Monster Vault

[Arbanax]

So the new article for monster vault is up. I'm liking what I'm seeing especially as the essentials line seems to be trying to put everything you need in a single box. So here we have another adventure (4th level) tokens with some nifty ideas and a battlemap, together with the monsters.

I'm not up on the complete list of changes since MM3 came out, but it will be interesting to see what this shapes up to be.

One disappointment to me, is I can't find it listed on Amazon uk and the release date isn't till NOV? which seems a bit far away if you've started playing essentials only. No monsters save those you've got already kids six + weeks after you've started playing with your friends?

Anyway all looking good otherwise.

Ab

 

[Aegeri]

That beholder is perfect for my game next week, I'll just power swap some things and give it a more elemental theme and I have a great elementally twisted beholder. The tokens sound like a god send for my IRL campaign especially.

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

We have build our own Enorminators for our game, made from wood. We have one or two for medium and one or two for large size bases.

 

[avin]

I've preordered Monster Vault, happy to have MM1 monsters updated... but, seriously, this is 4.5 in disguise...

Shame on you, Wizards, shame on you...

 

[Dice4Hire]

This looks good. I kinda wish there were a version without the tokens, though.

It will be nice to get the more iconic monsters done in the newer minster formats and more balanced to the current design. It has been a long time since I used a MMI monster,the flaws are so obvious now.

 

[TerraDave]

It looks great!

But ya, its leaving 4E "classic" way behind.

 

[Scribble]

I've preordered Monster Vault, happy to have MM1 monsters updated... but, seriously, this is 4.5 in disguise...

Shame on you, Wizards, shame on you...

But nothing has changed to make the old monsters less effective or fun then they were in the past.

They still remain just as effective as they always were.

 

[cavalier973]

One disappointment to me, is I can't find it listed on Amazon uk and the release date isn't till NOV? which seems a bit far away if you've started playing essentials only. No monsters save those you've got already kids six + weeks after you've started playing with your friends?

Anyway all looking good otherwise.

Ab

It's my understanding that the DM kit will have a selection of monsters to tide you over until the Vault is released. Assuming, of course, that you will be purchasing the DM kit.

 

[Vaeron]

I hate to rain on anyone's "this is 4.5!" parade, but the version of the Gauth featured in the Ampersand article is virtually identical to the one already appearing in the Monster Builder; his melee to-hit has actually gone down from +12 to +10, and he's gotten a +2 damage to his fire ray.

The Huge Carrion Crawler is also very similar except for the damages - the attack that's now a 2d12 + 12 was a 1d4+5 in the MM1, absolutely pathetic in a 17th level monster. Interestingly, much of the 'controller' effects are blunted in this new version of the monster. For example, the Monster Builder version imposes a -5 to saves versus its stuns, which was fairly brutal. That penalty doesn't appear in the new version.

So it seems like anyone who has the Monster Builder has these monsters in their new format already, just without the new MM3 era math applied. That's an easy change. And will be corrected when the Adventure Tools essentials update happens. So for those not interested in tokens, this is probably a totally skippable product.

 

[Shroomy]

"Enorminator," someone (or someone's kids) must be watching a lot of Phineas & Ferb!