tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2170237526012357403.post611953621864803792..comments2024-03-26T15:35:56.004-04:00Comments on Delta's D&D Hotspot: Classic Stat Block FormattingDeltahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00705402326320853684noreply@blogger.comBlogger21125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2170237526012357403.post-17984740030281761012017-11-12T18:29:05.249-05:002017-11-12T18:29:05.249-05:00Yeah, I used to do that and now I'm finding mo...Yeah, I used to do that and now I'm finding more use from the stats in the encounter text itself. I use the screen space for the OD&D Vol-2 roster of basic monsters. (Partly recently I've been running huge adventures like OD&D sandbox wilderness and Rappan Athuk which might bias this experience.)Deltahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00705402326320853684noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2170237526012357403.post-24122651320741017042017-11-05T22:57:41.069-05:002017-11-05T22:57:41.069-05:00I would photocopy the monster sheet at the back of...I would photocopy the monster sheet at the back of the text and paperclip it to my DM screen. That's how I organize my screen area when I write a self-contained adventure. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2170237526012357403.post-25105298516119576972017-10-22T18:46:42.824-04:002017-10-22T18:46:42.824-04:00In theory I get that, but in practice (various pro...In theory I get that, but in practice (various products that did that) it never did me any real good. <br /><br />If the stats were in one place or the other, clearly in the set lair is the far more common use-case (I don't want to be flipping from front to back in the book in every encounter). If it's in both then that uses a lot of paper at the back for a relatively uncommon benefit, IMO. Deltahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00705402326320853684noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2170237526012357403.post-89404247176205305552017-10-21T23:57:18.999-04:002017-10-21T23:57:18.999-04:00I prefer a monster stat sheet in the back. This wa...I prefer a monster stat sheet in the back. This way if the vampire gets out of his crypt and the party encounters him later, you don't have to try to remember which page his lair was on. I like to italicize anything magical and bold threats like monsters and traps, within the description paragraph. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2170237526012357403.post-75699507131458919782017-10-15T19:04:21.779-04:002017-10-15T19:04:21.779-04:00That's a clean sweep on keeping them separated...That's a clean sweep on keeping them separated!Deltahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00705402326320853684noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2170237526012357403.post-5037159286802260932017-10-15T19:03:27.963-04:002017-10-15T19:03:27.963-04:00That would be nice!That would be nice!Deltahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00705402326320853684noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2170237526012357403.post-88970644631131931502017-10-15T19:02:55.497-04:002017-10-15T19:02:55.497-04:00I kind of like that; it would be a big change for ...I kind of like that; it would be a big change for me and require always printing in color (might look a bit loud for my tastes). Also, I'm in an environment where we're always being warned these days by the accessibility office not to put important information in color coding (in consideration of color-blind people). Deltahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00705402326320853684noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2170237526012357403.post-50546484371642382602017-10-11T14:48:04.976-04:002017-10-11T14:48:04.976-04:00In a similar vein... The Temple of Lies by Zzarcho...In a similar vein... The Temple of Lies by Zzarchov Kowolski provides a nice layout if you use a table/notebook or print it in color.<br /><br />"Orange[italic,bold] text indicates a hidden danger.<br />Red[bold] indicates an obvious person<br />or monster.<br />Blue[small-caps] indicates the most obvious detail of an area.<br />Green[italic] is treasure."<br /><br />The stats block are at the end of the book but looking into the room wall of text you can find the important bricks easly.G. B. Verashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07321019711309446662noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2170237526012357403.post-4258723670133753092017-10-10T08:29:07.813-04:002017-10-10T08:29:07.813-04:00That makes sense, almost breaking it down into min...That makes sense, almost breaking it down into mini encounter areas.<br />In the case of an area like that I would hope the layout artists do us a favor an try and get it to fit on two facing pages. Makes it easier when things go bad and an avalanche of monsters starts to fall.Baquieshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08357103428591599364noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2170237526012357403.post-43132925486647804942017-10-09T19:45:19.562-04:002017-10-09T19:45:19.562-04:00That is the how I usually do it (great when you...That is the how I usually do it (great when you've got over a hundred d6s in a pencil case), but mainly because I'm not running a BF module with those HP boxes.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2170237526012357403.post-7314153598036269492017-10-09T19:11:20.068-04:002017-10-09T19:11:20.068-04:00One little detail I notice for both T1-4 and Rappa...One little detail I notice for both T1-4 and Rappan Athuk is the possibility of an encounter area with, say, 20 paragraphs or so of text (and possibly many layers of monsters or traps that might pop up). Both of those texts insert the monster stat immediately after the paragraph in which it appears (instead of waiting to the end of the whole area). I approve of that.Deltahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00705402326320853684noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2170237526012357403.post-19329078805961231872017-10-09T19:09:34.261-04:002017-10-09T19:09:34.261-04:00Oof, that might be a bit much for me (e.g., the st...Oof, that might be a bit much for me (e.g., the stirge example above; Gygax tends to have lots of encounters with huge numbers of monsters). Actually, I tend to not list hit points at all, myself (roll them on the fly). I have one DM I play for who just rolls hit dice in the open, and then uses the dice themselves as the record (taking some away as hits accrue). Deltahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00705402326320853684noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2170237526012357403.post-60073654557169656252017-10-09T19:07:16.503-04:002017-10-09T19:07:16.503-04:00It's an interesting detail. To me, the abbrevi...It's an interesting detail. To me, the abbreviations MV, AC, HD seem pretty clear. But I do prefer to write Atk and Dam in my stat blocks. I do write out "Flight" as a special ability -- the inch/slash/whatever notation is very unclear. Deltahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00705402326320853684noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2170237526012357403.post-50881883124150309292017-10-09T19:05:53.388-04:002017-10-09T19:05:53.388-04:00Sounds good to me.Sounds good to me.Deltahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00705402326320853684noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2170237526012357403.post-6922219733495967142017-10-09T19:05:30.366-04:002017-10-09T19:05:30.366-04:00I looks like it's pretty unanimous that people...I looks like it's pretty unanimous that people prefer it separated. I agree. I may get into trouble by looking back at the earliest stuff (DMG, GDQ) and not remembering that the style changed a few years later.Deltahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00705402326320853684noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2170237526012357403.post-19544420897843605462017-10-09T12:30:06.285-04:002017-10-09T12:30:06.285-04:00Separated. I'm not opposed to mixing stats and...Separated. I'm not opposed to mixing stats and flavour text, but in the case of monsters I'm probably going to want to keep referring to the information in a combat situation, and if it's packed in with the description I'm going to have difficulty finding it. <br /><br />Oh and +1 to Basic Fantasy's method which Leon Atkinson mentioned above, it's very convenient.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2170237526012357403.post-89707840258180798922017-10-09T11:53:48.562-04:002017-10-09T11:53:48.562-04:00I appreciate how Basic Fantasy modules also includ...I appreciate how Basic Fantasy modules also include blocks of hit point boxes to quickly check off in groups of five, like this:<br /><br />HP 6 ☐☐☐☐☐ ☐Leon Atkinsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18293454495728399887noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2170237526012357403.post-29054460156682039692017-10-09T10:58:38.299-04:002017-10-09T10:58:38.299-04:00The second. I live flavor, then a box or separatio...The second. I live flavor, then a box or separation for tactics/description, then the stat block. Bonus for an extra blank line or two for me to jot down notes.Baquieshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08357103428591599364noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2170237526012357403.post-39418165267496941842017-10-09T08:44:49.711-04:002017-10-09T08:44:49.711-04:00The second one, but without the arcane abbreviatio...The second one, but without the arcane abbreviations. Write out “fly” and “damage.”Charles Saegerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00368131505593336249noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2170237526012357403.post-83556055912801962982017-10-09T08:27:19.709-04:002017-10-09T08:27:19.709-04:00Separated block, actually not only of monsters. On...Separated block, actually not only of monsters. One block with a summary of what you sense when you enter the room and another block with better descriptions of what is inside the room.G. B. Verashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07321019711309446662noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2170237526012357403.post-72758555194852315752017-10-09T06:01:24.223-04:002017-10-09T06:01:24.223-04:00The wilderness style one, with the separated block...The wilderness style one, with the separated block. It doesn't matter if it's first or last, but it helps me immensely if it's on its own and not embedded in a paragraph.<br /><br />I use that myself - and a specially labeled "treasure" section - for my own game notes.Peter Dhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14246000382321978462noreply@blogger.com