D&D 5E (2024) Cthulhu Confirmed!

[Parmandur]

Looks like 385 Hit Points which seems a tad light IMHO.

...lets hope Cthulhu doesn't run afoul of a group of 13th-level Adventurers.

I mean, Lord have mercy on anything that runs afoul of a group of Level 13 Adventurers fresh from a long rest.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Since this seems pretty clearly similar to Forge of the Artificer, I reckon there will be Campaign Frames and Bastions

It seems to be quite a lot longer, so certainly those! If you build a bastion in Ravenloft, does that make you a dark lord?

One thing that occurred to me is that as well as being a mechanical patch for VGR, it might also be a mechanical patch for CoS, in terms of updated monster stat blocks. 5.0 stat blocks work with 5.5 rules, but the style is a little different and they are a little weaker. Strahd at least looks like getting a new stat block, but we might also get the likes of Baba Lysaga (sp?) and her creeping hut updated.

Also, as I said, I think there will be a couple of brand new domains. Godsbreath perhaps? I’ve been trying to work out how to do a Stephen King/Stranger Things domain, but I’m hung up on if it’s okay to have bicycles in D&D!

 

[Mind of tempest]

Well, not exactly. But I can understand why he might be less sexually appealing to folks who are not into men. Cthulhu has a pretty distinct masculine energy, and you kinda gotta be up for finding out what them tentacles do.

what does determine monster gender energy anyway?

I just think if something is supposed to be an indescribable, mind melting horror. No way our measly sheet of numbers could convey it's power!

You woke up an Elder God! That's game over. An extremely fun and memorable game over, but still!



My nerd-nitpicking aside - what is Cthulhu doin the Strahd book anyways lol?

He is a great old one, he is the pope king of a relevant faith of the elder gods, also a full arcane caster.

 

[Charlaquin]

what does determine monster gender energy anyway?

It’s all vibes, really, but some physical and behavioral traits can have a pretty significant impact on the vibes.

 

[Parmandur]

It seems to be quite a lot longer, so certainly those! If you build a bastion in Ravenloft, does that make you a dark lord?

This seems longer, though Rising from the Last War is also a fair shake longer than Van Richten's and largely edition agnostic.!

Plauable Dark Lords does not seem very on brand, but who knows? I expect we will get some pretty wild options for "safe" home bases. Maybe players can get their own walking hut.

One thing that occurred to me is that as well as being a mechanical patch for VGR, it might also be a mechanical patch for CoS, in terms of updated monster stat blocks. 5.0 stat blocks work with 5.5 rules, but the style is a little different and they are a little weaker. Strahd at least looks like getting a new stat block, but we might also get the likes of Baba Lysaga (sp?) and her creeping hut updated.

Oh, yeah, one of the main criticism I recall of Van Richten's (thst wasn't "why is it not jsut a 2E reprint???") was the lack of any Dark Lord stat blocks...I reckon we will get a lot of unique BBEG here, which is honestly useful even for those not using Ravenloft as such.

Also, as I said, I think there will be a couple of brand new domains. Godsbreath perhaps? I’ve been trying to work out how to do a Stephen King/Stranger Things domain, but I’m hung up on if it’s okay to have bicycles in D&D!

The current designers seem much more open to "anachronism" than prior regimes (though anachronism was the original name of the game, time is a circle). Modern fantasy in general is way more varied in setting details like tech level and what not. Brandon Sanderson right now is working on the 8th Mistborn novel which is set in a Hugh Fantasy at 1980s tech levels in terms of computers and weaponry (albeit with magical flying cars) and his preview chapter had a character wearing a Walkman like device listening to modernist music on the way to a science fiction fan convention in a fantasy world.