the-sunken-reach/docs/MONSTERS.md

Monsters

How monsters work in this app: the campaign's monster list, the built-in bestiary, and how monsters behave in an encounter.

This describes the code as it stands. The built-in list is backend/src/game/data/monstersLibrary.js. Related: ENCOUNTERS.md, NPCS.md.

Contents

1. The basics
2. What a monster holds
3. Managing monsters
4. The built-in bestiary
5. Monsters in encounters
6. What players see
7. Permissions
8. What is not modelled

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1. The basics

• Every campaign has its own monster list. Only the DM can see or change it.
• A monster in the list is a template. Each time it is added to an encounter it becomes a separate combatant with its own hit points.
• Stat blocks are the DM's. Players see a monster only as a name and a health bar in an encounter.

2. What a monster holds

Field	What it is
Name	Up to 80 characters
AC	Armor Class
Max HP	Hit points each copy starts an encounter with
Speed	Walking speed in feet. 30 unless set otherwise. Other speeds (fly, swim, climb) go in Notes
Ability scores	STR, DEX, CON, INT, WIS, CHA. 10 unless set otherwise
Attack bonus	Added to the monster's attack roll
Damage	Dice for its main attack, e.g. 1d6+2, with the damage type if you like: 1d6+2 necrotic
Named attacks	Optional, up to 8: each a name, an attack bonus, damage dice, a damage type and how many times it is made each turn (a multiattack: "Claw ×2, Bite ×1"). With any listed, these are what the monster attacks with in an encounter, in place of the single attack above
Challenge rating	A rough danger rating, e.g. 1/4, 2. It sets what the monster is worth in XP and how hard an encounter is (ENCOUNTERS.md, section 9); a monster with none, or with text that is not a rating, is left out of both
Special trait	A short note such as "Pack Tactics"
Notes	Anything else: what it attacks with, how it behaves

The challenge rating feeds the XP and difficulty sums. The AC, the attack bonus and damage (or the named attacks) and the ability scores are used when an attack or a spell is resolved in an encounter: an attack roll is judged against the AC, a saving throw adds the ability's modifier, and with auto-roll on the monster's attacks are aimed and rolled for the DM (ENCOUNTERS.md, "Attacks and spells"). A monster's ability modifiers are worked out from its scores for display, for its initiative bonus (Dexterity) and for the rolls a click makes (section 5).

3. Managing monsters

The list is the "Monsters" part of the campaign page (DM only). Each monster is a short row: its name, challenge rating, AC, HP and attack. The list has a search box, shows ten to a page, and clicking a row opens the monster's pop-out with its whole stat block.

• Adding by hand: "+ Add Monster" opens a pop-out with the whole stat block: name, challenge rating, AC, HP, speed, attack bonus, damage, the six ability scores, special trait and notes. Only name, AC and HP must be typed; speed starts at 30, attack bonus at 0 and each ability score at 10.
• Once added by hand, the monster's own pop-out opens. "+ Add another monster" at its top goes straight back to an empty form.
• Adding from the bestiary: "📚 From Library" opens the bestiary in a pop-out, and "+ Add" copies a complete stat block. Each monster can be added once: one the campaign already has by that name is left out of the list, and comes back if the campaign's monster is renamed or deleted.
• Changing: "Edit stat block" in a monster's pop-out opens the same form filled in. Saving changes the template, and copies already in encounters show the new stat block straight away; their current HP is left alone.
• The pop-out shows the full stat block: the numbers, the six ability scores, the trait and the notes.
• Removing: "Remove from campaign" at the foot of the pop-out, after a confirmation. Copies already in encounters stay there with their name and HP, but lose their stat block.

4. The built-in bestiary

38 monsters, from harmless to dangerous, every one with a complete stat block. Each library row shows challenge rating, AC, HP, speed, attack, damage and the six ability scores, plus its trait and notes, before you add it. Adding copies the monster into your campaign; the copy is yours, and later changes to the library do not affect it.

The full bestiary, weakest first. "Attack" is the bonus added to the monster's attack roll.

This list is written from the app's own data by npm run docs:lists (in /backend). Re-run it after changing the data; do not edit the list by hand.

