So, What Does CE Stand For Again?

[Crothian]

[sarcasm]Thankfully you can buy such a Monster Manual in any FLGS.[/sarcasm]

You are right, you can't buy that at a store...you have to get it from RPGNow as a PDF and copy and past all the info you want to give the players in one nice easy to print file.

 

[ThirdWizard]

I expect my Players to have everything fully statted out before they use an ability that would take the monster stats into account. For example, if they cast summon monster and want to call a celestial dire wolf (or whatever) they have to have it statted out beforehand. Likewise, if the druid wants to wildshape into a dire bear, he'd better have all his stats worked out beforehand.

Luckily we don't have the mentality of books that Players arn't supposed to read anymore. I encourage my Players to read the Dungeon Master's Guide, for example. Heck, one of my Players owns the MMIII and another Lords of Madness, and I borrow them when I want to use them. I don't think that this is a bad thing.

As for the Players getting confused with monster ecology. They're more insterested in the ecology than the stats. It's more interesting to them.

 

[Crothian]

I expect my Players to have everything fully statted out before they use an ability that would take the monster stats into account.

That should be expected as well. Players without this just slow down the game.

Luckily we don't have the mentality of books that Players arn't supposed to read anymore.

I actually disagree, I perfer my players noty to read the modules I'm going to run.

 

[ThirdWizard]

I actually disagree, I perfer my players noty to read the modules I'm going to run.

If I ran modules, I'm sure I would agree. I was talking about the DMG, MM, MotP, and various other books that historically were for DM eyes only.

 

[Luthien Greyspear]

If they can't flip through the MM, how will they be able to use spells like polymorph and summon monster?

I require them to make a Knowledge check based on the type of monster (arcane for dragons, nature for animals, dungeoneering for aberrations, etc.) with a 10 + twice the creature's CR. So a character that wants to polymorph a target into a hook horror would have to make a Knowledge (dungeoneering) check with a DC of 22 to know what the thing looked like and fought like and what its attacks were. Since wizards get all Knowledge skills as class skills, they can get the skills they need to start polymorphing like mad, but it isn't free at all.

 

[ThirdWizard]

I require them to make a Knowledge check based on the type of monster (arcane for dragons, nature for animals, dungeoneering for aberrations, etc.) with a 10 + twice the creature's CR. So a character that wants to polymorph a target into a hook horror would have to make a Knowledge (dungeoneering) check with a DC of 22 to know what the thing looked like and fought like and what its attacks were. Since wizards get all Knowledge skills as class skills, they can get the skills they need to start polymorphing like mad, but it isn't free at all.

Does that mean if they cast polymorph you have to wait in game for them to flip to the page in the MM, figure out how the character's stats will be altered, and then calculate everything? At higher levels that could take more than five minutes, in which everyone else is twiddling their thumbs doing nothing in the middle of combat.

I much prefer premade stats for various forms.

 

[Mercule]

You are right, you can't buy that at a store...you have to get it from RPGNow as a PDF and copy and past all the info you want to give the players in one nice easy to print file.

???

 

[Pbartender]

[sarcasm]Thankfully you can buy such a Monster Manual in any FLGS.[/sarcasm]

Thankfully you can download the SRD for free off the internet.

 

[Crothian]

???

You have a qustion?

There are many SRDs and monster suppliments on RPGNow if that is what you are confudes at though by the question marks you could be asking about the weather.

 

[WayneLigon]

I got stunned eyes. "But, but I thought a white dragon was a good dragon! Like cowboy's hats!" Turns out he had looked at all the stats -- especially ability scores -- and ignored the flavor text, like alignments and behaviors.

That is one of the funniest things I've read lately