D&D 5E Just played one of my D&D board games and there's one thing I think could greatly benefit the current edition (or any really)

[Reynard]

Good adventures do.

What would be much more useful in a DMG or MM (probably DMG) would be one or more random tables of strategic goals and tactics. With stuff like "just passing through and will attempt to disengage with minimal casualties" or "defending a nearby breeding ground and will fight to the death" and so forth. Perhaps it is even there already --- I can't recall. The idea being that in a random encounter the DM can quickly make the encounter more interesting and can also use the results as inspiration for what opponents in non-random encounters might be doing.

This was what the old reactions table was for. if the DM got a "friendly" result for a group of goblins he would have to make a different interpretation than if he got a "hostile" result. maybe in the former case the goblins were being bullied by a bugbear and we willing to bribe adventurers to take him out and in the former case they had been ordered to bring the bugbear some treasure OR ELSE. In either case, there would be more to the encounter than "roll initiative."

 

[Lehrbuch]

This was what the old reactions table was for...

Yes, but perhaps a more effusive version that help by providing a bit more detail on possible options for the interpretation would be good.

Are there reaction tables in the modern DMG; can't remember and I'm at work.

 

[Reynard]

Yes, but perhaps a more effusive version that help by providing a bit more detail on possible options for the interpretation would be good.

Are there reaction tables in the modern DMG; can't remember and I'm at work.

i don't recall, either. it would be fun to develop some, though, and infuse some neat variability in how encounters occur.

 

[RSIxidor]

Monsters should have instinctual actions they take but they may change depending on scenario. For instance, if goblins are trying to draw you into a trap, then they'll maybe attack at range and move back, hoping to draw you into a trap door.

Some creatures should play smartly, such as a group of orcs working together to get advantage on an enemy.

Some should act as wild as they are, like a group of hyenas attacking wildly at whoever attacks towards them.

 

[Lehrbuch]

Monsters should have instinctual actions they take but they may change depending on scenario. For instance, if goblins are trying to draw you into a trap, then they'll maybe attack at range and move back, hoping to draw you into a trap door...

Of course, if we bother to actually read all that text in the MM between the monster name and the stat block, we do find a lot of information and inspiration about probable tactics and motivations and so forth for the various monsters.

 

[JeffB]

The 3.5 MM had some of this IIRC at least for some of the more complex monsters.I have seen it in some PF modules too.

At any rate, I like to see it.

 

[Beleriphon]

The 4E Monster Manuals had this kind of info, particularly for the more dangerous/powerful creatures. I recall the Pit Fiend having a really neat one that basically said to make the most of the creature if it gets to 1/4 HP make sure it moves as close as possible to as many PCs as possible to get them with its death explosion if it happens to go down.