In your opinion what are the actual "relevant" monster stats in 5e?
I have been on a OSR rabbit hole and have come to realize how much simpler and easier the older games are to run vs 5e.
One of my big things OSR does better than 5e is reducing the need of having to flip through books or click through different pages on DND beyond for monster stats - I now realize that while reading for enjoyment/absorption is one thing. When you are running the game you need to condense information to what is relevant and useable.
I've tried screenshotting stat blocks and pasting on google docs to keep things all "conveniently" on one page but even that felt too bulky for my tastes.
OSR example of Bugbear from Basic Fantasy
Bugbears: AC15, HD 3+1, #AT1, Dam 1d8+1, MV 30, SVF3, MI 9 (+1 If chieftain present) XP 145 ea.
My eventual goal is to get my evening's play material (outside of handouts/maps) condensed onto 1 page. The stat blocks in the Monster Manual and DND Beyond are bloated with flavor text, artwork and the like. This is great when you are perusing and reading at leisure to fill your imagination, however I believe that once you understand the "jist and the flavor" of the monster all you need are just some basic stats and you are good to go. Perhaps I would even argue that you can even improvise some mechanics for monsters.
Also to further simplify I just put the average saving throw and Ill just adjust +1 or -1 knowing the Bugbears are not the smartest and and are more brutish creatures.
Here is my first pass at this
5e Bugbear - AC16, HP 27, #At- Morning Star +4 or Javelin +4, Dam 11 / 9-5. Spc +7 Dam for Surprise, Save +3 , MV 30' CR1 XP 200
I simply copy the stat blocks from the books onto a single page per encounter, so I have everything in one go. I almost never have encounters with more than 3 different stat blocks, so mostly I can also add a table with initiative counts and HP per monster on the same page.
No need to condense the stats to a single line. The way, I run encounters mostly also requires me to have all 6 monster ability stats and skill boni.
There isn't really anything unnecessary in monster stat blocks, and they aren't particularly smaller than AD&D monster manual entries anyway. The main reason to have the super compact version that you saw in AD&D modules is to avoid excessive page flipping, and if you're using electronic resources that's pretty much moot because you can just do something like putting bugbear into the description.
I found the DDB Encounter Builder to be a good tool at cleaning up at table encounters. It gives a quick glance at pertinent stats in the initiative tracker, plus access to the full statblock should the players start coloring outside the lines.
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“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime.” - Mark Twain - Innocents Abroad
The way I've prepared for sessions was to print sets of stat blocks onto a page according to encounter type. E.g. "Bandit troupe", "city guard", "forest beasts", etc. That generally works for random encounters, and a separate sheet is assembled for BBEG and anticipated encounters. Modifying that on the fly for special units is simply a matter of bumping stats, or adding special abilities.
Eventually, the mechanical shape of monsters becomes more intuitive, and improvising becomes easier. "Easy", "moderate", and "challenging" monsters/npcs should be dealing ~X amount per round, and have ~Y durability. As long as the outcome is within that ballpark, the rest is just flavor.
You could probably use the "Summon (Monster type)" spells to create a template for arbitrary monsters.
I've said this before on the forums...there are monster, creature and NPC cards that are so much more transportable than the books. Grab the few you need and bingo you've got all you need (no flavour text etc) for the encounter.
In your opinion what are the actual "relevant" monster stats in 5e?
I have been on a OSR rabbit hole and have come to realize how much simpler and easier the older games are to run vs 5e.
One of my big things OSR does better than 5e is reducing the need of having to flip through books or click through different pages on DND beyond for monster stats - I now realize that while reading for enjoyment/absorption is one thing. When you are running the game you need to condense information to what is relevant and useable.
I've tried screenshotting stat blocks and pasting on google docs to keep things all "conveniently" on one page but even that felt too bulky for my tastes.
OSR example of Bugbear from Basic Fantasy
Bugbears: AC15, HD 3+1, #AT1, Dam 1d8+1, MV 30, SVF3, MI 9 (+1 If chieftain present) XP 145 ea.
