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I think these sorts of flavor tags/traits are kinda already in the stat blocks. We just call them Arcana, Intimidation, Persuasion, and all the other skills that – at least IME – GMs virtually never roll for monsters. I know there are some folks who do... but generally speaking the rules don't...

One thing I've been thinking about is information priority. For instance, the 5e stats put AC, initiative, HP, and Speed at the front. After the monster's name/size/type, those are the priorities expressed by 5e's stats in current form. For me at least the first set of questions I'm asking...

For reference: D&D 2024 Basic Rules Creature Stat Blocks I just saw them today. My quick thoughts are – leaving aside more radical changes (e.g. the "just save bonus" replacing stats/mods that Tales of the Valiant Uses), there's clear easy ways to improve on what's there. Maybe needing these...

Yes, originally it was just Aric (as a giant spider) & Lumrolur who went up 50-feet to the second level. I think the confusion is Zeth has been conversing with Lumrolur @Necropolitan without anyone ever stating "Aric goes down to shuttle Zeth back up" or "Zeth climbs up." But it's safe to say...

It's not a random guy! It's @ezo ! 🤌:geek:

Oh, I wasn't referring to the damage vs hit points maths, I was referring to the (rather vague) rules on yelling to alert others. While the rules have been silent on exactly what surprise means insofar as raising an alarm "Lookout! We're under attack!"...the interpretation my last 5e table came...

What are your thoughts on my attempt to shorten up the 2024 Ancient Green Dragon stat block? Back on page 5 of this thread. I can see the save/check/initiative criticism applying... but what about the rest? That's a more complex monster I wanted to offer as an example. EDIT: Hah! Actually...

I've come to hold the view that any Surprise & Initiative rules attempt a one-size-fits-all solution (which is a perfectly reasonable impulse to keep it simple) for multiple distinct situations which just don't conform to those rules. Rather there are multiple forms of Surprise & multiple forms...

It's like DJ Khalil says in Spiderman: Into the Spider-verse: They wanna fight (they wanna fight) I'm just gon' let 'em hate (I'm just gon' let 'em hate) I gotta go high (gotta go high) I gotta elephant (I gotta elephant)

Yep! Here's an imgur gallery of the various layouts from Christopher & Emmet's sheet: EDIT: stupid imgur wouldn't link, ok here's reddit link with link to the imgur: And here's the free link on DMs Guild for it: Kid Friendly Character Sheet - Dungeon Masters Guild | Dungeon Masters Guild

Whatever order they sit in will determine “initiative.” “You are a group of adventurers…” Give a clear start that implies what sort of characters they might be and how they know each other. Go around table and ask for brief description of their characters (no complex sheets - if you insist on...

Exxxxcellent. I chuckled at their Glitterblast spell with duration "[caster level] days." Skerples clearly knows the evils of glitter sticking long after its welcome wears out.

A few of those cats could definitely kill a commoner. ;) I think when your template starts producing the monster's Sensory info in multiple places/lines, it probably needs to be streamlined. You're butting up against a variation of the "Angelic Weapons" issue. Rather than just changing the...

You put together a really tight stat block. It’s tricky when presenting spellcasters in the conversation about “condensing” stat blocks because the go-see-X-Page-for-spell-description offloads TONS of space. For me, it gets back to the why I’m condensing stats - to make it easier to run at the...

Since the monster changes we saw about a year ago, I've noticed that Legendary Reactions (i.e. 3 reactions per round) pose a specific additional vulnerability to monsters more so than Legendary Actions. Monsters with Legendary Actions are especially susceptible to being being Incapacitated –...

I really wish a D&D designer would read your post. You're exceptionally clear. I feel like there's an effect – I don't have a name for it yet – that occurs when their rules design team has a deadline and are fixated on a specific issue. Common sense / big picture seems to get lost for these...

Really nice article, Michael!

Thank you for generously sharing some of your team's work as CC resources, Mike! :) I've been following the TotV/Black Flag monster design, and I see some nice innovations alongside carrying traditional design choices over from 5e that lead to stat block bloat. I thought I'd take a backstab at...