Yesterday I was studying the DMG guidelines for creating new monsters. There are a few issues I've found. Even simple monsters from the MM. So you're finally ready to create a murderous new D&D! Here's how we redesign monsters that aren't just reskins of the Monster Manual- tailor make creatures that make your campaign even. Aug 01, 2016 We begin our custom monster series by taking a look at the simplest way to make new creatures for your Dungeons & Dragons campaigns: copy. Fast and Easy D&D 5e NPCs: Stat Blocks. The second system is to use some basic math to build a quick stat block. Choose the basic challenge rating of the NPC and determine the rest off of that. A quick guide: AC: Anywhere between 12 and 20, dependent on the challenge of the NPC. Hit Points: 20 per CR. Attack Bonus: Somewhere between +3 and +9. Ok, so I found a monster maker program for 5e that looks really cool. I am still checking it and their are some nuances with it such as the AC and how it interplays with your abilities. Also, please note there are a lot of google ads on the page that show up as 'download' links. Please look for the actual download link for the program that says 'Download Monster Maker' (see picture attached). I ran a virus scan and it was fine but I always encourage everyone to do the same to be safe. I am also posting a link to an html page with an explanation of how to use it. I think I'll donate to this guy as the program is free. I've also posted another picture of what the application looks like with a simple monster I created.Download link: (Note! - Scroll down to the black download link for the button that says, 'Download Monster Maker' and is below the donation button about halfway down the page.How to use:Maybe this isn't completely necessary, but I like noodling around with monsters and this is a pretty fun tool (and free, absent donations you want to make to support him) and I like the output.Enjoy! Ok, so I found a monster maker program for 5e that looks really cool. I am still checking it and their are some nuances with it such as the AC and how it interplays with your abilities. Also, please note there are a lot of google ads on the page that show up as 'download' links. Please look for the actual download link for the program that says 'Download Monster Maker' (see picture attached). Dnd 5e Monster CreationI ran a virus scan and it was fine but I always encourage everyone to do the same to be safe. I am also posting a link to an html page with an explanation of how to use it. I think I'll donate to this guy as the program is free. I've also posted another picture of what the application looks like with a simple monster I created.Download link: (Note! - Scroll down to the black download link for the button that says, 'Download Monster Maker' and is below the donation button about halfway down the page.How to use:Maybe this isn't completely necessary, but I like noodling around with monsters and this is a pretty fun tool (and free, absent donations you want to make to support him) and I like the output.Enjoy!That's awesome, thanks! It reminds me of the NPC Designer tool Vascant made for 3e. Is there an output format suitable for use in, say, parse? Hello fellow roleplayers,following from yesterday's thread, I managed to meet my DM and actually roll the stats for the character (we're a bit of an oldschool party and he wants to roll stats for characters at all time).Bit of background: the adventure takes place in Ravenloft, following a 1st edition template (our characters originate from another plane of existence and were recently dragged into the Mist and are trying to escape them). The main setting is Richemulot.The rest of the group is comprised of a Fighter (probably a Commander) and a Rogue (an assassin-type). I went to the session thinking of creating a bard instead of a ranger - my concept was pretty MAD dependant and I historically roll very weak characters.Anyways, the DM's rolling system is that of rolling 4d6 6 times, with one floating reroll (1 dice), and then assign them as you see fit. If the character is particularly lackluster you can reroll him, but only up to 2 times. At his third attempt the rogue rolls a 17, 15, 14, 11, 10, 8 and quite happily takes it. When my turn arrives, I start rolling and well, I get a 16 16 16 16 15 5. We were quite surprised, and well the 5 bothers me a lot, but it's exactly the kind of dream setup for the MAD character I had in mind, so I decided to stick with the Ranger.So, without further ado, here's the rundown of how I would like to do:- Background: my concept for the character was that of him being an elf/half-elf coming from a plane with strong associations with Positive Energy (we play in an oldschool 'Great Wheel' setting). He belongs to an order of monster hunters that protects a powerful, tolkenian elven kingdom.The order makes aggressive use of alchemy and magic to improve the performances of its members, injecting them with substances extracted from the same monsters they hunt. My character was displaced to the mists while hunting a particularly powerful type of 'positive energy vampire' - basically a huge beast that kills its preys by overloading them with energy.When he foundt himself in the Mists the character had to deal with two immediate emergencies, aside