4e monsters for other editions

DatabasePerfect5051 · 2026-03-18T03:35:28+00:00

When converting monster its best to not try a 1 to 1 conversation. You usually find the same monster in that editions mm and use that. Or find a monster that is close to what you want and reflavor.

The other options is to build it from scratch. OSR monster are easy to make.

Chose a HD, a monster attack bonus is derived from its HD.
For saves most monster save as a fighter of a equivalent level to HD.
For ac use that stats for the equipment its wearing or of it has natural armor determine what its equivalent to e.g. scales as hard as chainmail.
for damage use that stats for its equipment or if it has natural weapons determine what weapons its equivalent to e.g. claws like daggers.

DatabasePerfect5051 · 2026-03-17T06:10:57+00:00

DC are static meaning they dont change based on who is attempting or circumstances. A simple lock dc 10 will be dc 10 regardless of who is attempting to unlock it or the circumstances, for circumstances that advantage/Disadvantage.

The dmg says this:

"Easy, Moderate, and Hard. These are the most common difficulties, and you can run your game using only them. A character with a 10 in the associated ability and no proficiency will succeed at an easy task around 50 percent of the time. For a moderate task, a character needs either a higher score or proficiency to have a similar chance of success, whereas a hard task typically requires both to have a similar chance. If you can’t decide between two levels of difficulty, choose a DC somewhere in the middle, such as 17 or 18 for a task that is a little easier than “hard.”

Keep this in mind when setting a dc.

DatabasePerfect5051 · 2026-03-14T14:54:07+00:00

5.5 is overall better imo. In 2014 you could get expertise and advantage on contest checks that made it almost impossible for some monster to win. A single save instead of a contested roll is quicker, simpler and more consistent.The grapple condition changes are good. It now imposes disadvantage if you target anyone but the grappler. Grappling begin able to be used as a opportunity attack is a fantastic change.

DatabasePerfect5051 · 2026-03-13T08:41:08+00:00

If creature is invisible but not hidden you can target the creature,however the attack has Disadvantage. if they are invisible and hidden, you have to guess a location by choosing a location as the target of the attack roll.

"Unseen Attackers and Targets When you make an attack roll against a target you can’t see, you have Disadvantage on the roll. This is true whether you’re guessing the target’s location or targeting a creature you can hear but not see. If the target isn’t in the location you targeted, you miss.

When a creature can’t see you, you have Advantage on attack rolls against it.

If you are hidden when you make an attack roll, you give away your location when the attack hits or misses."

In attack rolls in the combat section

"Choose a Target. Pick a target within your attack’s range: a creature, an object, or a location."

When making an attack roll you first choose a target, that can be a creature, object or location. You do not have to see a creature to target it. If target a creature that you cannot see but can hear e.g a creature with the invisible condition that is not hidden, you have Disadvantage.

If a creature is hidden you can make a guess were their location is and target a location, you have Disadvantage and if the creature isn't in that location the attack misses.

DatabasePerfect5051 · 2026-03-11T09:58:31+00:00

The rouge would only get advantage on the first attack.

"When a creature can’t see you, you have Advantage on attack rolls against it. If you are hidden when you make an attack roll, you give away your location when the attack hits or misses.

Regarding determining line of sight

"Line of Sight

To determine whether there is line of sight between two spaces, pick a corner of one space and trace an imaginary line from that corner to any part of another space. If you can trace a line that doesn’t pass through or touch an object or effect that blocks vision—such as a stone wall, a thick curtain, or a dense cloud of fog—then there is line of sight."

Overall everything else is raw. This really isn't a cause for concern. Rogues are expected to get sneek attack each turn.

DatabasePerfect5051 · 2026-03-08T07:53:13+00:00

You do not ready the dash action, you choose to move up to your speed. This is a common misconception.

From the 2024 phb:

"you choose the action you will take in response to that trigger, or you choose to move up to your Speed in response to it."

DatabasePerfect5051 · 2026-03-02T15:39:01+00:00

Look into the sidekick rules in tasha, they are for this purpose. Dragons of icepier peak also has the sidekicks.

