Quickleaf
Legend
I saw 4e's monster roles as a good, if flawed, shorthand. If some version of roles makes a comeback, I'd like to see the box opened up a little bit to account for exceptional/unusual monsters.
What is a Mimic or Piercer? Oh, it's a lurker! I know how to run an ambush! But there's this whole category of "False Appearance" monsters that actually needs either more GM guidance or experience to run well. Besides a PC using detect thoughts, how do you foreshadow the presence of something that sidesteps the whole Perception v. Stealth mechanic? It requires very differently handling from, say, a Goblin Blackblade that's also a lurker.
What is a Unicorn? Oh, it's a skirmisher! Because...uh...it blips around like a blink dog! What happened in 4e was they changed the unicorn's teleportation ability from something more narrative/short-term/long-distance (e.g. "Holding the unicorn's mane, you see the trees swirl and suddenly you're standing in the center of the old elvish ruins") to something more akin to misty step (i.e. combat-focused). And do we really care how to describe a unicorn's combat role? Or are we more likely to be using the unicorn in a social scene? Maybe it's role should be "quest-giver/quest-object" instead?
Edit: A point I've made before is that a Sphinx entry in a MM maybe doesn't need a chonky stat block, and would benefit more from a list of riddles or other trials?
As long as the role don't become a major proscriptive force on design or narrative, I think they're good.
But I also think D&D has enough of a combat-centric stat block issue, that designers could very easily repeat the mistakes (imo) of 4th edition and lean full tilt into an exclusive combat focus. So, if that tendency can be avoided, yes, I think the roles are a good tool.
What is a Mimic or Piercer? Oh, it's a lurker! I know how to run an ambush! But there's this whole category of "False Appearance" monsters that actually needs either more GM guidance or experience to run well. Besides a PC using detect thoughts, how do you foreshadow the presence of something that sidesteps the whole Perception v. Stealth mechanic? It requires very differently handling from, say, a Goblin Blackblade that's also a lurker.
What is a Unicorn? Oh, it's a skirmisher! Because...uh...it blips around like a blink dog! What happened in 4e was they changed the unicorn's teleportation ability from something more narrative/short-term/long-distance (e.g. "Holding the unicorn's mane, you see the trees swirl and suddenly you're standing in the center of the old elvish ruins") to something more akin to misty step (i.e. combat-focused). And do we really care how to describe a unicorn's combat role? Or are we more likely to be using the unicorn in a social scene? Maybe it's role should be "quest-giver/quest-object" instead?
Edit: A point I've made before is that a Sphinx entry in a MM maybe doesn't need a chonky stat block, and would benefit more from a list of riddles or other trials?
As long as the role don't become a major proscriptive force on design or narrative, I think they're good.
But I also think D&D has enough of a combat-centric stat block issue, that designers could very easily repeat the mistakes (imo) of 4th edition and lean full tilt into an exclusive combat focus. So, if that tendency can be avoided, yes, I think the roles are a good tool.
