One of the most devastating combos a boss monster can have is long reach + reactive strike. A large or huge monster can threaten so much space, and so many things trigger RS. My GM once gave reach to a Dullahan and I swear it made the battle three times harder.
But I don't recall seeing any advice on how this impacts a monster's threat level. The monster roadmaps don't really address size and reach at all, nor do I recall mention of shifting damage down for it.
How do y'all factor these things in when you build a monster? I don't give them out often myself because I find reactive strike to already be overused.
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Given the basic brute monster nature is most like a Barbarian, I'd consider Reactive Strike as a 6th level ability which might crowd out other abilities for monsters in that level range. For a more martial monster, i.e. Hobgoblin military, then I'd put RS as a basic ability, but also avoid damage boosts other than high attack, like building a Fighter. But there's a reason a lot of low-level monsters do less damage than a PC would, i.e. carry mediocre weapons, so yeah, there's a sense of balance to be considered.
As for tying it to Reach, I'd think in terms of the monster doing less damage, like a polearm does less than a greatsword. Also there might be less defense, as if using both hands/no shield or parry even if not using both hands. But as monsters accumulate more and more power (via levels), my concern lessens. As noted, RS is common enough, so parties should have methods of dealing with it.
Paizo generally gives monsters an off-turn effect, like an Aura. A Reaction is the simplest choice, with RS, Nimble Dodge, & Shield Block being common or oft-emulated. So with that principle, yeah, I'd consider giving out RS with each build, but I wouldn't grant it offhand. Nor would I add a second off-turn effect (that doesn't burn a singular Reaction that is) until the higher levels.
In the case of the Dullahan, they are trading the utility of the hatchet (agile + ranged option w/ it's odd lower attack/higher damage). So I'd see switching to a Reach weapon as an even swap much like if a PC (or enemy NPC based on class levels) swapped out for the same. In some situations (party, tactics, setting) this would be an absolute power bump, but in others there might be loss (no ride-by throws, less utility, harder to interact with environment).
Not saying I would do that with a boss Dullahan. That's rough, though getting flanking on a skirmishing target (which they seem built to be) would likely trigger RS attacks already (especially getting around that large horse it rides).
There's one thing I definitely agree with you: Reactive Strike + Reach is clearly one of the toughest ability to put on a monster. As characters can't beat reach (there's not much in the game to increase one's reach), it ends up giving a free attack nearly every round to the enemy, which is a massive power multiplier. In my opinion, it's a vastly undervalued ability and the core of most TPKs (Greater Barghests, Lesser Deaths, Gelugon and Dread Wraiths have killed so many...).
Now, when I create a monster, I tend to avoid common abilities. If I just want a melee brute, I can find a good one at each and every level. So if I spend time creating a monster it's in general because I want something out of the ordinary that I can't get by just slightly modifying an existing creature.
So, no, I've never created such a monster and I'd certainly be extremely cautious when doing so. Extreme reach + Reactive Strike is a massive ability that should be considered a monster entire thing.
Can confirm Reach + AoO is the most deadly combination, with Heightened Spell DCs being the second most deadly.
Definitely restrict this to one creature, tops, if you are concerned about killing players.
Given the basic brute monster nature is most like a Barbarian, I'd consider Reactive Strike as a 6th level ability which might crowd out other abilities for monsters in that level range. For a more martial monster, i.e. Hobgoblin military, then I'd put RS as a basic ability, but also avoid damage boosts other than high attack, like building a Fighter. But there's a reason a lot of low-level monsters do less damage than a PC would, i.e. carry mediocre weapons, so yeah, there's a sense of balance to be considered.
As for tying it to Reach, I'd think in terms of the monster doing less damage, like a polearm does less than a greatsword. Also there might be less defense, as if using both hands/no shield or parry even if not using both hands. But as monsters accumulate more and more power (via levels), my concern lessens. As noted, RS is common enough, so parties should have methods of dealing with it.
Paizo generally gives monsters an off-turn effect, like an Aura. A Reaction is the simplest choice, with RS, Nimble Dodge, & Shield Block being common or oft-emulated. So with that principle, yeah, I'd consider giving out RS with each build, but I wouldn't grant it offhand. Nor would I add a second off-turn effect (that doesn't burn a singular Reaction that is) until the higher levels.
In the case of the Dullahan, they are trading the utility of the hatchet (agile + ranged option w/ it's odd lower attack/higher damage). So I'd see switching to a Reach weapon as an even swap much like if a PC (or enemy NPC based on class levels) swapped out for the same. In some situations (party, tactics, setting) this would be an absolute power bump, but in others there might be loss (no ride-by throws, less utility, harder to interact with environment).
Not saying I would do that with a boss Dullahan. That's rough, though getting flanking on a skirmishing target (which they seem built to be) would likely trigger RS attacks already (especially getting around that large horse it rides).
