D&D 5E Should Explicit Monster Roles Return?

[cbwjm]

I voted no because I'd prefer templates. Take an orc start block and it runs fine as is. At the brute template and it can soak damage, artillery template and its throwing axes at the PC's, etc.

Basically, I like a baseline creature that can then be altered.

 

[Gorck]

I voted yes, but with a caveat: as long as the roles are merely suggestions, not mandatory. I would love to see the stat blocks in the 2025 Monster Manual contain things like roles, typical terrain, and groups (solo, small pack, large mob, etc.) to help unseasoned DMs like me plan encounters better.

 

[zakael19]

The majority of 3rd party supplements I’ve found useful (Flee Mortals, Giffyglyphs, Forge of Foes) have brought monster roles back, and they’re a super useful tool to assess encounter makeup. Bring em back, and never give me an NPC leveled spellcaster again.

 

[EzekielRaiden]

Yes.

Solo, Elite, Minion, and ideally a new one--call them "Mooks," two-shot creatures. Things that don't go down instantly, but aren't nearly as robust as a proper creature.

And, even if they don't come back by the same name...the idea of "this creature is designed to sneak around and use tricksy things to hurt the PCs," "this creature is designed to be a big hulking brute that is good at smashing face but can't really take the punishment in kind," etc...those things are just useful ways of communicating to the DM quickly what a creature is good at doing.

They're like alignment. Not a straightjacket. Just useful info to focus your attention.

 

[Dausuul]

I'm also not overly fond of reducing a creature to what its good for in combat - stat blocks do enough of that already as is (for example, have you ever considered purchasing a guard dog to protect your wizard character because it sounded like a good, fluffy idea vs. dismissing it because of their "bad stats"?)

I played a low-level wizard in 2E. My two war dogs were more dangerous than I was.

(This is not meant to make any kind of point about monster roles. Just noting my own experience re wizards and dogs.)

 

[zakael19]

And to points above, implementing roles should include via mechanics and not just a tag of course!! Again, 3rd party stuff has shown how to do that. Combine the framework with MM examples of what it looks like put together and boom, easy thematic monsters balanced against character level.

I’ve been using Giffygryph’s app to build role based action oriented monsters for the last few sessions now and it’s great. I balance against party level, it does the math to make strikers (brutes + artillery in one) scary damage wise but lower defenses / defenders harder to hit and annoying / etc - and I get to make cool abilities on theme using the suggested costing for debilities etc.

One other side thing that most of these systems have done is gotten rid of PC disabling abilities for things that are annoying but not “you skip your turn.” Also a good change.

 

[Vaalingrade]

Ah yes, a classic problem of the DnD community: baulking at a tool that will help you build and run your games easier because you think it’s telling you how you should play.

If one likes a rule, anyone who doesn't should shut up and change it -- RULE 0!

If someone comes up with a rule you don't like it must never be implemented because it would force you to use it with zero recourse.

 

[Cadence]

As promised, here are some examples of existing 5E monster abilities I've identified as helping to act in combat roles. I'd already been looking at these so I could have abilities to bolt onto existing statblocks as needed to quickly customize monsters.

Controller

• Grave Bolt. Ranged Spell Attack. Necrotic damage. If the target is Large or smaller, it must succeed on a Strength saving throw or become restrained as shadowy tendrils wrap around it for 1 minute. A restrained target can use its action to repeat the saving throw, ending the effect on itself on a success.
• Whispers of Compulsion. The creature chooses up to three enemies it can see within 60 feet of it. Each target must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw, or it takes psychic damage and must use its reaction to make a melee weapon attack against one creature of the creature's choice that it can see.

Leader

• Call to Attack. Up to three allies of the creature within 120 feet that can hear it can use their reaction to make a weapon attack.
• Command Ally. The lieutenant targets one ally it can see within 30 feet of itself. If the target can see or hear the lieutenant, the target can make one melee attack using its reaction, if available, and has advantage on the attack roll.

Soldier

• Piercing Claw. Melee Weapon Attack. Reach 15 ft., one target. Piercing damage plus necrotic damage. If the target is a creature, the boneclaw can pull the target up to 10 feet toward itself, and the target is grappled. The boneclaw has two claws. While a claw grapples a target, the claw can attack only that target.
• Furious Defense. After an ally the creature can see is dealt damage by a foe within melee weapon attack reach of it, the creature makes a melee weapon attack against that foe as a reaction.

Having options like these in the MM to help customize creatures seems like it would be great (say at the bottom of the Kobold page there were three options). Ending up with them all on their own page as separate things feels like it would be really annoying.

 

[SlyFlourish]

I'm not a fan of roles because I think it leads to a more cookie-cutter approach towards building and prepping games than it should. Combat tactics is a fine section to include in a monster book and friend Keith Amman has done a great job diving into this in his various "Monster Knows" books. I think there's also tons of room for people to build monster books with roles for 5e. We don't have to depend on WOTC doing it or not. Flee Mortals has it. Level Up Advanced 5e has good tactics roles. KP's Monster Vault describes roles but doesn't associate them to particular monsters. So there's lots of approaches whatever we prefer. I think that's awesome.

 

[the Jester]

I prefer the way monster roles were handled in the 3.5e book Dungeonscape- there are roles, and there are monsters, and the same monster might fill multiple roles. There's no reason a lich can't be a striker, a lurker, or a controller, depending on its spell selection, for example.