D&D 5E Change to how spellcasting monsters work in the MM and other monster books.

[cbwjm]

Pretty cool, I will often do the same thing though not to the same degree. This is an enemy the PCs fought a while ago, I don't even bother with all of their spells, I just pick a few, typically one per spell level, and note them down.

He's a sorcerer, so I gave him some metamagic, in this case twinning his cantrips only and I didn't worry about tracking his sorcery points. Some nomenclature I didn't even bother with. No need to write out ranged spell attack since I already know they are spells, I also don't really need to know the range of the spells since in a melee, they're pretty much going to be in range anyway.

If this was an end boss, I might be more inclined to use a larger stat block like the upgraded Priest, something which has a lot of options to take on the players, but since this was someone who was going to die fairly quickly, I didn't feel the need for more.

 

[Eltab]

+1 to the suggestion to look at 4e monster stat blocks.
MM3 (I think) introduced the 'final form' of those stat blocks, if you want to see the 'with feedback from play' version.
The terms and language usage had become rather lawyer-y but was more precise - less fluff more crunch - about what would happen when a power was used.

 

[LordEntrails]

Seems like a lot of work. Wouldn't it just be easier to buy the book or reference the website; The Monsters Know What They’re Doing - Ready-to-Use Tactics for D&D 5E
?

 

[R_J_K75]

Seems like a lot of work. Wouldn't it just be easier to buy the book or reference the website; The Monsters Know What They’re Doing - Ready-to-Use Tactics for D&D 5E
?

I dont think its the same thing. The book you linked looks like a whole page of text describing a monsters tactics but no stat blocks. The OP is looking to make combats easier to run through a better stat block.

 

[LordEntrails]

I dont think its the same thing. The book you linked looks like a whole page of text describing a monsters tactics but no stat blocks. The OP is looking to make combats easier to run through a better stat block.

No, but I took the new stat blocks as being a way to make running monsters easier. Which is what The Monster's Know... does. It makes it easier to run intelligent monsters. Just very different approaches to getting their. And, one is already done for you, and the other you have to do yourself.

 

[R_J_K75]

No, but I took the new stat blocks as being a way to make running monsters easier. Which is what The Monster's Know... does. It makes it easier to run intelligent monsters. Just very different approaches to getting their. And, one is already done for you, and the other you have to do yourself.

Does that book have monster stat blocks or do you still need the monster manual along with it?

 

[LordEntrails]

Does that book have monster stat blocks or do you still need the monster manual along with it?

As far as I know the book does not have stat blocks, otherwise it would be limited to SRD monsters only. But, I don't have the book, I just use the website. Have been thinking about buying it just to support the author, but haven't done that yet.

 

[R_J_K75]

As far as I know the book does not have stat blocks, otherwise it would be limited to SRD monsters only. But, I don't have the book, I just use the website. Have been thinking about buying it just to support the author, but haven't done that yet.

Seems like a decent concept for a book to add flavor to monsters in combat but without accompanying statblocks seems youd still have to reference the MM and PHB for the mechanics.

 

[LordEntrails]

Seems like a decent concept for a book to add flavor to monsters in combat but without accompanying statblocks seems youd still have to reference the MM and PHB for the mechanics.

Yea, and in general he also has some good general posts, like Intelligent monster tactics, etc. Sometimes they are pretty long (take a look at the Archmage) and it would be nice to have a simplified combat ready list of preferred actions in order, but then again, I read these when preparing a BBEG fight before session. Not actually during the session.

Maybe the stat blocks would be more useful for during combat. I'm just too lazy to redo stat blocks

 

[R_J_K75]

Maybe the stat blocks would be more useful for during combat. I'm just too lazy to redo stat blocks

6 of 1 half dozen of the other at this point. Either you do enough prep so you are familiar with the creatures abilities when looking at the statblock during combat or creat and rely on a simplified one while running the encounter. Ideally I think the answer is somewhere in between. I dont really revise stat blocks either but id use them if they were available. Sometimes seems like DMing is harder and more time consuming than it has to be.