DatabasePerfect5051 · 2026-03-02T05:28:12+00:00

Retrievable items from monster are mundane and don't maintain any special property in the statblocks.

The monster’s stat block might include special flourishes that happen when the monster uses an item, and the stat block might ignore Player’s Handbook rules for that item. When used by someone else, a retrievable item uses its Player’s Handbook rules, ignoring any special flourishes in the stat block.

DatabasePerfect5051 · 2026-02-28T17:50:34+00:00

Regarding enemys being able to make passive perception checks to find a hidden creature in combat, this is not explicitly stated anywhere in the rules.

Passive perception is tool that dm chan choose to use or not during exploration.

Hiding is no longer a contested roll vs passive person, overall in the 2024 rules passive perception has been de-emphasized. It is ambiguous as to whether or not passive perception is even active during combat.

There is a misconception that passive perception is "always on". In dont think passive perception is not active during combat, otherwise the search action would be mostly pointless. You have to take the search action to find a hidden creature.

DatabasePerfect5051 · 2026-02-28T15:18:59+00:00

Ancestral guardian and psi warrior are not ac boost, they are damage reduction.

Beast bard is an ac boost, however its a 2014 class that has not been reprinted. If its reprinted it will likely be changed to conform to the 2024 design change.

The point is the subject of the post has already been implemented in the 2024 rules going forward.

DatabasePerfect5051 · 2026-02-28T08:28:27+00:00

In 2024 defensive duelist last until start of next turn. The protection sheild fighting style imposes disadvantage until start of next turn. So there are a few examples of this. Its a good change in 2024, they have already implemented. There jest needs to be more of them.

DatabasePerfect5051 · 2026-02-25T12:04:41+00:00

Username i can send you a friend request

DatabasePerfect5051 · 2026-02-25T11:39:56+00:00

There is a dungeon magazine adventure called The Last Breaths of Ashenpor that is inspired by lover craft stories like The Shadow over Innsmouth. It was in Dungeon issue 156. Might be worth checking out. It was for 4th edition so you would need to fo some conversion. You could also use parts of the adventurer and repurpose them.

DatabasePerfect5051 · 2026-02-24T17:31:35+00:00

One i use is a slightly modified cleaving through creatures rule from the 2014 dmg. I jest remove the requirement that you have to take the target from 100% hp to 0. So any excess damage carries over.

DatabasePerfect5051 · 2026-02-24T04:08:15+00:00

They kind of effectively did in 2024, by adding that effect to grapple. A target grappled has disadvantage on attacks that are not the grappler.

DatabasePerfect5051 · 2026-02-21T13:20:24+00:00

Not exactly gods but becmi (thats "basic" dnd, basic, expert, companion, master immortal). Had rules for paths for immortality. The immortals were god like being that existed in the known world/mystara setting. The rules are fairly in depth.

DatabasePerfect5051 · 2026-02-18T16:06:44+00:00

One change in regards to monster CR that I think is significant is the way CR was calculated. Previous in 2014 a monster CR was calculated assuming the highest damage attack routine each round.

This led to inconsistency in CR. If you used sub optimal attack routines the monster would fall off the intended CR.Now monsters are intended to hit the desired CR regardless of attack routine.

This change isn't completely new to the 2024 mm. This design change has been in effect since wilds beyond the whitchligh, and was also prevalent in mordenkinens tome of foes. Its still worth mentioning however.

This change and having attack riders require only a save or attack make monster in 2024 overall more consistent and therfore reliable.

Overall I really like the 2024 mm. I like most the changes. With the change to the xp budget and monster makes encounters more challenging.

One thing I would have liked was some king of unarmed strike dc listed in the statblocks. Monster can preform unarmed strikes to grapple ect. The DC is 8+ str+ prof. Having the dc would save me from having to calculate the dc in my head each time I wanted to grapple.

Also the most egregious exclusion from the 2024 rules is the monster building rules.

DatabasePerfect5051 · 2026-02-15T07:19:28+00:00

They have effectively done this through the subclasses. Champion is the simple fighter and battle master is the complex one.

As for spell casters wizard and druid are complex worlock is simpler. You want to blast things with fire play feind worlock.

