What do you want from the Monster Manual?

[Shemeska]

Good artwork with little to none recycled from previous works

Well written fluff (one line knowledge checks like Bear lore is not well written flavor text). Ideally 2e level, but more realistically at the level used in monster writeups in Pathfinder AP bestiary entries.

Monsters that retain their identity from 1e/2e/3e with no radical changes to a creature's nature seemingly for the sake of change.

No new monsters that steal the name of previously published classic monsters but have absolutely nothing in common with them

A decent selection of outsiders (demons, devils, slaadi, yugoloths, archons, eladrin, guardinals, modrons, demodands, etc) without leaving any of the major, classic outsiders out of the first MM. Leaving out a classic race relegates it to also-ran status in future material (if 3e is any indication) and isn't an ideal thing.

No statblocks for archfiends/demigods/gods in the MM

 

[Hazard_53188]

What I really don't want to see are "spell-like" abilities. I hated reading through 20 some spells just to find out most of them are useless in combat.

I don't want to have to go to another book in order to run the monster. Everything I need to run the monster should be right there in the monsters stat block/description text.

 

[DEFCON 1]

What I don't want are five different types of orcs for example. If I want to differentiate my orcs I want to be able to give them different weapons, feats, themes, classes, templates etc....

The only way I'd be okay with this is if the Monster Builder 5E was up and running, making this a simple computerized process. But if it isn't, I'd much rather have two or three stat blocks in the book for 'orc', than a single block which I would then have to spend time reworking the math on trying to change out weapons, feats, adding in themes/templates and whatnot. After the 4E Monster Builder... I never again want to have to "manually rebuild" any monsters. Way too much of a waste of time.

 

[HardcoreDandDGirl]

What I don't want are five different types of orcs for example. If I want to differentiate my orcs I want to be able to give them different weapons, feats, themes, classes, templates etc....

No no no

If I want to throw an Orc tribe at my players my options should not be a) 50 identicle monsters or b) do it myself

I want c) have shaman chief warrior rager and hunter all pre stated, then I can build from there as needed

 

[erleni]

What I don't want are five different types of orcs for example. If I want to differentiate my orcs I want to be able to give them different weapons, feats, themes, classes, templates etc....

Please no. Give me five solid versions I can drop in my encounters without losing too much time. As a DM I don't have time to make monsters the 3.x way.

The best way would be to have:
1) A basic monster for each type (orc, goblin, whatever)
2) A general engine to modify monsters either at the beginning or the end of the book.
3) A few pre-built variations of each monster already in the book

In this way D&DN will be able to cater to DMs who have time to build their monsters and also to those who have more time constraints.

 

[Blackwarder]

No no no

If I want to throw an Orc tribe at my players my options should not be a) 50 identicle monsters or b) do it myself

I want c) have shaman chief warrior rager and hunter all pre stated, then I can build from there as needed

I don't thinkn that we need big state blocks for each variation of a monster, for example, there shouldn't be a big difference between an Orc using a sword and an Orc using a bow, and an Orc shaman could just have some more hp, a different AC and some spells.

As long as you don't go 3e way, comstumizing monsters shouldn't be time consuming and could be done on the fly.

Warder

 

[steeldragons]

No no no

If I want to throw an Orc tribe at my players my options should not be a) 50 identicle monsters or b) do it myself

I want c) have shaman chief warrior rager and hunter all pre stated, then I can build from there as needed

Back atcha. "No no no."

How difficult is it to say "Here's an Orc. Want a chief? Tack on a coupla hit dice...give him a big axe. Want a shaman? Throw on a few hit points and x-level divine casting. Want a 'rager'? Tack on a "Power Attack" or however the Rage mechanic works that will exist in the PHB."

MOST hopefully and seemingly simple, in my mind, with the advent of "Themes" it is entirely possible that you could just take the MM basic "Orc" and tack on the "berserker" theme or the "shaman" theme or the 'hunter" theme. No muss. No fuss. No "[oh woes is me] building it from scratch"...and most importantly, no pages on pages of repetitive stat blocks with one thing different.

Five pages of different kinds of orcs? Even 3 is too many. No. Noone needs that.

--SD

 

[HardcoreDandDGirl]

Back atcha. "No no no."

Five pages of different kinds of orcs? Even 3 is too many. No. Noone needs that.

--SD

I do. Or atleast sometimes I do.

What is wrong with having say 3-5 OTC stats on 1 page and fluff and tactics on a paage... Is 2 pages too much for an iconic tribe of monsters?

I like the idea of customized monsters and named orcs you make, but I think a few base to start with.

You are right that archer and swordman and axe man can all be listed as one with 3 weapons, but caster and things need there own block

 

[jshaft37]

Move forward with the Monster Vault style. A good mix of fluff and crunch. I'd also like to see the addition of quick, useful information for sandbox/improvised games. DCs for knowledge and a typical lair/camp/etc info, at least for the more iconic monsters that will be used in most every game.

 

[DEFCON 1]

MOST hopefully and seemingly simple, in my mind, with the advent of "Themes" it is entirely possible that you could just take the MM basic "Orc" and tack on the "berserker" theme or the "shaman" theme or the 'hunter" theme. No muss. No fuss. No "[oh woes is me] building it from scratch"...and most importantly, no pages on pages of repetitive stat blocks with one thing different.

Except that you do have to rewrite the stat block in order to add everything to the base.

Some of us would rather not have to waste time doing that. We'd prefer to just photocopy the stat block out of the book and have it there for our use. That's one of the things 4E got right... condensing prep time for the DM. Having several stat block options for monsters (which change more than just one thing... usually it changes several things)... makes it easier create more interesting fights with much less hassle.

This is especially true if you really want 2 entire pages per monster. At that point, three statblocks and a picture on one page with an entire second page devoted to monster info is not asking too much.