Monster	CR	AC	HP	Speed	Attack	Damage	STR / DEX / CON / INT / WIS / CHA	Trait	Notes
Commoner	0	10	4	30	+2	1d4	10 / 10 / 10 / 10 / 10 / 10	—	An ordinary villager, armed with a club.
Giant Rat	1/8	12	7	30	+4	1d4+2	7 / 15 / 11 / 2 / 10 / 4	Pack Tactics	Bite, piercing damage.
Kobold	1/8	12	5	30	+4	1d4+2	7 / 15 / 9 / 8 / 7 / 8	Pack Tactics, Sunlight Sensitivity	Dagger, piercing damage.
Bandit	1/8	12	11	30	+3	1d6+1	11 / 12 / 12 / 10 / 10 / 10	—	Scimitar, slashing damage.
Cultist	1/8	12	9	30	+3	1d6+1	11 / 12 / 10 / 10 / 11 / 10	Dark Devotion	Scimitar, slashing damage.
Stirge	1/8	12	2	10	+5	1d4	4 / 16 / 11 / 2 / 8 / 6	Blood Drain	Proboscis; attaches and drains hp on a hit.
Goblin	1/4	15	7	30	+4	1d6+2	8 / 14 / 10 / 10 / 8 / 8	Nimble Escape	Scimitar, slashing damage.
Skeleton	1/4	13	13	30	+4	1d6+2	10 / 14 / 15 / 6 / 8 / 5	Undead — vulnerable to bludgeoning	Shortsword, piercing damage.
Zombie	1/4	8	22	20	+3	1d6+1	13 / 6 / 16 / 3 / 6 / 5	Undead Fortitude	Slam, bludgeoning damage.
Wolf	1/4	13	11	40	+4	2d4+2	12 / 15 / 12 / 3 / 12 / 6	Pack Tactics	Bite; can knock prone on a hit.
Giant Wolf Spider	1/4	13	11	40	+3	1d6+1	12 / 16 / 13 / 3 / 12 / 4	Poison bite	Spider climb; bite deals poison damage.
Scout	1/2	13	16	30	+4	1d6+2	11 / 14 / 12 / 11 / 13 / 11	Keen Hearing and Sight	Shortsword or longbow.
Orc	1/2	13	15	30	+5	1d12+3	16 / 12 / 16 / 7 / 11 / 10	Aggressive	Greataxe, slashing damage.
Hobgoblin	1/2	18	11	30	+3	1d8+1	13 / 12 / 12 / 10 / 10 / 9	Martial Advantage	Longsword, slashing damage.
Thug	1/2	11	32	30	+4	1d6+2	15 / 11 / 14 / 10 / 10 / 11	Pack Tactics	Mace, bludgeoning damage.
Gnoll	1/2	15	22	30	+3	1d8+1	14 / 12 / 11 / 6 / 10 / 7	Rampage	Spear, piercing damage.
Lizardfolk	1/2	15	22	30	+3	1d6+1	15 / 10 / 13 / 7 / 12 / 7	Hold Breath	Club or spear, piercing damage.
Black Bear	1/2	11	19	40	+3	1d6+2	15 / 10 / 14 / 2 / 12 / 7	Keen Smell	Bite and claw attacks.
Giant Spider	1	14	26	30	+5	1d8+3	14 / 16 / 12 / 2 / 11 / 4	Web, poison bite	Bite deals piercing plus poison damage.
Ghoul	1	12	22	30	+2	2d6+2	13 / 15 / 10 / 7 / 10 / 6	Claws paralyze on a hit	Undead.
Dire Wolf	1	14	37	50	+5	2d6+3	17 / 15 / 15 / 3 / 12 / 7	Pack Tactics	Bite; can knock prone on a hit.
Brown Bear	1	11	34	40	+5	1d8+5	19 / 10 / 16 / 2 / 13 / 7	Keen Smell	Multiattack: bite and claws.
Harpy	1	11	38	20	+4	2d4+2	12 / 13 / 12 / 7 / 10 / 13	Luring Song	Flying speed 40 ft; claws deal slashing damage.
Ochre Jelly	2	8	45	10	+5	2d6+3	15 / 6 / 14 / 2 / 6 / 1	Amorphous, splits when damaged by slashing	Pseudopod, bludgeoning plus acid damage.
Ogre	2	11	59	40	+6	2d8+4	19 / 8 / 16 / 5 / 7 / 7	—	Greatclub, bludgeoning damage.
Griffon	2	12	59	30	+6	2d6+4	18 / 15 / 16 / 2 / 13 / 8	Keen Sight	Flying speed 80 ft; multiattack beak and claws.
Ankheg	2	14	39	30	+6	2d6+4	17 / 11 / 13 / 1 / 13 / 6	Burrow speed 10 ft; can spit acid	Bite, piercing plus acid damage.
Manticore	3	14	68	30	+5	1d8+3	17 / 16 / 17 / 7 / 12 / 8	Tail spikes (ranged)	Flying speed 50 ft; multiattack claws or tail spikes.
Basilisk	3	15	52	20	+5	2d6+3	16 / 8 / 15 / 2 / 8 / 7	Petrifying Gaze	Bite, piercing damage.
Owlbear	3	13	59	40	+7	1d10+5	20 / 12 / 17 / 3 / 12 / 7	Keen Sight and Smell	Multiattack: beak and claws.
Wight	3	14	45	30	+4	1d8+2	15 / 14 / 16 / 10 / 13 / 15	Life Drain, Sunlight Sensitivity	Longsword or life-draining touch.
Werewolf	3	12	58	30	+4	1d8+2	15 / 13 / 14 / 10 / 11 / 10	Shapechanger, regeneration	Bite (hybrid/wolf form) or multiattack claws + bite.
Doppelganger	3	14	52	30	+4	2d4+2	11 / 18 / 14 / 11 / 12 / 14	Shapechanger, Ambusher	Multiattack slam.
Displacer Beast	3	13	85	40	+7	2d6+4	18 / 15 / 16 / 6 / 12 / 8	Displacement (attacks vs. it have disadvantage)	Multiattack: two tentacles.
Ettin	4	12	85	40	+7	2d8+4	21 / 8 / 17 / 6 / 10 / 8	Two heads — advantage on Perception, can’t be surprised easily	Multiattack: battleaxe and morningstar.
Hill Giant	5	13	105	40	+8	3d8+5	21 / 8 / 19 / 5 / 9 / 6	—	Greatclub, bludgeoning damage.
Troll	5	15	84	30	+7	2d6+4	18 / 13 / 20 / 7 / 9 / 7	Regeneration (vulnerable to fire/acid)	Multiattack: bite and two claws.
Wraith	5	13	67	0	+6	4d8+4	6 / 16 / 16 / 12 / 14 / 15	Incorporeal, life drain, flying 60 ft	Undead; life drain touch attack.

