D&D 5E Redesigning the Monster Block - What four things do you put first, right after the name?

[Umbran]

Note: There's lots of space left in the monster manual stat block after the top, so just because it isn't top 4 doesn't mean nobody loves it.

I think monster blocks in the Monster Manual for use by GMs seeking inspiration ought to be quite different from monster stat blocks in modules that are being referenced primarily for combat purposes.

 

[Vaalingrade]

Level (No CR, please) Role HP -- At the top.

Then Size and type Type

 

[aco175]

I think monster blocks in the Monster Manual for use by GMs seeking inspiration ought to be quite different from monster stat blocks in modules that are being referenced primarily for combat purposes.

This. If I am making a module I want things like alignment and terrain on top to help sort the monsters that way, but when running the game and they are fighting, I need them to have combat information listed.

Although I do not like the abbreviated stat blocks put in some modules. I would just assume the whole thing. If forced to choose, I would need a combat one over a planning one. I can likely find a sheet with location, group number, and society of each monster to aid in planning.

 

[Tonguez]

Name
Combat Data: Role, AC, Initiative, HP, Move, CR,
Creature Description:Size,Type, Saves, Skills, Intelligence,
Behaviour: Senses, terrain, activity cycle, diet

I dont need alignment and will make up number appearing myself. Group organisation I'd prefer to see in the write up alongside discussion of its behavior and special abilities

 

[Maxperson]

This. If I am making a module I want things like alignment and terrain on top to help sort the monsters that way, but when running the game and they are fighting, I need them to have combat information listed.

But if you are making the adventure yourself, there isn't going to be a second stat block for you to look at. The stat block in the MM needs to be set up for combat, since combat is the primary purpose of monsters and a lot of people don't buy modules.

 

[aco175]

But if you are making the adventure yourself, there isn't going to be a second stat block for you to look at. The stat block in the MM needs to be set up for combat, since combat is the primary purpose of monsters and a lot of people don't buy modules.

When I make modules, I copy the stat block like 4e did into the encounter page. Mostly so I do not need to use the MM and flip back and forth when there are a couple types of monsters and I can also use the margins to track HP.

I also did say that if I needed to choose one or the other, I would choose one set up to help combat rather than planning.

 

[mhd]

Inline stat blocks or those in a dedicated monster manual/section?

For the latter, I'd probably go with something like

Name
Evocative Description
Role; Ecology; Size

for example:

Troll
Insatiable Self-Healing Juggernauts
Horde Striker; Forests & Mountains; Large

The presentation could be improved by a better, more tabular layout and some iconography for some elements, like the environment where they're usually found or the roles.

 

[el-remmen]

I am with the others that say the order of the stat block (and what is included) differs on whether we are talking about the MM entry and the entry in a module/adventure. For the former, I want name, terrain, CR, frequency and alignment at the top. For the latter, that info is pointless since we already know the context in which it is being encountered.

I also think the stat block needs some trimming (including a lot of the pointless redundancy - for example I put the range of a ranged weapon where it says "Ranged Weapon Attack" - so like "Ranged (30/120) Weapon Attack" - and do not repeat the word range later in the attack description - I also think it is silly to list reach and # of targets unless they are more than 5' and 1, since that is what it is the vast majority of the time).I also strongly feel that stat blocks should always be inline with the module encounter area not in the back or be a reference to another book.

 

[CleverNickName]

I think monster blocks in the Monster Manual for use by GMs seeking inspiration ought to be quite different from monster stat blocks in modules that are being referenced primarily for combat purposes.

Yep. A Monster Manual entry and a "monster stat block" are two different things, and are used in different ways. So to answer the OP's question:

I think that a stat block in an adventure module should only have the info necessary to run the monster in combat: initiative, AC, hp, attacks, abilities, and saves. If the creature isn't intended to be part of combat (say, an NPC shopkeeper), simply a name and ability scores are all that are needed.

But the entry of the Monster Manual should have everything...an artist's rendition, an italicized description, history and lore, and everything else short of a completed character sheet.

 

[Quickleaf]

I think it's a great question! And I like your 2-to-3 word descriptor idea.

I've been playing around with a totally redesigned stat block, but one thing I've been looking at is what gets priority? What do you see right up top?

One thing I think deserves a place clearly up front in the stat block, before even essential things like HP, AC, speed, and so forth – is the monster's Motivation. What does it want?

This doesn't have to be a singular thing, though it could be for a particularly simple or focused monster.

For example, for a giant spider this might be:
• Ensnare easy prey to devour later.
• Protect its eggs, especially from fire.

The reason I'd like to see motivation right up front is that it suggests ways the PCs might interact with the monster either outside or combat or leading-into-combat. The PCs might threaten the giant spider egg cache with fire, causing the spiders to delay attacking. Or the PCs might create a decoy of prey with a conjured beast or an illusion, so they can sneak past the spiders.

For something like a giant spider, the motivations might not inspire many adventure ideas – ok, yeah, it's got cocoons with trapped victims and there's probably an egg cache somewhere. But it starts getting more interesting the more sentient the monster is.

For example, a manticore's motivations might be (d6):
• Remove the tail spike from its paw.
• Find its missing pack.
• Chase off or kill a territorial rival (chimeras, griffons, perytons, wyverns).
• Receive tribute in the form of delicious meats or ale.
• Avoid dragons at all costs.
• Serve its master well.

I thought the Motivations by Creature Type in Tasha's were a big step in the right direction, but really this is such an essential piece of a monster that it should be presented first thing in its stat block.

Motivation does what alignment & personality/ideals/bonds do not – it's where all that higher concept stuff gets translated into something the DM can use immediately at their table.