D&D 5E (2024) Why No Monster Creation Rules in D&D 2024?

[Reynard]

And the fact you haven't found them yet speaks to the nature of monster creation rules.

No, it speaks to Jasper's specific desires. 3E, 4E and 5E have all had monster creation rules that work well enough. Leaving them out of 2024 is an oversight.

 

[DEFCON 1]

People ought to try just creating new monsters on their own without bending the knee to any set "process" someone else made for them. They'll get a better understanding of how monsters are built and will be better at judging things like "game balance" for their particular table rather than having to rely on other people telling them what's what.

Experience is the best teacher.

 

[Remathilis]

So I looked at the the opening to the MM and I went back to the Creating a Monster section in the DMG and I noticed something a little peculiar. Both sections discuss modifications to stat blocks and warn about changing things that would change a monsters CR. Of course, the rub is that they don't tell you what changes a creatures CR or how you know it changed. That does make me think they had interned to include some rules for determining CR but cut them for space. (Cue 30 pages of arguing).

But I do think they probably DID work on them, but they weren't ready for prime time yet. (See also: hybrid species rules). I will bet there is a good chance we will see both in a supplement at some point and will hopefully benefit from extra time to be worked on.

 

[jasper]

No, it speaks to Jasper's specific desires. 3E, 4E and 5E have all had monster creation rules that work well enough. Leaving them out of 2024 is an oversight.

page numbers on the 5E monster creation rules please.

 

[Reynard]

page numbers on the 5E monster creation rules please.

DMG 273

 

[jasper]

DMG 273

thanks 2014 DMg.

 

[Reynard]

thanks 2014 DMg.

yes. Sorry if I wasn't clear.

 

[Maxperson]

Really? Several? I've been here too. Like I said before, you put up a link to a thread asking for better monster creation rules, and I'll put up three asking for more lore and we'll see who runs out first.

The problem with the 3e rules was that they were just far, far too complicated. It took a LONG time to make a higher CR monster in 3e. Caster? It could easily take an hour or more to create a single monster. That was the problem. So, we got streamlined, simple rules for monster creation in 4e that worked really, really well.

But, because they were too transparent and the math was too regular, things were deemed to be too predictable. So, we get 5e which is all wibbly wobbly as far as monster design goes. Where you have monsters with similar CR's and WILDLY varying complexity. Meaning that the monster creation rules were largely opaque and very hard to use.

Even things like Sly Flourish's Lazy DM's monster creation rules are freaking massive. Forge of Foes is a HUNDRED AND TWENTY EIGHT PAGES long.

Yes, several. That you can point to more doesn't negate those other threads. But, hey, you've convinced me that zero guidance and complete monster guesswork by newbies and experienced DMs alike is a LOT better than having at least some help in place.

 

[Minigiant]

So I looked at the the opening to the MM and I went back to the Creating a Monster section in the DMG and I noticed something a little peculiar. Both sections discuss modifications to stat blocks and warn about changing things that would change a monsters CR. Of course, the rub is that they don't tell you what changes a creatures CR or how you know it changed. That does make me think they had interned to include some rules for determining CR but cut them for space. (Cue 30 pages of arguing).

But I do think they probably DID work on them, but they weren't ready for prime time yet. (See also: hybrid species rules). I will bet there is a good chance we will see both in a supplement at some point and will hopefully benefit from extra time to be worked on.

Many podcast and interviews of the designers heavily hint that internally they have the rules.

Those same media imply HEAVILY that it is complex as hell and is "plugging stuff into spreadsheets/Excel".

My hypothesis was always that converting the Spreadsheet to "Natural Languages and Charts" took more pages than WOTC was willing to give it

 

[Remathilis]

Many podcast and interviews of the designers heavily hint that internally they have the rules.

Those same media imply HEAVILY that it is complex as hell and is "plugging stuff into spreadsheets/Excel".

My hypothesis was always that converting the Spreadsheet to "Natural Languages and Charts" took more pages than WOTC was willing to give it

At least to the DMG. We'll see if that doesn't replace the 10+ pages of name charts in Xanathar 2.