Player-Friendly Monster Manual

[Teqie]

I had an idea to create a player-friendly Monster Manual, which basically just has monsters from the Material Plane and a few lines about the abilities, strengths, and weaknesses of each. Just a way to make it so players can't abuse the Monster Manual, and have it feel a bit more in-character. Would anybody be interested to help?

[Vizzerdrix]

Already been done. Ill see if i can find a link to it tomorrow. Gotta go to work now.

[Incorrect]

A purely ingame monster manual would be so freaking cool.
I would pay a kings ransom for that.

[Zombimode]

I had an idea to create a player-friendly Monster Manual, which basically just has monsters from the Material Plane and a few lines about the abilities, strengths, and weaknesses of each. Just a way to make it so players can't abuse the Monster Manual, and have it feel a bit more in-character. Would anybody be interested to help?

To be clear: that is not a Monster Manual, but more like an in-world beastiary.

It is a very cool thing to have, but it is also highly setting dependent. So if you are not working from one of the published settings I'm not sure what kind of help you can expect from other people.

[Vizzerdrix]

Ah. I thought you wanted something like the book, A Practical Guide to Monsters. My bad.

[Quertus]

Don't forget: if there's one thing the characters should know absolutely everything about, it's all the creatures that can be summoned with the various Summon spells. And anything the priests etc are walking around with via planar binding / ally.

[Hexblade]

I'm thinking of laying it out something like this:

Name

Physical Features

Danger: From 1 to 5 stars. 1 star is something like a kobold. 5 stars is a dragon

Size: A rough estimate of the size

Environment: Where you can find it

Strengths: Skills, powers

Weaknesses: What it is weak against, what it's bad at

Weapons: What they use in battle


EXAMPLE:

Orc

Black hair, lupine ears, reddish eyes, green pigmentation, large canine teeth

Danger: **

Size: 6 feet tall, ~210 pounds

Environment: Temperate Hills

Strengths: Can see in darkness, very strong

Weaknesses: Sensitive to light, fairly dumb

Weapons: Axes/Swords

[frogglesmash]

I feel like you need more than a 5 star rating system for gauging threat. After all, an orc and a kobold are basically the same if you compare them to a great wyrm gold dragon.

[Hexblade]

I feel like you need more than a 5 star rating system for gauging threat. After all, an orc and a kobold are basically the same if you compare them to a great wyrm gold dragon.

Maybe up to 10? I didn't want to include a CR, because that's kind of meta-gamey. Another idea: using words instead? Something like "dangerous if not handled properly" or "easy if you know its weakness".

[frogglesmash]

Maybe up to 10? I didn't want to include a CR, because that's kind of meta-gamey. Another idea: using words instead? Something like "dangerous if not handled properly" or "easy if you know its weakness".

Maybe a threat sustem similar to the one they use in One Punch Man.

[Teqie]

I don't watch OPM, can you enlighten me?

[King539]

Must not make some sort of "It's over 9000" joke...

[Buufreak]

This is a freaking awesome idea. I will contribute however I can. I'm not above some grunt/scut work.


A purely ingame monster manual would be so freaking cool.
I would pay a kings ransom for that.

I mean, it would just give a +X to knowledge checks related to monster stats, right?


I feel like you need more than a 5 star rating system for gauging threat. After all, an orc and a kobold are basically the same if you compare them to a great wyrm gold dragon.

What if we did some kind of system that incorporated a grade based on what level is appropriate AND threat level based on tier? Like, at what level of magic/flexibility does the fight go from a huge challenge to trivial?

[Teqie]

I'm also wondering about which Monster Manuals to pull from, because I have all 5. Maybe just the first one?

[Quertus]

I'm also wondering about which Monster Manuals to pull from, because I have all 5. Maybe just the first one?

Depends on the purpose and origin of the book.

My signature wizard, for whom this account is named, has carefully catalogued the various creatures he had encountered. Looking at the book he would publish, the artwork is 5-star. The careful experimentation to determine the creatures' defenses & resistances is top notch. Descriptions of the creatures' capabilities is sketchy, and only includes abilities the creatures survived long enough to use. And most entries are unnamed, with a few exceptions, like the Bay-lore.

So, who published this book, why, and how? This should guide your decision on what monsters they would know about, and which of those they would include.