D&D (2024) 2025 Monster Manual All You Need to Know video link is up.

[SteveC]

Did TSR make a good one? If so, I certainly missed.

I still have my AD&D screen and break it out at conventions. I can tell who the old farts are because there are always comments. It's useful for AD&D and works wonderfully for that. Nowadays, I use it as a conversation piece.

 

[Remathilis]

Did TSR make a good one? If so, I certainly missed.

Not really. The best ones were the ones that came in setting box sets and had the unique rules to that setting on them (like the moon charts or the power check %s) thus requiring one less book flip. But the generic ones have always been middling.

EDIT: they were certainly more useful when attack matrixes and save tables were needed.

 

[darjr]

Live now.

 

[dave2008]

The art looks great - new balor look is pretty awesome.

They show a lot of dragon art - I assume/hope it is all in the book!

I like the hobgoblin art.

Not really feeling the beholder art though

 

[dave2008]

They mention the book has many lists that describe variations to monsters. These are in the particular monster entry.

Also, they talk about removing some of the "deep lore" aspects. Some will like that, some will not.

 

[abirdcall]

"animated objects contain a table..."

Well, yeah, it better.

 

[dave2008]

NPC stat blocks return (no surprise there) and added more types and variants.

 

[dave2008]

Low CR monsters tend to have small tweaks, but you get more new things the higher you move up in CR.

Example: Vampire section has more vampires with 3 new options (low, medium, & high CR) + the vampire spawn and standard vampire (with tweaks). All vampires get a version of trait/action/reaction that allows them to move in & out of combat.

 

[dave2008]

Goblins get a spellcasting option (return from 4e), the goblin hexer and a new lower CR goblin (goblin minion). Made sure all goblin statblocks fit together and feel like a group that works together.

Same with Gnolls (they are fiends now) and other groups of monsters. The groups work together.

 

[dave2008]

Creature type shifts, for mechanical and/or narrative reasons.

Goblins - fae
Gnolls - fiends