I've just purchased the Legendary Bundle and so far have been impressed with the content. Particularly the high red art etc. But here's an observation:
There's no monster entry for Zephyros, or the Lord's Alliance Shield Dwarves from Storm King's Thunder. Both these characters ask you to use stats of another and modify them. For small changes that's understandable, but given the tools you guys have created, surely having a dedicated stat block for these (given that they have a none trivial amount of modification from the base stats) is something you would consider? I mean, you even have a separate entry for the Ice Toads in Rise of Tiamat and they only changed like two stats :P
(Edit: It also occurs to me that doing so would require you guys to retag each mention of those modified monsters as a tooltip etc which is a touch more work.)
I imagine there are a few other monsters spread across the books with substantial changes from the base block that haven't been added.
Also, yes, I know I can Homebrew them Just thinking that if you guys did it once, you'd save thousands of DM of the hassle.
Thanks!
Apparently, those aren't "official stat blocks", so they aren't currently planning to do them any time soon.
When printing out the stats for the Chultan Guides in Tomb of Annihilation, I noticed that the hyperlinks print out with the linked tag instead of text. Sometimes I need to hand a monster stat block to a player for use as a companion or NPC.
Can improvements be made to the monster printing? A monster export similar to player export would be excellent, just to do handouts. Any watermarking or other measure that need to be taken are fine/acceptable.
I would also like to put in a vote to remove the hyperlinks from printer material - at least as an option. On a print out, I really just need to know "Darkvision" - not the URL for darkvision on this site.
I am pretty sure this is in a @media print section of the css... maybe just give us the ability to add an override css?
I've just purchased the Legendary Bundle and so far have been impressed with the content. Particularly the high red art etc. But here's an observation:
There's no monster entry for Zephyros, or the Lord's Alliance Shield Dwarves from Storm King's Thunder. Both these characters ask you to use stats of another and modify them. For small changes that's understandable, but given the tools you guys have created, surely having a dedicated stat block for these (given that they have a none trivial amount of modification from the base stats) is something you would consider? I mean, you even have a separate entry for the Ice Toads in Rise of Tiamat and they only changed like two stats :P
(Edit: It also occurs to me that doing so would require you guys to retag each mention of those modified monsters as a tooltip etc which is a touch more work.)
I imagine there are a few other monsters spread across the books with substantial changes from the base block that haven't been added.
Also, yes, I know I can Homebrew them Just thinking that if you guys did it once, you'd save thousands of DM of the hassle.
Thanks!
Apparently, those aren't "official stat blocks", so they aren't currently planning to do them any time soon.
We see the feedback on these "extra" monsters. I'm going to try to see what we can do about it...
Awesome, thanks for the quick response BadEye. I'd hardly call Zephyros an extra, given his home has map in the book, they give him a dozen spells specific to his personality for the encounter (mostly not harmful) and if played as written he's the character's first impetus to properly think about the giants. I was always amazed WOTC never gave stats for him but spent as much page space as a stat block describing his variations :P
Is there a logic to why some have been done and others not on DDB? e.g the Ice Troll which isn't given a stat block in RoT but is on DDB. Just curious!
Thanks for all the hard work, I am so impressed with the community engagement from you guys and your mods and that's not even saying anything about how impressed I am with the product over all. Looking forward to all your improvements in the future.
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~Never cruel nor cowardly; never give up, never give in.
I think it could be helpful if the monster entries had a way to view their compendium entries - I generally keep multiple tabs open for the stat blocks of monsters I'm using, and usually I want just the stat blocks, not compendium text. However sometimes I will want to check on the compendium entry and the only way to do that is to search the compendium for the monster over again.
It would be much quicker if there was a "view compendium" link somewhere on the page - whether it links to the compendium entry or just expands a text block on the same page.
When printing out the stats for the Chultan Guides in Tomb of Annihilation, I noticed that the hyperlinks print out with the linked tag instead of text. Sometimes I need to hand a monster stat block to a player for use as a companion or NPC.
Can improvements be made to the monster printing? A monster export similar to player export would be excellent, just to do handouts. Any watermarking or other measure that need to be taken are fine/acceptable.
This is on the radar, but I'm not entirely sure when we'll get to it.
"Summon Mephits (Recharges after a Long Rest). By puffing on his pipe, Elizar can use an action to cast conjure minor elementals. If he does so, he summons four [Tooltip Not Found]."
