MS Word Monster Statblock

Hello again,

As with my MS Word character sheets, I'm sharing my Monster Statblocks. originally, I intended and tried printing these to PDF and then printing multiple blocks per page for monster cards, but I found that shuffling monsters cards was actually worse for my organization at the game table and didn't give me enough room to track hp and other things, so instead I now create the statblocks the same way (see attached sample statblock) but I then paste them as nested tables into a 3x2 Word table (see attached sample stablock table), normally one page with multiple statblocks for a given encounter, using the free space for notes.

The statblocks use Daelykr's Fonts for the attack icons, recharge die numbers, etc. The format is similar to the PHB but with a number of changes I have made to suit my tastes. Most are self-explanatory when you take a look but here are some explanations.

First, I use colors as follows:

Green: at-will
Red: encounter
Blue: recharge
Yellow: nonaction property

I also use the following convention to convey action type, using white on black so it pops out:

ST = standard
MV = move
MI = minor
FR = free
(lightning bolt) RXN = immediate reaction
(lightning bolt) INT = immediate interrupt

I used the bolts instead of, say, IMM for immediate because I find that PHB statblocks make it easy for me to forget that a creature has immediate actions. Most of the time I only look at the card when it is the monster's turn for actions, but having those bolts look up at me help me quickly identify potential interrupts/reactions. The bolt is just a Webdings font character and should already be on at least XP machines if not more broadly.

I also used superscripted numbers to link stats and powers to properties that modify them so that I remember the relationships. See the attached files for examples.

I put the HP near the upper right and made it so that in many cases there is room to track HP right underneath for singles of that type. For multiples of the same type I use one statblock and I use nearby empty space on my table page to write, e.g. R1, R2, R3 for rats 1, 2, and 3, and track HP and conditions under each.

Anyway, there it is. I also use the same landscape 3x2 tables to add skill challenge and trap details so that each sheet represents most or all I need to run a particular encounter.

Hope someone finds this as useful as I have, either as is or as a starting point for your personal modifications.

Cool... though I have to admit your particular color choices are ugly to me, that's easy to change.

This is a general question, but... how did you get MS word to flip over sideways in that second attachment?

Rechan said:

This is a general question, but... how did you get MS word to flip over sideways in that second attachment?

Click to expand...

File --> Page Setup --> Landscape

Thanks!

keterys said:

Cool... though I have to admit your particular color choices are ugly to me, that's easy to change.

Click to expand...

Hope you didn't have to squint to bear looking at them . I chose those because red and green are already associated with encounter and at-will and I wanted to stick with primary colors, and chose yellow--the less distinguishable from white when printed--as the one for nonaction properties, and blue for recharge because that's what's left if you want RGBY. I chose fainter pastels 1) to save ink, since I don't print these for posterity but for a specific encounter where I'm going to mark the table sheets all up and probably never any particular one with that exact set of baddies again, and 2) to maximize contrast between the background color and the text on top of it, so I don't have a hard time reading these and seeing the symbols quickly. Just goals that people might consider when deciding what colors to change to, if desired.

Thanks for posting this. It makes doing up monsters easier

Jay H