Classed Monsters in the Monster Manual

[Scribble]

Don't make something different for the sole reason that you want it to be different. When it fits and makes perfect sense, there is no problem with having something appear in two or more different places.
Making a good rule worse and adding a new name to remember only so you can say "it's not the same" is a very, very bad thing.

Not sure anyone is really arguing in favor of that though...

 

[Yora]

But that's what you get when you say "class features can not be monster abilities".

 

[Scribble]

But that's what you get when you say "class features can not be monster abilities".

Again I'm not sure anyone is really arguing that point? (At least not that point specifically.)

 

[Minigiant]

Design monsters and foes for the GM to use. They don't need to have exact player classes. That said, if you're going to make a "sample hobgoblin warband," it makes sense for the hobgoblin spellcaster to at least feel similar to a human wizard, even if he isn't as complicated.

No need for them to have full class features but it would be great if there are some enemies have some of the features to feel like the PCs. It actually more immersive as some monsters have some of the same features as the players.

Depends on how well and often it is used (PC abilities tend to be more ... fidlly? ... then well-written monster abilities, IME), but sure, why not?

Preferably the class features copied would be the less fiddly one.

Preferably most class features are less fiddly.

 

[Scribble]

No need for them to have full class features but it would be great if there are some enemies have some of the features to feel like the PCs. It actually more immersive as some monsters have some of the same features as the players.

I'm all for that- if you can add some PC abilities onto a monster- cool... I just don't want to be forced to have to add classes to a monster just to get certain effects, or limit monsters to being built in a certain fashion just so adding classes to them works.

If you can add some say "fighter" class features to the monster... cool. As long as I can still make a monster from scratch that has fighter LIKE abilities without having to touch the fighter class.

 

[ForeverSlayer]

I want it where I can add PC classes to my monsters like in 3rd edition.

 

[Ahnehnois]

I would hope that they would give any monster with a background that suggests it attacks from stealth and is pretty skilled at it the sneak attack ability. Similarly with any other class ability, if that ability fits the monster concept (spells, CS, whatever) I would hope the monster would get it.

Certainly, that doesn't preclude monsters having some abilities that aren't routinely granted by classes.

 

[Stormonu]

I don't want to go back to 3E's complicated methods of building monsters. You've made things too complicated when readers can complain that the game designers have "made their creatures wrong".

I would like to be able to have hobgoblin soldiers, warcasters, lieutenants and the like that do have different stats and abilities, but they should be easy to throw together and I shouldn't have to worry about the stat block being picked apart by rules lawyers or game accountants.

 

[Li Shenron]

How do you feel about having monster entries in the Monster Manual with PC class features?

It could be done, since they are ready-to-use in the MM, fully classed or just picking some class abilities won't make much difference.

But I would still want humanoid monsters to have a "monster as race" paragraph so that if I create a band of hobgoblin I have a reliable option to treat hobgoblin as a race and add as many class levels I want.

My favourite way would be to have at least those humanoid creatures which are even with the players' races* only described as a race, and then the entry have a ready example or two, the most typical classes for such race.

*I.e. if they aren't bigger size than humans, and if they don't have extraordinary innate abilities, at least.

 

[Jester David]

The correct answer to the OP's question is "YES! ... Sometimes"

The Strength of 3e
Every splatbook became a DM resources. That, no matter the broken combinations and synergies a clever party could manage, the DM had a counter.