I made this back in 2012 after playing 4e for a couple years.
3e Monsters for 4e Players(Link goes back to the PDF on my website.)
Print this out, and never reference another monster book again. Or that CR/xp table in the DMG.
This is, on one page -- in one
table -- a stat block for a monster of every level from 1-20.
- 'Def' references any weird/special defense a monster might need in addition to AC, like touch, flat-footed, or spell resistance.
- Exp is divided equally among the number of players.
This is almost like "page 42" from the 4e DMG with the formulas to create monsters from 1st-30th level, but this actually does the math for you AND provides you with a range of options. Challenge a party of any level by throwing a number of monsters at them equal to the number of players/combat participants.
If a PC druid has an animal companion (or nature's ally), or a wizard uses summon monster, or a leadership PC has a cohort, or an evil cleric animates/command some undead -- basically any time one player gets multiple creatures/characters to act during a fight -- add another monster.
You can always augment these stat blocks with like, spells and supernatural abilities -- and feats, I guess -- but the point is that you don't have to. This table replaces the "CR system" of 3e with the "one monster per player" system of 4e -- which just works better.
The stats on this table are comparable to monsters printed toward the end of 3e's life -- specifically, the Fiendish Codices (many of the stats are eerily spot-on).
Let me know if you have questions!
--Dither