When printing out the stats for the Chultan Guides in Tomb of Annihilation, I noticed that the hyperlinks print out with the linked tag instead of text. Sometimes I need to hand a monster stat block to a player for use as a companion or NPC.
Can improvements be made to the monster printing? A monster export similar to player export would be excellent, just to do handouts. Any watermarking or other measure that need to be taken are fine/acceptable.
Regarding using monster stat blocks as companion or NPCs, I think an alternative content type might be a better approach. Currently, monsters are their own content type. But what they really are is templates not individuals.
Suggestion: When creating encounters or NPCs for the a campaign, a DM really needs a way to convert monster templates into individual monsters or NPCs with their own name, hit points, and any other customisation options. That is, they should be a minimal character sheet (created from the monster / NPC entry) that can then be assigned to a campaign encounter, or as a companion character for a PC as appropriate.
The same is also true for some magic items. Particularly those that are customised to the player, such as artifacts.
When printing out the stats for the Chultan Guides in Tomb of Annihilation, I noticed that the hyperlinks print out with the linked tag instead of text. Sometimes I need to hand a monster stat block to a player for use as a companion or NPC.
Can improvements be made to the monster printing? A monster export similar to player export would be excellent, just to do handouts. Any watermarking or other measure that need to be taken are fine/acceptable.
Regarding using monster stat blocks as companion or NPCs, I think an alternative content type might be a better approach. Currently, monsters are their own content type. But what they really are is templates not individuals.
Suggestion: When creating encounters or NPCs for the a campaign, a DM really needs a way to convert monster templates into individual monsters or NPCs with their own name, hit points, and any other customisation options. That is, they should be a minimal character sheet (created from the monster / NPC entry) that can then be assigned to a campaign encounter, or as a companion character for a PC as appropriate.
The same is also true for some magic items. Particularly those that are customised to the player, such as artifacts.
Monster progression/ building (and encounter building) are on the roadmap.
It could be there but I didn't see it. Is there a link from the monster listing to the monster from the MM? We have the stats but it should be interesting to go in description from the MM or other sources (VGtM).
I think monster listings should include a link to the relevent pages in the compendium content. For example if I'm browsing the compendium and reading the sections on dragons, it tell me a lot about the chromatic dragons personalities, their lairs, what reaction they would have to meeting players, the statblock doesn't tell me this so one should include a link to the other and vice versa.
I think monster listings should include a link to the relevent pages in the compendium content. For example if I'm browsing the compendium and reading the sections on dragons, it tell me a lot about the chromatic dragons personalities, their lairs, what reaction they would have to meeting players, the statblock doesn't tell me this so one should include a link to the other and vice versa.
We're actually going to add full long descriptions for monsters in the listing itself if you have that content unlocked. You'll have everything in one place, whichever place you want that to be (listing or compendium) without having to click back and forth.
That process will start next week - you'll start to see full descriptions populate over time.
I think monster listings should include a link to the relevent pages in the compendium content. For example if I'm browsing the compendium and reading the sections on dragons, it tell me a lot about the chromatic dragons personalities, their lairs, what reaction they would have to meeting players, the statblock doesn't tell me this so one should include a link to the other and vice versa.
We're actually going to add full long descriptions for monsters in the listing itself if you have that content unlocked. You'll have everything in one place, whichever place you want that to be (listing or compendium) without having to click back and forth.
That process will start next week - you'll start to see full descriptions populate over time.
We're actually going to add full long descriptions for monsters in the listing itself if you have that content unlocked. You'll have everything in one place, whichever place you want that to be (listing or compendium) without having to click back and forth.
That process will start next week - you'll start to see full descriptions populate over time.
That's fantastic! Less clicks is always a good thing :)
In the Basic Rules, the Monster Manual, and the Player's Handbook, monsters with no effective attacks are CR 0 but also give 0 XP, instead of the normal 10 XP for a CR 0 creature. Examples include the frog/toad and sea horse. On D&D Beyond, however, these creatures are listed as CR 0 (10 XP), which is incorrect.
The Avatar of Death from the DMG also gives 0 XP, but I don't have it on D&D Beyond so I don't know if it's correct there.
Avatar of Death is also listed as 10XP. I'm going to guess the XP values are automated based on what the CR is, which is why the values show as they do, and not the way you mention (one less field for the person entering the data to have to fill). Good catch though!
