Any word yet on what's happening to monsters?

[Jhaelen]

The concept of HD should be taken out back and shot.
It's unnecessary complication. A monster with a d12 HD should never get a 1 or a 12, it just throws the balance of the encounter off.

Example a 5 HD undead creature with no Con bonus can either have 5 hp, or 60 hp due to totally arbitrary rolls of the dice. A 5th level barbarian can be the same way. The rules shouldn't FORCE me to fudge barbarian HD rolls so my players can have a good time.

You actually roll the HD for monsters? Most often I simply use the average HP. I only roll for 'unique' monsters (templated/advanced/classed) and I'm never rolling more than 2 or 3 dice. For an undead with 5HD I might roll 2d12 + 20. So, I get some variation but no big deviations from average HP. Works like a charm.

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

It looks like that is the way it's going to be.

Check out the new beholder art and a recent quote stating that the beholder has 9 eyes.

What's wrong with a beholder having 9 eyes?

 

[Shade]

What's wrong with a beholder having 9 eyes?

Because beholders have 11. Just like water is wet, the sun rises and sets, and whatnot.

If they want a weaker, 9-eyed beholder, why not make another one that fits between the gauth and beholder on the power scale?

 

[Simplicity]

You actually roll the HD for monsters? Most often I simply use the average HP. I only roll for 'unique' monsters (templated/advanced/classed) and I'm never rolling more than 2 or 3 dice. For an undead with 5HD I might roll 2d12 + 20. So, I get some variation but no big deviations from average HP. Works like a charm.

I've never rolled. Not even for unique monsters. I don't even go for variation.

 

[danzig138]

Well, first off you've already had to do something non-official to get it to work. You aren't rolling initiative for every monster? Why not? Isn't it easy?

Typically, the DM makes a single initiative check for monsters and other opponents. That way, each player gets a turn each round and the DM also gets one turn. At the DM's option, however, he can make initiative checks for different groups of monsters or even for individual creatures.

I'm sorry, you were saying something about officialiality? (and yes, it is easy with a couple of d20s in hand)

This means that no one is ever prepared for their turn unless that list is in front of everyone (Combat Pad helps with that at least). And even then, because the order is always shifting, most people don't keep track well.

If they aren't prepared, then that's a problem with the players and their ability to focus. Why is the order always shifting? Delays, readied actions? Excuses. Again, if they don't have the presence of mind for this, this is a problem with them.

If the players just followed the same trick YOU already use and all go in one group, then they could just go from left to right like it's a card game. When's the last time you spent 30 seconds in a card game figuring out who goes next. You don't even have to think about it.

I've tried that before with different groups from back in the day when I ran a game where initaitive was rolled every round, and I had 11 people playing. I tried group init for the PCs; no one liked it. I've played in more than one card game where there were arguments over whose turn it was (don't play drunk and high is the moral of this).

Sorry, but to me your complaint about the intiative sounds like a case of laziness at the table.

 

[danzig138]

Oh, and by the way... In your example: In what order does Harry go compared to groups 1-4? And what order do groups 1-4 go in themselves? That depends entirely on who has the larger Dex bonus. Tie goes to the Dex bonus in Initiative. IIRC.

Actually, in the case of initaitve ties, I use a house rule that I only realized was a house rule a couple years ago, and treat them as going at the same time. This has resulted in more than one "Blast" "Blast" Dead Dead situation. This is how the GM did it when I first started, and I learned from him, so its how I did it without ever thinking aobut it. Once I realized it was a house rule and not RAW, I let it stand because it's what I was used to and by virtue of me, what the group was used to.

 

[DarkJester]

I want to see more like the hobgoblins of Monster Manual V. They had unique abilities and a very defined role. They were more than just hobgoblins with levels of PC classes tacked on.

 

[Ankh-Morpork Guard]

I want to see more like the hobgoblins of Monster Manual V. They had unique abilities and a very defined role. They were more than just hobgoblins with levels of PC classes tacked on.

To me, that's the kind of thing it sounds like they're going to be doing.

And I like it.

 

[Mighty Halfling]

Three things that must be allowed in the new version:
Template application: If I want to make a vampiric spell-stiched unicorn, and I've got the story to back it up, I better be able to do it!
Leveling: Every intelligent beastie (humanoids and a few other types) in the MM needs to have the ability to level up or advance in some way.
Advancement: Every non-intelligent beastie needs to have some way to advance and become more powerful at the DM's descretion. This could be through the HD advancement in the current edition or something similar.

If this stuff on "ranged" and "tank" monsters bears out, I just want some customization options. If I want a crossbow wielding ogre, why can't I?

And, honestly, talk of trimming back abilities has me worried too. The more "powers" a creature has the more it works in my stories. I know what a mook does. I can make mooks from here to eternity. I need the uber-bad guys with a heap of power, not someone designed explicitly to last 5 rounds. Where's the role-playing in that?

Now, this just me reacting to chatter, so all these worries could be totally unjustified.

 

[M.L. Martin]

The news on how races are being handled suggests some interesting possibilities . . .

If monster special abilities are treated as a function of race, then giving monsters classes becomes much smoother. A typical monster has its levels in a 'Monster' class of some sort; if you want to make it a class, you just change those levels over to the class you want instead of having to stack on extra levels.

For example, the 'standard' frost giant might be an X level Giant or Warrior; a frost giant shaman could be created by changing those levels to Mage or Druid instead of having to layer on a bunch of extra bonuses to HD, attack bonus, saves, etc. that aren't necessary to the concept and push the creature outside of the level range you're shooting for.