The strength of a level based approach is in preparation

[Two orcs]

Creating a monster, or even something more complex like an enemy magic-user, in a B/X clone is incredibly fast and reliable. When I placed monsters in other fantasy games the outcome was often game ending, not because the player characters were destroyed, but because they were destroyed in a way that broke immersion. In the Hârn clone I ran during most of my teens a player with statistics of an "veteran knight" was unexpectantly destroyed by a regular crocodile (a creature we've all seen manhandled by an exuberant antipodean). Illusion shattered. Playing just a little D&D players quickly develop the ability to size up their opponents. Here's my theory for the key abstractions that make this work:

#1 HD, an overall measure of power that includes both hp and to-hit. These abstraction in turn represent both strength, skill and supernatural gifts. A 5th level fighter and an ogre are very similar statistically but feel very different.

#2 AC, represents both agility, armor, thick skin and supernatural gifts. A man in plate armor, a nude giant and a phase tiger are about as hard to hit but for different reasons.

#3 Damage, represents again both skill, strength and super-nature. Since you know how many hp something on average has (4,5 per HD) you can easily gauge how deadly a creature is.

#4 Speed, again easy to judge compared to the party. You know the speed of a horse, a slow, medium and fast adventurer. It basically decides if this is something you can always or only sometimes outrun.

A second way this simple breakdown in stats works is because the player characters aren't much more complex. Since a player character can be summed up in almost as short a stat line facing another simple creature doens't make it feel like a soulless doll just there for punching.

The reason this came up is because of an urelated RPG I've been trying to design for nearly two decades and I think my recent discovery of D&D has given me the tools to finally succeed.

 

[TerribleSorcery]

I deal with this in Pathfinder, with Challenge Rating. The CR of a monster tells you FUCKING NOTHING about it. Because monster #1 might have a big attack and big hit points, monster #2 has poison and other special abilities, monster #3 has tons of damage resistances, etc. So creating a monster to hit a certain CR is actually a bit difficult.

Hit Dice works much better as an overall measure of power, as you said it includes HP and to-hit numbers - two vitally important things. Yes, you can have variance in AC, damage & special abilities *of course*, but HD at least locks in a few elements. It is so easy to eyeball things, once you have a bit of experience. For a smarter dude than I talking about this:

Design Principles

This is about designing your own adventures and encounters with an admittedly confusing set of benchmarks that probably lead both novice and even experienced DMs to incorrect assumptions. A group of 5th level characters should never be pitted against a level 10 monster, right? Right? CR...

www.thebluebard.com

 

[TerribleSorcery]

and this one:

Zjelwyin Fall Playtest #2

I have designed games professionally for 15 years and actively used lessons I learned from AD&D to create meaningful player experiences during my career. I am not interested in unpacking design philosophy but I do want to assure you that I'm not speculating about this stuff. Making games is...

www.thebluebard.com

 

[Beoric]

A second way this simple breakdown in stats works is because the player characters aren't much more complex. Since a player character can be summed up in almost as short a stat line facing another simple creature doens't make it feel like a soulless doll just there for punching.

Well, the difference between such monsters lies not in the abilities (special attacks and defences excluded), but in the narration of the DM.

In 4e it is dead easy to make monsters of a given power level even if you don't playtest, because numerical expressions are linked to level, role and subrole (with very simple rules regarding how and when to very them). However, monsters are also distinct from each other because they have different mechanical quirks.

A hobgoblin is distinct from an elf with identical AC, HP, weapons, to hit and damage expressions not because of a narrative difference (at least, not only because of a narrative difference), but because hobgoblins are able to shake off certain effects more easily than elves (being stunned, bleeding, etc.), whereas elves tend to be deadly accurate fighters.

And a hobgoblin archer is distinct from a hobgoblin soldier of the same level because the archer has different AC and HP (lighter armor) and is poorer at melee combat, but is deadly accurate with missile fire; whereas a hobgoblin soldier is better armored and sturdier, and has abilities that are designed to prevent opponents from getting past him.