Avatar of Death is also listed as 10XP. I'm going to guess the XP values are automated based on what the CR is, which is why the values show as they do, and not the way you mention (one less field for the person entering the data to have to fill). Good catch though!
It shouldn't be too hard for them to set CR 0 monsters to ask whether they're worth 0 or 10 XP (says the person who shudders at the very notion of programming professionally).
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"Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both" -- allegedly Benjamin Franklin
Avatar of Death is also listed as 10XP. I'm going to guess the XP values are automated based on what the CR is, which is why the values show as they do, and not the way you mention (one less field for the person entering the data to have to fill). Good catch though!
It shouldn't be too hard for them to set CR 0 monsters to ask whether they're worth 0 or 10 XP (says the person who shudders at the very notion of programming professionally).
Oh I agree, I'm just assuming this is how the oversight was made. I wouldn't doubt setting the CR in their database automatically fills the XP amount, and since there are only a few exceptions it wasn't caught.
When printing out the stats for the Chultan Guides in Tomb of Annihilation, I noticed that the hyperlinks print out with the linked tag instead of text. Sometimes I need to hand a monster stat block to a player for use as a companion or NPC.
Can improvements be made to the monster printing? A monster export similar to player export would be excellent, just to do handouts. Any watermarking or other measure that need to be taken are fine/acceptable.
I would also like to put in a vote to remove the hyperlinks from printer material - at least as an option. On a print out, I really just need to know "Darkvision" - not the URL for darkvision on this site.
I am pretty sure this is in a @media print section of the css... maybe just give us the ability to add an override css?
Awesome, thanks for the quick response BadEye. I'd hardly call Zephyros an extra, given his home has map in the book, they give him a dozen spells specific to his personality for the encounter (mostly not harmful) and if played as written he's the character's first impetus to properly think about the giants. I was always amazed WOTC never gave stats for him but spent as much page space as a stat block describing his variations :P
Is there a logic to why some have been done and others not on DDB? e.g the Ice Troll which isn't given a stat block in RoT but is on DDB. Just curious!
Thanks for all the hard work, I am so impressed with the community engagement from you guys and your mods and that's not even saying anything about how impressed I am with the product over all. Looking forward to all your improvements in the future.
~Never cruel nor cowardly; never give up, never give in.
I think it could be helpful if the monster entries had a way to view their compendium entries - I generally keep multiple tabs open for the stat blocks of monsters I'm using, and usually I want just the stat blocks, not compendium text. However sometimes I will want to check on the compendium entry and the only way to do that is to search the compendium for the monster over again.
It would be much quicker if there was a "view compendium" link somewhere on the page - whether it links to the compendium entry or just expands a text block on the same page.
"Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both" -- allegedly Benjamin Franklin
Tooltips (Help/aid)
It could be there but I didn't see it. Is there a link from the monster listing to the monster from the MM? We have the stats but it should be interesting to go in description from the MM or other sources (VGtM).
Player since 1982 and DM since 1990.
I think monster listings should include a link to the relevent pages in the compendium content. For example if I'm browsing the compendium and reading the sections on dragons, it tell me a lot about the chromatic dragons personalities, their lairs, what reaction they would have to meeting players, the statblock doesn't tell me this so one should include a link to the other and vice versa.
How do you get a one-armed goblin out of a tree?
Wave!
In the Basic Rules, the Monster Manual, and the Player's Handbook, monsters with no effective attacks are CR 0 but also give 0 XP, instead of the normal 10 XP for a CR 0 creature. Examples include the frog/toad and sea horse. On D&D Beyond, however, these creatures are listed as CR 0 (10 XP), which is incorrect.
The Avatar of Death from the DMG also gives 0 XP, but I don't have it on D&D Beyond so I don't know if it's correct there.
Avatar of Death is also listed as 10XP. I'm going to guess the XP values are automated based on what the CR is, which is why the values show as they do, and not the way you mention (one less field for the person entering the data to have to fill). Good catch though!
How do you get a one-armed goblin out of a tree?
Wave!
"Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both" -- allegedly Benjamin Franklin
Tooltips (Help/aid)
How do you get a one-armed goblin out of a tree?
Wave!
Bex suggested this in this thread way back in April, but I feel like it deserves a bump.
Any way we could get additional tags to monsters for those available to be familiars (including optional ones), companions, mounts, etc?