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

[Micah Sweet]

Funny thing: frome 3.0 to 3.5 many monsters got warrior added too.

So you don't e counter a random goblin but a goblin warrior.

From a world building perspective it seems better, because not any goblin faced is a monster, but goblin warriors are probably enemies.

Or at least combatants.

 

[Kobold Avenger]

One thing is that I'm curious what an Infantry Warrior is supposed to represent in terms of the type of soldier and CR (which I think should be 1/2 CR), I thought the Guard statblock was good enough for a typical soldier despite being named "Guard".

 

[Dr_Sly]

This better be good! I’m looking forward to two main things: 1- hoping for some great visuals, and 2- as simple the stat blocks as possible to read

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Looking forward to what remains of the WotC marketing department getting fired back up in early January with previews of this book, hopefully as soon as Jan. 6.

 

[FitzTheRuke]

Looking forward to what remains of the WotC marketing department getting fired.

Glad you didn't stop there. Scared me for a moment.

 

[Sulicius]

Looking forward to what remains of the WotC marketing department getting fired back up in early January with previews of this book, hopefully as soon as Jan. 6.

Probably Jan 7th. Their announcements have been on Tuesdays 99% of the time.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

One thing is that I'm curious what an Infantry Warrior is supposed to represent in terms of the type of soldier and CR (which I think should be 1/2 CR), I thought the Guard statblock was good enough for a typical soldier despite being named "Guard".

It might be a renamed guard, to be consistent with other basic mooks being called something warrior.

 

[Thommy H-H]

It might be a renamed guard, to be consistent with other basic mooks being called something warrior.

I strongly suspect it's the new name for 2014's "tribal warrior", which was all kinds of problematic.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

I strongly suspect it's the new name for 2014's "tribal warrior", which was all kinds of problematic.

Could be both. Not very different mechanically.

 

[Thommy H-H]

Could be both. Not very different mechanically.

I'm pretty sure plain old Guard is in the DMG somewhere though. Maybe in Greyhawk's city watch? Also iirc one of the mini adventures features an encounter with berserkers leading infantry warriors in a jungle, which I'd have expected to be tribal warriors in that context.

Not a hill I'm going to die on or anything, but I've also tried renaming the tribal warrior to something less glaringly racist in the past and never came up with anything that captured the concept to my satisfaction. "Infantry warrior" isn't one I thought of, but it feels like it comes from the same kind of brainstorming effort. They want to keep all the stat blocks from 2014 to maintain compatibility with published adventures, so just doing away with tribal warrior altogether (clearly the best option) isn't going to work. This is a pretty easy swap to slip into any errata imo.