D&D 5E (2024) Better Monster Design. 6E/BG3 Ideas

[Zardnaar]

Probably the same as in 5e. Though internet wasn’t as widespread then so maybe to less effect.

Yeah. A lot of tge problems with 3.5 I think were theorycraft. Even Druid with natural spell level 6 wasn't tgat bad. At least game warping bad.

3.0 not so much some of those PrCs were a problem early on. 3.5 mostly nuked that.

Free metamagic was a big thing to watch out for back then. If casuals like 4E it wouldn't have gone out with a whimper.

The problem (of its an actual problem) is the user base. No modern version of D&D has actually got encounter design right.

Its a fooks errand because its impossible to account fir how people actually play and casuals vs veterans vs powergamers.

Sone peopke actually like what's on offer. Even without various OSRisms conceptually would the be fine with a crit reducing them to 0 HP.

Because if people are doing 4 round work days (4RWD) thats what needs to happen. Or you just go with it and whatever.

 

[AnotherGuy]

@Stalker0 the escalating damage is a nice touch.
I usually have monsters (the larger types) do more than just damage
i.e. shove, push, grab fly and drop, create difficult terrain especially on misses, create damage yielding terrain (ongoing fire/cold damage from a breath weapon)...etc

I have been exploring the idea that monsters 2x larger than the PC require the PC attacked to have 5 feet of movement available to attempt to avoid their melee attacks, otherwise the monsters gain ADV on their attacks. If you have the 5 feet of movement you move 5 feet and they make their attack roll. It feels like it ensures the participants are always moving, and the terrain becomes more important.

Auras are great.
Threatening Reach (3.x style)
Bloodied Abilities - abilities that come online when a monster is bloodied
Mythic Monster template
Touch attacks for incorporeal creatures
Inflicting exhaustion should be limited to few specific creatures
Swarms should provide more than +3 to hit, with x damage - they should rather auto inflict a condition in their space