Help settle a debate if you have a moment. When you guys design monsters do you think about the balance and pacing of a battle they’re going to be in or do you think about their story and how that story translates into monster statistics? Both! A monster's story sets the stage for the design of its stat block. Then, as we refine the rules details, we consider the effect of our design on play and make appropriate adjustments.

— Jeremy Crawford (@JeremyECrawford) May 22, 2018