D&D 5E Help with encounter design for GenCon 5e one-shot

[RangerWickett]

I'm getting the PHB this Friday, and next week at GenCon I'm planning to run a one-shot for 5th level PCs. I've made pre-gens, but I need help with the enemies and other threats.

Where can I find monster stats and guidelines regarding how much XP each encounter should take up?

 

[Thaumaturge]

This Legends & Lore article should help.

Thaumaturge.

 

[RangerWickett]

Okay, that works for XP values, but where can I find monster stats if I didn't buy the Starter Set?

 

[MerricB]

Okay, that works for XP values, but where can I find monster stats if I didn't buy the Starter Set?

Monster stats should be added to the Basic D&D PDF come Thursday with the release of the PHB.

Or shortly thereafter.

I'll try pinging Wizards to find out how long it will be before the update comes online.

Cheers!

 

[Thaumaturge]

That is more difficult. For $0... hope they update 5B before GenCon. Mearls has mentioned his hope is to have the 5B update out the 8th. He's also mentioned, in the same breath, that they are in DMG crunch mode, so the 5B update may get pushed.

For $14... there's this.

If exactness is less important, you could use monsters from the Sundering adventures. They are playtest monsters, but if you double the hitpoints, they aren't too bad.

Thaumaturge.

EDIT: semi-way of shadow'd by Merric. But I way of shadow'd the info about 5B maybe not getting the update. Way of shadow truce?

 

[MerricB]

Going through Mike's tweets, he's got this news about the update to the Basic D&D PDF:

"Hoping for 8th, but the DMG is making life pretty hectic here. We'll announce a date when we have one confirmed."

"not certain yet - we're finishing the DMG, so everything is in crunch mode, but hopefully by this weekend"

Cheers!