and prevents regeneration. Costs 10 points. Gruesome impact: The creature likes to throw infected corpses at the enemy, or throw other forms of unpleasantness (Belching, Vomiting, I hope some nurgle/skaven players are listening) Any unit taking casualties from these attacks must take a panic test as if it has suffered 25% casualties this shooting phase. Adds a +200% modifier to the ranged base cost.
Horrible foulness: May be taken as an upgrade to Gruesome impact (you must take Gruesome impact to use horrible foulness). The affected unit must take their panic test at -1 Ld. Adds a +50% modifier to the ranged base cost. Stackable.

Magic saliva: The monster's ranged attacks are magical, so they may harm Ethereal creatures and othe stuff that magic attacks do. Costs 10 points.
Step 6: Adding special stuff that hasn't been added yet
Random Special Abilities
Wizard: Some monsters are intelligent enough to use powers of their own. The most fearsome of these are of course the Greater Demons of Chaos, however there are (were) others. During the Wars of the Beard, It was said that some High Elf dragons learnt the ways of the winds of magic, and combined with their already adept fire skills, made excellent pyromancers. This monster is one such intelligent creature / madman of chaos. He is not as powerful as a human mage, but still has the ability to cast spells. Pick a spell lore available to your army. This monster is a wizard and may generate spells from their chosen list. They gain no special rules belonging to wizards of their race except any unique magic lores (Wood Elf monsterwizards can't treesing, Dark Elf monsterwizards don't get +1 to cast, dead Bretonnian monsterwizards don't count towards losing the blessing etc.). Costs 75 points per magic level (maximum of 4). May not be taken by Tomb Kings of Khemri or Dwarves. Stackable (may have more than 1 magic level).
Knower of many lores: May only be taken if the monster already has the "Wizard" skill. The monster may be given access to an additional lore of magic that is available to his army. They still must choose 1 (and only 1) lore to use at the start of the game, but this gives you more choice. Costs 10 points. Stackable.
Bound Ability: Pick a spell from any magic lore (that your race has access to) with a casting roll of 9 or less. The monster can cast that spell as if it is a Bound Spell with a power of half it's original casting roll (round up). Costs 10+ (5 X the original "To cast" value). For example, a bound Fireball has a power level of 3+ and costs 35 points (5X5 +10). Stackable (may take multiple bound spells, but may not take any single spell twice). "The Bear's anger" costs 60 points for a power level of 3, since on an already powerful monster it is much better than on a weak wizard.
**Use the bound ability option to represent all sorts of weirdness. Does your monster drain magic out of it's nearby area? Use Law of Gold to represent it. Is your monster eager to get to combat quickly? Give it "The Wolf Hunts". Is your monster extremely lucky? Second Sign of Amul. Are they a representative of the Sun god Chotec? Give them a Blinding Aura AKA Blinding Light. Stick mainly to the 8 Lores in the rulebook, but if there's something in another lore you just have to use or you don't have access to anything else, then take what you need. Also, mainly use things like "The Wolf Hunts" on the monster himself. It's so much fluffier (and probably effective) for a monster to only cast spells on himself **
Magic Resistance: Gives the Monster Magic Resistance(1). Costs 30 points. Stackable (can be taken up to 3 times and each time gives you Magic Resistance(+1)). So if taken once it gives Magic Resistance(1), if taken twice it gives you Magic Resistance(2), and if taken 3 times it gives you Magic Resistance(3).
Flatulent: (another for those Nurgle / skaven players, mainly nurgle of course) any model (friend or foe) within 6" at the start of your movement must roll a D6. On a 5+ (6+ for troops with the mark of nurgle and plague monks. See?, Now I'm giving you a reason to put one in your army), they are affected by the monster's diseased flatulence (ohh, ohh, that is foul, could you step outside next time) and suffers a S2 hit with no armour save allowed (Ward saves may still be used). Costs 30 points.
Fearsome: The monster causes Fear. Costs 5 points.
Terrorsome: May not be given to ogre sized creatures (ME? be scared of a small thing like you?). The monster causes Terror and also counts as a Large Target (so opponents get +1 to hit). Costs 30 points.
Large Target: Compulsory for Massive sized monsters who aren't terrorsome, not available to ogre sized creatures or creatures who are terrorsome. The creature is a Large Target. Costs -10 points.
Immune to PsychologyMay not be taken if the monster has Hatred, Frenzy (or a mark of Khorne / Sotek), or Stupidity. The unit is Immune to Psychology. Costs 20 points.
Swarm: May only be taken by ogre sized monsters that are actually swarms. The unit is now Unbreakable and may have up to 5 wounds (rather than 3). Costs 30 points and the cost of the additional wounds.
Hates ....: Pick an army/Troop type/everything. The unit hates that unit/army or hates everything. Costs 1 point for a troop type, costs 10 points for an army and costs 30 points for "Hates Everything"(The mad, Psychotic gits). Note this is open to interpretation, but Chaos is one "Army", elves count as 3 different armies, goblins and orcs are 1 "army", skinks and saurii are 1 "army" etc. Basically an army is everything you get in a single army book / list. A troop type is a seperate unit like Goblin netters, Bretonnian Knights of the Realm (unmounted squires and foresters are the same troop type, since they are in the same entry, but why would you want to hate those?) etc. Stackable.
Bonkers (Frenzied): The monster is Frenzied. Costs 40 points
Stubborn: The unit is Stubborn. If ridden and it's rider is killed, you may reroll the monster's monster reaction test. Costs 20 points
Stupid: The monster is Stupid. -5 points for ogre sized creatures, -20 points for others.
Petrification: In the shooting phase, the monster may try to petrify one person who they can see, and who can see them within 6". If the monster is in Close Combat, they must try to petrify someone in Base-to-base contact. The affected trooper must pass an initiative test to look away. If they fail, they suffer D3 wounds with no armour save (they may take ward saves) as they start getting turned to stone. The affected model may not move until the monster's next turn if they suffer wounds from it and survive(remember that units move at the speed of their slowest model).Costs 20 points per wound the monster has.
Undead: Compulsory and only available to Tomb Kings and Vampire Counts monsters. The creature causes fear, is unbreakable and has all the other rules that I can't remember for being undead. Costs 0 points. A Tomb Kings Monster may become a bone constuct at a cost of 2X it's wounds.
Lizardman Monster: Compulsory and only available to Lizardman monsters. The creature is Cold Blooded. cost is4 equal to the monster's leadership for a normal monster, Ld/3 for an ogre sized monster, and Ld X3 for a massive monster. May also be Aquatic for +1 point if ogre sized, +5 points if normal, and +10 points if massive. This allows them to move through water features without penalty.
Move through woods without penalty: Wood Elves only and compulsory for Wood Elves wihout flying. The monster may Move through woods without movement penalty if they can't fly. Costs 1 point if ogre sized, 5 points if normal and 10 points if massive.
Marks: Lizardmen / Chaos monsters only. Each monster may be marked by a single "Mark of the God" (for lizardmen) or Mark of Chaos (for Chaos). See the relevent army lists for more details.
Step 7: Final Costing and "Slot" in army
Nearly there, and very few percentage modifiers to go (Do you hate them as much as me?).

