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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Raven Crowking" data-source="post: 5184593" data-attributes="member: 18280">I certainly agree with this.  One of the things I was struck by when writing 3e adventures was the length and mathematical pickiness of the statblocks.  The Monsternomicon "Quickplates" were ideal; in many cases, though, adding a template was more work than the outcome was probably worth.Something worth considering is the TSR-D&D approach, which allows for a longer, more detailed monster write-up, and a shorter statblock that contains the information that the DM will probably need.  The 3e approach, AFAICT, was to contain relatively complete information in the statblock, which led to its bloat.If I were going to play 4e, or make a new monster book for 4e, I would want to include more information in the book that isn't necessarily reflected in the statblock....but which is called out to the DM for attention, because the DM can use that information both to plan encounters, and to enhance the RP potential of existing encounters.If the writing isn't enough to make a largish group (but not all) of the WotC adventure designers to think in terms other than simply "combat slog", then what chance does the average DM have?I agree here, too.  I don't believe that a larger statblock is needed, so much as a better initial write-up.  And that is, I think, what we were doing differently.And that is why not every single 1e module is grind happy combat fests.  Well, that and the faster combat system.  <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f609.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=";)" title="Wink    ;)"  data-smilie="2"data-shortname=";)" />Yet, OTOH, examine fey creatures.  In 1e, it is clear that fey creatures are supposed to be representative of how fey appear in fairy tales and folklore.  Yet, overwhelmingly, they seem geared to combat (IMHO and IME, at least).  Why is that?  The system is not designed to codify the type of "action" these creatures represent.Suddenly, in 3e, it is possible to have fey creatures that actually seem like fey creatures.  Why?  Both WotC and 3pp codified the necessary types of "action" in the game rules.  There is an example of something that WotC got absolutely right, IMHO.Shorter statblocks I am all for.  But those shorter statblocks should be memory aids for a longer reference.  The 4e MM is too dry in this regard; perhaps later monster books have done better?This is, I think, a real issue.  Not shorter stat blocks, per se, but stat blocks that seem to predefine outcome.  It is another area where I think better text could overcome the problem, though.  I.e., the statblock is devised on the basis of the expected outcome, but the text that the statblock is a reminder for should not only explicate the expected outcome, but give enough information to deal with unexpected outcomes.Again, this is certainly a problem with WotC module design, and I think with the 4e design philosophy in general.  From posts on EN World, however, I believe it is a problem one can play 4e without experiencing.  The modules, however, are no help in this regard, AFAICT and IMHO.RC</blockquote>

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