Monster Design--from a designer's standpoint

[Orcus]

Honestly, _this_ is the reaction I had at D&D Experience. I walked away from my two playtest sessions and was like 'I could run this right now. Take your playtest characters, I will make up monsters on the fly, and it will be fun' and I really had some steam let out of me on seeing what felt like overall negative reviews from industry folks who just didn't feel the same way.

So glad we feel the same about it

I totally feel that way.

Scott and I were talking and I was talking with Erik Mona. Here was my rant of the particular day:

"Yeah, in 4E if I want my skeleton to just, I dont know, throw some black ball of banefire I can just say --Banefire, Range 6, 1d10 necrotic damage-- See, now it throws an evil ball of nastiness. Just like that."

It is literally that easy. Yes, there will be some suggested guidelines I am sure. But it is that easy.

And no cheesy rules lawyers can jump up and say, "hey, there is no PC spell for that! That's not FAIR!" and besides that is a 4 HD skeleton and so since it has magic, it is a 4th level wizard and we know 4th level wizards dont get fireballs even if thats what that was!! And on top of that the skill points dont add up!"

Ugh. Just give me my game back.

And they did. And it was good.

 

[Zinegata]

And no cheesy rules lawyers can jump up and say, "hey, there is no PC spell for that! That's not FAIR!" and besides that is a 4 HD skeleton and so since it has magic, it is a 4th level wizard and we know 4th level wizards dont get fireballs even if thats what that was!! And on top of that the skill points dont add up!"

... You actually show your players your Monster Sheets?

I always keep mine hidden and I remain intentionally vague about the spells they cast .

 

[Orcus]

I imagine you dancing and bouncing around in your computer chair as you type this.

Your level of excitement is infectious, and I only hope that other quality outfits like yours can get this jazzed.

You have no idea...

I really feel that all us normal gamers have been given our game back.

Seeing monsters be this easy to make makes me flash back to the HOURS I spent prepping for every game session with stat blocks. And, for goodness sake, I design this stuff for a living. You'd have to think I am at least pretty good at doing this stuff, and it still took me hours of prep time.

Now I can go: "Ok, level 10 brute, double sword attack, whirling frenzy when bloodied, make the rest of it up on the fly, got it." Ok, I just prepped for an encounter. Seriously.

I'm a gamer first and a game company owner second. Its the philosophy that I have always used with Necro. 4E is a win for gamers. Cause it looks like you can actually play it without having to do calculus. Of course, you probably are going to need a bunch of mini-markers and effects sticky notes We'll see how all that goes....

 

[Orcus]

... You actually show your players your Monster Sheets?

I always keep mine hidden and I remain intentionally vague about the spells they cast .

Try publishing your adventures. They make you show your work

Seriously, though my players were always cool, 3E had such a precarious balance built in that you really felt you were screwing it up if you didnt do all that math--even if they didnt see your monster sheets.

 

[Orcus]

Night all!

I'm off to dream of monsters and I'll post tomorrow.

Man, I am so geeked...

 

[Zinegata]

Now I can go: "Ok, level 10 brute, double sword attack, whirling frenzy when bloodied, make the rest of it up on the fly, got it." Ok, I just prepped for an encounter. Seriously.

I'm a gamer first and a game company owner second. Its the philosophy that I have always used with Necro. 4E is a win for gamers. Cause it looks like you can actually play it without having to do calculus. Of course, you probably are going to need a bunch of mini-markers and effects sticky notes We'll see how all that goes....

Well, I'm one of the weirdos who can make stuff up on the fly, but this sounds pretty good indeed. So I guess the AICN article's claim that the Monster Manual will include a section on how to put together a monster like a Lego Set is true?

 

[Zinegata]

Try publishing your adventures. They make you show your work

Hah! Indeed.

Also, after seeing your above post - have a pleasant evening.

 

[Steely Dan]

Large elemental humanoid (fire)?

Totally – thanks.

This one is still a bit of a 3.75 dude.

 

[Spatula]

... You actually show your players your Monster Sheets?

I do believe he's talking in relation to publishing monster books, and dealing with the legions of internet nitpicks.

Though I am curious, thinking of the will o'the wisp or lantern archon (two examples off the top of my head), why there needs to be a "banefire" spell in order to have a skeleton that deals negative energy damage with its attacks. The codifying of special abilities in 3e had more to do with special conditions that monsters could inflict on players, like entangled, fear, grappling, naseua, etc. than with ways to simply deal damage.

 

[vagabundo]

I'm going to have to get my head around this. Using the MM as inspiration rather than pure stat blocks.. I haven't made a monster in a long long time, too fiddly in 3e.