12 new monster images revealed from Mordenkainen’s Tome of Foes!

I am no good at posting pictures, so you have to go to https://www.sageadvice.eu/2018/05/09/new-monsters-images-revealed-from-mordenkainens-tome-of-foes/.

Pictures include:

Giff
Eidolon (assumed no caption)
wintery Eladrin
Eladrin design shot
I have no idea, but ugly
The scariest looking Abashai I have ever seen--looks like it deserves a high CR
Abashai group shot
I have no idea, but ugly
Marut--Not your Dad's Marut, but seriously after looking at this, why would you want your Dad's Marut?
Marut design
Something big and scary (maybe a death giant?)
Another Giff
female Drow (matriarch?)

The last is definitely the Drow Matron Mother, they showed that art during the one-on-one battles on Twitch.

 

[Flexor the Mighty!]

They've been around since 1st edition, actually...

1e MM2 I believe.

And I agree with Olgar, its hard to take the gun wielding, pipe smoking, cut from Star Wars space hippos seriously. Then again I could never take Spelljammer seriously as a whole. Not my thing.

 

[Parmandur]

1e MM2 I believe.

And I agree with Olgar, its hard to take the gun wielding, pipe smoking, cut from Star Wars space hippos seriously. Then again I could never take Spelljammer seriously as a whole. Not my thing.

Do you take Elven Wizards and Dwarven Barbarians "seriously?"

Are people taking D&D seriously.

 

[MechaTarrasque]

They were created via collaboration of Tiamat and Pearza of the Dark 8. Assuming that 5e keeps that bit of lore (which I wrote) within its continuity.

Curious why they spelled them abashai when they're abishai. Still, that typo aside, that artwork is just spectacular for the abishai.

I wonder if they aren't actually the same thing after all. I (and I think everyone else) has been assuming that, but if they are new critters that Tiamat (or whoever) created to replace the abishai, that could explain the name change and the high CR's that reportedly were seen (I think) on D&D Beyond.

 

[Ath-kethin]

And I agree with Olgar, its hard to take the gun wielding, pipe smoking, cut from Star Wars space hippos seriously. Then again I could never take Spelljammer seriously as a whole. Not my thing.

Yours is not an uncommon opinion, and I think that's unfortunate. I totally get it not being your thing, and that's fine.

But to my mind one of the real strengths of Spelljammer is it's refusal to take itself too seriously. It's a setting that recognizes the inherent goofiness of D&D, embraces it, and doubles down on it.

It's possible to run horrific and serious Spelljammer campaigns - I have done so myself, and some of the last supplements produced for the setting leaned more in that direction. But to me Spelljammer overall emphansizes the sense of wonder and amazement and possibility of D&D, without the kind of jaded cynicism that led to stuff like Planescape and Dark Sun. Planescape itself is more or less a 90s style gritty reboot of Spelljammer anyway, in a sense.

To each their own. But I don't see how a hippo dude is any sillier than Slight Elf Variation #2387 (this time, with even pointier ears!) or cat people or turtle people or pick your staple.

It's all make believe, people.

 

[Flexor the Mighty!]

Do you take Elven Wizards and Dwarven Barbarians "seriously?"

Are people taking D&D seriously.

To a degree. Those are a core feature of the D&D milieu, and the larger traditional fantasy milieu. Gun wielding space hippos, not so much.

 

[SkidAce]

Here is a scan of the lore from my book.

View attachment 97340

 

[SkidAce]

I always liked them because of change self.

Had an avatar of Tiamat encounter the group in a sin city type area with a harem of abishai.

 

[dave2008]

1e MM2 I believe.

And I agree with Olgar, its hard to take the gun wielding, pipe smoking, cut from Star Wars space hippos seriously. Then again I could never take Spelljammer seriously as a whole. Not my thing.

What you mean this guy
View attachment 97341

EDIT: ninja'd by [MENTION=7706]SkidAce[/MENTION]

 

[Flexor the Mighty!]

Yours is not an uncommon opinion, and I think that's unfortunate. I totally get it not being your thing, and that's fine.

But my mind one of the real strengths of Spelljammer is it's refusal to take itself too seriously. It's a setting that recognizes the inherent goofiness of D&D, embraces it, and doubles down on it.

It's possible to run horrific and serious Spelljammer campaigns - I have done so myself, and some of the last supplements produced for the setting leaned more in that direction. But to me Spelljammer overall emphansizes the sense of wonder and amazement and possibility of D&D, without the kind of jaded cynicism that led to stuff like Planescape and Dark Sun. Planescape itself is more or else a 90s style gritty reboot of Spelljammer anyway, in a sense.

