Voting for RPG Superstar Round 2 continues, and the competitors are getting anxious. To give them something to do, here’s a sample boards-friendly monster stat block. Competitors, feel free to practice your Round 3 monster challenge using this format—you’ll be able to copy and paste this into your entry and maintain proper formatting.
[b]----- Special Abilities -----[/b] [b]zzName (Ex/Sp/Su)[/b] zzDescription
Notes for the Competitors
Here are some tips for using the above stat block, and building stat blocks in general.
## is a placeholder for a number, so an entry like "Init +##" should be something like "Init +2" or "Init -2" in your monster stat block.
zz is a placeholder for anything other than a number (obviously, "zzSize" means you should replace it with a game term for size, such as "Medium," not "zzMedium").
When you are finished, your monster stat block should not have ## or zz in it at all.
If your monster doesn't have an ability mentioned in the sample stat block format (such as DR, SR, Immune, an "plus" effect for a melee or ranged attack, a conditional skill bonuses, or racial skill modifiers), delete that ability and its placeholders. For example, if your monster doesn't have damage reduction, delete the "DR ##/zzMaterial" and the semicolon after it so the line starts with "Immune."
If your monster has an ability that isn't presented in the sample stat block format (such as Spells Known), add it to the stat block, making sure to put it in the correct section of the stat block (for example, Spells Known goes in the Offense section) and match the bold and/or italic format for that ability as shown in a printed stat block.
If the monster doesn't have Feats, Skills, or Languages, delete the entire Feats, Skills, or Languages line.
If your monster has Space 5 ft. and Reach 5 ft., delete that entire line (the default is a monster with that size and reach).
When you are finished, your stat block shouldn't have any "blank" entries like "DR —."
The Defense, Offense, Statistics, and Ecology lines have "-----" at the beginning and end to visually offset those section headers. This is because the messageboard code doesn't allow you to underline text, and this is an easy and clear way to duplicate the printed stat block format for this purpose. Do not tamper with those lines.
In a printed stat block, the individual listings for the spell-like abilities are indented, but it's difficult to make that work in the messageboards, so if your monster has spell-like abilities, just use the non-indented format as presented in the above sample stat block.
If your monster has a new ability (such as "Arcane Vengeance" or "Eyeball Eater"), you must explain it in the Special Abilities part of the stat block.
If your monster has a common ability from the Pathfinder RPG Core Rulebook (such as sneak attack) or a universal monster rule from the Bestiary or Bestiary 2 (such as grab or stench), you do not need to provide the description of that ability in the Special Abilities part of the stat block (we assume the reader knows how sneak attack, grab, and stench work, or can look them up in the appropriate book).
Voting closes on Monday, February 6th and the Top 16 winners are announced on Tuesday, February 7th. At that time we’ll reveal the “twist” for Round 3!
Pathfinder Adventure Path Charter Subscriber; Companion, Comics Subscriber
Tom Phillips wrote:
Neil Spicer wrote:
I'm hoping it's a bunch of "mystery ingredients" all the contestants have to incorporate into their monster idea. :->
Monster chef! Your ingredients are: mustard greens, beef bouillon, and coriander. BEGIN!
Actually, I think it should be deciduously decided that you take a leaf out of Neil and make a forest of voteable monsters that sprouted from his leaves item.
Sorry for the puns, I just wooden resist them :P
Mike Welham
RPG Superstar 2012,
Star Voter aka taig
Anthony Adam wrote:
Tom Phillips wrote:
Neil Spicer wrote:
I'm hoping it's a bunch of "mystery ingredients" all the contestants have to incorporate into their monster idea. :->
Monster chef! Your ingredients are: mustard greens, beef bouillon, and coriander. BEGIN!
Actually, I think it should be deciduously decided that you take a leaf out of Neil and make a forest of voteable monsters that sprouted from his leaves item.
Sorry for the puns, I just wooden resist them :P
I grown at your shaky attempts at humor. You are truly sapping my willow.
Jacob Trier
RPG Superstar 2012 Top 16,
Marathon Voter
Sean K Reynolds wrote:
If your monster has a new ability (such as "Arcane Vengeance" or "Eyeball Eater"), you must explain it in the Special Abilities part of the stat block.
Arh geesh, thanks a lot Sean. Now everybody are going to think my Eyeball Eater of Arcane Vengence is just a rip-off from the blog post. Back to the drawing board, I guess.
Your making a monster Jacob not an M Night Shyamalan movie;)
Chris Shaeffer
RPG Superstar 2013 Top 32, RPG Superstar 2012 Top 16,
Star Voter aka Hodge Podge
I've taken every monster in Pathfinder and placed them all in a complex cladogram. I, uh, don't know of this helped me make a monster, per se, but at least I know what's out there.
(Edit: A lot of it's based on the whole "Sages say that creature X is probably related to creature Y" sorts of statements in the Bestiaries, and the rest is all morphologically based. Magic, alternate planes of existence, extraterrestrial life, and extreme genetic mutability really mucks things like this up. :p)
Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, Adventure Path, Card Game Subscriber
Heck with the contest. This is very useful for anybody posting a monster. :P
Jacob W. Michaels
RPG Superstar 2012 Top 16,
Marathon Voter aka motteditor
The question has been brought up in the "Guildhall" about the italicized descriptor phrase that leads off every monster in the Bestiaries. Obviously it's not in the template here, but should we include it in our submissions (if we advance)? Thanks.
the template is missing the "Defensive Abilities" section, before DR and on the same line
Chopswil is correct, see the lich in the Bestiary for an example of this. For clarity, I'll make sure this ends up in the final monster template provided for R3.
Steve Miller
RPG Superstar 2012 Top 4
aka MillerHero
Ok, ready for the twist.
RPG Superstar 2012 round 2 FAQ wrote:
In previous competitions, there has been a "secret twist" revealed when the round starts. Is that happening this year?
Yes, although we're revealing the "twist" when voting closes for a round, rather than waiting until the next round begins, to give the contestants more time to prepare. There is no "twist" to the Round Two (organization) design task.
James Raine
RPG Superstar 2012 Top 16,
Star Voter aka FaxCelestis
Chris Shaeffer wrote:
I've taken every monster in Pathfinder and placed them all in a complex cladogram. I, uh, don't know of this helped me make a monster, per se, but at least I know what's out there.
Jacob Kellogg
RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32,
Marathon Voter
aka Jiggy
Thomas LeBlanc
RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32,
Champion Voter
Mike Welham
RPG Superstar 2012,
Star Voter
aka taig
Scott Fernandez
RPG Superstar 2013 Top 4, RPG Superstar 2011 Top 16,
Dedicated Voter
aka primemover003
xorial
Sean K Reynolds
Designer, RPG Superstar Judge
James Raine
RPG Superstar 2012 Top 16,
Star Voter
aka FaxCelestis
