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?

 

[Mouseferatu]

Honestly, we're arguing semantics here.

On a D&D forum? Perish the thought!

 

[Charlaquin]

The Shadar-Kai (who are basically, pasty goth humans, aka BORING) , and the Shadowfell as a concept itself were from 4E, and neither was something I liked... nor the idea that elves/eladrin are from the Feywild (basically the faery legend First World that Pathfinder also uses). This blurb mentioning that elves were shapeshifters once leans heavily towards that origin again, and I frankly always felt that D&D does not need a separate faery world plane.

Wow, everything you just said is wrong.

Shadar-Kai first appeared in 3rd Edition, and in that first appearance they were Fey from the Plane of Shadow. If anything, making them Elves instead of humans in 5e brings them back to their 3e Fey roots. The name, “Shadowfell” originated in 4e, but the concept behind it is as old as AD&D, when it was called the Demiplane of Shadows, later just the Plane of Shadow in 3e. Though in 4e and 5e it got another new name and stole some feature of the Negative Energy Plane. In Stranger Things they call it the Vale of Shadows, although that name isn’t accurate to any edition.

They feywild is likewise not a new concept to 4e, though it did gain a lot more importance in 4e. But both Forgotten Realms and Planescape had concepts of a faerie world before 4e fleshed it out and gave it a name. Elves having formerly been shapeshifters has nothing to do with 4e, and appears to be an attempt at explaining the absurd degree of biodiversity among elves in D&D, as well as reconcile 4e Eladrin (which were basically just 4e’s high elves) with pre-4e Eladrin, which were planar creatures more comparable to the Fey-equivalent of Tieflings or Genasi.

So, you don’t have to like these changes, but claiming that them being too much like 4e as your reason for disliking them is either misinformed or disingenuous. Because it’s definitely making 5e less like 4e. Which again, isn’t a good or bad thing on its own. Love it or hate it, do it because that’s how you feel about the presentation as it is, not because of a perceived resemblance to an Edition you associate with everything you dislike in D&D.

 

[Parmandur]

Honestly, we're arguing semantics here. 130 pages might not result in exactly 130 monsters, but very likely somewhere comfortably above 100.

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More than Volo's, most likely.

 

[Herosmith14]

More than Volo's, most likely.

Eh, we'll see. It might, but I also believe Volos may have been smaller.


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[darjr]

It does seem like they bumped the page count of this book recently.

 

[Demetrios1453]

It does seem like they bumped the page count of this book recently.

I'm guessing the good sales and good buzz from recent releases have resulted in permission to bump the page count upwards, which is good news for everyone.

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[Parmandur]

Eh, we'll see. It might, but I also believe Volos may have been smaller.


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Well, yeah, obviously: smaller because fewer monsters.

 

[Quickleaf]

Shadar-Kai first appeared in 3rd Edition, and in that first appearance they were Fey from the Plane of Shadow. If anything, making them Elves instead of humans in 5e brings them back to their 3e Fey roots. The name, “Shadowfell” originated in 4e, but the concept behind it is as old as AD&D, when it was called the Demiplane of Shadows, later just the Plane of Shadow in 3e. Though in 4e and 5e it got another new name and stole some feature of the Negative Energy Plane. In Stranger Things they call it the Vale of Shadows, although that name isn’t accurate to any edition.

Shadow Elves is reminding me of Mystara...

 

[The Hierophant]

Shadow Elves is reminding me of Mystara...

They're B/X drow aren't they?

 

[gyor]

Shadow Elves is reminding me of Mystara...

She even has the piercings like a Shadar Kai!