D&D (2024) Humanoids in the MM...

[UngeheuerLich]

As it stands, it sounds like a good number of statblocks are making it to 5.5, or will be radically altered so nothing looks like any particular species.

It just occurred to me. What are they doing with the Drow? Wouldn't they be humanoids like elves, or are splitting them again? If they are humanoids, shouldn't their statblocks be pulled from the monster section and homogenized too?

I hope so.
At least in the MM 2014, there are CR 1/4 drows and they are only going up to CR 8 for the Priestess.
Those can easily be covered by generic NPC stat blocks with standard drow traits added and basic drow poison (which is already in the DMG 2024).

But as soon as you get to splat books, drows are level 13 to 20.

Yes, a drow matron mother should be powerful, but it somehow bothers me, that the CR span for being drow is sooo big. Just because they are drow.

I'd rather have a chosen of Loth stat block instead. That way it is clear that it is the caretaking of a god which makes them a bit more powerful, not something inherent.

 

[dave2008]

As it stands, it sounds like a good number of statblocks are making it to 5.5, or will be radically altered so nothing looks like any particular species.

It just occurred to me. What are they doing with the Drow? Wouldn't they be humanoids like elves, or are splitting them again? If they are humanoids, shouldn't their statblocks be pulled from the monster section and homogenized too?

The already mentioned on Beyond that the Drow are humanoids and will be getting the same treatment as the rest of the humanoids.

 

[Micah Sweet]

The already mentioned on Beyond that the Drow are humanoids and will be getting the same treatment as the rest of the humanoids.

That a big swathe of statblocks specifically altered to be more generic, if they keep them at all. Are orcs and drow the only two monster groups making the switch?

 

[Chaltab]

That a big swathe of statblocks specifically altered to be more generic, if they keep them at all. Are orcs and drow the only two monster groups making the switch?

Hard to say. We don't know what Aaracokra, Bullywug, Deep Gnomes, Duergars, Lizardfolk, Merfolk, Quaggoths, and Troglodytes are going to be classified as.

I have to imagine that Deep Gnomes and Duergars at the very least are also going to still be humanoid.

 

[dave2008]

That a big swathe of statblocks specifically altered to be more generic, if they keep them at all. Are orcs and drow the only two monster groups making the switch?

What do you mean by "making the switch?" Both Orcs and Drow have been Humanoids since 2014.

It is my understanding that all Humanoids are going this new NPC route. Only monsters that switched from Humanoids to another type are getting the typical stat block treatment

 

[Teemu]

The retyping of some humanoids does have ripple effects, which may or may not have been thought entirely through by the design team.

2024 Animate Dead only works on Humanoid corpses, so you can't target dead Goblins or Kobolds for example. Same with Create Undead.

2024 Calm Emotions only works on humanoids. Not a huge change as far as creature types are concerned, but it does make the spell a bit less useful.

2024 Crown of Madness is still humanoids only, so again it's a spell that's slightly less useful than it used to be.

2024 Magic Jar is humanoids only, which could break some plot hooks. In my experience this spell is more of a DM tool, so it no longer working on certain creatures could make things trickier from a narrative perspective.

2024 Reincarnate can no longer resurrect goblins or kobolds or gith.

Obviously all the Person spells are less useful, but so is Friends, since that also only works on Humanoids.

Some spells are more useful now.

2024 Protection from Evil, Detect Evil and Good, Dispel Evil and Good, Divine Word, Forbiddance, Magic Circle, and Hallow now affect more creatures, especially creatures that you would typically encounter at lower levels or in greater numbers at higher levels.

Planar Binding now works on goblins and hobgoblins and bugbears!

Forbiddance in particular could have world-building implications since you could now protect an area against masses of goblins or hobgoblins, for example, as they'd automatically take 5d10 damage without a save. The same is true for Hallow but it only bars entry.

 

[Parmandur]

The retyping of some humanoids does have ripple effects, which may or may not have been thought entirely through by the design team.

Given that they mention this sort of thing particularly in videos, I think they did in fact think it through.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

I have to imagine that Deep Gnomes and Duergars at the very least are also going to still be humanoid

Deep gnomes, sure, no reason for them not to be generic NPC types. Duergar, maybe not. They have a bunch of weird psionic variants and a backstory that could justify making them aberrations.

Dwarf can be a subtype. We already have azzars who are elementals with the dwarf subtype.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

The retyping of some humanoids does have ripple effects, which may or may not have been thought entirely through by the design team.

2024 Animate Dead only works on Humanoid corpses, so you can't target dead Goblins or Kobolds for example. Same with Create Undead.

Ok. Elves used to be immune to animate dead in AD&D.

2024 Calm Emotions only works on humanoids. Not a huge change as far as creature types are concerned, but it does make the spell a bit less useful.

I like calm emotions.

2024 Crown of Madness is still humanoids only, so again it's a spell that's slightly less useful than it used to be.

Ok with that.

2024 Magic Jar is humanoids only, which could break some plot hooks. In my experience this spell is more of a DM tool, so it no longer working on certain creatures could make things trickier from a narrative perspective.

Ok.

2024 Reincarnate can no longer resurrect goblins or kobolds or gith.

How so? It specifies target creature. Humanoid is mentioned nowhere. Just no undead.

Obviously all the Person spells are less useful, but so is Friends, since that also only works on Humanoids.

Experience form 3e: sometimes a boon, sometimes a curse.

Some spells are more useful now.

Noticed that too.

2024 Protection from Evil, Detect Evil and Good, Dispel Evil and Good, Divine Word, Forbiddance, Magic Circle, and Hallow now affect more creatures, especially creatures that you would typically encounter at lower levels or in greater numbers at higher levels.

Seems a good buff. I usually did not use protection from evil, because it is too sepcific as humanoids used to be the most common foes at low level. And at higher levels, using concentration on a level 1 spell that only affects one creature that also cost 25 gp is meh.

Planar Binding now works on goblins and hobgoblins and bugbears!

Yay.

Forbiddance in particular could have world-building implications since you could now protect an area against masses of goblins or hobgoblins, for example, as they'd automatically take 5d10 damage without a save. The same is true for Hallow but it only bars entry.

Maybe. But not particular annoying as it is a very high level spell and protecting from goblins sounds nice.

 

[Micah Sweet]

What do you mean by "making the switch?" Both Orcs and Drow have been Humanoids since 2014.

It is my understanding that all Humanoids are going this new NPC route. Only monsters that switched from Humanoids to another type are getting the typical stat block treatment

I mean making the switch from (for example) Orc Berserker in the main section of the MM, to some statblock in the NPC section meant to model a "berserker" of any species through some unknown method. Every orc and drow statblock in the 2014 MM will be replaced by these more generic representations, and the monster entries they previously had will be removed. The same will occur for any creature who used to have an entry in the MM and is remaining humanoid, and those that were humanoid and are retaining their places in the MM are being changed to another creature type. That is my understanding of what is happening.