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I had no interest in the deck or the other accessories, so I just bought the digital book on D&D Beyond, and I'd say it's paid for itself since. I've used many of the included stat blocks, magic items, feats etc. all over the place. One of the characters in a long-running campaign of mine is a...

My impression is that the lines on the table - assuming (and it's a big assumption!) they're using something that approximates that exact table still - have just had the base HP and DPR values shifted to fit the new scale. But there is a bit of variation in the higher CRs I checked, which...

I didn't, but I've been building monsters with the 2014 rules for the whole edition and I've reverse engineered a significant number of the previous MM entries at various times, so I'm happy they work (with a couple of caveats, exceptions, and minor tweaks). When I said the ones I chose were...

So, here's something I bodged together yesterday, basically for my own purposes, but it might be useful for others idk. Basically, I was curious about how the 2025 MM creatures would translate into the 2014 DMG creation rules, and whether their calculated CRs would be consistent enough to draw...

Nah, it's fine.

Their CR in 2014 was based on a DPR of 12. The DMG says you just add the damage bonus from Martial Advantage to the base DPR to give the total. It's assumed they always get it, basically. Now, we can argue about whether that's too high for a CR 1/2 creature, but it's been this way since 2014...

The 2014 hobgoblins did 5 damage base (1d8 + 1), with a 7 (2d6) bonus for Martial Advantage, which their CR calculation treated as always applying, for a DPR of 12, with AC 18. That's the same as the 2025 version, they just arrive at the numbers differently. Pack Tactics is new, yes, but it's a...

They're CR 1/2, not 2. Same as before. The extra damage is also exactly what they gained from Martial Advantage before, so the only meaningful change is the addition of Pack Tactics.

I think people are getting a bit hung up on Orc = Tough. That's literally for if you're playing an old adventure and an encounter says "5 orcs" or something, and you only have (or only want to use) the 2025 MM. In the case, use the Tough stat block, because it's the same CR and fights broadly...

Actually, using Steady Aim drops your Speed to 0 for the rest of the turn, so Withdraw has no effect - half of 0 is still 0!

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...

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

A generative AI program that has consumed a parallel universe and is encroaching on this one. Instead of mutations it's extra fingers and lifeless, uncanny valley faces with an unwholesome sheen. Instead of slime and tentacles it's endless hallucinatory slop that blindly apes but doesn't quite...

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Why would you host a party people don't enjoy? Yeah, as DM it's your job to facilitate the group's fun. That doesn't mean giving them everything they want all the time - rewards are more satisfying when they're earned - but basically, yeah, you're organising a fun activity for your friends. I...

"This book about hosting a party is just full of things for your guests to do! Where's the stuff that makes my life easier?" Wild idea, but what if one of the things that those mavericks at WotC think makes people want to DM is the chance to facilitate their players doing stuff they think is...

The 14th one down is interesting. They both seem to be iconics from the new PHB: that's the halfling wild magic sorcerer, and the one shouting is the orc gloom stalker ranger, but the latter looks a lot more human than the PHB art here - only the ears and the tusks indicate they aren't. So...

The stat blocks were, yeah, but the character races (species, now) were still Humanoids, and it was implied the monster versions were special cases, like the Eladrin. I'm fine with it; the inclusion of the Feywild in 2014 felt like a bit of an afterthought to not have to retcon too much of 4th...

New stat blocks! The MM ones aren't finalised, according to the text, but it's interesting that they're seemingly going all-in with making stuff Fey. Bugbears, Bullywugs, and Worgs are all Fey in this adventure. I don't have a problem with that (Worgs already originate in the Feywild in my...

I suspect the logic is that if a Warlock is going Pact of the Chain, then the familiar - being more powerful and capable - is part of the equation for class balance, whereas Find Familiar for another class is balanced solely against spells of the same level (and it can't fight, so whatever)...