Calculate the subtotals of each section with modifiers, then add them together. This is known as the "Total" (I'm tired, I'll come up with something more creative later). Now they will be given a points cost for their movement and Leadership values. Leadership costs 2% of the total for each point of Leadership. A Ld 10 creature costs +20%, a Ld 5 creature costs +10%. Swarms may have Ld 10 for free.

Movement costs 2.5% per point of movement. A creature with M5 will cost +12.5% points. If the unit is a flyer, it automatically costs +20%, in addition to the price of their movement (so usually flyers will have M2, as it should be).

Add the percentage for movement and Ld together, find the amount of points this percentage represents from the total, and add it on. Round this figure down (it will probably have lots of decimals) to the nearest whole number. You now have the points cost.

The Slot the creature takes up in the army depends on if it's ridden and what size it is. See the table below for which "Slot" it takes up.

	Ridden	Unridden
Ogre sized	May be ridden by Heroes or lords, the monster itself takes up no slot.	May be taken as a special choice, with 1-5 monsters in a unit
Normal sized	May be ridden by Lords and takes up a hero choice as well	May be taken as a Rare choice
Massive sized	May be Ridden by lords, also takes 2 Heros and a rare choice.	Takes 2 rare choices, also takes a lord choice (where are you finding the points for a lord and other rares anyway?)

I could say: " Step 8:Enjoy
The most important step is now, you can go and enjoy your creation in a fair and non-cheezy way". Instead (I'm tired, as you may have worked out in my toilet humour above, I genuinely thought that was funny) I'm going to say "Unleash your fearsome creation, Watch the peasants and their villages burn, soon the old world shall be destroyed by this insane beast!!!! (except Loren)". Don't you feel my way has so much more effect than the 40K developers' way? Enjoy, and if you fight with these, E-mail me or Post on my site's new forum to tell me what your monster did, the effect it had on the battle and if your opponents thought it was fair, I intend to improve and update these rules as I get feedback. Also, I have started a bestiary so if you have a good beast E-mail it to me and I'll put it in there. If you have pictures of your converted monster, it's even better. Also in the not too distant future, I'll post a "Right to say no" article on whenI feel these rules are being exploited and you probably should disallow an opponent's creation.

Beastiary

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