D&D 5E Wandering Monsters: Morons and Salads

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

The most awesome Monster Manual I've read in the past 10 years is 'The Bestiary: Predators' by Betabunny Publishing, and it was just animals. But it provides the template for what I'd want to see in monster manual. He even provides detailed rules for handling very common issues like: 'What happens if the PC's haul this thing back to town and try to sell it?' It's a real shame the author didn't publish Herbivores, Dinosaurs, Undead, Dragons, etc.

Last I looked, even Predators is no longer available, unfortunately.

 

[I'm A Banana]

What I think this proves is that what monsters are 'core' is very much a subjective experience.

Bingo.

Which is part of why I don't think it's the end of the world if someone doesn't like Monster X and decides not to use it. Monster X doesn't necessarily need to appeal to everyone, it just needs to be good at what it does well in play. Modrons are weird mechanical aliens with an obsession with order. That doesn't float everyone's boat. It doesn't need to.

 

[Alzrius]

Last I looked, even Predators is no longer available, unfortunately.

What do you mean? It's right here.

 

[Klaus]

Results for last week's polls were posted today. Stuff that won:

- Changing modron appearance (either by trying to make the original ideas look cool, or by completely redesigning them);
- Lower-caste modrons as a tranquil society, with higher-caste modrons as lawful individuals;
- Slaadi as aberrations, playing up the body horror/psionic themes.

 

[avin]

I fail to see why change something so niché like Modrons to appeal to the masses. People who tend to play tolkienesque games will cling to orcs and goblins anyway.

Modrons should be spared to people who appreciate them: Planescape fans. Put them in a later book, but don't mess with them.

Unless, of course, you guys at Wotc are looking for more base split, this time pissing of PS fans...

 

[Shemeska]

- Changing modron appearance (either by trying to make the original ideas look cool, or by completely redesigning them);
- Slaadi as aberrations, playing up the body horror/psionic themes.

If they try to redesign things after recent experience trying to do just that with classic D&D elements, I won't want to live on this planet anymore.

Thankfully though, something tells me that less than 2k people voting on an internet poll won't be dictating design.

 

[jadrax]

Results for last week's polls were posted today. Stuff that won:

- Changing modron appearance (either by trying to make the original ideas look cool, or by completely redesigning them);
- Lower-caste modrons as a tranquil society, with higher-caste modrons as lawful individuals;
- Slaadi as aberrations, playing up the body horror/psionic themes.

Some other interesting stuff relating to the conversation here:

Only 10% voted for 'the game just doesn't need modrons at all.'
only 2.9% voted for 'make them [Slaad] fiends'
63% voted for 'there can be super-powerful slaads without establishing a lawful hierarchy.'

Also, overall the Slaad votes where a lot more decisive than the Modron votes.

 

[avin]

If they try to redesign things after recent experience trying to do just that with classic D&D elements, I won't want to live on this planet anymore.

Thankfully though, something tells me that less than 2k people voting on an internet poll won't be dictating design.

Exactly, I was under impression 4E was a clear lesson in therms of what can and cannot be changed in lore.

 

[Weather Report]

Aligned planes are an interesting setting conceit. They are not at all essential or integral to the D&D game. BD&D didn't have them and neither did 4E, and I personally have run many a campaign without them, across all editions.

They should certainly be presented as an option, but the core ruleset should not assume their existence. Fortunately, I don't expect that will be a problem.

I totally agree, but to say that they are incomprehensible, and should not be included or what-have-you is what I disagree with; but it looks like they will be catering to whatever approach you want to take with cosmology, as it should be

 

[Tovec]

- Changing modron appearance (either by trying to make the original ideas look cool, or by completely redesigning them);

This has been covered by avin.

- Lower-caste modrons as a tranquil society, with higher-caste modrons as lawful individuals;

Not directly opposed to this actually. Unless I'm running a strict planescape game I have no problem with most members of a society being that alignment without having to be THAT ALIGNMENT. Devils are LE and care about tyranny and what not but mostly they're seeking a lawfully evil life; Asmodeus is the one who is working to dominate all the other planes.

- Slaadi as aberrations, playing up the body horror/psionic themes.

*Flips table and walks away.*

Some other interesting stuff relating to the conversation here:

Only 10% voted for 'the game just doesn't need modrons at all.'
only 2.9% voted for 'make them [Slaad] fiends'
63% voted for 'there can be super-powerful slaads without establishing a lawful hierarchy.'

Also, overall the Slaad votes where a lot more decisive than the Modron votes.

My guess with this is that the Modron questions were weak while the Slaadi ones weren't as weak. I was able to pick a choice fairly close to what I wanted (no Slaadi as fiends) for one, but had to choose between options I didn't really like at all for Modrons.