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

[dave2008]

It is not in the new DMG, totally absent along with the other Monster design tools: I really, really hope that is all in the new MM in some form. My read on the "Goblin/Gnoll/Hobgoblin/Kobold/Etc Warrior" entries is that something functionally similar to this chart, at least, seems probable.

My concern about your hope is that we already have a full stat block or a Bullywug (and Bugbear) Warrior using the 2024 format in "Uni and the Hunt for the Lost Horn." That makes me believe they are not just references to templates. But who knows, maybe because they release the adventure before the MM, they had to give it a full statblock.

 

[dave2008]

Yeah, I reckon anybreplacwmebt would be fundamentally different, given that PHB Species no longer offers ASI: more a table of ability adjustments to apply to NPC blocks (and, implicitly or explicitly, PCs?).

Though it does raise the question of what a "Veteran Warrior" or "Infantry Warrior" would represent, bit my expectation there too, is thst they may have some fun surprises with templates in the wing. I think that templates have to be one of the most underused tricks in the 5E Monster toolbox.

So we have seen hints that we will likely have:

• Bugbear Warriors
• Bullywug Warriors
• Veteran Warriors
• Infantry Warriors

The 2014 DMG had species templates for modifying the NPC stat blocks in the MM. The bugbear, bullywug, and vereran where all stat blocks in the 2014 MM. Bugbear and Bullywug were also templates in the 2014 DMG.

The list above almost makes it look like warrior would be the template (though I can't see a shared thread between the Bugbear and Bullywug warriors). Perhaps in the 2024 MM the templates are species (bullywug and bugbear here) and "class" (veteran and infantry here) and the NPC base stat block is simply "Warrior?"

IDK, something is not making sense to me right now with the information we have.

 

[Parmandur]

So we have seen hints that we will likely have:

• Bugbear Warriors
• Bullywug Warriors
• Veteran Warriors
• Infantry Warriors

The 2014 DMG had species templates for modifying the NPC stat blocks in the MM. The bugbear, bullywug, and vereran where all stat blocks in the 2014 MM. Bugbear and Bullywug were also templates in the 2014 DMG.

The list above almost makes it look like warrior would be the template (though I can't see a shared thread between the Bugbear and Bullywug warriors). Perhaps in the 2024 MM the templates are species (bullywug and bugbear here) and "class" (veteran and infantry here) and the NPC base stat block is simply "Warrior?"

IDK, something is not making sense to me right now with the information we have.

Yeah, we are definitely missing something here, which is kind of fun, means the MM will have something surprising.

In the DMG magic item section, we also know that there are a Goblin, Hobgoblin, Gnoll, and Kobold Warrior, at least (per the Deck of Illusions). So that is 8 known "Warrior" referents that the MM is covering in some way.

One of the elements they were experimenting with for the PHB in UA was categorizing the 1e base Classes in 4 "Groups": Warrior, Expert, Priest, and Mage. Wouldn't be surprised if they somehow retained that for NPC building in some capacity...?

 

[Parmandur]

So, maybe, if "Warrior" is the template...you could take "Mage" and apply it to the "Veteran" stat block to make a Gish NPC...?

 

[mamba]

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[dave2008]

One of the elements they were experimenting with for the PHB in UA was categorizing the 1e base Classes in 4 "Groups": Warrior, Expert, Priest, and Mage. Wouldn't be surprised if they somehow retained that for NPC building in some capacity...?

I forgot about that - that would be a good thing to do with templates / NPC / monsters

 

[dave2008]

.

Everything OK @mamba?!

 

[Chaosmancer]

Brute only works (worked, now) with melee weapons - not ranged weapons or other forms of attack.

So are you saying that you now have no way to make melee attacks do more damage than ranged attacks on a monster, because they let the Bugbear deal equal damage at range and melee?

Actually, if you are looking for design philosophies to glean from, that should be telling you A LOT. Seemingly across the board, ranged options were added and improved to make monsters more of a threat at range. Something which was SORELY lacking previously.

 

[Chaosmancer]

It is not in the new DMG, totally absent along with the other Monster design tools: I really, really hope that is all in the new MM in some form. My read on the "Goblin/Gnoll/Hobgoblin/Kobold/Etc Warrior" entries is that something functionally similar to this chart, at least, seems probable.

You can still patch something together if you don't have that sort of chart. If every bugbear entry has the abduct ability, then making an Bugbear mage you would give them that. And if you think Bugbears should be stronger and more dexterous than average, you can add those numbers.

I do this pretty consistently with making those NPC statblocks into Orcs, Goblins, Harengon, Genasi, Goliath, Firbolg ect, even if I'm mostly just using the Player species information

 

[Parmandur]

You can still patch something together if you don't have that sort of chart. If every bugbear entry has the abduct ability, then making an Bugbear mage you would give them that. And if you think Bugbears should be stronger and more dexterous than average, you can add those numbers.

I do this pretty consistently with making those NPC statblocks into Orcs, Goblins, Harengon, Genasi, Goliath, Firbolg ect, even if I'm mostly just using the Player species information

Oh, sure, butnit would be great if there was a formal easy-peasy chart. Better yet if it stealthed in a variety of alternative playable Species.