Evil Drow Statblocks to Return in Forgotten Realms Rulebooks Later This Year

Drow-specific NPC statblocks will be included in the upcoming Forgotten Realms Adventurer's Guide set for release later this year. Over the past several weeks, much hullabaloo has been made over the Monster Manual, specifically that the D&D design team replaced specific drow and orc statblocks with generic NPC statblocks that can be used for any kind of humanoids. In a video released today, D&D lead designer Jeremy Crawford confirmed that more specific statblocks tied to specific humanoid sects or characters would return in future rulebooks, with evil drow given as an example.

"Also for anyone who's eager to see more species-tailored humanoid statblocks, people are going to see more of that in our setting books," Crawford said. "You're going to see that in our Forgotten Realms products, for example. The malevolent drow of Menzoberranzan are an important part of that setting and so they get their own statblocks. This is really true of all the creatures in the Monster Manual. This is your massive starting toy box of monsters that are usable anywhere in the multiverse. The bestiaries in our setting products, that's where we can provide you versions of things tailored to the cultures and histories of our different worlds."

 

[Maxperson]

Were you upset that the 2014 MM had no dwarf or dragonborn stat blocks?

I didn't really notice to be honest, but I'd prefer there to be the races in the MM, yes.

To quote Jeremy from the video, "just as we mentioned in the 2014 books ... you can always take traits from the Player's Handbook and apply them to [the humanoid NPC] stat blocks".

The new FR book will have stat blocks for drow NPCs from FR-specific drow cultures. For all other drow, there are the generic humanoid NPCs in the MM.

I understand what he's saying. My opinion is that if I have to go outside of the MM for basic racial stuff, the MM has failed me in that instance. Having to look up spells in the PHB is different. I can't expect all the spells to be fully listed in the MM.

 

[MerricB]

I didn't really notice to be honest, but I'd prefer there to be the races in the MM, yes.

I understand what he's saying. My opinion is that if I have to go outside of the MM for basic racial stuff, the MM has failed me in that instance. Having to look up spells in the PHB is different. I can't expect all the spells to be fully listed in the MM.

Plus the traits in the PHB are designed for players, not monsters. Or did I miss the bit when they went back to the 3E method of constructing NPCs and PCs in exactly the same way?

 

[TiQuinn]

To quote Jeremy from the video, "just as we mentioned in the 2014 books ... you can always take traits from the Player's Handbook and apply them to [the humanoid NPC] stat blocks".

Yeah, but that’s really not a great answer as they’ve also stated all throughout 5th edition that the PHB is about the PCs, not the monsters. It’s not supposed to be like 3e where you just slap class levels on an NPC. Even Monsters of the Multiverse was supposed to steer further away from this with the use of spell abilities versus actual spells, as an example.

I don’t have an issue using older material but I wouldn’t be going back to the PHB, I’d be grabbing a stat block from another MM.

 

[Remathilis]

Plus the traits in the PHB are designed for players, not monsters. Or did I miss the bit when they went back to the 3E method of constructing NPCs and PCs in exactly the same way?

There are no species traits that would change a NPCs CR, so pick the ones that you want to use and add them. Give an elf NPC darkvision, fey ancestry and misty step and nothing changes CR wise.

 

[pukunui]

I didn't really notice to be honest, but I'd prefer there to be the races in the MM, yes.

If I'm not mistaken, drow were actually the only playable race in the 2014 PHB that did have stat blocks in the 2014 MM. All the rest of them did not. (Interestingly, the alpha version of the MM did have generic elf, dwarf, dragonborn, etc stats but they got removed before the final version.)

I understand what he's saying. My opinion is that if I have to go outside of the MM for basic racial stuff, the MM has failed me in that instance. Having to look up spells in the PHB is different. I can't expect all the spells to be fully listed in the MM.

OK but see - it was already like this with the OG 5e rules. If you wanted to tweak the generic NPC stat blocks in the back of the book, you had to go to the chart in the DMG to see how to adjust them.

Plus the traits in the PHB are designed for players, not monsters. Or did I miss the bit when they went back to the 3E method of constructing NPCs and PCs in exactly the same way?

