D&D 5E Making Monsters Interesting!!

[MightyZehir]

While I like 5e overall, I feel like some of the monsters are lacking in the mechanic department. I would like to enlist your help to add something unique without over-complicating them.

So the idea is to add one trait or an attack that would make them interesting.

I mean what's a crocodile without its signature death roll

Death Roll. melee weapon attack+4, reach 5 ft. one creature grappled by the crocodile. Hit: 7 (1d10+2) slashing damage and be knocked prone. If the target is submerge in water, the creature must succeed on a dc 12 constitution saving throw or start suffocating. On a critical hit, the crocodile rip off a limb or a large chunk of flesh, dealing 16(2d10+6) slashing damage and ending the grapple.

 

[Fion]

A lot of the monsters in the PHB and from what I've heard in the MM are very simple with one or two strait attacks an they and should have an iconic ability. Some monsters in the PHB already have this, like the snake's Constrict attack or the Dire Wolfs knockdown but many simply have attack A and attack B that are only different in how much damage they do or how many enemies they target, etc.

In your Crocodile example, the critical hit part isn't really necessary as if it crits it's already going to do higher damage and the 'rip off a limb or chunk of flesh' is very much an RP thing that isn't necessary in a stack block.

So something like;

Death Roll. If a crocodile begins it's turn while grappling, it can make an attack against it's grappled target.
Melee weapon attack +4, reach 5ft. Target: creature grappled by the crocodile. Hit: 7 (1d10 +2) slashing damage. If the target is submerged in water, that creature must succeed at a DC: 10 constitution save or begin to suffocate.


To add a special attack to the thread, here's a variant on the Falcon, a CR 2 Frost Hawk's special attack, inspired by the 4th edition monster variant.

Freezing Screech (Recharge 5, 6)
Ranged Weapon Attack +5, 30 ft. Cone. Hit: All targets in range must succeed at a DC: 15 Constitution save or take 8 (2d6 + 3) frost damage and may only move at slow pace until the end of your next turn.

Without the MM that's the best I can approximate such an attack.

 

[Herobizkit]

The easiest way to make monsters interesting is to steal liberally from Pokemon and 4e monster design - give each monster some kind of a status-affecting attack.

I'm no Pokemon Master, but practically every Pokemon learns some kind of minor affect that either buffs themselves or debuffs their enemies. Everything from a simple Growl or Mud Slap (that could give the opponent Disadvantage or grant the monster Advantage for the next attack) to full-on Blind and Paralysis.

Behold.

http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Status_move

 

[MightyZehir]

The easiest way to make monsters interesting is to steal liberally from Pokemon and 4e monster design - give each monster some kind of a status-affecting attack.

I'm no Pokemon Master, but practically every Pokemon learns some kind of minor affect that either buffs themselves or debuffs their enemies. Everything from a simple Growl or Mud Slap (that could give the opponent Disadvantage or grant the monster Advantage for the next attack) to full-on Blind and Paralysis.

Behold.

http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Status_move

Yes, on hit effects are quite common among the Scourage of the Swordcoast monsters. But they removed most of them in the Monster Manual. On hit grapple effects from the owlbear and pit fiend's tail and some monster reactions are removed ... I wonder if they have gone too far to make monsters simple.

 

[jadrax]

Yes, on hit effects are quite common among the Scourage of the Swordcoast monsters. But they removed most of them in the Monster Manual. On hit grapple effects from the owlbear and pit fiend's tail and some monster reactions are removed ... I wonder if they have gone too far to make monsters simple.

Its worth noting that a creature can still grapple if you want it too, it is just that most creatures no longer auto grapple - which often slowed down play.

 

[MightyZehir]

Its worth noting that a creature can still grapple if you want it too, it is just that most creatures no longer auto grapple - which often slowed down play.

Yes, I'm aware of that, by replacing one of their multiple attacks.

It's also interesting to note that they remove lots of immunities in Monster Manual.

While some people thought it was an oversight that undeads lack certain immunities. But I think they intentionally remove them. It is supported by the fact that undeads have disease immunity and no need to breathe, eat , drink or sleep in 'Dead in Thay'.

Maybe certain immunities are just assumed for the types of creatures. But we never heard anything like that form those who own the Monster Manuals.

 

[Juriel]

Yes, the monsters badly need work. 90% of them are just differently-sized HP + basic attack packs now.

If you're going to have combats, I don't see how everyone just repeating 'roll to hit, roll damage' is a worthwhile investment of time. Even if you want to 'just get it out of the way fast', then there are ways to do that which are still interesting. And faster than this number-tracking exercise...

Anyway, adding a simple on-hit effect to the current packages should be easy enough. Some critters should get one automatically (like a bear or umber hulk trying to grapple on hit, with an auto-hit next turn if it's not broken by then), some you might want to randomize a bit (either put it behind a crit, or only to happen on an odd/even roll). Oh, and definitely something whereby Large and Huge monsters throw people around.

 

[MightyZehir]

Yes, the monsters badly need work. 90% of them are just differently-sized HP + basic attack packs now.

I wouldn't say it is that bad... most of the monsters just need one or two things to spice them up.. Plus, D&D has always contain a decent amount of similar monsters, only differentiated through their fluff.

I do thoroughly enjoy most of the lair actions, environmental interaction was always important in my game, it's nice to see them in the official game.

 

[Juriel]

Plus, D&D has always contain a decent amount of similar monsters, only differentiated through their fluff.

Nah, 4e tried to differentiate even classes of enemies within the same bugbear group.

So it's the obvious one to look to for different effects now...

 

[MightyZehir]

Nah, 4e tried to differentiate even classes of enemies within the same bugbear group.

Monster variants would be quite easy to do in this edition, I would said. Just add a feat or two to the mix..

Now that I think about it, that's exactly the what they have done before the Monster Manual. The owlbear in ' Dead in Thay' has the grappler feat as its trait and grants the owlbear attack rolls advantage against target it's grappling. It also had the on hit grapple effect with its claws.