To each their own. But I don't see how a hippo dude is any sillier than Slight Elf Variation #2387 (this time, with even pointier ears!) or cat people or turtle people or pick your staple.

It's all make believe, people.

In not into anthropomorphic animals and would say the same about cat or turtle people. The hippo people imagery looks like out of furry fic set in the 19th century. Just not my deal.

 

[dave2008]

In not into anthropomorphic animals and would say the same about cat or turtle people. The hippo people imagery looks like out of furry fic set in the 19th century. Just not my deal.

But they don't have any fur?

 

[Sebastrd]

Cool artwork, but I have a hard time taking any product seriously that has anthropomorphic space hippo naval officers.

Right? Anyone with sense knows that they should be anthropomorphic space rhino naval officers.

Then again I could never take Spelljammer seriously as a whole.

I don't think "seriously" is what they were going for.

 

[Staffan]

They've been around since 1st edition, actually...

I knew they were around before then, but I was under the impression that they were just generic devils before. That's certainly how they were treated in Planescape (where I first encountered them) which (a) didn't include white or blue abishai, and (b) didn't mention anything about ties to Tiamat or dragons.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Right? Anyone with sense knows that they should be anthropomorphic space rhino naval officers.



I don't think "seriously" is what they were going for.

View attachment 97342

 

[Xavian Starsider]

Anyone who has a problem with Giff just hasn't done enough research into the history of D&D stupid. We have over 40 years of it. Have you never considered how ridiculous gelatinous cubes, mimics and owlbears are? Yet we love them all. Every atrocity ever inflicted on this game has its fans. Anything that offends you, leave out of your games.

 

[Xavian Starsider]

Or this 3E devil that always looked to me like it was into Disney cosplay.

 

[Highland Raider]

Giff sounds like the younger brother of Biff. In fact Giff was beaten up Marty McFly and Biff in the only bonding moment they ever had.

My stomach hurts after that one, but thanks for the laugh.

 

[Enevhar Aldarion]

Are people taking D&D seriously.

Yes, they are. As seriously as people take other works of fiction like Game of Thrones or Harry Potter or Star Wars or~insulting people’s religions is against ENWorld rules. Please don’t make a habit of it.

 

[QuietBrowser]

I'm actually not familiar with older DND, so what actually are the Hippo-Folk?

They're called the Giff. They were one of the iconic races of the AD&D setting of Spelljammer, despite not actually being playable until the supplement "The Complete Spacefarer's Handbook" came out. The Giff are a race of spacefaring mercenaries, who literally believe that their race's purpose in life is to take orders. Despite this, they're fairly friendly beings, just boisterous and strong. They look goofy with their love of ostentatious military costumes, but they're actually very skilled, disciplined and deadly.

Also, they LOVE guns. It's their most defining trait; they love firearms and gunpowder weaponry, to the point you can literally pay them in gunpowder. Everyone else thinks they're crazy because, amongst the other flaws of firearms, the Phlogiston - Spelljammer's version of hyperspace - is inherently flammable, so any time you pull the trigger on a gun, you basically blow yourself up with a powerful fireball. Heck, their only known ship design, the Great Bombard, is basically an enormous cannon with a ship built around it that's just big enough to fly the cannon around.

 

[dave2008]

I knew they were around before then, but I was under the impression that they were just generic devils before. That's certainly how they were treated in Planescape (where I first encountered them) which (a) didn't include white or blue abishai, and (b) didn't mention anything about ties to Tiamat or dragons.

Someone up thread posted the 1e MM2 entry that includes the links to Tiamat. It was there from the beginning.

 

[Lord Mhoram]

But to my mind one of the real strengths of Spelljammer is it's refusal to take itself too seriously. It's a setting that recognizes the inherent goofiness of D&D, embraces it, and doubles down on it.
.

After playing through 5 editions (and then some) I'm letting that sort of be my guide - if there is humor in the PH/DMG.
1st ed had the cartoon "+5 backscrater" "Last mostser we talked to ate half the party" "papers and paychecks".
2nd - I didn't see much of it, but aside from Spelljammer it seems very serious and intense.
3rd - we had the failure for Mailee on use magic device, Karsk helping someone elses climbing by having his face stepped on.
4th - saw no humor in books at all.
5th - It may be bad art, but I love the halfling bard just rockin' out so hard his eyes are closed, and the general conversational tone of the book makes it inviting.

Even basic D&D had a cursed magic item called "Finger nail" that was a construction nail that would float and point at you if you were invisible.
Spelljammer was my favorite D&D setting, Dark Sun and Planescape my least favorite.

It seems the less seriously D&D takes itself the more I like it.