D&D 5E Volo's Guide to Monsters: General Discussion.

[Parmandur]

Players get access to 3 new potential animal companions, the Dimeson, Velasaraptor, and Deep Rothe.



Personally I like the idea of a Drow with a Deep Rothe companion, say a Drow farmer who took his favourite rothe with his when he or she left.



For summonable Fey they have Meenlocks, Dark Ones, Dark One Elders, Quicklings, Red Caps, Yeth Hounds, Annis Hag, Bluer Hags, and best of all the Korreds.



Korreds can use Conjure Elemental once a day, so you can get it to summon a Gargoyle, Earth Elemental, Xorn, and Abu Darh (earth dwarves things). Also Otto's Irresitible Dance once a day, a rope it can command, and as long as its in contact with earth, it deals 2 extra dice on weapon attacks, both melee and a ranged rock attack.



Summoning a Darkling Elder is at at will Darkness on command and they have blindsight.

Pretty serious boost to summoning Casters!

 

[FormerlyHemlock]

For summonable Fey they have Meenlocks, Dark Ones, Dark One Elders, Quicklings, Red Caps, Yeth Hounds, Annis Hag, Bluer Hags, and best of all the Korreds.

Korreds can use Conjure Elemental once a day, so you can get it to summon a Gargoyle, Earth Elemental, Xorn, and Abu Darh (earth dwarves things). Also Otto's Irresitible Dance once a day, a rope it can command, and as long as its in contact with earth, it deals 2 extra dice on weapon attacks, both melee and a ranged rock attack.

That's a lot of spellcasting talent. Otto's Irresistible Dance especially is quite potent. Hopefully it's got a high CR to account for that--unlike the Pixie whose CR is way too low for its abilities.

From what you describe I'd put a Korred at around CR 5-7.

 

[Sacrosanct]

I've never seen anyone play a Gnome as anything but a Wizard in 5E.

I think I see the problem. This, along with previous replies from you, tells me you seem to think that whatever experience and goals you have, everyone else has the same experience and/or plays the same way. I hate to tell you....

In all seriousness though, anecdotal experience is not evidence, therefore you can't say something like gnomes are worthless unless they're gonna be wizards or something.

And that position is generally a terrible way to play the game anyway. You hide information away from your players that anyone born into that world who had lived their whole life in that world traveling to its locations and hearing its stories and interacting with its people would automatically know..

I see you're in Japan. Quick, without looking it up, tell me all the names of each daimyo in the Sengoku period. And do you think every Japanese person would also be able to give those names?

Intelligence is recollection. I don't know anyone who automatically knows everything about the area they grew up in. in D&D terms, that's why something like an intelligence check would be appropriate. The more obscure the information, the harder the DC.

As for the rest of your post? TL,DR. Sorry. I'll also note that I don't know you from Adam, and have nothing against you, but your posts are dripping with hostility and vitriol directed at the WoTC team. Please stop. No matter how much you disagree with their business model, they don't deserve such abuse and it makes you look bad and takes away from any argument you're trying to make.

 

[MechaTarrasque]

Players get access to 3 new potential animal companions, the Dimeson, Velasaraptor, and Deep Rothe.

Personally I like the idea of a Drow with a Deep Rothe companion, say a Drow farmer who took his favourite rothe with his when he or she left.

For summonable Fey they have Meenlocks, Dark Ones, Dark One Elders, Quicklings, Red Caps, Yeth Hounds, Annis Hag, Bluer Hags, and best of all the Korreds.

Korreds can use Conjure Elemental once a day, so you can get it to summon a Gargoyle, Earth Elemental, Xorn, and Abu Darh (earth dwarves things). Also Otto's Irresitible Dance once a day, a rope it can command, and as long as its in contact with earth, it deals 2 extra dice on weapon attacks, both melee and a ranged rock attack.

Summoning a Darkling Elder is at at will Darkness on command and they have blindsight.

Is the Korreds' conjure elemental the spell or an ability of the same name? If it is the spell, I could see cunning PC's breaking its concentration and letting the summoned elementals do the hard work when it turns on the korred.

 

[gyor]

That's a lot of spellcasting talent. Otto's Irresistible Dance especially is quite potent. Hopefully it's got a high CR to account for that--unlike the Pixie whose CR is way too low for its abilities.

From what you describe I'd put a Korred at around CR 5-7.

CR 7, same as Bluer Hag.

 

[gyor]

Is the Korreds' conjure elemental the spell or an ability of the same name? If it is the spell, I could see cunning PC's breaking its concentration and letting the summoned elementals do the hard work when it turns on the korred.

Innate Spellcasting.

At Will: Commune with Nature, Meld With Stone
Once per day: Conjure Elemental (Gargolye, Earth Elemental, Xorn, or Galeb Duhr), Ottowl's Irrestible Dance.

Its also has a great attack as along as its on the ground, both ranged and melee and and magic iron rope with hps that can grab enemies and grapple them when commanded by the Korred.

 

[MechaTarrasque]

I think if the goal was for monstrous races to only be good at fighter/barbarian, then they might as well have saved the space and just put "refluff the half orc" in for them. Hobgoblins are supposed to be a race of soldiers: tough, disciplined, and tactical. It seems like con/int fits that as much as con/str.

Anyway, in 5e, the fighter isn't going to die getting out of bed in the morning if his/her race doesn't have a +2 str/+1 con. I know that is how it worked in some previous editions (including some I really liked), but this isn't those editions.

 

[MechaTarrasque]

Innate Spellcasting.

At Will: Commune with Nature, Meld With Stone
Once per day: Conjure Elemental (Gargolye, Earth Elemental, Xorn, or Galeb Duhr), Ottowl's Irrestible Dance.

Its also has a great attack as along as its on the ground, both ranged and melee and and magic iron rope with hps that can grab enemies and grapple them when commanded by the Korred.

Thanks. Sounds like a tough foe. I will enjoy inflicting this on my party.

 

[tuxgeo]

That's a lot of spellcasting talent. Otto's Irresistible Dance especially is quite potent. Hopefully it's got a high CR to account for that--unlike the Pixie whose CR is way too low for its abilities.

From what you describe I'd put a Korred at around CR 5-7.

[Bolding added.]
Are pixies summonable, though? Their entry in the MM doesn't provide any built-in way to deal damage, and they are described as abhorring violence; their greatest value in combat might be 1/day Confusion and Sleep. Otherwise, if not summonable, their stated CR of 1/4 seems justified.

 

[gyor]

To compare the Korred with the Bheur Hag, she can cast Ray Frost and Hold Person at will,
3 per day each, Cone of Cold, Ice Wall, Ice Storm, 1 per day Control Weather.

Oh and she can fly on her grey staff like its a flying broom stick and she has maddening feast which can drive viewers into maddening terror for a minute.

Still best Summonable creature is still the Coutl from the MM in my opinion.