I'm surprised to see you making a comment like this. You're normally very much on top of the rules. Are you really not familiar with the customizing NPC stat blocks section in the 2014 DMG? It's got a whole table with a big long list of creatures - all the PHB species plus other humanoids and even skeletons and zombies and what all you need to do to adjust the generic NPC stat blocks to account for those "racial traits".

Yeah, but that’s really not a great answer as they’ve also stated all throughout 5th edition that the PHB is about the PCs, not the monsters. It’s not supposed to be like 3e where you just slap class levels on an NPC. Even Monsters of the Multiverse was supposed to steer further away from this with the use of spell abilities versus actual spells, as an example.

This is not new (see my response to Merric above)!

And adding species traits is not the same thing as "slapping on" class levels.

The main change MotM made wasn't so much replacing spells with spell-like abilities but making it so NPC spellcasters don't use the spell slot mechanic like PCs do. That was a change that I personally disliked, but I can see why they did it. Many of them still cast actual spells, though.

 

[Parmandur]

Interestingly, the alpha version of the MM did have generic elf, dwarf, dragonborn, etc stats but they got removed before the final version

Thwt is wild.

I like the "culturally detailed NPCs are in Setting bols" approach: explains a lot of the choices in the MM.

 

[Umbran]

Mod Note:
@KentHusker and @Dire Bare

Simply put, both of you stand down in your arguing, please, before someone gets more than a note in red. Thanks.

 

[Chaosmancer]

I am mildly amused at the number of people declaring that THIS is what will get them to buy the new FR books coming out, not the 8 new subclasses and the new form of ritual-based magic the books are introducing, just the ability to have Drow statblocks that say "Drow" and "Evil" on them.


Less amused by the number of people who are offered solutions, then saying those solutions cannot possibly work, because they need WoTC to spell it out exactly for them with no possibility of them doing it differently. Wild.

 

[Parmandur]

I am mildly amused at the number of people declaring that THIS is what will get them to buy the new FR books coming out, not the 8 new subclasses and the new form of ritual-based magic the books are introducing, just the ability to have Drow statblocks that say "Drow" and "Evil" on them.


Less amused by the number of people who are offered solutions, then saying those solutions cannot possibly work, because they need WoTC to spell it out exactly for them with no possibility of them doing it differently. Wild.

I mean, to put a more charitable spin on it, I think a lot of people are going to get the FR DMs guide if it turns out to have a large and flavorful Bestiary full of cool D&D stuff.

 

[TiQuinn]

If I'm not mistaken, drow were actually the only playable race in the 2014 PHB that did have stat blocks in the 2014 MM. All the rest of them did not. (Interestingly, the alpha version of the MM did have generic elf, dwarf, dragonborn, etc stats but they got removed before the final version.)


OK but see - it was already like this with the OG 5e rules. If you wanted to tweak the generic NPC stat blocks in the back of the book, you had to go to the chart in the DMG to see how to adjust them.


I'm surprised to see you making a comment like this. You're normally very much on top of the rules. Are you really not familiar with the customizing NPC stat blocks section in the 2014 DMG? It's got a whole table with a big long list of creatures - all the PHB species plus other humanoids and even skeletons and zombies and what all you need to do to adjust the generic NPC stat blocks to account for those "racial traits".


This is not new (see my response to Merric above)!

And adding species traits is not the same thing as "slapping on" class levels.

The main change MotM made wasn't so much replacing spells with spell-like abilities but making it so NPC spellcasters don't use the spell slot mechanic like PCs do. That was a change that I personally disliked, but I can see why they did it. Many of them still cast actual spells, though.

You’re right, it is there in the ‘14 DMG along with a table to make those adjustments without having to go back to the PHB. But this is not an imagined shift in their posture on the PHB being for players, not NPCs either, and I’m going to assume Merric is referring to the same guidance that they’ve provided in the past. It’s a contradiction. Clarity rather than obfuscation would’ve been better, but I’ve come to realize you don’t get that from Crawford.