Baalzebul is back to normal (And other new lore discoveries.)

[Kendra Lawrence]

Well, you an rest assured that it hasn't really changed. Upon closer reading, the yochlol section mentions the possibility that yochlol are created from drow souls in the Demonweb Pits, so the book does seem to definitively state that drow souls go there after death.

Hmm...okay. So many rumors circulating lol. I'm not entirely thrilled about the Transcendence thing, either (sounds like too many "conditions"). Does it go into detail about the Transcendence? I suppose it isn't too different from old lore, but it does sound like there are more stipulations about entering Arvandor now.

 

[Demetrios1453]

Hmm...okay. So many rumors circulating lol. I'm not entirely thrilled about the Transcendence thing, either (sounds like too many "conditions"). Does it go into detail about the Transcendence? I suppose it isn't too different from old lore, but it does sound like there are more stipulations about entering Arvandor now.

The book does have a detailed section on aging and death for elves. But really, other than the fact that many elven souls are now said to reincarnate, nothing much has changed from previously.

If you're an elf who has followed the ways of the Seldarine, when you die, you go to Arvandor for an indeterminate amount of time (i.e "Transcend") until you are reincarnated.

If you're an elf who has worshiped drow or non-elvish deities, your soul goes to the plane of your deity.

If you're an elf who has done none of those things, your soul presumably goes to wherever such souls go for your setting; for example, in the Forgotten Realms, that soul would likely be one of the Faithless or the False.

 

[Kendra Lawrence]

The book does have a detailed section on aging and death for elves. But really, other than the fact that many elven souls are now said to reincarnate, nothing much has changed from previously.

If you're an elf who has followed the ways of the Seldarine, when you die, you go to Arvandor for an indeterminate amount of time (i.e "Transcend") until you are reincarnated.

If you're an elf who has worshiped drow or non-elvish deities, your soul goes to the plane of your deity.

If you're an elf who has done none of those things, your soul presumably goes to wherever such souls go for your setting; for example, in the Forgotten Realms, that soul would likely be one of the Faithless or the False.

Okay, that is more in line with the original elven lore. In D​eminhuman Deities, for example, it did say that some elven souls reincarnate after a time, but all elven souls go to Arvandor, and either stay there eternally or are reincarnated (unless they worshiped non-elven deities, in which case they would go to the realm of their respective deity). This is so much better than the "automatically reincarnated", which I was so upset about, since going to Arvandor is a huge part of elven...well, transcendence lol. I was getting confused there seemed to be so much convoluted info. Thanks for answering.

 

[gyor]

If they didn't ever *do* anything with that mystrey in the canon, over 40+ years, it is time to let it go, make the canon more representational, and move on.

Or do something with it now. Next adventure could have been Quest for the Ladies of the Golden Hills, how awesome does that sound.

 

[gyor]

Our first indication of a hierarch modron (other than Primus) in 5e! The Steel Predator flavor text mentions that they were originally created by a hexton modron, and in fact, the hexton was exiled from Mechanus to Sigil after its creation went awry. The hexton now has a shop where you can have it create steel predators for a price. Hope springs eternal that we'll see the hierarch modrons detailed soon!

That is so much awesome.

 

[gyor]

Since I know you are a big FR fan, I don't really think it changes the status quo in the setting, since SCAG specifically brings up this point. As specific always trumps general, and SCAG is specific (to the setting) while MtoF is general (as it references all settings), the info in SCAG on the gnome deities would logically still hold for the Forgotten Realms. MToF actually says on several occasions that it's giving a general overview and things on specific setting worlds might be different. As another example, it lists both Marthammor Duin and Muamman Duathal separately in the dwarven deity list, but in the Realms, the latter is just another name for the former (and it's implied that they're just different names for the same being, with Marthammor Duin being his name in the Realms and Muamman Duathal elsewhere). So it's no big leap to assume that the gnome pantheon in the Realms still remains all male, as per SCAG, even if MToF says something different, since MToF itself says that anything in it can be overruled by setting-specific lore...

Fair enough.

 

[Demetrios1453]

Fair enough.

And, upon further reading, here's an exact quote on the matter from the book:

"Perhaps because of each community’s particular outlook or because the gods frequently use illusory guises, several diverse ideas exist about the membership of the pantheon. In some communities, the gods are thought to be all male or all female; in some they are animals, or constructs made by Garl Glittergold. Some gnomes say Garl has five allies, while others tally eleven."

So, yeah, it really doesn't change things in the end, and for all intents and purposes, if they're all male in the Forgotten Realms, that's just how the matter lies in the setting...

 

[MechaPilot]

Or do something with it now. Next adventure could have been Quest for the Ladies of the Golden Hills, how awesome does that sound.

It sounds too focused on a single race to be an adventure than can hook a diverse party.

 

[JacktheRabbit]

It can be both a mystery and create a sexist issue. There were a lot of things written in the past (with absolutely no foul intent) that that are laced with dated concepts of gender equality that do not sit well with people today. When we revisit these ideas, there is pressure to modernize the concepts and create a more inclusive revision. That appears to be what took place here - "All male - not good optics. Let's update some of them to female."

I'd rather they said, "All male - not good optics. Let's make some women and add them to the mix and say they returned."

There are a lot of ways they could have done it - the Women Folk return from the Far Realm and are crazy corrupted versions would have been fun - but I'd rather see it than see them do what Marvel did.

Meh, not sure why anyone ever gets so worked up over fluff. Like it? Then use it. Dont like it? Then dont use it.

 

[Chaosmancer]

It sounds too focused on a single race to be an adventure than can hook a diverse party.

Maybe, but I'm sure DnD has done a single race adventure in the past, and there could be ways to tie it into the larger world and the factions.

Personally, while I'm sure the entire thing would get mucked up by the writing team, getting some attention given to one of the more.... sidelined, races of the DnD multiverse.