Coming in May: Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes! [UPDATED!]

So they just gave the title and showed the cover mock-ups; no specific info till Monday?

 

[Li Shenron]

Nice book... I am still waiting for errata reprints before buying Xanathar’s and recently I've been thinking of buying Volo's too, and now this one also. I am not in a rush tho

What I hope is there:

- higher CR monsters (5+)
- huge villains like archdevils and demon princes. If we have those already in adventure books, I don't mind reprints
- fantastic planar locations
- special magic items

What I hope is not there, or at least only in minimal amount:

- planar races: giths are ok, maybe a couple more, but I already feel we're quite bloated
- low CR monsters, particularly because they normally have no interesting features
- generic NPCs, if they feature NPCs they better be at least strongly themed to specific planes or factions
- subclasses: they did great in Xanathar but the latest UA shows they're out of inspiration now, plus they are the kind of thing that really needs public scrutiny before published (which is obviously too late for May), in addition a planar book carries a huge risk of just delivering a planar fighter, planar wizard, planar rogue...

 

[Aldarc]

Maybe the final publication will prove me wrong, but this book does not feel like it has any real focus, but, instead, it comes across as trying to do too much. I will second the sentiment that the title of the book is pretty terrible.

 

[generic]

Hiya!

Had my coffee. I'm ready to get my Curmudgeon-Grognarditis flaring up again...



This is specific and it specifically pre-empts (?) many, many, DM's campaigns where it doesn't exist (mine), or has been resoloved/changed (friends). Anything on a "Blood War" is wasted space that is too campaign-specific to be useful in a, supposedly, 'generic' book for a DM to use.




No. Just, no...again. Same problem. It's all FAR to 'campaign specific'. All this would do is clutter up pages that could have been better spent helping a DM figure out his own deity/pantheon conflicts.




Semi-no here. Maps would be pointless unless done in VERY rough idea to help DM's get a grip on just what this "Planar Wheel" layout is (us 1e old timers know it almost off by heart, but I've had some new players just not 'get it'; they have maps hard-wired into their brains that if you walk far enough in one direction you will run into an ocean, other country, etc...and the planes don't work like that because they are infinite).



Ah-HA! Now this guy gets it! If THIS was how they handle the whole book...where it's not so much as "Here is X, Y and Z", and more of "You can use the alphabet, or numbers, or shapes, or colours, or whatever to craft your own"...then I'd be TOTALLY down with that! Give me the TOOLS & MATERIALS...don't give me a completed table. Alas, I don't suspect I'll get that if the past books are anything to go by.

I believe my 1e Manual of the Planes is still going to be forced into service once again. Not that I'm complaining, mind you, I love my MotP!

^_^

Paul L. Ming

I should have been more clear, I was definitely thinking more about extremely generic planar maps. on the other hand, I don't really follow your design logic, all respect.

 

[generic]

Hmm, as others have said, "Tome of Foes just doesn't work for me."

 

[Zardnaar]

So WotC feels comfortable releasing two rules expansions a year now? Interesting.

Also, this sounds like a DM-only monster manual expansion, rather than a setting book or player-usable book like Volo's.

Sort of MM type books do not tend to bloat the game as such. And there is a shortage of higher CR foes so yeah the game can handle it fine IMHO.

 

[Haffrung]

This is one of the releases that makes me realize how far outside the norm I am when it comes to this game. Another MM? I've been playing 5E since the first Next playtests, and only got around to buying Volo's Guide a week ago. And that was mainly for the in-depth looks at beholders, gnolls, mind flayers, etc. I've been playing D&D for 38 years and still haven't used many of the monsters in the original AD&D Monster Manual.

I guess I just don't get the insatiable appetite for more monsters. Why are new monsters so appealing when you have hundreds already? And why does there seem to be no demand for a book of NPCs to make my job easier?

Personally, I have no trouble coming up with a new monster if I need one. Bile Trolls. As per Trolls, except 3/day can spew acid in a 10 by 5 cone. 2d6 damage. Done. Whereas writing up a 7th level sorcerer or 9th level priest of Tharizdun, creating a caravan, or the members of a thieves guild or mercenary band, that's hard work. Hard enough that I'd love a book of NPCs - a modern-day Rogue's Gallery. But evidently I'm far outside the norm in what I'd like WotC to publish to support my DMing.

 

[Imaro]

This is one of the releases that makes me realize how far outside the norm I am when it comes to this game. Another MM? I've been playing 5E since the first Next playtests, and only got around to buying Volo's Guide a week ago. And that was mainly for the in-depth looks at beholders, gnolls, mind flayers, etc. I've been playing D&D for 38 years and still haven't used many of the monsters in the original AD&D Monster Manual.

I guess I just don't get the insatiable appetite for more monsters. Why are new monsters so appealing when you have hundreds already? And why does there seem to be no demand for a book of NPCs to make my job easier?

Personally, I have no trouble coming up with a new monster if I need one. Bile Trolls. As per Trolls, except 3/day can spew acid in a 10 by 5 cone. 2d6 damage. Done. Whereas writing up a 7th level sorcerer or 9th level priest of Tharizdun, creating a caravan, or the members of a thieves guild or mercenary band, that's hard work. Hard enough that I'd love a book of NPCs - a modern-day Rogue's Gallery. But evidently I'm far outside the norm in what I'd like WotC to publish to support my DMing.

Aren't there NPC's in the Monster Manuals?

 

[EthanSental]

I'd be in the same group as haffrung in that I'd purchase a book of stated npcs with short backstory/motivation as a time saver. I've already bought the nord games 5e npc book and joined the Kickstarter for the new one.

I guess im partial to the old 2e heroes and villains lorebooks as after reading them in the supplement, I'd look for novels that might have them in book.

Not a huge monster book guy cause after the 3rd one for any system, your getting more fringe or limited use monsters that weren't popular enough for the first 3 monster type manuals. With that said, I'll be picking this up since the monster related entries are mixed with other cool things I might be able to use as well as a DM.

 

[gyor]

Aren't there NPC's in the Monster Manuals?

NPC templates I think, but not actual NPCs.

 

[AriochQ]

This is one of the releases that makes me realize how far outside the norm I am when it comes to this game. Another MM? I've been playing 5E since the first Next playtests, and only got around to buying Volo's Guide a week ago. And that was mainly for the in-depth looks at beholders, gnolls, mind flayers, etc. I've been playing D&D for 38 years and still haven't used many of the monsters in the original AD&D Monster Manual.

I guess I just don't get the insatiable appetite for more monsters. Why are new monsters so appealing when you have hundreds already? And why does there seem to be no demand for a book of NPCs to make my job easier?

Personally, I have no trouble coming up with a new monster if I need one. Bile Trolls. As per Trolls, except 3/day can spew acid in a 10 by 5 cone. 2d6 damage. Done. Whereas writing up a 7th level sorcerer or 9th level priest of Tharizdun, creating a caravan, or the members of a thieves guild or mercenary band, that's hard work. Hard enough that I'd love a book of NPCs - a modern-day Rogue's Gallery. But evidently I'm far outside the norm in what I'd like WotC to publish to support my DMing.

I use a lot of NPC's as foes in my campaign and have put some stuff on DM's Guild. The most useful is a book of wizards levels 1-19 (every odd level) broken down by school. I also have one for rogues.

http://www.dmsguild.com/product/185865/Big-Book-of-Wizards
http://www.dmsguild.com/product/183981/Big-Book-of-Rogues