5. Monsters in encounters

On an encounter page, the DM chooses "Monster" in the "Add to the scene" panel, picks one, says how many, and types its initiative or leaves it to be rolled ("🎲 Roll initiative for N monsters and NPCs" rolls a d20 plus the Dexterity modifier for each that has no roll).

• The same monster can be added any number of times, up to 20 in one go. Each copy has its own HP and conditions. Copies added together are numbered ("Goblin 1" to "Goblin 4"); one added on its own has the monster's name. The screen has no way to rename one (the API allows it).
• A copy starts at the monster's max HP. Its HP stays between 0 and its max.
• At 0 HP a copy is marked Down and dimmed, but keeps its place in the initiative order until the DM removes it.
• HP belongs to the encounter: a monster starts fresh in the next one.

The DM's card for a monster shows AC, speed, attack bonus and damage at a glance, and under "details" its six ability scores with modifiers, its trait and its notes. Attack, Damage and each ability score roll when clicked: a d20 plus the attack bonus, the damage dice, or a d20 plus the ability's modifier. Of damage written with more after the dice ("2d8+3 fire") the dice are rolled; damage that does not start with dice is shown but does not roll.

6. What players see

Players see	Players never see
The monster's name	AC, speed, attack bonus, damage
Its health bar and current/max HP	Ability scores, challenge rating
Its conditions	Trait and notes
Its place in the initiative order	The campaign's monster list

This is enforced by the server: stat blocks are never sent to a player's browser.

Players see a monster's exact HP numbers unless the campaign setting "Players see the exact hit points of monsters and NPCs in encounters" is unticked. Then they get the health bar only.

7. Permissions

Action	DM	Players
See the monster list and stat blocks	Yes	No
Browse the built-in bestiary	Yes	Yes (it is standard reference material)
Add or remove monsters	Yes	No
Add a monster to an encounter	Yes	No
Change a monster's HP, initiative or conditions	Yes	No
See a monster in an encounter	Everything	Name, HP, conditions

8. What is not modelled

• Spells, legendary actions and resistances (use Notes; in an encounter the DM can spell out any attack or save on the spot)
• Trade: monsters do not sell things or change money (NPCs do)
• Saving throw proficiencies and skills (on an encounter card a click on an ability score rolls a d20 with its modifier, for a check or a save)
• XP typed in for a monster: it always comes from the challenge rating
• Monster hit dice, and rolling HP rather than using the fixed value