D&D 5E My biggest gripe about 5e so far, as a DM

[Branduil]

IMO, by far the best thing 4th edition did was separate the monster rules from the PC rules. Designing interesting encounters was far easier than in any prior edition, and running the monsters themselves was a relative breeze, because everything you needed was right in the stat block.

Unfortunately, it seems like 5th edition is taking a step backwards to the bad old days of 3.x, where not only did you need to stat up every custom enemy with the complicated PC rules, but you also needed to either memorize or look up a list of spells if that monster was a spellcaster. I hope I'm wrong, but it seems like 4th edition's ease-of-use for DMs has been sacrificed for the sake of the larger player-base.

 

[Evenglare]

I agree that 4e was absolutely great at monsters, that being said so far I have found 5e to be to be pretty easy to run. I completely understand your claim about the spells. I don't like that either, it's annoying to look up spells when they aren't there in the stat.... BUT, I have to say these monsters are no where near the 3.x complexity of monsters. So while it is a slight step back, it's still a huge step forward from 3e. I can't speak to monster creation because we haven't seen those rules yet.

 

[TerraDave]

They have said that you will be able to do custom monsters in a 4E "by the numbers" style. And only actual spells are listed as spells, other special abilities are just given in the text, again 4E style

 

[I'm A Banana]

IMO, by far the best thing 4th edition did was separate the monster rules from the PC rules. Designing interesting encounters was far easier than in any prior edition, and running the monsters themselves was a relative breeze, because everything you needed was right in the stat block.

Unfortunately, it seems like 5th edition is taking a step backwards to the bad old days of 3.x, where not only did you need to stat up every custom enemy with the complicated PC rules, but you also needed to either memorize or look up a list of spells if that monster was a spellcaster. I hope I'm wrong, but it seems like 4th edition's ease-of-use for DMs has been sacrificed for the sake of the larger player-base.

I've got some news you're going to love.

Mearls&Co. have explicitly stated that you should be able to do 5e monsters in either way.

So it's cool if you don't want to make monsters with the same rules as characters. 5e will let you do that.

I bet you're all like

right now

 

[Branduil]

That is encouraging, although it probably means I'll have to create my own adventures. But I probably would have done that anyway.

 

[Halivar]

That is encouraging, although it probably means I'll have to create my own adventures. But I probably would have done that anyway.

Err... but if you're going to use published adventures, why would you care how the monsters are constructed?

 

[JRRNeiklot]

IMO, by far the best thing 4th edition did was separate the monster rules from the PC rules. Designing interesting encounters was far easier than in any prior edition...

AD&D says hi:

Orc (AC 6, MV 9”, HD 1, #AT 1, D 1-6)

 

[Halivar]

AD&D says hi:

Orc (AC 6, MV 9”, HD 1, #AT 1, D 1-6)

I'll call that "designing" a monster if you let me call my stick figure drawing a portrait.

 

[Mistwell]

IMO, by far the best thing 4th edition did was separate the monster rules from the PC rules. Designing interesting encounters was far easier than in any prior edition, and running the monsters themselves was a relative breeze, because everything you needed was right in the stat block.

Unfortunately, it seems like 5th edition is taking a step backwards to the bad old days of 3.x, where not only did you need to stat up every custom enemy with the complicated PC rules, but you also needed to either memorize or look up a list of spells if that monster was a spellcaster. I hope I'm wrong, but it seems like 4th edition's ease-of-use for DMs has been sacrificed for the sake of the larger player-base.

This is the article people mentioned earlier.

 

[Tormyr]

This is the article people mentioned earlier.

I still love that picture with the Kobold and the wish scroll. Thanks for bringing it back up.