WotC Considering NPC Stat Format Change

IchneumonWasp · Mar 8, 2019

I welcome his change. NPC stat blocks take up a lot of space for stuff that aren't really necessary and can mostly be improvised on the spot, especially if there are some small guidelines about how strong the NPCs and whether he is more strong/intelligent/social etc. You don't need the entire statblock.

Koloth · Mar 8, 2019

"Example: Borf is a chaotic neutral, non-binary shield dwarf berserker with darkvision out to a range of 60 feet."

Maybe it is too early in the morning and not enough tea but WTF is a 'non-binary shield dwarf'? Did a 2 get into a Boolean logic discussion?

While the new format seems easier to read, can it be spotted quickly while scanning a block of text as players are waiting for the DM to describe who they are dealing with? The () can make a string of stat text stand out from normal text.

AndrÃ© Soares · Mar 8, 2019

Koloth said:
Maybe it is too early in the morning and not enough tea but WTF is a 'non-binary shield dwarf'? Did a 2 get into a Boolean logic discussion?

It's a shield dwarf that doesn't identify as male or female (or only as male or female).

5ekyu · Mar 8, 2019

Koloth said:
"Example: Borf is a chaotic neutral, non-binary shield dwarf berserker with darkvision out to a range of 60 feet."

Maybe it is too early in the morning and not enough tea but WTF is a 'non-binary shield dwarf'? Did a 2 get into a Boolean logic discussion?

While the new format seems easier to read, can it be spotted quickly while scanning a block of text as players are waiting for the DM to describe who they are dealing with? The () can make a string of stat text stand out from normal text.

Non-binary as opposed to M or F.
Google.

Jacob Lewis · Mar 8, 2019

I fail to see how this affects gameplay according to this handy flow chart

Ash Mantle · Mar 8, 2019

Koloth said:
While the new format seems easier to read, can it be spotted quickly while scanning a block of text as players are waiting for the DM to describe who they are dealing with? The () can make a string of stat text stand out from normal text.

Hopefully these entries are bolded for easy scanning and finding.

jasper · Mar 8, 2019

how about this Jasper Drow Mage AC 12/15 HP 45 XP 2,900 MM 129 Non-binary or
Jasper no-binary Drow Mage AC 12/15 HP 45 MM 129 or
jasper non-binaryDrow Mage HP 75 MM 129 ( include HP if not average0.

Alzrius · Mar 8, 2019

I wish they'd put their level in there. That'd be helpful to know.

Osgood · Mar 8, 2019

Maybe I'm getting too old for this s#!$ but I think having to read a whole sentence to express what should be a few words and abbreviations is a terrible idea. Walls of text are a pain to read through when at the table, so having a parenthetical with the stats to catch the eyes makes things a little easier. That complete sentence may make your grade school grammar teacher happy, but it's not doing anything for the DM.

Imagine if they tried this with monster stat blocks...
The Ogre is a large-sized chaotic evil giant, possessed of a prodigious strength score of 19, a sub-par dexterity score of 8, an impressive 16 constitution. It's limited mental capabilities include an Intelligence score of 5 and wisdom and charisma scores of 7; the ogre speaks the Common and Giant languages. Thanks to its hide armor the ogre has an armor class of 11, but what it lacks in defense, it makes up for in health as its 7d10+21 hit dice provide it with an average of 59 hit points. Additionally the ogre has a speed of 40 feet per round, the ability to see in darkness to a range of 60 feet, and a passive perception score of 8.
The ogre can use a greatclub to make melee weapon attacks, which have a +6 bonus to hit, a reach of 5 feet, and may affect one target, dealing 2d8+4 points of bludgeoning damage, for an average of 13 points. As a ranged attack the ogre can hurl javelins to a range of 30 feet, or 120 feet with disadvantage on the attack roll. The javelin has a +6 bonus to hit, and deals 2d6+4 points of piercing damage on a hit, which averages to 11 points of damage. The javelin can also be used to make a melee attack with a reach of 5 feet, with the same attack bonuses and damage. Characters who defeat this level 2 challenge earn 450 experience points.

Can't wait!