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7 months ago ::
Nov 12, 2012 - 9:05PM
#1
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Date Joined:
May 12, 2009
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Wandering Monster
What’s in a Monster?By James WyattWe're going to do something a little different this week. Rather than talk in general terms about what a monster is like or show you the story briefs I'm writing to guide design, I want to show off our current thinking about what information we might present when we give you a monster.Talk about this column here.
Yan
Montréal, Canada
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7 months ago ::
Nov 12, 2012 - 9:35PM
#2
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Date Joined:
May 27, 2012
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It works for me, but it neglected one important bit: a large part of being able to "bring a monster to life" goes with the visual, so it needs to have accurate art to go alongside it.
The metagame is not the game.
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7 months ago ::
Nov 12, 2012 - 10:05PM
#3
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I don't like how the information is ordered. I'd rather they put combat-relevant information closer to each other, without things like Languages, Alignment, and Abilities standing in the middle (yeah, I know abilities can be important in combat, but let's face it, monsters will use ability checks less often than characters, so this info could be presented in the bottom part of the block).
If they want to make it easy to see such info as Languages, Enviroment or Alignment in a glance, they could put it as headers in the monster lore part. For example:
"Bugbear
[Bugbear stat block here: Name, level, XP, Initiative, Speed, Traits, Actions, AC, hit points, and Abilities. I put Initiative and Speed first because they are most commonly used in the begining of an encounter, when rolling for Init. and then when the two parts (monsters and chars) are closing in together)].
Bugbears are goblinoids bla bla blah. They like to make ambushes yadda yadda. They like shiny stuff and this and that. (All the most important part of the monster lore. 4 or 5 paragraphs long).
Enviroment: Forests. Bugbears are most commonly found in forests, although some species prefer to...(*)
Alignment: Neutral Evil. While Goblins are usually Chaotic Evil and Hobgoblins are normally Lawful, Bugbears tend to...(*)
Languages: Common and Goblin. Some Bugbears who live near Orc tribes can also...(*)"
And that's my perfect monster entry / stat block.
* These underlined sentences do not have to be present in every monster, only when there is some relevant info that the writers want to include. Most of the time, it can be just the header and the main info.
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7 months ago ::
Nov 13, 2012 - 12:56AM
#4
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Date Joined:
Jun 15, 2006
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Always I imagined bugbears like "bag of muscles", closer to barbarians that rangers. I supossed they would rather stealing by intimidation, with threats of violence instead of using ambush.
I imagine the shaman bugbear would use magic illusion to create the false impresion the group is really bigger (and wasted ranged attacks by enemies/victims).
The bugbears from the article are like outlaw group with excess of testoterone, like a wild gang of bodybuilder bandits. They couldn´t live too near civilitation because they would be looked for by army (but if they are helpt by some corrupt noble).
I never supossed they could be so sharp to prepare ambush, because the little goblins are better to use stealth tactics, and hobgoblins are more coordinated for fight.
* Bear nose isn´t bad idea, but I don´t want that ridiculous black color (they look teddy bears). The nose should have got the same color that the rest of the skin, like apes.
If some humanoid race have got a special smelling, the stats should say a special bonus.
"Say me what you're showing off for, and I'll say you what you lack!" (Spanish saying)
Book 13 Anaclet 23
Confucius said: "The Superior Man is in harmony but does not follow the crowd. The inferior man follows the crowd, but is not in harmony"
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7 months ago ::
Nov 13, 2012 - 1:00AM
#5
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Date Joined:
May 12, 2009
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The Bugbear was perfect. The only thing that is wrong with it is this: Melee Attack—Large Morningstar: +2 to hit (reach 5 ft.; one creature). Hit: 5 (1d8 + 1) bludgeoning damage and 5 (1d8 + 1) piercing damage.
Ranged Attack—Large Javelin: +2 to hit (range 30 ft./120 ft.; one creature). Hit: 9 (2d6 + 2) piercing damage.
