Monster Blueprint User Guide

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This page details how to use the Terse Blueprint, including a list of valid values for each field. If you prefer, you can also use the Verbose Blueprint which includes comments directly in it.

CR

  • values: any integer between 1 and 40.
  • this field is mandatory.

Monster Name

  • this field is mandatory.

Image

  • just put the file name, with the file name extension. E.g. Monster.jpg
  • optional, but do it anyway, slacker.

Role

  • values: Heavy, Killer, Leader, Minion, Shooter, Sneak, Tank, Threat, Villain, or leave blank

Description

  • Be as detailed as possible, and try to include the following:
    • physical description
    • culture of the monster, if any
    • local beliefs or common knowledge about the monster
  • do not include:
    • descriptions of special abilities
    • descriptions of combat tactics
  • this is the information a player will get if they succeed on a basic lore check, so it should contain at least some useful information.

Alignment

  • Values: Lawful Good, Lawful Neutral, Lawful Evil, Neutral Good, Neutral, Neutral Evil, Chaotic Good, Chaotic Neutral, Chaotic Evil

Size

  • Values: Fine, Diminutive, Tiny, Small, Medium, Large, Huge, Gargantuan, Colossal, Titanic, Titanic +, Titanic ++, Titanic +++, etc.

Type

  • Values: Aberration, Animal, Construct, Dragon, Fey, Humanoid, Magical Beast, Monstrous Humanoid, Ooze, Outsider, Plant, Protean, Swarm, Troop, Undead, Vermin

Subtype

  • Some monsters have a second type (e.g. a swarm of vermin): Aberration, Animal, Construct, Dragon, Fey, Humanoid, Magical Beast, Monstrous Humanoid, Ooze, Outsider, Plant, Protean, Swarm, Troop, Undead, Vermin
  • Values if type is Humanoid: Duergar, Giant, Gloom, Gnoll, Human, Kobold, Lizardfolk, Maenad, Norker, Orc, Somber Crool, Troglodyte, Vampire Thrall
  • Values if type is Outsider: Air, Chaotic, Demon, Devil, Earth, Elemental, Evil, Fire, Good, Lawful, Native, Water
  • Only put one value in this field. If multiple options exist, choose the most important / appropriate one.
  • All other monsters should probably leave this field blank.

NudgeBasicLoreValue

  • This field lets you alter the DC of the basic knowledge check for this monster (default is double the monster's CR)
  • Values: any positive or negative number, or leave blank. Max recommended is +/-4

NudgeFullLoreValue

  • This field lets you alter the DC of the full knowledge check for this monster (default is 15 + double the monster's CR)
  • Values: any positive or negative number, or leave blank. Max recommended is +/-4

NudgeInit

  • Allows you to adjust the initiative of the monster, up or down, from the base for its CR.
  • Values: any positive or negative number, or leave blank. Max recommended is +/-8

Senses

  • Provide a list of the senses the monster possesses.
  • Copy and paste the links from the list below, for each of the monster's senses, and also list the range of the sense, if applicable.
[[Standard Senses]]
[[Blind]] to Vision
[[Blind]] to Sound
[[Blind]] to Smell
[[Low-Light Vision]]
[[Darkvision]]
[[Heartsight]]
[[Keen Hearing]]
[[Precise Hearing]]
[[Echolocation]]
[[Scent]]
[[Keen Scent]]
[[Perfect Scent]]
[[Airsense]]
[[Blindsense]]
[[Cloudsense]]
[[Lifesense]]
[[Mindsense]]                                  
[[Tremorsense]]

NudgePerception

  • Allows you to adjust the perception of the monster, up or down, from the base for its CR.
  • Values: any positive or negative number, or leave blank. Max recommended is +/-8

NudgeAC

  • Allows you to adjust the AC of the monster, up or down, from the base for its CR.
  • Values: any positive or negative number, or leave blank. Max recommended is +/-4

NudgeTouchAC

  • Allows you to adjust the Touch AC of the monster, up or down, from the base for its CR.
  • Values: any positive or negative number, or leave blank. Max recommended is +/-4

NudgeFFAC

  • Allows you to adjust the Flat-Footed AC of the monster, up or down, from the base for its CR.
  • Values: any positive or negative number, or leave blank. Max recommended is +/-4

Nudge-Maneuver-Defense

  • Allows you to adjust the Maneuver Defense of the monster, up or down, from the base for its CR.
  • Values: any positive or negative number, or leave blank. Max recommended is +/-4

Maneuver-Defense-Notes

  • Text about specific bonuses to Maneuver Defense (e.g. "+4 vs Grapples")

NudgeHitPoints

  • Allows you to adjust the hit points of the monster, up or down, from the base for its CR.
  • Values: any positive or negative number, or leave blank. Added to the base HP total (after role, if any)

Fort / Refl / Will

  • State whether this is a strong or weak save for the monster.
  • Values: S (for Strong save), leave blank for Weak save
    • Most monsters have 1 strong save and 2 weak saves
    • Heavies, Tanks, Threats and Villains have 2 strong saves
    • Dragons usually have 3 strong saves

NudgeFort / NudgeRefl / NudgeWill

  • Allows you to adjust the hit points of the monster, up or down, from the base for its CR.
  • Values: any positive or negative number, or leave blank. Max recommended is +/-3

SpecialDefenses

  • This is where any Damage Resistance (DR) or Energy Resistance (ER) values should be listed.

