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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Mokona" data-source="post: 3758366" data-attributes="member: 24891">As I read your comment you seem to imply a random (or arbitrary) assignment of numbers for monsters.  I want to clarify that I don't think we know that yet.  It seems possible to me that standard monsters, which fill one role at a time, will be semi-template.  Perhaps we have a Stat Block for three different generic brutes (Strong, Fast, and Tough) at each Challenge Level.  The "monster" choice would only provide minor changes to the generic Stat Block plus weapons and special abilities.  In this world only monsters that are a party unto themselves (Dragons, Beholders, &c) would not use the role/template build model.Mokona's lessons for the 4th edition of the core Monster Manual:1.  I don't want to wait years for Savage Species or the complete guidebook to humanoids before I can play a character version of a monster.  At least not for monsters I already own.2.  Let's face it...some of the Dungeons & Dragons v.3.5 monsters with a level adjustment weren't actually playable as characters.  The cost of playing that monster made it impossible to be an effective member of a party (unless the entire party was similarly penalized) as that creature.  This led to numerous solutions such as buyoff, monster classes, &c.3.  If it has at least two hands with opposable thumbs, a speed of 4+ squares, intellect, free will/choice, and its size is Large or smaller - then the majority of players will consider it a possible character.  This includes angels, demons, half-breeds, ogres, kobolds, and mind flayers.4.  If it's the size of a house, a chaos beast, five-characters-in-one, or something equally silly then most players will agree that it needs a major overhaul before it can be their character.5.  Some abilities are great on one side of the table (under the Dungeon Master's control and used in service of the story) but terrible when used at will by players.  The Wish spell-like ability of the Solar Angel falls in this group.6.  Have your cake and eat it too.  Wizards of the Coast R&D should require all monster submissions that meat certain physical descriptions to include a player character sidebar.  The design guidelines should be flexible enough to allow great monsters but also generate a separate player version as well.  Currently LA creatures already get a second stat block for the PC adjustments so this isn't new.7.  All humanoids and near-humanoids (i.e. mind flayers) should have a 1 Hit Die playable version so they can be advanced using class levels just like an Elf, Dwarf, or Human.8.  It should be possible to get the super powers of your monster race by an appropriate level where it's balanced but not necessarily at first level.9.  It would be really cool for a monster that fits neatly in to a party role (striker, defender, leader, &c) to get it's own 1-30 level class specific to the creature.  These could be rare but I so love the Elf and Dwarf class from the old box set.  The playable version of the monster should still be able to be a wizard or fighter in case the player wants it as a character to fill a different party role.10.  Why ten?  <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f600.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":D" title="Big grin    :D"  data-smilie="8"data-shortname=":D" />  Because the 10 best ideas sounds better than a Top 9.  <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f615.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":confused:" title="Confused    :confused:"  data-smilie="5"data-shortname=":confused:" />So if Wizards of the Coast gives us stripped down monsters with independently designed character versions we can all stop fighting.  <img src="http://www.enworld.org/forum/images/smilies/nervous.png"  class="smilie" loading="lazy" alt=":heh:" title="Nervous Laugh    :heh:" data-shortname=":heh:" />  Besides, this stretches out the content for the monster books by increasing the page count for each creautre so we can be at MM V in five years.</blockquote>

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