Chapter 4 - DM Tools
With the introduction of AC-less Defence, DMs have more options in monster design than before. Here, you'll find tips on how to change and create Monsters to make them both interesting to fight and challenging.
Monsters
These rules bring many changes to how combat works that also affect all monsters. The rules here describe how to adjust monsters to make them fit into the new rules, and new ways to customize monsters.
These rules add complexity to monsters without offering much relief from that added complexity. Consider outsourcing the tracking of stats and conditions to other players.
Defence
AC-less: All monsters have their AC replaced by a Hit DC and Damage Reduction.
Hit DC: A monster has a Hit DC that befits its size. Through the previous introduction of even smaller sizes, even smaller monsters are also possible.
Damage Reduction: A monster has a Damage Reduction value. To determine how high a monsters Damage Reduction is, consider their appearance and their Constitution modifier. Often, giving a monster a Damage Reduction equal to their Constitution modifier will be appropriate.
If their skin, fur, feathers, hide, scales or other outer features resemble an Armour, taking the Damage Reduction value of the Armour listed for player characters can also be appropriate. Some monsters will be even more resilient than that, but take the damage capabilities of your party into consideration before going for higher Damage Reduction values. Other tricks may also work, as described in a section below.
Three Kinds of Monsters: Through the different combinations of Hit DC and Damage Reduction, three kinds of recommended monster types arise:
- Smalls: These monsters have a higher Hit DC due to their smaller size. Due to the increased chance to miss, hits should not be discouraged much further, so a lessened Damage Reduction and Hit Point total is appropriate.
- Shells: These monsters have a high Damage Reduction, either through a high Constitution score or a fitting appearance. Consider keeping their Hit Point total lower, especially when they aren't on the larger side. Adding more vulnerable body parts to these monsters will also give the players more ways to meaningfully damage them.
- Sponges: These monsters have a low Damage Reduction and a low Hit DC due to a larger size and lacking armour. Therefor, they should have a higher Hit Point total. In fights against these monsters, disabling their body parts is a good way for the players to make progress.
Monster Defence Reference Table
| Challenge Rating | Hit Dice | Smalls Hit Points | Shell Hit Points | Shell Damage Reduction | Sponge Hit Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 5 | 9 |
| 1/8 | 6 | 21 | 33 | 51 | |
| 1/4 | 8 | 28 | 44 | 68 | |
| 1/2 | 10 | 35 | 55 | 85 | |
| 1 | 12 | 42 | 66 | 6 | 102 |
| 2 | 14 | 49 | 77 | 119 | |
| 3 | 16 | 56 | 88 | 7 | 136 |
| 4 | 18 | 63 | 99 | 153 | |
| 5 | 20 | 70 | 110 | 8 | 170 |
| 6 | 22 | 77 | 121 | 187 | |
| 7 | 24 | 84 | 132 | 9 | 204 |
| 8 | 26 | 91 | 143 | 221 | |
| 9 | 28 | 98 | 154 | 10 | 238 |
| 10 | 30 | 105 | 165 | 255 | |
| 11 | 32 | 112 | 176 | 11 | 272 |
| 12 | 34 | 119 | 187 | 289 | |
| 13 | 36 | 126 | 198 | 12 | 306 |
| 14 | 38 | 133 | 209 | 323 | |
| 15 | 40 | 140 | 220 | 13 | 340 |
| 16 | 42 | 147 | 231 | 357 | |
| 17 | 44 | 154 | 242 | 14 | 374 |
| 18 | 46 | 161 | 253 | 391 | |
| 19 | 48 | 168 | 264 | 15 | 408 |
| x | n = 2x + 10 | 3.5n | 5.5n | 0.5x + 5 | 8.5n |
High CR Monster Defence Reference Table
| Challenge Rating | Hit Dice | Smalls Hit Points | Shell Hit Points | Shell Damage Reduction | Sponge Hit Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | 50 | 175 | 275 | 15 | 425 |
| 21 | 55 | 192 | 302 | 16 | 467 |
| 22 | 60 | 210 | 330 | 17 | 510 |
| 23 | 65 | 217 | 357 | 18 | 552 |
| 24 | 70 | 245 | 385 | 19 | 595 |
| 25 | 75 | 262 | 412 | 20 | 637 |
| 26 | 80 | 280 | 440 | 21 | 680 |
| 27 | 85 | 297 | 467 | 22 | 722 |
| 28 | 90 | 315 | 495 | 23 | 765 |
| 29 | 95 | 332 | 522 | 24 | 807 |
| 30 | 100 | 350 | 550 | 25 | 850 |
| x | n = 5x - 50 | 3.5n | 5.5n | x - 5 | 8.5n |
Offence
Attack Rolls: All monsters are trained with the weapons they wield and with their Unarmed Strikes. However, only monsters that rely on their precision or are somewhat experienced add their Proficiency Bonus to their attacks.
Damage Rolls: Monsters that are particularly aggressive or mighty may add their Proficiency Bonus to their damage rolls.