My eventual goal is to get my evening's play material (outside of handouts/maps) condensed onto 1 page. The stat blocks in the Monster Manual and DND Beyond are bloated with flavor text, artwork and the like. This is great when you are perusing and reading at leisure to fill your imagination, however I believe that once you understand the "jist and the flavor" of the monster all you need are just some basic stats and you are good to go. Perhaps I would even argue that you can even improvise some mechanics for monsters.
Also to further simplify I just put the average saving throw and Ill just adjust +1 or -1 knowing the Bugbears are not the smartest and and are more brutish creatures.
Here is my first pass at this
5e Bugbear - AC16, HP 27, #At- Morning Star +4 or Javelin +4, Dam 11 / 9-5. Spc +7 Dam for Surprise, Save +3 , MV 30' CR1 XP 200
What do you guys do? Any pointers?
I know I'm necro'ing this thread, but I feel it's a really crucial question. Because when stat blocks get too crowded, they're really hard to use well - the signal gets lost in the noise. And this gets compounded if the GM is handling multiple complex monsters, particularly casters, legendary monsters, and monsters with weird powers.
Bugbear is a good simple starting place...but I think the real challenge is shortening the more complex monsters!
I think your one-liner Bugbear works fine, though I'll point out a couple things... the order of stats should be presented in the order the GM typically needs to reference them. So, things like passive Perception, darkvision, Stealth checks, and language? I would put some or all of that up front before AC / HP. Similarly, the bugbear is likely to move before it attacks (as it focuses on melee), so Speed before attack info makes sense.
The other thing is that a flat Save bonus can work for monsters whose ability scores are fairly close, but kind of sucks when a monster has varying weak/strong ability scores...for ex, a player expects a dumb burly bugbear to be more susceptible to a spell targeting Intelligence (e.g. phantasmal force) than a spell targeting Strength (e.g. gust of wind). Some OSR games gloss over that difference, but with 5e it's an important part of player strategy. I also think you can omit some of the "placeholder" stuff. Here's my pass on an abbreviated bugbear...
Bugbear. Passive Perception 10 (darkvision 60'), Stealth +6; Lang Common and Goblin; AC16, HP 27, Speed 30'; Saves Str +2, Dex +2, Con +1, Int -1, Wis +0, Cha -1; Attack +4, Morning Star 11 (2d8+2) or Javelin 5 (1d6+2) range 30/120'; Surprise Attack +7 damage; CR1 (200 XP).
To break this down to a generic template:
Monster Name. Senses and relevant skills; Languages; AC, HP, Speed; Saves; Attacks; Special Features; CR (XP).
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In your opinion what are the actual "relevant" monster stats in 5e?
I have been on a OSR rabbit hole and have come to realize how much simpler and easier the older games are to run vs 5e.
One of my big things OSR does better than 5e is reducing the need of having to flip through books or click through different pages on DND beyond for monster stats - I now realize that while reading for enjoyment/absorption is one thing. When you are running the game you need to condense information to what is relevant and useable.
I've tried screenshotting stat blocks and pasting on google docs to keep things all "conveniently" on one page but even that felt too bulky for my tastes.
OSR example of Bugbear from Basic Fantasy
Bugbears: AC15, HD 3+1, #AT1, Dam 1d8+1, MV 30, SVF3, MI 9 (+1 If chieftain present) XP 145 ea.
My eventual goal is to get my evening's play material (outside of handouts/maps) condensed onto 1 page. The stat blocks in the Monster Manual and DND Beyond are bloated with flavor text, artwork and the like. This is great when you are perusing and reading at leisure to fill your imagination, however I believe that once you understand the "jist and the flavor" of the monster all you need are just some basic stats and you are good to go. Perhaps I would even argue that you can even improvise some mechanics for monsters.
Also to further simplify I just put the average saving throw and Ill just adjust +1 or -1 knowing the Bugbears are not the smartest and and are more brutish creatures.
