D&D General 2024 Monster Creation

[Micah Sweet]

Aain the argument is that there are things that the customer base is asking for that they would hate if they're given it.

The D&D community is the poster child of a fandom that clamors for things then hates those things when TSR or WOTC sell it to them. Usually it's details.

See 3e, 4e, and 5e.

Detailed Monster Creation rules would increase the cost of the DMG or require another book. And the community would call WOTC greedy for it.

All I can say is that I've been part of the fandom you describe. I love details!

 

[mamba]

My point is that if they just reprinted the 2014 monster creation table with corrected math, half the people complaining about its absence now would be instead complaining about how boring it is AND have the data to mock them in blog posts and YouTube videos.

Better off not giving people the ammo.

so getting only half the complaints is not sufficient reason to include monster building rules, got it, because that is really the only difference from what you describe

 

[Minigiant]

so getting only half the complaints is not sufficient reason to include monster building rules, got it, because that is really the only difference from what you describe

Yes there would be half the complaint but they would be more visible due to the chart being something to point to, reference, and display.

 

[Micah Sweet]

Yes there would be half the complaint but they would be more visible due to the chart being something to point to, reference, and display.

There's no getting away from complaints. Just design what you think is good, and collaborate to fine-tune.

I will never see D&D as exempt from design best practices and following one's creativity because they happen to have more fans than other games.

 

[Minigiant]

There's no getting away from complaints. Just design what you think is good, and collaborate to fine-tune.

I will never see D&D as exempt from design best practices and following one's creativity because they happen to have more fans than other games.

Again my point is there is no winning on adding the monster creation rules to the DMG because the fanbase don't want to pay the extra cost.

 

[Micah Sweet]

Again my point is there is no winning on adding the monster creation rules to the DMG because the fanbase don't want to pay the extra cost.

How do we know this? I told you if they make a bigger book full of stuff I actually want for more money I would buy it.

 

[Minigiant]

How do we know this? I told you if they make a bigger book full of stuff I actually want for more money I would buy it.

Because D&D fans have a history of it.

 

[Sword of Spirit]

Again my point is there is no winning on adding the monster creation rules to the DMG because the fanbase don't want to pay the extra cost.

I disagree. Monster creation rules that are an improved version of the 2014 ones would be generally well received.

Part of this would involve possible math tweaks and expanded/improved lists of monster traits.

The other part would be presentation. It needs to be easier to use. As it is now one of the main criticisms people appear to have is that the hp numbers on the chart are too high, which is based on misunderstanding the chart. You almost always end up with significantly lower hp at the end due to adjustments from AC and monster traits. That is all explained if you just read the instructions.

(Personally I would love it if there were a method that didn't involve guessing the CR before starting! Sometimes I don't know how strong I want it to be and would rather just build something that has X stats and Y features and have the system tell me its CR at the end. This is because I'm usually creating monsters for world-building rather than as part of building an encounter: these are not the same thing.)

In this case, it appears to be an identical issue as the organization of the DMG. Despite basically everything in the 2024 DMG except bastions already being in the 2014 DMG--along with things people actually used that didn't make it to the 2024 like some of the optional rules--the 2024 is treated as a huge improvement just because of its more accessible organization.

 

[Quickleaf]

Well, there weren't rules for it, but it was certainly expected that dms would homebrew monsters. That's why the first Monstrous Compendium volume had a blank monster sheet in it.

I made so many photocopies of that blank monster page, and filled in dozens of homemade monsters when I was 10-11 years old. Hah. I had noooo idea what I was doing, but that didn't stop me!

 

[Paul Farquhar]

I made so many photocopies of that blank monster page, and filled in dozens of homemade monsters when I was 10-11 years old. Hah. I had noooo idea what I was doing, but that didn't stop me!

That’s how I started out too, and I think it’s the best way - don’t overthink it, but practice lots. Art, not science. It’s easier to do that when you are young.