D&D 5E Rename the Monster Manual

[Ruin Explorer]

How about: Anthology of People with different opinion?

Surely that's a more apt summary of the PHB, given most adventuring groups?

 

[jmartkdr2]

Re: naming, I think it's fine, because the MM has always had a lot of stuff which isn't monsters in it, but I do think it might be worth designing the MM to more clearly separate free-willed humanoids and the like from the rest, and it would be downright useful if they made stuff like "Bandit", "Barbarian", "War Wizard" and so on into stat blocks which you could then apply a specific race to, adding X abilities (but they'd obviously be runnable without applying a race - many races would just give something like Darkvision or whatever). As races and stat bonuses are being disconnected already, stat blocks wouldn't be an issue. Even leaving social stuff aside, I think that would be a better design. If I just wanted bandits right now I could just run the block without applying a race (because the chances of it being relevant in any given combat are slim) and describe as I wish, but if I wanted to do something more detailed, I could add actual racial abilities.

Building on this: no stat blocks for goblins, just a section on their culture and some notes on how to change existing stat blocks (ie bandit, cultist, mage) to reflect goblins as opposed to the more generic block (which is presumably human)?

I can see that working, actually. I'm not sure it's really better, but maybe it is.

 

[R_J_K75]

How about: Anthology of People with different opinion?

Or..."Can't We All Just Get Along"

 

[Fenris-77]

Antagonists sounds too negative and judging though.

How about: Anthology of People with different opinion?

I prefer Anthology of People Entitled to My Opinion.

 

[WayOfTheFourElements]

Surely that's a more apt summary of the PHB, given most adventuring groups?

Hey, man! Player's Handbook is discriminatory to women. Players are cheating, double-dipping, womanizers. I think you mean the Heroes' Guide to Mutually Beneficial Tolerance and Equally Distributed Treasure Hordes.

 

[Ruin Explorer]

Building on this: no stat blocks for goblins, just a section on their culture and some notes on how to change existing stat blocks (ie bandit, cultist, mage) to reflect goblins as opposed to the more generic block (which is presumably human)?

I can see that working, actually. I'm not sure it's really better, but maybe it is.

I think it could be better. With Goblin you say "They have these innate abilities - 60' Darkvision, Small Size and blah" and "X typical Goblin culture has these cultural abilities". You'd maybe one more than one bandit type, but like, "Bandit Archer" could be a mean Elf or a Goblin equally easily, just you'd apply the racial traits if you wanted. But in real game terms in most cases the racial traits will never come up mechanically, and I'm pretty sure we don't need a rulebook to tell us Elves speak Elvish and Goblins speak Goblin and so on.

 

[Mirtek]

The Dungeon Master title is probably offensive to the BDSM culture, who didn't ask to be appropriated by the dominant and overpowering geek culture.

I think you're on the right track, just not far enough.

The issue already starts with the name of the game itself.

[Appropriation_of_BDSM_Culture]&[Exclusion_of_Non-draconic-people]

Change needs to start right there!

 

[Ruin Explorer]

Hey, man! Player's Handbook is discriminatory to women. Players are cheating, double-dipping, womanizers. I think you mean the Heroes' Guide to Mutually Beneficial Tolerance and Equally Distributed Treasure Hordes.

You're tripping. You think women can't be players? That's some pre-1970s stuff right there. Did you somehow miss all the weepy '90s R&B about female players? Keep up dude!

 

[Fenris-77]

Treasure hordes are the property of the people. Of course the Capitalist swine want to swoop in a abscond with them to fuel the filthy fires of captial. Kobolds of the world unite! The uprising is at hand, sons and daughters of the dragon! Revolution!!
- quote from Das Treasure Horde, by Kobold Marx

 

[Olrox17]

I think you're on the right track, just not far enough.

The issue already starts with the name of the game itself.

[Appropriation_of_BDSM_Culture]&[Exclusion_of_Non-draconic-people]

Change needs to start right there!

What, you think the "Dragons" part of "Dungeons & Dragons" is offensive to non-dragons? I beg to differ, sir! It's actually offensive towards dragons, reinforcing an offensive stereotype of dragons as basement dwelling, greedy, violent thugs!