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

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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."

 

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Christian Hoffer

Christian Hoffer


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Marvel's exploration of alternate universes long predates D&D.
Crisis on Infinite Earths and the quote from Gygax I quoted earlier from the Unearthed Arcana book were both published in 1985. DC had multiple crossover events going back even further in the 1940s. On the other hand the term multiverse was coined in the 1870s so neither one can claim to have invented it. Unless Gygax was a lot older than he let on.

My only point with any of this was that the term "multiverse" has been used for D&D, and other sources, since long before the MCU multiverse movies.
 

I don't have, and will probably never have the 5.5e books. Makes it hard to look at from time to time or otherwise.

The dragonborn distinction isn't enough to be a subrace. Look at the elven(or any other) subraces in the 5e PHB for what it takes. You need different abilities. Not the same ability with a different energy type.
Yes, not having the books would make it difficult to make judgments about them, but it hasn't stopped you or many other people.

And if you prefer, Fizban's has three dragonborn subraces, one for chromatic, metallic, and gem -descended dragonborn, and each has a distinct species feature (all are different from the 5.5 dragonborn too). So, at the very least there are four distinct subraces of dragonborn by your definition.
 

Crisis on Infinite Earths and the quote from Gygax I quoted earlier from the Unearthed Arcana book were both published in 1985. DC had multiple crossover events going back even further in the 1940s. On the other hand the term multiverse was coined in the 1870s so neither one can claim to have invented it. Unless Gygax was a lot older than he let on.

My only point with any of this was that the term "multiverse" has been used for D&D, and other sources, since long before the MCU multiverse movies.
"Used" and "heavily marketed" are two different things.
 

Yes, not having the books would make it difficult to make judgments about them, but it hasn't stopped you or many other people.

And if you prefer, Fizban's has three dragonborn subraces, one for chromatic, metallic, and gem -descended dragonborn, and each has a distinct species feature (all are different from the 5.5 dragonborn too). So, at the very least there are four distinct subraces of dragonborn by your definition.
I'm not paying $150 so I can talk about 5.5 on a gaming forum, and I shouldn't have to, so long as I'm respectful (and I'm trying to be).
 

Crisis on Infinite Earths and the quote from Gygax I quoted earlier from the Unearthed Arcana book were both published in 1985. DC had multiple crossover events going back even further in the 1940s. On the other hand the term multiverse was coined in the 1870s so neither one can claim to have invented it. Unless Gygax was a lot older than he let on.

My only point with any of this was that the term "multiverse" has been used for D&D, and other sources, since long before the MCU multiverse movies.
Pretty sure Gygax got multiverse from Moorcock.
 


I'm not paying $150 so I can talk about 5.5 on a gaming forum, and I shouldn't have to, so long as I'm respectful (and I'm trying to be).
No, but a lot of people make off-the-cuff reactions without actually knowing what the books say about the topic. Its hearsay, innuendo, and assumptions and then make sweeping generalizations about it based on what they think is happening rather than what actually is.
 



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