I'm picking up what you're putting down, but it is a bit less obvious for non-weapon use. I think your same basic idea could apply-- treat reach attacks like agile attacks when using reactive strike and only use moderate damage instead of the usual high damage for melee monsters. I'm not sure the published monsters follow that philosophy though.
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A young Horned Dragon (level 8), has a AoO-like ability. It hits at a -2, but also disrupts on a hit (not a crit). The ability is tied to the tail attack, which has a moderate attack modifier and low mod damage (ave 16 vs. 18 expected), but with a 15 foot reach.
I think this is probably the high end of what you want to see on a lower level creature with a reach AoO. Anything stronger and you will likely overpower you PCs.
Right, like an agile or die type difference. Much like Trample is with attacks so bad the monster would seldom use to Strike.
I also am unsure Paizo's practice with this. Lots of giants have Reactive Strike, but also have Strikes that attack multiple enemies before MAP, so I hope Paizo factors those abilities in.
Let's see with some CR 1 creatures:
-Hobgoblin Soldier: RS, +8, 1d8+3 damage
-Orc Veteran: RS, +7, 1d8+4
(so both using one-handed, non-Reach weapons)
-Goblin Commando: Reach, +8, 1d8+3
(That suits hit & run, especially w/ Scuttle)
-Dwarf Warrior: +8, 1d8+2 (simply poor offense, and w/ +4 Str too! Shows discrepancy between PCs & NPCs at early levels; no RS which maybe it should have, but maybe lacks to prioritize Shield Block)
NPCs
Bodyguard: +7 (backswing), 1d10+4 (!, yet less than PC Barb...)
Guard: RS, +9, 1d6+4
Bloody Blade Mercenary: +9, 1d8+4 (+1d8 vs. Prey 1/round!)
(Simply broken, Fighter attack w/ Ranger damage bonus, but at least wielding a one-handed weapon I guess)
At CR 1, Halflings, Kobolds, & Lizardfolk have Sneak Attack which makes their damage higher when applicable.
Elves & Umbral Gnomes should disperse to rely on ranged attacks.
So no creatures w/ Reach + RS, nor w/ high-damage + RS despite it being easy enough to build such for a 1st level Fighter. But also no "greatsword + 4" damage at Fighter proficiency either, leaving the Sneak Attackers at the top re: DPR, despite the ease of flanking (plus Terrain Advantage for Lizardfolk Scouts). I thought for sure there was a low-level guard-type w/ Reach + RS and a mediocre attack, but maybe they're a bit higher level.
Maybe shoulda tried a higher CR featuring giants *shrug*, but at least it seems that Paizo builds modestly at 1st (except that one for a specific module).
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One of the most devastating combos a boss monster can have is long reach + reactive strike. A large or huge monster can threaten so much space, and so many things trigger RS. My GM once gave reach to a Dullahan and I swear it made the battle three times harder.
But I don't recall seeing any advice on how this impacts a monster's threat level. The monster roadmaps don't really address size and reach at all, nor do I recall mention of shifting damage down for it.
How do y'all factor these things in when you build a monster? I don't give them out often myself because I find reactive strike to already be overused.
Yeah, it's one of the stronger things a monster can have, and it's very straightforward and well-understood by players and GMs. It's also often pretty clearly signposted - if you see a plant monster with long, loooong vines, you're gonna worry that it has reach and reactive strike. If you see a serious looking professional soldier type with a polearm, you're gonna expect it too.
Some monsters are meant to be very simple and convenient as mass mooks. If you have five mooks in a fight it's a hassle remembering which one used their reaction in round three and which one still has it. So I definitely don't think ALL monsters should have out of turn/reaction abilities. But for monsters that tend to be more 1-2 of them vs a 4-5 PC party, I do think the "serious" enemies need some kind of out of turn action. Otherwise it gets a bit easy for the party to run long action combos on them. It can be a reaction, it can be some aura that messes a bit with action economy.
RS is the most common, well-known, well-understood one. When used without reach, it's just a trick. With 10ft reach, it's a strong ability. With 15 to 20 reach, it's about as efficient as getting a free no-MAP-involved extra attack every round. It becomes impossible for a caster to Step back to safety, or for the front row PCs to really keep the monster from attacking the back row. Reach really multiplies the power of RS depending on how much reach it is.
You say you find RS overused - I can see that. I think it does have its place, on aforementioned soldier and tentacle monsters. Maybe for really long reach monsters, you can sub in a slightly weaker RS variant that can't disrupt actions for example, or that only triggers on Manipulate but not Move. Since reach and RS multiply to produce their total power, if one side is getting bigger, we can make the other input to the formula smaller.
TL;DR - when estimating the power of monster abilities, we need to evaluate if two abilities (like reach and RS) "add" or "multiply".