StrongAgainst

  • This is where any 'immunity' or 'hardened' values should be listed.
  • immunities based on type (e.g. Vermin) or role (e.g. Threat) are automatically added
'''''Hardened (½ damage):'''''
'''''Immune (no effect):'''''  

Hide-Role-Strong-Against-1

  • Use this field if you don't want the "strong against" value from the monster's role to be shown.
  • Values: Values: Y (for yes) or leave blank (to leave 'Strong Against' values for role (if any))
  • only applicable if the monster has a role.

Hide-Type-Strong-Against-1 (through 6)

  • Use these fields if you don't want the "strong against" value from the monster's type to be shown.
  • Usually, you should save the template to see what shows up, and find the number of any parts of the list you want to exclude.
  • Values: Values: Y (for yes) or leave blank (to leave 'Strong Against' values for type (if any))

Hide-Subtype-Strong-Against-1 (through 6)

  • Use these fields if you don't want the "strong against" value from the monster's subtype to be shown.
  • Usually, you should save the template to see what shows up, and find the number of any parts of the list you want to exclude.
  • Values: Values: Y (for yes) or leave blank (to leave 'Strong Against' values for subtype (if any))
  • only applicable if the listed subtype is by itself, and is one of the 'type' values.

WeakAgainst

  • This is where any 'vulnerable' or 'defenseless' values should be listed.
  • Put any 'vulnerable' or 'defenseless' values here; vulnerabilities based on type (e.g. Vermin) are automatically added.

Hide-Type-Weak-Against-1

  • Use these fields if you don't want the "weak against" value from the monster's type to be shown.
  • Usually, you should save the template to see what shows up, and find the number of any parts of the list you want to exclude.
  • Values: Values: Y (for yes) or leave blank (to leave 'Weak Against' values for type (if any))

Hide-Subtype-Weak-Against-1

  • Use these fields if you don't want the "weak against" value from the monster's subtype to be shown.
  • Usually, you should save the template to see what shows up, and find the number of any parts of the list you want to exclude.
  • Values: Values: Y (for yes) or leave blank (to leave 'Weak Against' values for subtype (if any))
  • only applicable if the listed subtype is by itself, and is one of the 'type' values.

MoveTypes

  • Provide a list of the movement types the monster possesses.
  • Copy and paste the links from the list below, for each of the monster's movement types, and also list the range of the movement, if applicable.
[[Burrowing]]
[[Tunneling]]
[[Earth Glide]]
[[Lesser Climb]]
[[Greater Climb]]
[[Brachiating]]
[[Hover]]
[[Lesser Flight]]
[[Greater Flight]]
[[Lesser Swim]]
[[Greater Swim]]
[[Jet]]
[[Lesser Teleport]]
[[Greater Teleport]]

NudgeSpace

  • This is the number of SQUARES that the creature occupies, based on its size.
  • You can use this value to adjust its size above or below its default size.
  • Values: any positive or negative number, or leave blank. Max recommended is +/-2.
  • NOTE: If type or subtype is "Swarm", the space will default to 10 ft.
  • NOTE: If type or subtype is "Troop", the space will default to 15 ft. + the normal space for the component creature size (e.g. 20 ft. for size medium)

NudgeReach

  • This is the number of SQUARES that the creature can reach with its melee attacks.
  • Most creatures have a reach equal to their size (e.g. 5-feet for sized medium, 10 feet for sized large, etc.).
  • Values: any positive or negative number, or leave blank. Max recommended is +/-2.
  • WARNING: Adding reach to a creature is very powerful, especially if they also have the combat reflexes feat.
  • NOTE: If type or subtype is "Swarm", the reach will default to 0 ft.
  • NOTE: If type or subtype is "Troop", the reach will default to the normal reach for the component creature size (e.g. 5 ft. for size medium)

MeleeOrNatural

  • This field is MANDATORY
  • Sets the kind of attacks the creature makes.
  • Values: "Melee" (has ONLY a Primary attack), or "Natural" (has Pri and Sec attacks)

MultipliedDamageType

  • Only applicable if the monster has a role
  • Values: "Attacks" (+atks/rnd), "Damage" (+damage/rnd), or "Hybrid" (default; both +atks/+dmg), or leave blank if no role.
  • Melee uses only the primary section (below).
  • Natural uses both the primary and secondary sections (below).
    • An example natural primary is a single 'bite' attack.
    • An example natural secondary is usually two 'claw' attacks.
  • Roles can use tertiary and quaternary attacks, as part of their additional attacks.
    • An example tertiary is a single 'tail' attack.
    • An example quaternary is two 'wing' attacks.

