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.

 

[Connorsrpg]

I'm Australian, and don't get the reference I think I can guess, but I don't 'get it'.

 

[Yaarel]

Spelljammer and its giff are a goofy farce, a surreal satire. Any attempt to make to be serious about them, just makes them more ‘narm’.

 

[MonkeezOnFire]

I'm not really familiar with Spelljammer, but reading the descriptions here I'm reminded of the recent Guardians of the Galaxy movies where the tone is overall light hearted, but the plots can get pretty serious and the stakes are pretty high. Would that be a close comparison? Because if so, count me in.

 

[Ilbranteloth]

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.

I was never a big fan either, in part because most of the time when publishers try to be funny and clever, it doesn't really hold up. If you ignore what the folks at TSR thought was funny (and isn't) and take it in your own direction, I could see it being more interesting. Of course, now it would be easy to do a mashup of Firefly with Guardians of the Galaxy and Cthulhu and come up with something pretty interesting.

 

[SuperSam888]

I'm really digging the Giff and the Abashai.

I'd love to see Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes include some decent Player Options like Giff, Githyanki, Githzerai, Duergar, Eladrin, and Genasi as playable races, Artificer and Mystic as Classes, and more goodies for player options (feats, spells, etc.). Maybe even a subclass or two? I know this is supposed to be primarily lore and monsters but I would love more player options sprinkled throughout. At the very least give me playable Giff and Duergar.

Sorry for the rant.

 

[SuperSam888]

Volo's got Neogi, Mordenkainen's got Giff, it's nice to see several Spelljammer races making appearances. I can only hope the compendium gets Giant Space Hamsters and says they can be familiars.

I want a Giant Space Hamster...

 

[Azzy]

I'm really digging the Giff and the Abashai.

I'd love to see Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes include some decent Player Options like Giff, Githyanki, Githzerai, Duergar, Eladrin, and Genasi as playable races, Artificer and Mystic as Classes, and more goodies for player options (feats, spells, etc.). Maybe even a subclass or two? I know this is supposed to be primarily lore and monsters but I would love more player options sprinkled throughout. At the very least give me playable Giff and Duergar.

Sorry for the rant.

There are already playable Duergar. I think they're n SCAG.

 

[Parmandur]

There are already playable Duergar. I think they're n SCAG.

Duergar, Eladris, Shadar Kai, Githyanki and Githzeri and Deep Gnomes at least are definitely in MToF, for the first time or as reprints. Hoping for more, bit we'll see soon enough.

 

[Jhaelen]

I don't mind the space hippos; very likely because of the Wizardry computer game, given that I never cared for Spelljammer.

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

That image always reminded me of the killer clown

in the Spawn movie...

But it's really all great art! I particularly like the new and enhanced Rutterkin. It almost looks like it's growing a beholder from it's hand...

 

[Xavian Starsider]

I don't mind the space hippos; very likely because of the Wizardry computer game, given that I never cared for Spelljammer.
That image always reminded me of the killer clown

in the Spawn movie...

But it's really all great art! I particularly like the new and enhanced Rutterkin. It almost looks like it's growing a beholder from it's hand...

Also a fair comparison but the thing that always stood out to me with the Paeliryon was its liberal use of lipstick, rouge and eyeshadow.