D&D 5E Only one monster generation method?

[MichaelSomething]

Is there only one method given to make monsters in 5E?

I've been thinking that one isn't enough. There should be like four or more methods because different DMs may need different things.

You might a quick way to whip monsters for a 5 round fight.
You might need a system that's really simple for people who aren't good at/interested in numbers.
You might want a monster generation system that mirrors PC development for immersion.
You may want a system that gives guidelines on personality, resources, etc.

 

[I'm A Banana]

The quick way is just to use the stats in the chart.

The simple way is to make whatever you want and then figure out it's CR according to the chart.

The way to make it for PC generation is to make a PC and then figure out it's CR acording to the chart.

Guidelines on personality and such can be found in the DMG.

Do those ways not work for you for some reason?

 

[Azurewraith]

There is another way my preferred method pull some numbers out your ass that seem appropriate. Works well as long as you know what your party can handle

 

[ccs]

There is another way my preferred method pull some numbers out your ass that seem appropriate. Works well as long as you know what your party can handle

Ah, my favorite method! Make S*** Up.
Always works.

 

[Azurewraith]

Ah, my favorite method! Make S*** Up.
Always works.

Well not always.... had a few times I over did it *cough*

 

[Tinker-TDC]

Ah, my favorite method! Make S*** Up.
Always works.

[video=youtube;7LEBNEGbKRs]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7LEBNEGbKRs[/video]

 

[surfarcher]

Is there only one method given to make monsters in 5E?

I've been thinking that one isn't enough. There should be like four or more methods because different DMs may need different things.

You might a quick way to whip monsters for a 5 round fight.
You might need a system that's really simple for people who aren't good at/interested in numbers.
You might want a monster generation system that mirrors PC development for immersion.
You may want a system that gives guidelines on personality, resources, etc.

You could use the method in my blog. Some of it needs a little updating post-DMG but it actually still works perfectly well as-is.

 

[The Crimson Binome]

The way to make it for PC generation is to make a PC and then figure out it's CR acording to the chart.

That works for NPCs, but it doesn't tell you what abilities a (for example) succubus cleric should have. How do the hit points from its class interact with the hit points from its race? And so on.

Or, for that matter, we don't even know what a really big Bulette would look like, in terms of Strength or AC or anything. We have guidelines for how to alter its level and corresponding XP value, based on whatever changes we make, but there's nothing telling us what those changes should actually be. What is the underlying principle for how things work in this world?

 

[surfarcher]

That works for NPCs, but it doesn't tell you what abilities a (for example) succubus cleric should have.

I would say the abilities for the level of cleric and the abilities of a succubus. We generally simplify down the abilities and spell lists tho as they otherwise get overly complex to run.

How do the hit points from its class interact with the hit points from its race? And so on.

Traditionally they don't - by the MM method "class" has no relevance to HP. It is size based. You can build them either way and evaluate using your CR assessment method of choice.

Or, for that matter, we don't even know what a really big Bulette would look like, in terms of Strength or AC or anything. We have guidelines for how to alter its level and corresponding XP value, based on whatever changes we make, but there's nothing telling us what those changes should actually be. What is the underlying principle for how things work in this world?

TBH I don't want that kind of restriction on my monster building. It's part of why I hated 3.x. For me personally 5e is the best balance so far. There is a lot of flexibility with how you can actually build critters.

In the Bulette example iI can make it as big as I like and scale Str and AC up easily based on the crunching I have already done. It's pretty easy.

 

[The Crimson Binome]

TBH I don't want that kind of restriction on my monster building. It's part of why I hated 3.x. For me personally 5e is the best balance so far. There is a lot of flexibility with how you can actually build critters.

For me, there isn't enough information for that part of the game to be useful. I don't care how well it lets me stick to whatever vision I might imagine; I bought the game because I want it to tell me how it wants the world to work.

It's the same problem you get with GURPS, strangely enough. You have the freedom to do absolutely anything you want, but it's lacking in content where it tells you exactly how to express a thing within the language of the rules.