Unique Monster Trait Tables

[mkill]

Here is an idea for 5E. I tried to bounce this off in rpg.net, but this forum has failed me (yet again...) I should have listened to common sense and come to enworld in the first place.

Here is the idea:

When the DM introduces a group of monsters, say, a bunch of orc minions, good DMs will give each opponent a trait that will make them unique and identifiable. That way, you don't have to say "I don't hit that orc over there", or worse, "I attack Orc #3", but you can say "I hit the orc with the eyepatch" or "that red-haired one will taste my Icy Burst"

It helps to have a diverse set of minis, but that's not always the case.

So my suggestion is to include a small table for unique traits with each monster entry, so DMs can customize opponents on the fly.

Here is the table for Orc grunts:

1d12
1 Limps from an old battle scar. [Speed 3]
2 Eyepatch and nasty attitude. [Intimidate +8]
3 Coward. Will attempt to flee when bloodied.
4 Female. Tries to show she is equal in battle, but other orcs will try to protect her anyway.
5 Goes berserk and fights to the death. [+1d6 damage when bloodied]
6 Carries a ragged scimitar instead of an axe.
7 Wears an ornate helmet. [Immune to critical hits]
8 Has red hair in a mohawk haircut.
9 Skilled archer, carries a longbow [add ranged attack +5/1d8+5]
10 Sneaky bastard, wears a black cape. [+5 to Stealth]
11 Tough guy with broad shoulders and many battle scars. [+10 hp]
12 Blessed by Groomsh. Odd-looking scar on the left arm. [Reroll attack 1/enc]

Now, Orcs are fairly easy to do, or dragons, but gelatinous cubes? Ochre Jellys? Fire elementals? Giant Wasps?

Maybe the swarm intelligence of enworld can come up with something interesting.

EDIT: Format improved to Dog Moon's suggestion.

 

[Mattachine]

It's a charming idea, and very reminiscent of AD&D, with its many charts and tables. Remember the random hordling tables in the MM2?

Still, if I had a choice of this sort of thing, or more monster entries (and space is limited), I would rather have more entries.

 

[Connorsrpg]

I Love this kind of thing too. But I would not inc it for every monster in the MM. Some yes, (and possessions like hill giant loot too), but even better would be mass charts for all creatures/NPCs with tons of options, rather than a few that could be exhausted in 1-2 encounters. You don't want every orc war band to inc the 'guy with the eyepatch'.

I love me some random tables...that is whay I have already done this See my sig for website. Go to GM Tools. I have such charts in my Encounters doc and Creating NPCs.

Cheers.

 

[Sunseeker]

Nice flavor but I don't know if the stat bonuses are wholly necessary, plus these are NPCs that are going to last, what, 5 minutes? If the DM wants to give them flavor, then they can do so through their own creativity, if the DM wants those flavorful things to generate statistical bonuses, they can assign them.

Too many rules for what should be the creative realms of the DM stems natural creativity. It's nice to experience something in a game that you know was not pulled from page 72 of DMG VIIMM, but created entirely for that game.

 

[Grazzt]

Nice flavor but I don't know if the stat bonuses are wholly necessary, plus these are NPCs that are going to last, what, 5 minutes? If the DM wants to give them flavor, then they can do so through their own creativity, if the DM wants those flavorful things to generate statistical bonuses, they can assign them.

Too many rules for what should be the creative realms of the DM stems natural creativity. It's nice to experience something in a game that you know was not pulled from page 72 of DMG VIIMM, but created entirely for that game.

Yeah. This. No table(s) needed. Let DM do it on the fly as needed/desired.

 

[Connorsrpg]

But a once-off large chart in the MM for creatures would be nice - much like we have had for NPCs.

 

[mkill]

No table(s) needed. Let DM do it on the fly as needed/desired.

In a perfect world of full-time perfect DMs: Yes.

In real life, with DMs who have a life, a job, a girlfriend, and like to start a session with no more than a small note sheet of preparation and wing it from there, this is exactly the stuff I need. The point of spending JPY3000 to buy an RPG product is to outsource coming up with ideas to people with more talent and time than me.

Nice flavor but I don't know if the stat bonuses are wholly necessary, plus these are NPCs that are going to last, what, 5 minutes?

But that's the point! Yes, these orcs probably won't survive the fight. But that doesn't mean they should be boring. Of course the DM doesn't want to waste too much time on throw-away monsters. That's why you include a table to customize the monster in 10 seconds.

Yes, the DM can do it himself, but of the dozens and dozens of DMs I've had in my gaming life, maybe two or three bother doing it. If the MM suggests it and makes it painless, there might be more.

You don't want every orc war band to inc the 'guy with the eyepatch'.

Why not?

Too many rules for what should be the creative realms of the DM stems natural creativity. It's nice to experience something in a game that you know was not pulled from page 72 of DMG VIIMM, but created entirely for that game.

Au contraire! These tables give the DM the first lego brick, he has to build the house himself from there.

 

[mkill]

Ok, next up, Gelatinous Cube!

d12
1 Has random items of kitchenware in it, plates, forks and knives, a chair
2 Contains what looks like a giant lizard skull
3 Glows in the dark (from fungi?)
4 Contains piles of trash and dirt and smells like a sewer
5 Appears to have eaten a library, and contains books, covers, and loose pages
6 Has a reddish tint, appears to follow blood trails
7 Contains gems that were polished by its acid
8 Appears to be semi-intelligent and tries to communicate with pseudopods
9 Greyish tint, likes to hide in dark corners and wait for prey
10 Ate an animated skeleton that is trying feverishly to get out
11 Contains ancient plate armor that must have been in there for centuries
12 Bouncy; likes to hop and jump on prey from above

 

[mkill]

Dretch

d10
1 Foulmouth. Constantly sputters insults to the mother of whoever he is fighting.
2 Carries a big, nasty club he refers to as "Spiky"
3 Has purple spots all over his skin
4 Has a long, prehensile tongue hanging from his mouth.
5 Decorated his lower left fang with a golden ring.
6 Has oversized, round ears that hang down the left and right of his face.
7 Disinterested in fighting. Tries to steal something shiny and hobble away.
8 Groans and moans and holds his stomach as if he was ill. Farts a lot.
9 Looks more massive and bloated than others. Enjoys bossing them around.
10 Constantly grinning, lets out a cringeworthy giggle with every hit.

 

[Vegepygmy]

I think this is a fantastic idea, but it should be pure flavor, no mechanics (or at least, very rarely mechanical). I wouldn't use it if I had to keep track of a bunch of fiddly numbers, but "The orc with a limp attacks you," instead of "Orc #3 attacks you," would definitely make it into my games.

Still, if I had a choice of this sort of thing, or more monster entries (and space is limited), I would rather have more entries.

Not me. Every edition of the game has published way, way more monsters than I've ever needed. But some help in making the monsters I do use "live and breathe" would be most welcome.