Yan
Montréal, Canada
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7 months ago ::
Nov 13, 2012 - 1:54AM
#6
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The Bugbear was perfect. The only thing that is wrong with it is this:
Melee Attack—Large Morningstar: +2 to hit (reach 5 ft.; one creature). Hit: 5 (1d8 + 1) bludgeoning damage and 5 (1d8 + 1) piercing damage.
Ranged Attack—Large Javelin: +2 to hit (range 30 ft./120 ft.; one creature). Hit: 9 (2d6 + 2) piercing damage.
Swing and a miss
Swing and a miss
Swing and a miss
Repeat until...
And it's out of the ball park!
Okay, so that's a bit of hyperbole...
However, on topic, the format is fine for me.
I would move the damage above the alignment to keep the combat stuff neatly packaged.
Breaking Tactics and Ecology into descriptive traits works fine for me it also gives a little nudge for waht aspect can be played up. For people not using the the fluffy for these Bugbears it may be a bit more intrusive, but it could just as easily be lifted and placed in other monsters that it is more appropriate to in their setting.
I'm still not sure how I feel about the Bugbear going off the 'roids and becoming a Wookie, but I'll deal.
I have an answer for you, it may even be the truth.
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7 months ago ::
Nov 13, 2012 - 4:33AM
#7
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Date Joined:
Aug 22, 2007
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I like it except I thing the bugbear like most humanoid should be slightly classed.
Either increase their bonus to to make them more fighterish or add a sneak attack to be roguish.
Orzel, Halfelven son of Zel, Mystic Ranger, Bane to Dragons, Death to Undeath, Killer of Abyssals, King of the Wilds.
Constitution Based Class for Next!
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7 months ago ::
Nov 13, 2012 - 4:57AM
#8
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Date Joined:
Jun 15, 2006
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Bugbear nose only can be black if hair is black and the skin is dark. Otherwise it would look a teddy bear.
Second point: Gnolls, bugbears and barbarian tribes can´t live too near civilitation if the kindom is enough strong. If we talk about a society like Roman Empire nearly falling then it is different.
We aren´t talking about the classic outlaw band but barbarian tribes that supposedly have been living for generations without friendly contact with rest of society, like the "lin kuei" (= forest ghosts, a ninja-like clan from ancient China).
* I wonder some bugbears could live in the feywild, and use magic fey portals to travel to material world to attack villages, like the historical vikings. It could avoid being catched by empire army.
"Say me what you're showing off for, and I'll say you what you lack!" (Spanish saying)
Book 13 Anaclet 23
Confucius said: "The Superior Man is in harmony but does not follow the crowd. The inferior man follows the crowd, but is not in harmony"
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7 months ago ::
Nov 13, 2012 - 5:27AM
#9
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Doesn't that depend on the environment as well? I know that in history such tribes lasted very long in suitably unpenetrable wilderniss (such as mountains and deep forests) or when just across the border. Plain nomads such as the Mongols are notorious examples of barbarian tribes constantly harassing large well organized empires. Although admittedly, they only became a real problem when the empire was on the verge of collapse more often than not giving the death blow.
Am I the only one who finds the referense to their good sense of smell odd since it does not come back in the stat block?
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7 months ago ::
Nov 13, 2012 - 6:16AM
#10
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Date Joined:
Aug 31, 2007
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The format is pretty good. I would move alignment and languages either down or up so that combat stats are one block. Attacks with a reach of 5' and targeting one creature don't need those two properties specified, they can be assumed as defaults if nothing else is listed.
The only thing missing is something under encounter building about the monsters normal role in combat. Something like style or role listed as stealth skirmisher. Not a fixed rule but a guideline to how a monster normally fights.
I notice that the weapon attacks have average damage listed. That probably means the game will have an option for fixed damage. I'm not a huge fan of fixed damage, but it has it uses. It does speed up combat when the party is facing a large group of weak monsters, but it distorts combat because the players can precisely calculate how many more hits they can take. The attack bonus is low for a 3rd level monster, but that is pretty universal right no for Next.
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