Monte reviews Dungeon

[Pielorinho]

I think it's a great idea that requires about one more staff person than we currently have.

Makes sense. If you get a summer intern, though, you know what to do with them!

Seriously, though, I just wanted to support this idea; it's something that any adventure writer could do to make me that much more willing to purchase their product.

Daniel

 

[Amal Shukup]

With respect to Stat Blocks:

Hate 'em. Definitely an 'Evil'.

Too dense. Too hard to find the number I'm looking for. Usually need a bunch of additional info on hand to actually use them in play (ability/feat/magic item descriptions etc.). They take up way too much space in a published module, and as they almost always need to be modified or tweaked in some way, they're just not all that useful. I'd rather they focused on the module itself, and those things that make an encountered critter 'unique' (hitpoints, motivations, magic items and equipment, tactics etc.) I can take it from there.

If there's a non-core or really unique critter, I'd rather they be given a MM style write-up in the appendix (or web enhanced or something).

OTOH, having a stack of books to riffle through during a combat does not make me a happy DM either...

So, when prepping a module for use (or just building encounters myself), each encountered critter (or homogenous group) gets their own 5" x 8" unlined index card. On one side I put a MM/SRD style write-up with notes on description, tactics, special features. This info is pulled from the SRD and/or the Module and advanced/modified as required. On the other side I try to put a picture of the critter ("As you turn the corner, you come face to face with... This!")

When I bring a module to the table, it is accompanied by a stack of these index cards, sorted and keyed by encounter area.

It DOES take some additional prep, but the templates and SRD are all on my computer ready to go. Also, lots of 'standard' critters get reused all the time and are strored in a little filebox (I make in-game notes using pencil and erase if I'm likely to reuse the critter). I find it works pretty well - and I'd rather do an extra hour of Prep than have a combat drag out for an extra hour because info is not on hand.

A'Mal

 

[Elder-Basilisk]

If you've got someone who's good with the various word processor features, you could probably automate the process to some extent. Since the various areas in a statblock follow a more or less regular pattern and are separated by semi-colons, treating it as a mail merge of a semi-colon deliniated data file (created by cut/pasting the statblocks into their own documents) might help to reduce the amount of work necessary to change the format from a statblock into a MM-style layout page.

The only difficulty would be statblocks that lack either special attacks or special qualities and the special attack/quality descriptions.

I think it's a great idea that requires about one more staff person than we currently have.

--Erik Mona

 

[EricNoah]

It DOES take some additional prep, ...I'd rather do an extra hour of Prep than have a combat drag out for an extra hour because info is not on hand.

Yep, we all gotta do what makes the game go faster and smoother, whatever it may be.

I love the idea of downloadable stat blocks btw, that would be a good time saver.

But I don't mind getting them from eTools myself -- gives me a chance to a) customize a little bit (maybe advance by HD or adjust equipment), and b) read up and do my research on the monster's capabilities. Kind of forces me to do my homework.

 

[FireLance]

So, when prepping a module for use (or just building encounters myself), each encountered critter (or homogenous group) gets their own 5" x 8" unlined index card. On one side I put a MM/SRD style write-up with notes on description, tactics, special features. This info is pulled from the SRD and/or the Module and advanced/modified as required.

A'Mal

I've also started doing this, and it's worked pretty well so far. I use one card for each creature, though (ain't printers wonderful). I stat up the PCs on similar cards, so they also double up as initiative cards to help in running combats. Little notes like "The fiendish leopard smites good on the opponent that has hurt it the most in the round after it injured" ensure that I don't forget to use the creatures' interesting abilities in the heat of combat.

 

[Bagpuss]

I prefer "protagonists" myself.

I prefer "victims" myself.

 

[Desdichado]

I use stat blocks; in fact, I use Jamis Bucks generators a fair amount, the output of which is, by default, a stat block. But in play, I just look up monsters in the book. In theory, if I had a little more time, and if I thought about it ahead of time, I'd make up cards, or sheets, or something that was even more detailed than MM like entries; I'd write up the spells and spell-like abilities as well rather than merely refer to them or list them, but I've not really ever done that yet.

As for heroes; I kinda agree with Monte; I've played with tons of folks that are really hard-ass mercenary bastards. I blame it all on Han Solo; if only he'd agreed to rescue Princess Leia without a promised reward first!