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Chainsaw Hobbit
2011-04-16, 01:07 PM
REBUILDING THE
MONSTER MANUAL

The ragtag party of bold adventurers stand before the wrought-iron gate to the massive dungeon, a place filled with ravenous monsters or nightmare and myth that will test the heroes' endurance and grit to the utmost peak of its limits.

This is my attempt to redo each monster entry in the 3.5 monster manual to be easier to run and more fun to fight. I don't plan to do this alone, and I request the help, input, and creativity of the other skilled home-brewers in the playground.

Rebuilt monster template:
Name
<Alignment> <Size> <Type>
Challenge Rating: #
Space/Reach: #
-------------------------
Speed: (# squares)
Base Attack/Grapple: +#/+#
Attack: #
Full Attack: #
Special Attacks: #
-------------------------
Armor Class: #, touch #, flat-footed #
Saves: Fort +#, Ref +#, Will +#
Hit Dice: # (average hit points)
-------------------------
Abilities Str #, Dex #, Con #, Int #, Wis #, Cha #
Skills: #
Feats: #
Special Qualities: #
Advancement: #
Level Adjustment: #

Details of the monster's special attacks and qualities (crunch only).

A brief description of the creature's mannerisms and physical appearance.

A detailed description of the monster's characteristics and role in the world.

Encounters: A description of where the monster will be encountered and what creatures it might be encountered with.
Treasure: What kind of loot the adventures will probably pick up after killing the fearsome creature.

Tactics: What kind of tactics the monster will use in a fight, and when they will flee.

Variants: Variants of the monster, complete with statistics.

Lore: Knowledge of the monster that players can acquire with succesful skill checks.

Nonparse version:

Name
<Alignment> <Size> <Type>
Challenge Rating: #
Space/Reach: #
-------------------------
Speed: (# squares)
Base Attack/Grapple: +#/+#
Attack: #
Full Attack: #
Special Attacks: #
-------------------------
Armor Class: #, touch #, flat-footed #
Saves: Fort +#, Ref +#, Will +#
Hit Dice: # (average hit points)
-------------------------
Abilities Str #, Dex #, Con #, Int #, Wis #, Cha #
Skills: #
Feats: #
Special Qualities: #
Advancement: #
Level Adjustment: #

Details of the monster's special attacks and qualities (crunch only).

A brief description of the creature's mannerisms and physical appearance.

A detailed description of the monster's characteristics and role in the world.

Encounters: A description of where the monster will be encountered and what creatures it might be encountered with.
Treasure: What kind of loot the adventures will probably pick up after killing the fearsome creature.

Tactics: What kind of tactics the monster will use in a fight, and when they will flee.

Variants: Variants of the monster, complete with statistics.

Lore: Knowledge of the monster that players can acquire with succesful skill checks.
The template is made to be more usable and intuitive, as well as to reflect the best traits of the Pathfinder and 4e monster templates.

Chainsaw Hobbit
2011-04-16, 01:30 PM
Gnoll
Chaotic Evil Medium Monstrous humanoid
Challenge Rating: 2
Space/Reach: 1/1
-------------------------
Speed: 8 squares (30 ft)
Base Attack/Grapple: +1/+3
Attack: Claws +3 (1d8+2)
Full Attack: Claws +3 (1d8+2) and Bite +1 (1d6+Bloodrot)
Special Attacks: #
-------------------------
Armor Class: #, touch #, flat-footed #
Saves: Fort +#, Ref +#, Will +#
Hit Dice: # (average hit points)
-------------------------
Abilities Str 15, Dex 11, Con 16, Int 9, Wis 11, Cha 8
Skills: #
Feats: #
Special Qualities: #
Advancement: #
Level Adjustment: #

Bloodrot (EX)
A creature affected by Bloodrot must make a DC 14 fortitude save or become unaffected by natural or magical heaving for 1d4 rounds.

A brief description of the creature's mannerisms and physical appearance.

A detailed description of the monster's characteristics and role in the world.

Encounters: A description of where the monster will be encountered and what creatures it might be encountered with.
Treasure: What kind of loot the adventures will probably pick up after killing the fearsome creature.

Tactics: What kind of tactics the monster will use in a fight, and when they will flee.

Variants: Variants of the monster, complete with statistics.

Lore: Knowledge of the monster that players can acquire with succesful skill checks.


http://th08.deviantart.net/fs71/150/i/2010/201/4/8/Gnoll_by_MarkusTheBarbarian.jpg http://th04.deviantart.net/fs71/150/f/2010/005/7/4/Gnoll_by_lestatbishop.jpg

To be finished later.

Chainsaw Hobbit
2011-04-16, 08:09 PM
I see no one cares enough to comment. If this thread doesn't get some kind of acknowledgement in the next little while, I'm going to abandon it and work on converting Spelljammer instead.

Xzoltar
2011-04-16, 08:27 PM
Well curently you have start a project, bu have done almost no work on it so far, so we have incomplete work to comment on, I guess people are waiting for you to finish the first monster to comment.

I know for myself, this look interesting, but I won'T do the work for you, if you start your project do a couple of them yourself then we would be able to judge what you really want to do with this project.

I know that in my campaign if all monster were Gestalt it would'nt be a problem (in fact im thinking this could be a good way to give monster more options), but for most, this is not a good idea, so the only way for people to help you is for you to do part of the work and then if people are interested to help they will manifest...

However now that you talk about Spelljammer, I think I won't help on this one just to be sure your work on SJ instead :P

Chainsaw Hobbit
2011-04-16, 08:59 PM
Well curently you have start a project, bu have done almost no work on it so far, so we have incomplete work to comment on, I guess people are waiting for you to finish the first monster to comment.

I know for myself, this look interesting, but I won'T do the work for you, if you start your project do a couple of them yourself then we would be able to judge what you really want to do with this project.

I know that in my campaign if all monster were Gestalt it would'nt be a problem (in fact im thinking this could be a good way to give monster more options), but for most, this is not a good idea, so the only way for people to help you is for you to do part of the work and then if people are interested to help they will manifest...

However now that you talk about Spelljammer, I think I won't help on this one just to be sure your work on SJ instead :P

Spelljammer it is!

Xzoltar
2011-04-16, 09:34 PM
I honestly think you will get more support from other homebrewer by having a Monster Project instead of a Spelljammer. its just I see less support for the later so im more interested on this project...

Blood_caller
2011-04-17, 02:19 AM
no way spelljammer need more love, lots of love im proposing we found a navigators guild that works towards all things spelljammer :)

Chainsaw Hobbit
2011-04-17, 09:48 AM
no way spelljammer need more love, lots of love im proposing we found a navigators guild that works towards all things spelljammer :)

That's good, since I'll have the first little bit of Spelljammer 3.5 up later today.
I will take several creative liberties, but I'll still try my best to preserve the spirit.