Here is my first pass at this
5e Bugbear - AC16, HP 27, #At- Morning Star +4 or Javelin +4, Dam 11 / 9-5. Spc +7 Dam for Surprise, Save +3 , MV 30' CR1 XP 200
What do you guys do? Any pointers?
I simply copy the stat blocks from the books onto a single page per encounter, so I have everything in one go. I almost never have encounters with more than 3 different stat blocks, so mostly I can also add a table with initiative counts and HP per monster on the same page.
No need to condense the stats to a single line. The way, I run encounters mostly also requires me to have all 6 monster ability stats and skill boni.
There isn't really anything unnecessary in monster stat blocks, and they aren't particularly smaller than AD&D monster manual entries anyway. The main reason to have the super compact version that you saw in AD&D modules is to avoid excessive page flipping, and if you're using electronic resources that's pretty much moot because you can just do something like putting bugbear into the description.
I found the DDB Encounter Builder to be a good tool at cleaning up at table encounters. It gives a quick glance at pertinent stats in the initiative tracker, plus access to the full statblock should the players start coloring outside the lines.
“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime.” - Mark Twain - Innocents Abroad
The way I've prepared for sessions was to print sets of stat blocks onto a page according to encounter type. E.g. "Bandit troupe", "city guard", "forest beasts", etc. That generally works for random encounters, and a separate sheet is assembled for BBEG and anticipated encounters. Modifying that on the fly for special units is simply a matter of bumping stats, or adding special abilities.
Eventually, the mechanical shape of monsters becomes more intuitive, and improvising becomes easier. "Easy", "moderate", and "challenging" monsters/npcs should be dealing ~X amount per round, and have ~Y durability. As long as the outcome is within that ballpark, the rest is just flavor.
You could probably use the "Summon (Monster type)" spells to create a template for arbitrary monsters.
I've said this before on the forums...there are monster, creature and NPC cards that are so much more transportable than the books. Grab the few you need and bingo you've got all you need (no flavour text etc) for the encounter.
D&D Volo's Guide to Monsters Cards | Board Games | Zatu Games UK (board-game.co.uk)
DM session planning template - My version of maps for 'Lost Mine of Phandelver' - Send your party to The Circus - Other DM Resources - Maps, Tokens, Quests - 'Better' Player Character Injury Tables?
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I know I'm necro'ing this thread, but I feel it's a really crucial question. Because when stat blocks get too crowded, they're really hard to use well - the signal gets lost in the noise. And this gets compounded if the GM is handling multiple complex monsters, particularly casters, legendary monsters, and monsters with weird powers.
Bugbear is a good simple starting place...but I think the real challenge is shortening the more complex monsters!
I think your one-liner Bugbear works fine, though I'll point out a couple things... the order of stats should be presented in the order the GM typically needs to reference them. So, things like passive Perception, darkvision, Stealth checks, and language? I would put some or all of that up front before AC / HP. Similarly, the bugbear is likely to move before it attacks (as it focuses on melee), so Speed before attack info makes sense.
The other thing is that a flat Save bonus can work for monsters whose ability scores are fairly close, but kind of sucks when a monster has varying weak/strong ability scores...for ex, a player expects a dumb burly bugbear to be more susceptible to a spell targeting Intelligence (e.g. phantasmal force) than a spell targeting Strength (e.g. gust of wind). Some OSR games gloss over that difference, but with 5e it's an important part of player strategy. I also think you can omit some of the "placeholder" stuff. Here's my pass on an abbreviated bugbear...
Bugbear. Passive Perception 10 (darkvision 60'), Stealth +6; Lang Common and Goblin; AC16, HP 27, Speed 30'; Saves Str +2, Dex +2, Con +1, Int -1, Wis +0, Cha -1; Attack +4, Morning Star 11 (2d8+2) or Javelin 5 (1d6+2) range 30/120'; Surprise Attack +7 damage; CR1 (200 XP).
To break this down to a generic template:
Monster Name. Senses and relevant skills; Languages; AC, HP, Speed; Saves; Attacks; Special Features; CR (XP).