D&D (2024) Another D&D 2024 Monster Preview: The Kuo-Toa!

Following the ancient green dragon preview, here's a look at another iconic D&D monster from the 2025 Monster Manual!

 

[Parmandur]

IMO gnolls where a bigger foul-up.

I'm a great believer in the Babel Fish argument when it comes to religion in D&D. Uncertainty is essential to religion. Without uncertainty there is no faith, and with no faith it's just a hierarchical dictatorship with a very powerful but perfectly understandable being at the top.

Keith Baker is clearly a great believer in the power of creative uncertainty when it comes to world building.

The last 20 years are in many ways the stoey standard D&D lore catching up to Eberron.

 

[Chaosmancer]

IMO gnolls where a bigger foul-up.

Gnolls are weird to me. Like, on one hand, I can picture and like them as fiendish beings with no conception of anything beyond slaughter and mayhem. On the other, I can picture and like them as really cool tribal people with bestial instincts but a thriving culture.

I can literally 180 them at any time and be happy with the end result.

I'm a great believer in the Babel Fish argument when it comes to religion in D&D. Uncertainty is essential to religion. Without uncertainty there is no faith, and with no faith it's just a hierarchical dictatorship with a very powerful but perfectly understandable being at the top.

Keith Baker is clearly a great believer in the power of creative uncertainty when it comes to world building.

I think this might be what is tripping me up. I don't see the Kua-toa gods as part of a religion, I see them now (because of Baker) as a mechanic. It is like having the Kraken Priest and following it up with "and the Kraken may or may not exist as the being behind the kraken priest".

I like uncertainty and broad definitions in other places, but just like I enjoy the Mindflayers being former galactic conquerors who are all connected in a hive mind via the Elder Brains which are connected themselves, I like the Kua-Toa being reality warpers, or being creatures that are deeply connected and controlled by strange, malevolent beings from the deeps. If all of that is a lie, then it gives them a bad flavor of just being dumb fish people who think they are important, but really don't matter.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

dumb fish people

They are certainly this in BG3. Although if you can persuade them to worship you you get (modest) powers. So there is some reality warping going on.

 

[Nefermandias]

That's what I thought. Even the bad guys can't be slavers now, or at least no one can ever have been slaves. I suppose all the armies in the setting just kill all their prisoners? That's where most slaves came from historically.

It seems using people as live experiment subjects is somehow more acceptable than forced labor.

 

[Zaukrie]

The lack of changes from 2014 makes me wonder what the purpose of the new MM is? (Other than making money) The skeletons didn't really change either. If they're just fixing solos, I'm disappointed.

So many great monster books over the last decade with interesting monster abilities....

 

[MonsterEnvy]

The lack of changes from 2014 makes me wonder what the purpose of the new MM is? (Other than making money) The skeletons didn't really change either. If they're just fixing solos, I'm disappointed.

So many great monster books over the last decade with interesting monster abilities....

From the guy who shared the previews the text is not final.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Other than making money

Don't know making money, companies that don't, die. And the trouble with selling games is that once your customer has bought it they can play it as much as they like for as long as they like without giving you any more money. You need to find some way to persuade them to pay again. Hence all the themed Monopoly sets, and why RPGs produce a new edition every couple of years. The economics require it.

So, whist there are a few tweeks and extra monsters, and a slight change in format, if you are on a budget there is really no need for you to rush out and buy the new Monster Manual until your old one falls to pieces. I wont be, never have, and this is my fifth rodeo. There are plenty of people who have plenty of money and like shiny new things, and new players will automatically buy the new book.

 

[Zaukrie]

From the guy who shared the previews the text is not final.

We can hope.....

 

[Zaukrie]

Don't know making money, companies that don't, die. And the trouble with selling games is that once your customer has bought it they can play it as much as they like for as long as they like without giving you any more money. You need to find some way to persuade them to pay again. Hence all the themed Monopoly sets, and why RPGs produce a new edition every couple of years. The economics require it.

So, whist there are a few tweeks and extra monsters, and a slight change in format, if you are on a budget there is really no need for you to rush out and buy the new Monster Manual until your old one falls to pieces. I wont be, never have, and this is my fifth rodeo. There are plenty of people who have plenty of money and like shiny new things, and new players will automatically buy the new book.

I'm not complaining about them making money, I just can't see why this book is getting so little change, apparently, compared to the PHB and DMG. From what we've seen and been told.

 

[Parmandur]

The lack of changes from 2014 makes me wonder what the purpose of the new MM is? (Other than making money) The skeletons didn't really change either. If they're just fixing solos, I'm disappointed.

So many great monster books over the last decade with interesting monster abilities....

Well, it does have nigh 200 more stat blocks. The formatting here is somewhat different, and changing the lore around is probably extremely important from a brand survivability perspective.

For me, the new art and slight CR tweaks, plus the new Monsters, is worth it.