from the obvious: first, being a demihuman he was hunted and shunned, and possibly worse (Falkovnia has ruled that all demihumans are 'free-for-all' and born in a natural state of slavery). Second, not having access to the drugs used to boost his performance he quickly fell into a state of feverish withdrawal. He fled to Richemulot, where he foundt an abandoned clocktower in one of the desolated and mostly vacant cities of the realm, and he quickly started studying the creatures of the land - and hunting them. Basically I imagine him inhabiting a place like this. He eventually managed to start concocting a variant of the drugs he used on his native plane, but of course the creatures of Ravenloft are predominantly undead or pervaded of Negative Energy, so the drugs are having negative effects on him. I think the issue might be that not many people have much experience with the monster slayer archetype. I certainly don't.I like the backstory - especially how you can be a bona-fide member of an ancient order of grizzled monster hunters, but still a low level character (what with the ad hoc replacement drugs). Many cool concepts have a hard time fitting into the constraints of a low level character, but here you can very plausibly RP leveling up as growing back into (and eventually beyond) your old strength.The core ranger had quite strong incentives to go ranged, and don't really outshine anyone at anything in melee. Will you be using the core ranger replacement from UA? It's significantly better at actually hurting your favored enemies. I think the issue might be that not many people have much experience with the monster slayer archetype. I certainly don't.I like the backstory - especially how you can be a bona-fide member of an ancient order of grizzled monster hunters, but still a low level character (what with the ad hoc replacement drugs). Many cool concepts have a hard time fitting into the constraints of a low level character, but here you can very plausibly RP leveling up as growing back into (and eventually beyond) your old strength.The core ranger had quite strong incentives to go ranged, and don't really outshine anyone at anything in melee. Will you be using the core ranger replacement from UA? It's significantly better at actually hurting your favored enemies. I'm thinking of using that, yes, as long as I can persuade my DM to allow me to get the second attack at level 5 (since it became an archetype feature, I fear in order to make the UA ranger incompatible with standard ranger archetypes).I also want to use something different from the iconic 2 weapons of the typical ranger. I've been thinking about a spear for a while, and a few moments ago I remembered where I saw an elf using a spear that kinda fit the 'stranded immortal being becoming a lunatic' idea:video=youtube;cOOc-7SmUgkinda want something like that now. I have the stats to support it. Does the polearm mastery style need anything more than PAM and GWM? Dungeon Masters spend a lot of time making D&D 5e NPCs.It’s fun to imagine their backstory, their mannerisms, then stat them out, creating a full formed NPC. But the reality is that most NPCs never even draw a sword, yet hours of time was spent fiddling with their stat blocks!Monsters in D&D have quite a bit of crunch to them which is necessary. Hit points and armor class is important at the table, but fortunately. Yet, NPCs typically don’t need all that crunch. Most of the time NPCs aren’t getting into a scrap to the point that they need hit points or an attack bonus.For that quirky bartender we need memorable, not stat heavy. Create 5e Monster Stat BlocksIn fact, to create a NPC with memorable mannerisms.So while most of the time an interesting accent by the DM is all that is needed, we do have two quick and easy options for both difficulty checks and simple combat. We’ll cover difficulty checks (DC) first. Fast and Easy D&D 5e NPCs: Difficulty Checks (DC)D&D 5e is a lot of rolling a die, adding a modifier, then comparing that number against a difficulty check (DC) number. In almost all player interactions with a NPC, the DC is all we really need to come up with. Have players successfully lied to the NPC, have PCs successfully determined the NPCs intentions, can they pull a fast one over on them? That sort of thing.And to come up with this DC, we really only need to determine how difficult a challenge it is.OPTION #1: Roll first; react to the results.Instead of even identifying a DC number, just ask the player to roll a d20. From the result, tell the player what happens. Someone who rolls really well may get something more than someone who just rolls in the middle. Maybe it’s a little extra information, or further compliance from the NPC. Someone who rolls a 1 might bring some hilarity to the situation, like an NPC that simply stares at them.Obviously, what the DM is doing here is taking away a straight success or failure via a DC, and ad libbing shades of grey, dependent on the d20 roll.This is an arbitrary roll on which to base results, but it’s not entirely capricious. If someone rolls a 6 on the d20 but happens to be +5 in that particular skill area, it might mean a clumsy attempt that ultimately gets the job done. Players can feel empowered by their investment in a particular skills, so