Monster multiattacks hard to parse about 5e-database

[bagelbits]

In most (if not all) cases, Multiattack is just using the already defined attacks on a monster. So you probably only need the name and count.

[ogregoire]

We already have a "choice" or "option" structure for similar cases, such as Half-Elf's stat option. You might want to take inspiration from those.

[jbhaywood]

How would you handle the -or- case for the Bandit Captain above, where the same attack can be used two different ways?

"The captain makes three melee attacks: two with its scimitar and one with its dagger. Or the captain makes two ranged attacks with its daggers."

[bagelbits]

Maybe something like this:

"attacks": [
  {
    "choose": 1,
    "type": "attacks",
    "from": [
      [
        {
          "name": "Scimitar",
          "count": 2
        },
        {
          "name": "Dagger",
          "count": 1,
          "type": "melee"
        }
      ],
      [
        {
          "name": "Dagger",
          "count": 2,
          "type": "ranged"
        }
      ]
    ]
  }
]

I have a feeling type would be more than just melee or ranged though.

[jbhaywood]

Sounds good. I'm going to see how far I can get with this structure. The multiattack descriptions are pretty well formatted, but some of them have a lot going on.

[bagelbits]

They really do. A lot of the attacks do, you should have seen some of the wild stuff I came across while trying to pull out damage and damage type from all monster attacks.

[bagelbits]

So, V1 for this is done. However, I guess next steps would be to handle the notes: field and convert it into something else.

[bagelbits]

I'm going to close this out for now as it's technically done. Feel free to open a separate issue for parsing the notes field.