Stat-blocks: In text, or in appendix?

[MerricB]

G'day folks!

A question:

Where do you prefer the monster and npc stat blocks to be in an adventure? Where the monster is first encountered, or all gathered together in an appendix or pull-out section?

Cheers!

 

[jgbrowning]

other:i like them in the appendix, but i'd like to see a (see page xxxx) so i'd know exactly where to turn to in the appendix. RttToEE drove me nuts with this.

joe b.

 

[arwink]

My vote goes for a pull out or easily photocopyable appendix at the end of the book. I like having the stat-blocks, but they're of more use to me seperate to the adventure in case monsters flee, need to be shifted, etc.

Another vote (and this is kinda preferable) would be including a web-link to a file that had all the stats for an adventure ready for download. Takes up no further space in the adventure, easy to print out, fits my needs perfectly...

 

[the Jester]

I prefer them in the text, but if it's a monster that moves around I like it in a seperate sort of thing (pull out or appendix). And if it's a standard monster I just need a page reference for the MM (but that's another thread, ain't it?)

 

[sellars]

I would definately like to see stats for NPCs and non-MM stuff in the text. the last time I ran a module t was RttToEE, and I would have liked to have had some extra arms to keep track of all the pages

page references to MM would be sufficient forright-out-of-the-book-monsters

S

 

[Mark]

I like them in with the encounter text and in the back in a pull-out/appendix (a sort of cheat sheet, if you will.) It helps while using a supplement to have them in the ongoing material, but it is also helpful to have a loose sheet that can be glanced over when you aren't in that section (perhaps to cue you into the upcoming text sections.) It's only an extra sheet or two needed in the back to devote to all or just the primary creatures and NPCs.

 

[Trevalon Moonleirion]

Another vote (and this is kinda preferable) would be including a web-link to a file that had all the stats for an adventure ready for download. Takes up no further space in the adventure, easy to print out, fits my needs perfectly...

Sheer brilliance--you can sure as hell count that as my vote!

 

[Agnostic Paladin]

My vote is for the appendix. If the stats are with the room, then that just encourages DMs to leave the module static. Things should be moving around from time to time, even moreso once some punk invaders wipe out a bunch of inhabitants.

 

[Painfully]

I prefer to photocopy the appendix. Sometimes I'll put their combat stats on 3x5 cards (along with cards for my groups PCs) and stack them in their initiative order. That way I just flip through them during fights, and can save the cards for later to track XP.

I would certainly second putting the appendix of statblocks online, along with maps (which I usually photocopy as well).

 

[Drawmack]

First let me state that I hate, loath and despise stat blocks. They are a publisher trick to save on page count. I would gladly pay $5.00 extra for something that used a more readable layout.

That being said here is what I would like to see.
An abreviated stat block in the adventure text that gives me the 10% of inforamtion I'll need 90% of the time with a see page x for details. Then on page x put the full, if you must, stat block or preferably something more readable.