How do you figure Attributes from an MR?

Question

I'm talking about Tunnels & Trolls, of course -- where monsters have a Monster Rating (MR), and that's all they need!

...usually. It gets sketchy (for me, anyway) when you, the GM, want your monsters to make SRs for things.

Of course that they're your monsters, so you can assign whatever attribute ratings you want. But say you want to assign them sensibly. What's a good rule of thumb?

ALSO: Could someone with sufficient rep please create a Tunnels & Trolls tag?

Answer 1

This post at the Trollbridge asks just this question: Monsters & Saving Rolls?

There are several opinions on good ways to do this in that thread. The executive summary is:

• Divide MR by how many attributes the PCs have and multiply that by the monster's multiplier for the stat you want. This assumes you've got multipliers written down.
• Fudge it, guesstimating how much of a monster's MR comes from each stat based on what they are. Ogres would have most of their MR from STR and CON, with very little in INT and CHR.
• Assume that MR monsters are just cannon-fodder regardless of what they actually are (otherwise they'd have stats), and use a basic, unmodified-by-stats SR for anything they want to do.
• Skip MR and stat anything that would need to roll an SR (otherwise, sucks to be an MR Monster!)

Alternatively (and this is again from that thread), dodge the question altogether and flip the rolls that the monsters would make into PC Saving Rolls. For example, a Centaur is chasing down a PC to give 'em what-for, so instead of making the Centaur roll a Speed SR to sprint, make the chased PC roll an appropriately-hard Dexterity SR to out-manœuver the Centaur. Not only does this make it easier on the GM, but it also leaves the PCs' fate in the players' hands and gives them AP.

Answer 2

Simply put, you fake it. There is no real correlation between MR and Attributes.

If one is being totally fixated, tho', one can fake 4 from MR, and a 5th can be moderately fudged...:

For creatures with MR ≤ 100 in T&T 5

Cn = MR
St = 12+MR/6, round down
Dx = 12+MR/6, round up
Lk = 12+MR/6, round down
Ch = -(1+(MR/10))d6
IQ = 3d6
Pow = 3d6

For creatures with MR ≤ 100 in T&T 7.x

Cn = MR
St = 12+MR/8, round up
Dx = 12+MR/8, round up
Lk = 12+MR/8, round down
Sp = 12+MR/8, round down
Ch = -(1+(MR/10))d6
IQ = 3d6
Wz = MR/10

Trade luck for dex and strength to be able to wield the correct dice of weaponry. Over 5D you'll usually need to go 2 handed. Over 10D, you'll need to use magic weapons.

Explanation of why...

Since MR/2 is adds, and (ST-12)+(DX-12)+(LK-12)= Adds, dividing MR by 6, and adding 12, gets you roughly equal stats for the three that determine adds.

In T&T 5.x, POW is ALWAYS x1 if it's used. Same with SPD in 5.0. Since they don't contribute to MR, they can be generated independently.

Negative Charisma being equal to dice rolled is a shortcut I've always used; it gives a good range, and means big beasts can be REALLY scary.

In 7.X, SPD also is an adds contributing stat... so, divide MR by 2 to get adds, then by 4 adds stats...

IQ is only vital to spellcasters; most monsters don't need lots.

Pow in 5.X is optional; in 7, Wiz is standard, and MR is listed as Wiz=MR/10 on p131 of 7.5.

Also, damage dice for PC-style characters are by weapon... with unarmed being 1d. the biggest 1h weapons run 5D+1 (warhammer St 16 Dx 3) at 99MR, I'm needing 10D, so a pair of pilae produces 10D+0, and requires St12 ea and Dex 8 each, for St 24 and Dex 16... 100/8=12.5, plus the 12 base...

Example MR 99 Conversion
Base is 10D+49 for MR99
St 25
Dx 25
Sp 25
Lk 24
IQ random
Ch 10d6 - should be about -35
Con 99
Wz 10
Attack: 10D+49 (2x pilum)