even on a bad roll a success can be accounted for in the role playing.This “roll and tell me what you get” approach has no math involved at all, but it requires a bit more improvisation on the part of the DM.OPTION #2: Simple math for creating a DC.Maybe you are a mathlete, so you want a little crunch. Do this: When a PC wants to interact with an NPC in some way that might be challenging, like diplomacy, lying, or threatening them into submission, we simply need to ask, “On a scale of 10 to 20, how difficult is this?” The answer to that question becomes our DC.A particular NPC certainly has strengths and weaknesses in dealing with a PC. Maybe they are vain or simple, so very easily succumb to flattery (DC 10). Maybe they are a thick necked brute that is incredibly difficult to intimidate (DC 20).This method isn’t perfect, but it allows a DM to easily identify a DC for a variety of situations and for any NPC. Fast and Easy D&D 5e NPCs: Stat BlocksComing up with DCs for interactions with NPCs is easy peasy, but what if combat actually does break out? There are two options here as well.OPTION #1: Reskin something from the Monster ManualThe first system is to reskin the NPC with a stat block in the Monster Manual. The NPC section at the end of the book is pretty good for coming up with some arbitrary NPC combat statistics.Simply take the NPC in question and flip to the back of the and match something up as quickly as possible. If it is a simple encounter, treat them like a simple thug, for example.It’s not perfect, but it makes for a comparable enough combat to make it fun for the players, even if the balance is a little askew.OPTION #2: Build a stat block on-the-fly.The second system is to use some basic math to build a quick stat block. Choose the basic challenge rating of the NPC and determine the rest off of that. A quick guide:AC: Anywhere between 12 and 20, dependent on the challenge of the NPC.Hit Points: 20 per CR.Attack Bonus: Somewhere between +3 and +9.Damage: 6 damage per CR.Saving Throws / Attributes: Wing it. See above.Honestly, I imagine most DMs will mix and match these systems dependent on whichever one is preferred at the moment. Blood and iron wiki. In some situations it would be preferable to let players know what the DC is for a particular check they’re going to make, while other times it might be preferable to role play without a particular DC number in mind.The point is that it isn’t necessary to fully stat out that bartender. Focus on, not crunchy. In theory, the Dungeons & Dragons fifth edition ( 5E) Dungeon Master’s Guide should include all the tools a dungeon master needs to run an adventure. And, mostly, it does. But sometimes an online tool is much more convenient.Here are 10 online tools every dungeon master should try.NPC GeneratorsWhen your players encounter characters that are important to the game’s plot, you want those characters to have a lot of flesh. But sometimes your characters get off track. They wander into an inn you weren’t planning on, or just ask for a detail you weren’t expecting.When this happens, it helps to have a list of disposable NPCs available.: This generator will give you a race, class, and background — which can serve as a good starting point for how NPCs will interact with your players.This generator yields detailed NPC personalities. For each entry, the program gives the GM a name, a race, a high stat, a low stat, a talent and a few other personality traits.: For when you need stats, this app kicks out a full miniature character sheet — complete with stats and skills.Dungeon GeneratorsDungeon Masters generally want some thought put into their dungeon generators. But, sometimes, it makes sense to spin one up at random so seed ideas or simply serve as a starting point.: Simple and clean, give this app a number and it will give you that number of random room descriptions.This tool generates an entire dungeon, complete with room dressing s, dungeons and encounters. Click on any room in the map and the app takes you to the description.Encounter GeneratorsThe Dungeon Master’s Guide gives you decent guidelines on creating random encounters, but sometimes you want just a little more support.: This app gives you guidelines for how many creatures of each level make an appropriate encounter for your party. Adjust your parameters by party-size, party level and encounter difficulty.This generator spits out a list of appropriate encounters for your party based on party size, party level, difficulty and environment. Create A Monster 5eThe generator can also be used to generate treasures, magic items, wild magic surges and NPCs, among other things.: This generator is a little slower to use, but allows for greater customization. The dungeon master can specify the level of each party member, minimum number of monsters, maximum number of monsters and even a seed monster.Miscelaneous Tools: This is a link to the same app as above. This app includes random generators for 10 different things that should help most DMs.: Sort spell by class, level, school, whether they can be performed as a ritual, casting time and whether they’re concentration spells. Is your favorite online D&D 5E tool missing from this list? Add it in the comments.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |