Let’s face it, we all have a dozen monster and character ideas we will never get to use. When making a monster stat block, it’s best to take a stat block that already exists and tweak it, rather than build one from scratch. Sometimes reflavoring and adjusting doesn’t work out well, and it actually is easier to make a whole new stat block. Here’s my quick and dirty guide on making a new monster stat block.
For this, I will be using the example of a powerful shadow sorcerer merchant, who has shadow minions doing some of the in-store management. If I were to build this concept from an existing stat block, I might change an Archmage’s spell list, swap their Intelligence and Charisma, add a special action (maybe the shadow sorcerer’s darkness spell?) and maybe some kind of note that says what kind of metamagic they’re using and voila! A fully functioning, CR appropriate monster stat block! It doesn’t quite fit what I had in mind though, and has a little too much going on for me to use effectively.
So why make a whole new stat block? Simplicity. A monster, especially a unique NPC, will only have a few actions in combat to show off. Keeping it simple keeps your focus on the things that actually matter – the table, rather than the stat block itself. Uniqueness. Sometimes what already exists isn’t a perfect match for your concept, and it requires a few more fundamental changes. With these in mind, let’s run through some steps you can take to make a new monster.
The Steps
- Step 1: Figure out the theme and monster concept.Any PC or monster stat block is an imperfect translation of a character concept to game mechanics. However, a monster stat block has more freedom than a PC’s, since they can have unique actions and unorthodox mechanics, since they won’t be seen as often. For a monster, it’s very valuable to start with a strong theme to build it around.
- We have our idea already, a shadow sorcerer merchant who uses shadowy duplicates as employees. I feel like they should stick with necrotic and psychic damage types, since those types of damage fit with shadows the best, in my opinion. They should use obscurement and darkness in their fighting style as much as possible.
- Step 2: take a look at what already exists. Stick with the theme and look at monsters, spells, and other features from both class features and subclass features. Think about ways you can simplify or alter them to better fit the theme. You want a simple stat block because if combat happens, the monster won’t be alive all that much, so it should be focused on the coolest aspects. At this point, it’s worth keeping all the ideas and not focusing on simplifying them, rather marking them as particularly interesting. Sidenote: If your monster idea is specifically based around a class or subclass, it would be worthwhile for you to take a close look at those and find the aspects and features you think really fit. If you wanted, you could even build that concept as a whole PC, but that might be a lot of work; I’d save that for an especially interesting villain.
- We mentioned in our concept above that we wanted to use shadowy duplicates/employees, and an Echo Knight’s duplicate is a good template for what I had in mind for that feature. I’ve also identified some spells and features I think would be a good fit: The Shadow Sorcerer’s ability to see through their darkness, as well as the Maddening Darkness spell. Cone of Cold is a similar damage/size to a powerful ability I’d expect a shadow sorcerer to have, though I’ll reexamine it in the next step. Dimension Door or another Shadow-step ability is also interesting, as is Mental Prison.. As for more merchant abilities, I’d expect Identify, Detect Magic, Charm Person, Sending, as well as some way to avoid charming effects. Maybe something like Demiplane where they store their special goods. Umbral Form also seems interesting. The Archmage has Magic Resistance, which also might be useful, and sorcerers get metamagic.
- Step 3: Boil the concepts down to the coolest and most thematic aspects. What are the coolest features? What are the best spells? Are there any spells or abilities that could be buffed/nerfed/reflavored to be more thematic? Abilities that could be combined? Things that, on a PC, use resources, but on a monster shouldn’t? For example, action surge could become an extra attack on their multiattack, rage could be a flat damage bump and extra health, and metamagic could be always-on.
- For ours, I think the shadowy duplicates are essential, as are the more magic-themed features. A way to turn the battlefield dark is also vital in my mind to keeping the theme of a shadow sorcerer. Some of the teleport abilities might be attached to an ability. Shadow Walk and Umbral Form are both interesting as well, and might be able to be integrated into the stat block. Additionally, Identify, Detect Magic, and Locate Object all feel right at home on a magic item merchant as well.
- Step 3.5: reflavor and rebalance the aspects that don’t quite fit. Sometimes there’s a spell or feature that is good in terms of numbers, but the flavor isn’t quite right. At this point, think about all the ways you can reflavor it to better fit with the theme.
- For ours, I think Cone of Cold is a good damage and area, but it isn’t very shadow-y. Let’s change the damage type to necrotic or psychic, and call it Shadow Blast. Maybe creatures in magical darkness have disadvantage on the save, just to make it synergize more with the rest of the sorcerer’s kit. They should also have a default ability, like a cantrip. Let’s give them a shadow dagger multiattack reminiscent of the Shadow Blade spell as well, which is similar to how the warlocks in MotM work. The shadow Duplicates might have 1 HP, but have a high AC.
- Step 4: Map everything to actions/bonus actions/reactions, and special traits. At this point, we have a bunch of pretty well flavored and thematic features, actions, spells, etc. We just have to figure out how they all fit together on a monster. Can some things be simplified to special traits? How about combining features? Luckily, since you have been identifying how these work on PCs and other monsters, you should have a good idea of how to map them onto your own creature. Don’t be afraid to shift some things around, too. I have a bigger guide to how some actions and features can be mapped further below.
- For ours, Spellcasting seems like a good action to have, and I think the shadowy duplicates should have their actions mapped to the shadow sorcerer merchant’s bonus action. Generating a kind of mildly damaging area of darkness could also be an action, especially if it’s framed like a significantly depowered Maddening Darkness. Let’s call that Agonizing Darkness. Shadow Blast is a great “capstone” ability, too, so that should be an action, and possibly on a recharge as well. Shadow Sorcerers can teleport, so maybe this one can have a special feature that allows them to teleport after they cast a spell. The default Multiattack should be a few shadow dagger attacks, and each Shadowy Duplicates should be able to make a single shadow dagger attack on the sorcerer’s bonus action. The sorcerer should also be able to summon 2 as a bonus action, but only be able to have 2 on the field at a time. We should examine the other traits that might be good and unobtrusive. The sorcerer should get an AC bump from Mage Armor, immunity to Charmed (they are a crafty shopkeep after all) and an HP boost or some resistances like they might get from Umbral Form. Seems like we have the general idea for the creature’s actions in combat, as well as their traits.
- Step 5: Adjust numbers to fit the right CR/level. This is the part that requires the most finesse in my mind. Note that, with one exception of Cone of Cold, I didn’t give any numbers to the features I listed above, because I don’t think the numbers should come before the strong concept. I find online CR Calculators to be very valuable to this kind of balance, since you can compare the average damage, health, AC, and to-hit chance to other creatures. Play with the numbers until you get to where you want. Keep in mind how stats effect these numbers, as well as how dice influence damage.
Our shadow sorcerer merchant recap
Traits: Extra health, immunity to Charmed, and a way to teleport after casting a spell or using Shadow Blast and Agonizing Darkness.
Actions: Agonizing Darkness, Shadow Blast, Multiattack(Shadow Dagger), Spellcasting (at-will spells and 1/day spells),
Bonus Actions: Create Shadowy Duplicates, Shadow Duplicate Strike
Other considerations:
1/day and limited use features: I like 1/day abilities since they are often big, powerful, and won’t become predictable since the monster can’t use the same ability over and over. Especially powerful spells or abilities are a good fit for these. You can find
Recharge features: A dragon shouldn’t use its breath weapon every turn, nor should it be once per day. A powerful and thematic ability should come back periodically, and should be a dramatic moment if and when it does.
Multiattack: Unlike a PC’s character sheet, a monster’s multiattack action doesn’t have to use multiple weapon attack in their multiattack. You should use this option as their “default” action, and it should be relatively thematic.
Bonus Actions: If a feature you identified is thematic, low impact, and adding it to the multiattack makes it too complicated, giving the monster that thematic feature as a bonus action might be the right play.
Summoned Minions: If a minion being summoned, as opposed to already being in the battlefield, is integral to a fight for thematic reasons but aren’t the focus, they should be able to be summoned immediately. Attaching this action to a bonus action or multiattack is probably the right way to do this. The Necromancer is a good example of this, since the skeletons are low CR and don’t pose much of a threat, but the focus is on the Necromancer themselves.
Enemies to Allies: If the PCs figure out a way to add a custom NPC or monster to the party, then it’s worthwhile to re-evaluate the monster, and make changes so that it acts more in a supporting role to the PCs, and maybe expand the options a little bit, all while giving it to the PCs to run in combat.
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