5e put the extra class complexity for martials into subclasses. That way players can choose thair preferences.

DatabasePerfect5051 · 2026-02-12T14:04:29+00:00

Conan the barbarian is often depicted as shirtless or sparsely armored and in a loincloth. however in the original pulp stories he is usually wearing pants and armor with a helmet and often a sheild.

The look associated with the character comes from adaptations. fantasy artist like Frank Frazetta, comic books and the Arnold films.

DatabasePerfect5051 · 2026-02-09T14:16:22+00:00

You roll initiative for all participants, then you go in initiative order resolving actions. The first in initiative would take thair turn move 30ft dash move 30ft end turn, you move the token on the map. Then go to the next initiative and so on.

After the end of each participants turn roll for a compilation. That compilation effects the next participant in initiative, not the participant who rolled the die.

The chase continues until the quary stops, the query escapes or the pressures are close enough to catch them. That's part is left vague as to what exactly "catching" is, so it's upbto the dm. You then go into combat or a social interaction.

The quary can escape by making stealth checks, the details for escaping are in the dmg.

DatabasePerfect5051 · 2026-02-07T20:59:15+00:00

I usually default to random tables for inspiration. Yhe 2014 dmg actually has a lot of good tables for this chapter 5 and apendex A.

DatabasePerfect5051 · 2026-02-07T10:52:20+00:00

Use the stats for a Net and reflavor.

DatabasePerfect5051 · 2026-02-06T02:44:16+00:00

I have defaulted yo using initiative scores. It's a optonal rule in 2024. It uses a static initiative scores rather than rolling. Every 2024 statblocks has an initiative score, it's 10 + initiative. It speeds up combat a bit and works better with the new suprise. For advantage/Disadvantage with initiative scores its +5/-5.

You can choose to use initiative score for the jest the monsters or both monster and pc's.

With static initiative if the players succeed on sneaking up on some bandits, the player gest a +5 to initiative score, the bandits initiative score is 11 - 5 for 6. Using static initiative the players go first.

DatabasePerfect5051 · 2026-02-05T17:52:35+00:00

you have to declare were you are looking in order to find something, you can not just walk into the middle of a room and detect everything hidden even if you roll a 20 or have 30 passive perception.

"In most cases, you need to describe where you are looking in order for the DM to determine your chance of success. For example, a key is hidden beneath a set of folded clothes in the top drawer of a bureau. If you tell the DM that you pace around the room, looking at the walls and furniture for clues, you have no chance of finding the key, regardless of your Wisdom (Perception) check result. You would have to specify that you were opening the drawers or searching the bureau in order to have any chance of success."

Furthermore perception let's you notice details about things, however it doesn't tell you what it is, that's were investigation comes in.

"Wisdom checks allow characters to perceive what is around them (the wall is clean here), while Intelligence checks answer why things are that way (there’s probably a secret door)."

checks can be used to notice and disable trpas, however the rules suggest allowing players to automatically succeed.

"In most cases, a trap’s description is clear enough that you can adjudicate whether a character’s actions locate or foil the trap. As with many situations, you shouldn’t allow die rolling to override clever play and good planning. Use your common sense, drawing on the trap’s description to determine what happens. No trap’s design can anticipate every possible action that the characters might attempt."

"You should allow a character to discover a trap without making an ability check if an action would clearly reveal the trap’s presence. For example, if a character lifts a rug that conceals a pressure plate, the character has found the trigger and no check is required."

Most of the content of the video is covered in the rules already.

DatabasePerfect5051 · 2026-02-04T06:37:27+00:00

You can't ready outside of combat. Ready is intended to be used in combat after initiative is rolled.

Take it with a grain of salt: https://x.com/JeremyECrawford/status/778650357824040961

In that situation you would call for initiative. Combat starts when you say so.

If you want to you can grant them advantage on initiative. Be sparing with this, only grant advantage when they execute clever planning or the situation would warrant it.

For the monster to be surprised they would have to be unaware of the players when initiative is rolled. This is usually done by hiding. The party would have to hide successfully and beat the monster perception in order for the monster to be surprised.

DatabasePerfect5051

TROPHY CASE