D&D (2024) I have a Monster Manual. AMA!

[Paul Farquhar]

If you added the orc traits from the PHB to a CR 1/8 or 1/4 stat block you will end up with something that is a pretty good fit for CR 1/2.

 

[TaranTheWanderer]

But why are they elementals? What purpose does it serve?

Now PCs can murder-hobo them guilt-free because they aren’t “people”.

I’m saying that tongue in cheek but I wonder if there’s a sliver of truth to it. I suppose it depends on how DMs use these “categorizations”.

 

[mamba]

I hadn't until Garrett's post made me look up the Troll, but I suspect that it's not the only one. I'll let you know if I spot any.

doesn’t sound like there are a lot of them

 

[Maxperson]

So... it boils down to: you don't like the change so it must be silly?

Nah. Let's turn lizards into elementals for no really good reason is pretty universally silly.

I don't like the merman change, either, but it's not one I'd call silly. So "don't like the change" can't be what it boils down to.

 

[Maxperson]

I think it is silly that this causes so much uproar. But everyone can think what they want. It is no fact.

My pet peeve is making orcs toughs now. 32 hp. On Orcs. 1/2 level creatures. I hate bags of HP. And then they get multiattack. And are not really strong.

So my orc warriors will probably use a different stat block...

Doubling down on one of the worst things in 5e combat isn't the solution to bags of HP = boring fights.

 

[TwoSix]

But why are they elementals? What purpose does it serve?

Because it reinforces their diegetic expression as geomancers?

It's expressing the narrative reality as a mechanic.

 

[TwoSix]

I think it is silly that this causes so much uproar. But everyone can think what they want. It is no fact.

My pet peeve is making orcs toughs now. 32 hp. On Orcs. 1/2 level creatures. I hate bags of HP. And then they get multiattack. And are not really strong.

So my orc warriors will probably use a different stat block...

I'm still shocked that people were using stat blocks for bog-standard humanoids. I haven't done that in decades.

 

[TwoSix]

Nah. Let's turn lizards into elementals for no really good reason is pretty universally silly.

Lizardmen, in aggregate, are still humanoids.

This specific lizardman, the geomancer, has the elemental(earth) type because of his magic. That would still be true if I reskinned the geomancer into an orc or a human.

 

[Remathilis]

Not natural is the best explanation. If scientists went to the lab and used science and DNA to create a lion, snake, goat hybrid with the head of each and the body of the lion, nobody is going to call that a natural beast. Monstrosities are the magical equivalent to that.

God, shmod-- I want my monkey man.

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[DEFCON 1]

If people really need a standard Orc or Lizardman statblock for their games... you can always just use your 5E14 Monster Manual statblock. No one is going to care that you used a product outside of the 5E24 books.

Or if you don't want your Lizardman Geomancer to be classified under the 'elemental' umbrella so that your player can cast Hold Person on it... then you can just take the category off. No one is going to care that you do that.

Sure, people can ask why WotC made these changes... but it doesn't actually matter what the answer is, does it? No matter how they respond, you are still going to have to change it yourself if you don't like it. So why waste your time getting all worked up about it? Spend the few moments you'd normally spend writing a screed here on the boards to pull your 5E14 MM off your shelf and use that, or take a pen and cross out whatever monster categories you don't like in the 5E24 MM.