It was less nostalgia and more frustration that got me back to using two stat blocks. The first appears in my notes and is just a combat summary; AC, HP, To hit, damage, grapple, and specials are all that are usually necessary. The full stat block I keep in an appendix where I can refer to it if necessary.
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Pang of nostalgia for "light" stat blocks
- Thread starter Bullgrit
- Start date
lukelightning
First Post
I don't mind light stat blocks, as long as they have all the information needed for a particular enounter. If Bob the Fighter is just combat fodder, I'd expect AC, attack bonus and damage for all weapons he is likely to use (if he just uses a spear, just list that; if he has a spear as well as a longbow, list both), movement, saves, and hit points. Alignment is important to in many cases (because of alignment-related effects like smite evil) and adding "LE" doesn't take up much space.
I know I could, and did! If the text of the encounter didn't mention a weapon it's easy to pick a weapon and go. Let's see, for a combat oriented encounter I do not think you are missing much. Maybe a list of booty carried, but that's easy to make up on the fly.philreed said:
lukelightning
First Post
Insufficient: what are his saves, since spells are likely to come up. What is his movement rate? What damage does he do?
lukelightning said:
Why can I not simply assume his saves are base, unmodified Fighter 4 (+4/+1/+1), I'll say he's wearing splint mail (which means his movement can be 20 ft.), and I give him a longsword so his damage is 1d8+3 (because the short description says he gets a +3 to damage)?
That's pretty simple and in no way ruins my enjoyment of the game.
I could even say he's in full plate and it wouldn't have a single change on the most important part of the game (for me): enjoyment.
His saves are the same as any 4th level fighter. It's in the chart in the DMG and the DM Screen. When I was running AD&D 1e I used to have most of that save chart memorized. it was a pretty easy mathematical progression. Movement rate? Easy, 90', just like all humans. Damage depends on his weapon. As I said before, if it is not mentioned in the encounter text you can give him what you want. His damage is probably 1d6, maybe 1d8.lukelightning said:
The Shaman
First Post
Quoted for emphasis.Jyrdan Fairblade said:
I agree that it's more than enough, but is this really true for "any" GM? I think perhaps that d20 conditions gamers to expect that they won't have to think about stuff like this.philreed said:
Bullgrit
Adventurer
Many good DMs could take "human fighter 4" and run with it in any campaign.
Would such a stat block (as in the original WPM) be acceptable to most DMs today? I wouldn't think so. But then I also think the current kitchen sink stat blocks are way overkill.
I also think they make the game *seem* more complicated than it is.
My Burket stat block would be like:
<shrug> I don't really know where I'm going with this thread. I'm just thinking in print.
Bullgrit
Bullgrit said:
Before this thread* I would have answered "all of them." Maybe it all comes down to the type of game each group plays. I've encountered many groups that are playing "Ghost Recon in the dungeon," with the game a squad-based minis game. I've also encountered groups that never say "five foot step."
* Actually, I should have said "before D&D 3e."
Please note that I enjoy both types of games. It's important for everyone in a group to know what sort of game it will be before getting into it.
