If you're a GM like me, and you have multiple sources of D&D 5e monsters from third-party suppliers, you may have struggled with how to actually make use of it all. The problem is that they're not in one place, so it's difficult to search across multiple books.
This is my attempt to create a single repository that includes:
- all monster data in one CSV
- Python scripts to create Markdown files for each monster out of the CSV, for use in tools like Obsidian
- the created Markdown files with relevant parameters.
Note that the idea is to create an index of monsters to let you find the right one more easily, not a full copy of sourcebooks. Only the following fields for each monster are included:
- Name
- Size
- Type
- Environment
- HP
- AC
- Initiative
- Alignment
- Legendary
- Lair
- Unique
- CR
- Tags
- Source
You'll still need to own the relevant sourcebooks to see the full monster stats.
... use monsters.csv. It has all the monsters stats, and you can open it up in your IDE or spreadsheet editor.
... download the Markdown files in /monsterfiles. The monster attributes are listed as frontmatter parameters.
Copy them into the directory used by your Markdown editor. You could use these in conjunction with the Obsidian Dataview plugin to search all monsters by any parameter(s) you choose. (That's what I'm doing!)
... first, add new monster data in monsters.csv.
Then, install Python3.
Modify /scripts/create-md.py to change the dir variable with the filepath you'd like the files to be created under.
cd into the /scripts directory.
Run python3 create-md.py. All monsters in monsters.csv should now have a .md file with their parameters filled out.
The goal is to have everything from the most popular third-party content. I recently removed all WotC content due to their recent actions regarding the OGL. Here's what's included now.
- Kobold Press
- Frog God Games: Fifth Edition Foes
- Monster-A-Day (Reddit)
- Nerzugal Role Playing: Nerzugal's Extended Bestiary
- Sasquatch Game Studio
- Hit Point Press: The Islands of Sina Una
- Level Up: Monstrous Menagerie (A5E)
- Darrington Press: Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting: Reborn
I got the initial data for these monsters from other people's work:
- blacktiger994 on Reddit
- Asmor of the now-offline Kobold Fight Club
- Mike Shea (Sly Flourish) for the Tome of Beasts 3 and Advanced 5E monsters
If you have other sources that you'd like to add monsters from, or if you spot typos or other errors in the existing data, feel free to add them to monsters.csv and create a pull request!
If you want to say thanks, here's my Ko-fi link. Thanks!