D&D 5E Extra Reactions or Not-Quite-Legendary Actions

[Reynard]

You yourself stated a few posts ago that WOTC improved their monsters by looking at 3rd party material. Yes, I can give a long long list of horribly stated blocks. WOTC can take a really cool idea for a monster and then destroy that coolness with an awful stat block. I realize most DM's have neither the time nor experience to alter stat blocks, and rely on WOTC's presentation of said monsters. That is what makes this even more egregious.

It might be more helpful and conducive to discussion to offer up some solutions for specific stat blocks you think miss the mark.

 

[Thomas Rainsborough]

It might be more helpful and conducive to discussion to offer up some solutions for specific stat blocks you think miss the mark.

The list is far far too long. But, getting back to the original theme of the thread, all monsters above CR 1 should have at least one Legendary Resist. That scales with the toughness of the monster. And LA's, that number should also scale with the toughness of the monster. There is nothing wrong with a CR 3 having one LA, and a CR 13 having 4 or more.

 

[Reynard]

The list is far far too long. But, getting back to the original theme of the thread, all monsters above CR 1 should have at least one Legendary Resist. That scales with the toughness of the monster. And LA's, that number should also scale with the toughness of the monster. There is nothing wrong with a CR 3 having one LA, and a CR 13 having 4 or more.

I'm not sure I would give every monster a Legendary Resistance, mostly because that would have significantly more downstream impacts. Players would actively change the way they build and use their spellcasters in ways that change the nature of play beyond the scope of simply trying to make fights for interesting.

 

[Thomas Rainsborough]

I'm not sure I would give every monster a Legendary Resistance, mostly because that would have significantly more downstream impacts. Players would actively change the way they build and use their spellcasters in ways that change the nature of play beyond the scope of simply trying to make fights for interesting.

Oh no doubt it changes the landscape and the thought process of the players. It is supposed to. I believe that if players are forced to think more tactically, (and strategically) that by definition makes combat more interesting. Metaphorically, I don't want Wizards leading with Fireball for every encounter.

 

[Reynard]

Oh no doubt it changes the landscape and the thought process of the players. It is supposed to. I believe that if players are forced to think more tactically, (and strategically) that by definition makes combat more interesting. Metaphorically, I don't want Wizards leading with Fireball for every encounter.

I don't worry about what the players are doing. That's their job. I just want the bad guys to have more interesting options than just "stand there and smash."

The real thing to do is probably to build some universal maneuvers back into the game ala LevelUp so that EVERYONE has cool options all the time.

 

[Mort]

One of the designs I use for making creatures more interesting is to give them things to do when it is not their turn. Sometimes I use reactions -- my kobolds are extremely acrobatic little buggers that as a reaction can "roll with it" and take half damage while moving 5 feet if struck as a reaction, for example -- and sometimes I use "legendary" action for not-legendary creatures -- my giant toads can make one tongue attack as a "legendary" action anytime during the round. I build these abilities on a case by case basis, often referencing other sources like the LevelUp Monster Menagerie, or the monster abilities books from DMsGuild or whatever.
My questions are these:
A) Do you beef up your baddies with off-turn abilities? If so, what method do you suually use? What kinds of abilities? Any really fun examples?
ii) Is there a functional difference in play I should consider between deciding on a reaction ability versus a "legendary" ability? I often decide arbitrarily but there's an itch in the back of my mind that says the form might matter.
and
3) I don't usually add too many bonus actions, but if I do they are almost never attacks. Instead I add movement or self healing or aiding another or things like that. Do you utilize bonus actions as much, more or less than reactions/legendaries?

Yea, these are good ways for more dynamic combat.

I wish more monsters had stuff like the goblin boss (uses a reaction to have another goblin take damage for it) instead of making us do work ourselves.

 

[Reynard]

Yea, these are good ways for more dynamic combat.

I wish more monsters had stuff like the goblin boss (uses a reaction to have another goblin take damage for it) instead of making us do work ourselves.

It is sometimes hard to come up with stuff that makes things more interesting and dynamic that doesn't drastically change the power level.

One thing that I haven't done that I should consider is adding lair/environment actions to some combat: falling rocks, erupting hot springs, wind gusts, that sort of thing.

 

[Thomas Rainsborough]

It is sometimes hard to come up with stuff that makes things more interesting and dynamic that doesn't drastically change the power level.

One thing that I haven't done that I should consider is adding lair/environment actions to some combat: falling rocks, erupting hot springs, wind gusts, that sort of thing.

One suggestion I would make, and likely impractical, is to look over the old Dragon magazines, or any number of modules starting from the 70's onward. Almost all of them have interesting lair/environmental actions.

 

[aco175]

I tend to give named monsters or level boss monsters something. I like the goblin boos power of swapping places with a goblin ally or the zombie power to not die with a save. I may give a recharge power or something that is used when at half HP, like 4e bloodied power.

I do not have the brain power to track each goblin cool power on each off turn and then recall which PC was supposed to be going next in the initiative. A generic troll- no, but the Troll of Redwood Bridge- yes.

 

[Reynard]

I do not have the brain power to track each goblin cool power on each off turn and then recall which PC was supposed to be going next in the initiative. A generic troll- no, but the Troll of Redwood Bridge- yes.

My favorite thing about playing via Fantasy grounds -- other than being able to play with friends scattered across the country -- is that initiative tracking is entirely taken care of by the program.