Monster Manual: What details?

[the Jester]

One of the things I hope that the 5th ed Monster Manual does is bring back physical descriptons. The Monster Manual for 4th edition is one of the worst offenders in not providing any written details on the monsters.

FOR GOD'S SAKE, YES!!

Especially when there are plenty of monsters in the books with neither description nor picture!

And even moreso considering the amount of white space, the font size and the inclusion of the almost-completely useless encounter groups. What a waste of space those were- I've played 4e since its release and I have never used a single one of those.

 

[Stormonu]

http://www.kenzerco.com/free_files/owlbeast.pdf

Check that out, it is the best monster book ever released, maybe the highest qualtiy of crunch and fluff I have ever seen

But, as I said on RPGNet, the Nentir vale level of info would be good.

I like some of that, but 7 pages on a single monster (and 5 being story) is a bit too much for me.

 

[Alzrius]

There's just one detail that I want monster stat blocks to have:

% Liar

 

[KidSnide]

One of the things I hope that the 5th ed Monster Manual does is bring back physical descriptons. The Monster Manual for 4th edition is one of the worst offenders in not providing any written details on the monsters. Sure, we have the art but once you show a picture to a player, they'll always know what the monster is.

Yes, yes, yes.

Pictures are great, but I'm not going to show the picture to the PCs. I'm going to use words to describe what the PCs see. The very least the monster manual could do is make this task easier.

-KS

 

[Mattachine]

Doesn't every monster in the 4e PHB have a good picture?

I hated when I was given a brief description with no picture at all. That happened in BECMI, 1e, and even 3e (at times). Please, have pictures.

 

[Klaus]

Yes, yes, yes.

Pictures are great, but I'm not going to show the picture to the PCs. I'm going to use words to describe what the PCs see. The very least the monster manual could do is make this task easier.

-KS

Why wouldn't you show the picture?

 

[avin]

Dear Wotc, whatever you do don't copy MM4E.

Just don't. It's horrible. I got MMs from 2E to 4E (got I, II and III from 4E) and can't read any of them...

 

[Aeolius]

I want a MM that is part "Arthur Spiderwick's Field Guide", part cookbook, and part reference manual. I want beautiful illustrations that may not be entirely accurate, as if drawn by those who actually encountered the creatures. I want tidbits like "goblins are known to make chitterlings from the entrails of gibbering mouthers", "The bile of the catoblepas is known to repel harpies", or "dragon turtle blood is reviled for its restorative properties" in every monster entry. I want a monster tome that serves equal time as a rulebook and coffee table book.

I am not asking for a full ecology of every entry, but I want more than what appears to be a collection of trading cards taped into a blank book.

 

[Aramax]

Lets see,your a lets say fighter,youve spent years learning your craft.Your ready to go out into the world and go adventuring.
But before you go your master gives you as vague an idea as possible
of the monsters you were going to be facing,so you could better survive?

EVERY single warrior would be 100% famillier w/ about 90% of the monsters they were going to face,to the point were only an illistation will do
keep all those extra words away from me!

 

[Mattachine]

If the MM has a good picture, can't the DM describe the picture without necessarily showing it? I don't understand how this is even an issue.

Remember the AD&D wind walker? Right--no one really does, since there was no picture (unless you got the Monster Cards limited edition set with beautiful illustrations) and no description.