D&D (2024) D&D Monster Manual (2025)

[Mercador]

Sorry, I'm out of loop, they don't release a 3-core-package for the 50th?

 

[Reynard]

This book is actually probably where the most pressure is on WotC. There are so many great 5E monster resources and the official WotC books have never measured up. People on DMsGuild did far better design than the D&D team, not even to mention MCDM, Kobold, LevelUp or others.

If they are going with MMM as a base -- we'll, let's just say that book was the only time where I felt like I literally wasted money with 5E. Its "design improvements" we're anemic at best.

 

[Sorcerers Apprentice]

Because it should be glaringly obvious to them? Level, OTOH, I can see being a problem. I wonder how often it matters, but I can see that it might.

If there's one thing I've learned from working with software design, is that something that's glaringly obvious to one person, can be completely un-intuitive to someone else. Making things explicit is never wrong.

 

[Reynard]

Another thought: what do you think the Orc entry is going to look like. Obviously, I don't just mean orcs, but all the formerly monstrous species.

This is still the Monster Manual. It is a catalog of foes. But as we have seen, there are efforts in the community at large and within WotC specifically to decolonize D&D (to be clear I think this is a good thing).

A new MM creates both an opportunity and a pitfall. How do you think WotC will handle it?

 

[MonsterEnvy]

Another thought: what do you think the Orc entry is going to look like. Obviously, I don't just mean orcs, but all the formerly monstrous species.

This is still the Monster Manual. It is a catalog of foes. But as we have seen, there are efforts in the community at large and within WotC specifically to decolonize D&D (to be clear I think this is a good thing).

A new MM creates both an opportunity and a pitfall. How do you think WotC will handle it?

I imagine Orc and Orog will be renamed to Orc and Orog Warrior.

 

[Parmandur]

I imagine Orc and Orog will be renamed to Orc and Orog Warrior.

No renames, probavly, since backwards compatibility with references to the Monster Manual is a guiding principle.

 

[Micah Sweet]

Another thought: what do you think the Orc entry is going to look like. Obviously, I don't just mean orcs, but all the formerly monstrous species.

This is still the Monster Manual. It is a catalog of foes. But as we have seen, there are efforts in the community at large and within WotC specifically to decolonize D&D (to be clear I think this is a good thing).

A new MM creates both an opportunity and a pitfall. How do you think WotC will handle it?

I like how Level Up handled it. Lots of NPC statblocks that can be any heritage, with examples of what different statblocks could represent, including heritage-specific variants. But no "Orc" entry in the main text.

 

[MonsterEnvy]

Sorry, I'm out of loop, they don't release a 3-core-package for the 50th?

They never had with one exception.

 

[mamba]

I can't imagine it would be better than Level Up's Monstrous Menagerie, but I admit that it might worth looking at their takes on the WotC IP-only monsters (beholder, mind flyers, etc.)

I am partial to MMs, so that is one I get either way, and A5E’s second MM later this year

 

[mamba]

if an "arcanist" is waving his hands and creating something that looks like a Fireball, it should be declared as a spell so that it can interact with other game features that relate to spells.

interact with what? counterspell, or is there anything else?

I certainly prefer the MotM approach over the old one, never needed 20 spells in a stat block