Monster Offence Reference Table
| Challenge Rating | Proficiency Bonus | Primary Stat Modifier | Attack Bonus | Saving Throw DC | Damage per Round |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | +2 | +1 | +3 | 12 | 1 |
| 1/8 | 3 | ||||
| 1/4 | 5 | ||||
| 1/2 | 8 | ||||
| 1 | +2 | +4 | 13 | 14 | |
| 2 | 20 | ||||
| 3 | +3 | +5 | 14 | 26 | |
| 4 | 32 | ||||
| 5 | +3 | +6 | 15 | 38 | |
| 6 | 44 | ||||
| 7 | +4 | +7 | 50 | ||
| 8 | 56 | ||||
| 9 | +4 | +8 | 16 | 62 | |
| 10 | 68 | ||||
| 11 | +5 | +9 | 17 | 74 | |
| 12 | 80 | ||||
| 13 | +5 | +10 | 18 | 86 | |
| 14 | 92 | ||||
| 15 | +6 | +11 | 98 | ||
| 16 | 104 | ||||
| 17 | +6 | +12 | 19 | 110 | |
| 18 | 116 | ||||
| 19 | +7 | +13 | 122 | ||
| x | (x+7)/4 | (x+9)/4 | (x+7)/2 | 3(x+3)/8+12 | 6x+8 |
High CR Monster Offence Reference Table
| Challenge Rating | Proficiency Bonus | Primary Stat Modifier | Attack Bonus | Saving Throw DC | Damage per Round |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | 140 | ||||
| 21 | +7 | +14 | 20 | 158 | |
| 22 | 176 | ||||
| 23 | +8 | +15 | 194 | ||
| 24 | 212 | ||||
| 25 | +8 | +16 | 21 | 230 | |
| 26 | 248 | ||||
| 27 | +9 | +17 | 266 | ||
| 28 | 284 | ||||
| 29 | +9 | +18 | 22 | 302 | |
| 30 | 320 | ||||
| x | (x+7)/4 | (x+9)/4 | (x+7)/2 | (x+3)/4+14 | 18x-220 |
Action Economy
Surge Dice: Monsters also get and can utilize Surge Dice. Weak, greedy or aggressive monsters will tend to prefer to do as much as possible as soon as possible though, using all their action economy immediately.
Bonus Actions: Monsters that don't have any use for a Bonus Action will not convert it into an additional Reaction.
Reactions: Monsters have access to all of the new Reactions that they fulfil the prerequisites for, such as Dodging. However, some monsters may not be very concerned about being hit and either wait for an Opportunity attack or use the conversion into a Surge Die to strengthen their attacks.
Legacy Parries: If the statblock of a creature features a parry reaction, it is replaced by the Parry Reaction described in these rules. Assume that the creature uses either its strongest wielded melee weapon or all its wielded melee weapons to parry, if possible.
Parrying: If a monster uses a weapon, it can use that weapon to Parry. Make note of its bonus to the Parrying check and the Parrying Power. Only particularly defensive, tactical or trained monsters will add their Proficiency Bonus to their Parrying checks.
Tracking Reactions and Surge Dice: Tracking Action Economy and Surge Dice can be done similar to how Conditions are tracked for monsters generally. Consider noting a number of Rs equal to the number of reactions the monster has access to, and replacing each remaining R with a D at the start of the monsters turn. Before this replacement, remember to remove the Ds from the previous round. You may also use an S instead of a D, though the possible associations may not be to your liking.
Physique
Body Parts: A monster tends to have a multitude of body parts that it uses for its various ways of interacting with the world. When describing a monster or what it does, highlight which body parts it uses for what, and be ready to have the party try to disable body parts of their choosing through Aimed Strikes. Encourage them to do so against monsters with higher Hit Points and monsters with lower Hit DCs, especially when they are the only such monster in an encounter.
Assigning Body Parts to Actions: When creating or editing a monsters statblock, consider which body parts are used for specific actions and add the body parts to those actions if they aren't already within the name. When a body part is hurt or disabled, it is then easier to remember which rolls are made with Disadvantage or no longer possible.
Tracking Wounds and Disabilities: Tracking Wounds and Disabilities can be done similar to how Conditions are tracked for monsters generally. However, as a monster can have multiple wounds and they relate to specific body parts, you'll have to also track which body parts are affected. Consider adding the name of a wounded body part to the list of conditions affecting the monster, and crossing it through or marking it with an X when it is disabled. This is tedious. Outsource this to a consenting player if possible.
Spellcasting
Spell Points: Monsters with spellcasting also use Spell Points and a Spell Limits and can Overcast and Upcast similar to player characters. The following table shows the suggested Spell Point amounts and Spell Limits depending on the CR of the monster, assuming they focus on spellcasting in combat:
| CR | Spell Points | Spell Limits |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12 | 6 |
| 3 | 18 | 9 |
| 5 | 24 | 12 |
| 7 | 30 | 15 |
| 9 | 36 | 18 |
| 11 | 42 | 21 |
| 13 | 48 | 24 |
| 15 | 54 | 27 |
| 17 | 60 | 30 |
| x | 3(x+3) | 3(x+3)/2 |
Lessened Spell Point Amount: As you may notice, monsters have less Spell Points at their disposal than player characters. This is meant to make it easier for a monster to run out of Spell Points during a singular combat, and it is also meant to limit the amount of powerful spells the monster can cast during that combat. The monster should have access to a spell that does not cost Spell Points, such as a cantrip or a signature spell, to fall back to when the Spell Points run out.
Monster Signature Spells: Monsters with spellcasting may have a spell that is iconic for their flavour of spellcasting. This spell should be on the weaker side of its spells and the monster should be able to cast that spell for free, as if it was a cantrip.
Tracking Spell Points: Spell Points can be tracked and customized in the same manner as Hit Points.
Customizing a Monster
Adding Weakspots: Some monsters have weakspots, such as their eyes or an exposed organ, that can lend itself to Aimed Strikes of the party. These weak point might be associated with a reduced, nullified or negative Damage Reduction, or with Vulnerability to specific damage types. Consider adding such weakspots to monsters with high Damage Reduction to give the party a way to deal more significant damage.
Adding Wounds and Disabilities: When a monster is too powerful for the party to face, consider having it start the fight with wounds or disabilities. These may be a result of a previous fight the monster was in recently, so consider having the players find out about that encounter before or after.