Coming in May: Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes! [UPDATED!]

So they just gave the title and showed the cover mock-ups; no specific info till Monday?

 

[Morrus]

The next book (both covers - standard and special edition - shown below) is a monster book/multiverse guide called Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes. On Monday the official press release will be coming with more information. Amusingly, the books that Mike Mearls and Nathan Stewart held up in today's "Fireside Chat" said "Tomb of Foes"; fortunately these are just mockups and the book is still being worked on for a May release. More info on Monday! [5 FEB UPDATED WITH PRESS ANNOUNCEMENT]

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(2nd Feb) Discover the truth about the great conflicts of the D&D multiverse in this supplement for the world's greatest roleplaying game.

This tome is built on the writings of the renowned wizard from the world of Greyhawk, gathered over a lifetime of research and scholarship. In his travels to other realms and other planes of existence, he has made many friends, and has risked his life an equal number of times, to amass the knowledge contained herein. In addition to Mordenkainen's musings on the endless wars of the multiverse, the book contains game statistics for dozens of monsters: new demons and devils, several varieties of elves and duergar, and a vast array of other creatures from throughout the planes of existence.

$49.95 / May 29th, 2018 / 256 pages, hardcover
(pagecount updated to 256; confirmed by WotC's Jeremy Crawford)

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It's already available for pre-order over on Amazon.

What we know in no particular order (thanks to various posters below):

• 130+ pages of monsters
• Structurally similar to Volo's Guide to Monsters
• "Conflict-themed"
• Blood War, Githzerai vs Githyanki, elves vs drow, dwarves vs. duergar, other planar conflicts; also under dark vs planar conflicts such a Gith vs Mindflayers.
• Greyhawk is the primary example for the core race lore
• At least half the monsters are CR 10 or above
• Advice on running high CR monsters
• Focus on cosmological conflicts
• Gith, mindflayers, drow, elves, elastin, shadar-kai as an elven sub-race, sea elves
• Shadar Kai gain Trance, Fey Ancestory, Keen Senses, Elvish, (they had Darkvision already), and a 700 year life span (or more)
• Many monsters are Shadowfell-related
• Guide to Planes for DMs
• Planar subraces
• Backgrounds for tieflings
• 8 tiefling subraces: Zariel, Mephosilies, Belzebub, Feirna/Beliel, Glaysa, Levisitus, Dispater, Mammon
• Cultists (abyssal and infernal)
• Archedevil and demon cults
• Devil society, hierarchy, government, bureaucracy
• All common races except humans touched on
• Shemeska the Maurader
• Leviathan as an Elder Elemental that is Tarrasque level
• Playable Mindflayers will never, ever be a thing in D&D
• ​Plenty of random tables for both DMs and players
• ​Clockwork constructs built by gnomes
• Gnome invention table
• Non-humanoid eldarin
• New yugoloths
• ​Elves have so many different forms because they used to be shapeshifters before their fall from being Fey

UPDATES (5th Feb)! The announcement from WotC has arrived.

One of the most powerful wizards in the Dungeons & Dragons multiverse shares some of his hard-won knowledge with fans in a new book full of lore and monsters for D&D fifth edition. Mordenkainen’s Tome of Foes is available everywhere on May 29, but you can pick up a limited alternative cover in game stores on May 18, 2018.

Mordenkainen hails from the City of Greyhawk, but over the eons he has expanded his mastery of the major conflicts in the multiverse. Similar to 2016’s Volo’s Guide to Monsters, Mordenkainen’s Tome of Foes not only contains everything you need to run challenging new monsters at the table with your friends but also provides tons of storytelling information on some of the most contentious relationships in the multiverse. You’ll learn more about the schism between drow and other elves, githyanki and githzerai, and dwarves and duergar, in addition to reading about the incessant Blood War between demons and devils.

Players will love to delve into Mordenkainen’s Tome of Foes to search for story hooks to use with their characters, as well as try out some of the player options for races like tieflings and elves, or maybe an otherworldly githyanki or githzerai. Dungeon Masters looking for inspiration and greater challenges for players who have reached higher levels of play will find much to explore in Tome of Foes.

Look for Mordenkainen’s Tome of Foes in your local game store on May 18! Otherwise, you can pick it up on May 29, and start adding new monsters and lore nuggets to your D&D sessions.

[video=youtube;r93sKXCvXQ4]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r93sKXCvXQ4[/video]
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A transcript of the above video can be found here.

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From artist Jason Rainville is the gorgeous wraparound cover art, along with some closeups.

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[hawkeyefan]

My guess would be an NPC Guide type of book. Stats for named enemies including lots of long established NPCs.

That's what I'd like it to be, anyway. I guess we'll find out Monday.

 

[BMaC]

At the end of the stream Stewart said, "Not a Monster Manual 3."

 

[Ghost2020]

Looks like Tomb of Foes....
Typo in the mockup?!
LOL sheesh!


Still, cool! Looking forward to this one. I loved the 4e Manual of the Planes, hopefully this will be in that same vein.

 

[Demetrios1453]

As I asked in the other thread, can anyone read the small print descriptions?

Also, the cover art pretty much confirms it's Planar, from the orrery theme to the wheel of Outer Planar glyphs around Mordenkanen's head. So high level planar creatures and lords?

Sent from my [device_name] using EN World mobile app

 

[darjr]

Tomb is a typo. The video will get archived soon.

It was the wrong mockup, wonder what the real one looks like.

 

[Vexorg]

So WotC feels comfortable releasing two rules expansions a year now? Interesting.

Also, this sounds like a DM-only monster manual expansion, rather than a setting book or player-usable book like Volo's.

 

[Vexorg]

Edit: You're right deme, looks planar.

 

[darjr]

Morrus had a typo too! Tomb of Foes