The Monsterizer 1.1.0

It’s been roughly a year since we officially launched The Monsterizer, the most robust and full-featured monster creator available for DnD 5e. I’ve been making periodic improvements since then. Bug fixes, quality of life stuff, a few feature requests. But I want to go a little bigger for Spooktober.

Monsterizer 1.1.0 brings some exciting improvements.

What Does That Version Number Mean?

I’m using “Semantic Versioning”. The first number is the “major version”, so it will change if I rebuild The Monsterizer from the ground up. The second number is the “minor version”, so it changes when I make changes which might break previous stuff. The third number is the “bugfix version” for bug fixes and other minor changes.

In this case, I modified the data model to support changes to attack actions (see below). I don’t expect it to cause issues, but there’s a remote possibility that it might cause problems if you import data from previous versions of the Monsterizer.

Adaptive Dark Mode

I use the web exclusively in dark mode. Eye strain is no joke. I’ve wanted all of our tools to support dark mode for a long time and it took me a while to find a solution that I was happy with from a technical perspective. Well, I finally got it.

“Adaptive” means that the Monsterizer, just like the rest of the site, will use your device’s preferred light/dark settings. If you’re running in dark mode already, you’re all set. If you prefer light mode, you’ll never notice a difference.

Added bonus: This works for all of our other tools, too. Happy Spooktober.

Assisted “Attack” Mode for Actions

This feature was requested frequently after the initial release of The Monsterizer. Getting the attack text exactly right can be a pain, which often makes creating monsters frustrating even if the monster is extremely simple.

Here’s a screenshot of the “Cat” stat block’s “Claws” action. As you update the input fields, the text at the bottom automatically updates. If you go back to the regular inputs, you’ll have the mark down which was generated by the “Attack Mode” inputs as a basis and you can add any other fancy stuff that you might want.

CR Calculations Now Include Spell Damage

Previously, users were expected to add spells as actions in order to have their damage included in CR calculations. As an example, here’s the Acolyte’s tactics/CR calculations. Remember that the CR math only cares about direct damage, so while the Acolyte can do more interesting things than Sacred Flame, that’s their best way to directly kill players.

Note that if you want to upcast spells for more damage, you will still need to add those upcast spells as actions on the Actions tab. I’ve done this for the Archmage as an example because their CR assumes that they will upcast Cone of Cold three times.

New Export Options

I want people to be able to use the Monsterizer to create monsters and send them wherever they want with as little effort as possible. To that end, I’ve added the ability to export monsters to DnDBeyond, to the Game Master 5e app, and to Roll20.

The Roll20 version needs some testing and I have almost no experience with the Roll20 APIs. If you’re experienced working with them and would like to offer some help, please email me. I have questions.

New Stat Block Style Options

This one’s mostly just for fun. We now have light mode, dark mode, light mode with red text (similar to what you’ll see in official books), and “Stockholm” inspired by Mörk Borg. Other styles will be added in the future.