d20 and creature multiple attacks

[Runesong42]

I'm so confused by the way things are written for creatures. Let me give you the example I found this morning... d20 Urban Arcana, p 226: Giant Octopus.

Atk +10 Melee (1d4+7, tentacle slam); Full Attack +10 Melee (1d4+7, 8 tentacle slams)

What the hell does that mean if Doc Ock gets a Full Attack?

a) One attack that hits 8 times
b) 8 attacks at +10 bonus
c) 8 attacks like a flurry of blows (+10/+8/+6/+4 etc...)

It irks me to see notation like this all through the monster stats, and yet no real indictaion of how to read it.

- Dru

 

[shilsen]

What the hell does that mean if Doc Ock gets a Full Attack?

a) One attack that hits 8 times
b) 8 attacks at +10 bonus
c) 8 attacks like a flurry of blows (+10/+8/+6/+4 etc...)

8 attacks at +10 bonus.

It irks me to see notation like this all through the monster stats, and yet no real indictaion of how to read it.

- Dru

Have you read the core books? It's all spelled out there.

 

[dcollins]

It irks me to see notation like this all through the monster stats, and yet no real indictaion of how to read it.

Runesong is correct. However, I agree that this is a terrible way for the stat block attacks to have been laid out. The number and type of attacks should come first before you start parsing numbers for the exact effect.

Oddly the first printing 3.0 PHB had stat blocks that were much more sensible to read, such as (3.0 PHB, "2000 Survival Kit", p. 9):

Badger:... Atk 2 claws +4 (1d2+2), bite -1 (1d3+1).

Why on earth they changed this simple system for the tangled up one they now use I'll never understand.