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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Li Shenron" data-source="post: 5966563" data-attributes="member: 1465">I think that the rules modules mentioned so far (tactical and narrative combats) will be designed so that they don't require straight modifications to your characters or monsters, but only change how you use them during combat. There will be a problem only if these modules come with additional character material such as feats that are designed to work only with a module's specific rules, but I think they are trying to avoid that. Thus, no need for additional stats or changes in a monster's entry.Character generation might be seen as "modular" in the sense that you don't have to use Backgrounds or Themes, so you might question what does this mean for monsters...I think backgrounds are a piece of cake because their benefits will rarely be used in an encounter, tho some skill bonuses will be used at least to determine surprise. I think that in the case of a monster, those skill bonuses are much more important than explicitly mentioning a background, because a savage monster probably doesn't really a have background at all, it just is what it is all the time, but those skill bonuses can be essential to define some monsters which are e.g. extremely stealthy or perceptive. For non-savage monsters, it's possible that their entry will mention a default background, but it should be fairly easy to swap with another if you want, or ignore it altogether.For themes, you normally don't want to browse the list of feats unless you're customizing a monster on your own initiative, so the monsters entry will just mention some default feats or a default theme, and if you don't use feats at all you just ignore this part.I do not think that varying HP should really be called a "module". It's just plain and simple about cutting or increasing the HP of everyone and everything in the game, for whatever purpose, so IMHO you don't really need to put the results in each entry of the MM... if the DM is cutting everyone's HP by 1/3, she can just do that on the fly. A small chapter on this and other possible modifications "modules" (if you want to call them like this) can be written at the beginning of the MM, but I don't want to see the numbers repeated everywhere.Magic Items: this is instead a very interesting topic. IMHO the best way to solve this would be to have a tiny list of "typical magic items" (max 10) that might be carried by a creature who can and does use them, and then you can just mention e.g. "pick 1, 3 or 7" depending on magic availability in your campaign, or don't mention anything at all.---All in all, rather than modules, I am concerned on how each of the MM entries will be broken up in sections. I think the most useful way for me would be if it was clearly broken up between the 3 pillars of the game: combat, exploration, interaction (probably best in this "reversed" order). This way, a DM who is running a mostly combat game just stops reading at the end of the 1st section and already knows everything he needs to run a combat, while a DM who also wants to use the monster in the other phases/pillars, can find such information in the other sections.NOTE that this is different from the traditional way of presenting a monsters stats, which is breaking them down by type or system: you get e.g. abilities, then attacks, then special/supernatural abilities, then skills, then feats...What I want to see is an organization by use. Ok to start with the 6 abilities, but then I want:1) a stat block with everything and nothing else I need in combat: HP, AC, attacks, special abilities that are used in combat, skills that are used in combat, feats that are used in combat... followed by description of combat tactics, morale etc.2) a second block or section with everything and nothing else I need in the exploration phase, particularly stealth and perception skills, tracking information, lair description, treasure, and any special ability/skill/feat that are used in the exploration phase3) a third block or section with everything and nothing else I need in the interaction phase (if applicable), with ecology and society description, languages, customs such as tips on things that this type of monster loves/hates/is scared of etc., plus any special ability/skill/feat that are used in the interaction phaseI don't think this generally requires more information or space than before, it's just a rearrangement of the stats and descriptions.The only potential problem is that of course some special ability/skill/feat (not to mention spells!) can be useful in more than one pillar. I would not want it to be repeated, I think that with some sensible work by the designers, the best placement for such ability can be found, and alternative uses are left for the creative DM to find.</blockquote>

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