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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Sacrosanct" data-source="post: 6985656" data-attributes="member: 15700">But those weren't the only things I mentioned in my example.  Every humanoid can do more than what they have an ability in the statblock for, as I illustrated above.  *Edit*  And do you really need flavor text for real world animals/animal varients?  We kinda already know how they act and behave.  Why waste the page space for that?Objectively not true.  The flavor text tells you how and when the monster will most likely be encountered, how it behaves, what its motivations are, etc---all things that add a tremendous amount to combat.  If you don't think it does, then no wonder you find the monsters lacking.  You're completely ignoring what brings them to life in an RPG--its personality and expected behavior.for example, with the ogre, I can assure you that it being a dumb brutish thug that will "whenever possible" ally itself with humanoids IS going to have an effect in the combat encounter because it tells me as the DM a base guideline on how to play it.   For goblins, not only does it tell me they are hit and run, but that implies to me that they avoid melee combat whenever possible, and will try to flee or even turn on their allies (interesting RP possibilities there) or beg the moment things go south for them.  That's not in the statblock, but you can be sure it affects the combat encounter.It's the difference between:"The ogre moves 30ft and attacks Thorn.  Does AC 17 hit?  Ok, 8 damage."and"The brutish ogre turns and yells, 'Baaarrrrghhh!  Squishy and smooshy hoomans dare think you beat Gruumash!  now you dead!'.  He waves his giant hand and suddenly from hidden outcroppings you are peppered with arrows from his goblin companions as Gruumash grabs the cow carcass he was previously feasting on and hurls it at Thorn!"If you're only doing the first, then no wonder why you find monsters boring.  It's the difference between roll-playing and role-playing, and role-playing shouldn't stop once combat starts.</blockquote>

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