PriAtkName (through Sec, Ter, and Qua)

  • The name of the attack. It can be as vanilla as "longsword" or "bite", but can also be colorful, such as "blibbering slap-pod".
  • You must always name the primary attack
  • If the monster uses 'natural' attacks (see "MeleeOrNatural" above), you also need to name the secondary attack.
  • If you leave tertiary blank, it will not be used.
    • If you name it, the template will pull half the attacks out of primary to use as tertiary (reducing the number of primary attacks at the same time). This does not add any attacks, it just redistributes them.
  • If you leave quaternary blank, it will not be used.
    • If you name it, the template will pull half the attacks out of secondary to use as quaternary (reducing the number of secondary attacks at the same time). This does not add any attacks, it just redistributes them.

PriAtkNotes (through Sec, Ter, and Qua)

  • add any specials (e.g. "as negative energy" or "plus filth fever (see below)", etc.)

PriAtkNotes-FullAtkOnly (through Sec, Ter, and Qua)

  • use if Primary Attack does something different during a full attack; replaces PriAtkNotes value if not blank

Override-Pri-Atk--Std-Atk-Qty (through Sec, Ter, and Qua)

  • Values: any positive number, zero, or leave blank (to use default # of attacks for STANDARD Attack)
  • if 0, attack will not be displayed; if 1 or more, # of attacks will be replaced with this value

Override-Pri-Atk--Full-Atk-Qty (through Sec, Ter, and Qua)

  • Values: any positive number, zero, or leave blank (to use default # of attacks for FULL Attack)
  • if 0, attack will not be displayed; if 1 or more, # of attacks will be replaced with this value

PriAtkVSTouchAC (through Sec, Ter, and Qua)

  • Use this field if to-hit goes against touch AC
  • Values: Y (for yes), or leave blank (for no)

PriAtkIsAuto-Hit (through Sec, Ter, and Qua)

  • Use this field if attack has no to-hit roll
  • Values: leave blank (for normal to-hits), or describe (e.g. "30-foot cone" or "swarm")

NudgePriToHit (through Sec, Ter, and Qua)

  • Allows you to adjust the to-hit of the monster for the specific attack type (primary, secondary, tertiary, or quaternary), up or down, from the base for its CR.
  • Values: any positive or negative number, or leave blank. Max recommended is +/-4

NudgePriDamage (through Sec, Ter, and Qua)

  • Allows you to adjust the damage of the monster for the specific attack type (primary, secondary, tertiary, or quaternary), up or down, from the base for its CR.
  • Values: vhi (+4 CR's), hi (+2 CR's), lo (-2 CR's), vlo (-4 CR's), or leave blank

RangedAtkName

  • Name of ranged attack (e.g. "Longbow" or "Hurled Rock")
  • if blank, monster has no ranged attack

HasRangedFullAttack

  • Determines whether the creature is capable of multiple ranged attacks during a full attack action.
  • Values: Y (for yes), or leave blank (for no)

RangedAtkIncrementDistance

  • Range increment in feet (e.g. 20 ft.); -2 to hit per increment after first

RangedAtkNumberOfIncrements

  • Number of increments before max range of attack
  • thrown is 5 (this is the default value)
  • projectile is 10

RangedAtkNotes

  • add any specials (e.g. "as negative energy" or "plus filth fever (see below)", etc.)

RangedAtkNotes-FullAtkOnly

Override-Ranged-Atk--Std-Atk-Qty

Override-Ranged-Atk--Full-Atk-Qty

RangedAtkVSTouchAC

RangedAtkIsAuto-Hit

NudgeRangedToHit

NudgeRangedDamage

Nudge-Maneuver-Offense

Maneuver-Offense-Notes

SiegeDmgCapable

SiegeAtkName

SiegeAtkNotes

Override-Siege-Atk-Qty

SiegeAtkIncrement

SiegeAtkNumberOfIncrements

Nudge-Siege-Maneuver-Offense

NudgeSiegeDamage

Str

Dex

Con

Int

Wis

Cha

Feat1 (through 4)

Skill1 (through 5)

NudgeSkill1 (through 5)

Skill1Notes (through 5)

Languages

HideRoleReminder1 (through 4)

Ability-1-Name (through 9)

Ability-1-Type (through 9)

Ability-1-Concentration (through 9)

Ability-1-Description (through 9)

NudgeAbility1ToHit (through 9)

NudgeAbility1TouchAttack (through 9)

NudgeAbility1SaveDC (through 9)

NudgeAbility1StandardDamage (through 9)

NudgeAbility1SwiftDamage (through 9)

NudgeAbility1AlphaDamage (through 9)

NudgeAbility1-AbilityDamage (through 9)

NudgeAbility1-HitPoints (through 9)

NudgeAbility1-HitDice (through 9)

NudgeAbility1-ManeuverOffense (through 9)

NudgeAbility1-ManeuverDefense (through 9)

CombatTactics

OutOfCombat

TreasureNotes

XPNotes