D&D 5E D&D Lore Changes: Multiversal Focus & Fey Goblins of Prehistory

WotC's Jeremy Crawford revealed a couple of the lore changes in Monsters of the Multiverse.

• The big shift is toward the multiverse as the game's main perspective rather than a specific setting. The game is shifting towards a multiversal focus, with a variety of worlds and settings.
• Universe-spanning mythical story beats, such as deep lore on goblinoids going back to 1st Edition, and the gods they had before Maglubiyet. Prior to Magulbiyet unifying them, goblinoids were folk of the feywild in keeping with 'real-world' folklore.
• Changelings aren't just Eberron, but they've been everywhere -- you just don't necessarily know it. Their origin is also in the realm of the fey.

D&D 5E - A Compilation of all the Race Changes in Monsters of the Multiverse

Over on Reddit, user KingJackel went through the video leak which came out a few days ago and manually compiled a list of all the changes to races in the book. The changes are quite extensive, with only the fairy and harengon remaining unchanged. The book contains 33 races in total, compiled and...

www.enworld.org

 

[Sacrosanct]

Don't worry, I don't suspect WotC is going to get too "realistic" with their lore. They still have to keep it D&D.

Oh for sure. For example, these are how hobgoblins appear in my book. Still a far cry from the way WotC is going forward with them.

 

[Micah Sweet]

I really wish I didn't hate the First World so much. All of this would be much easier to swallow.

 

[Eyes of Nine]

• Changelings aren't just Eberron, but they've been everywhere -- you just don't necessarily know it. Their origin is also in the realm of the fey.

 

[Eyes of Nine]

I'm glad that they seem to be moving away from "everything is FR". It's about time, it will be interesting to see how they introduce realm hopping.

Hard agree.

 

[overgeeked]

I like them coming from the Faewild and obviously they are different enough from each other to merit different racial mechanics. But lorewise, I prefer them to be one “lineage” or whatever we want to call it, that just happen to be incredibly physically diverse. But, I like my goblins to be more like this

View attachment 150839

Than like this

View attachment 150838

Those aren't goblins. These are goblins...

 

[Argyle King]

Just a thought...

Why not have the "default" version of creatures have some basic general fluff and then allow more specific (or different) versions of creatures to be adjusted by their respective world/campaigns?

 

[Faolyn]

Stars? Are there even stats in spelljammer?

They're attached to the inside of the crystal spheres. Well, some of them are attached to things that move around on the inside of the crystal spheres.

 

[Scribe]

Just a thought...

Why not have the "default" version of creatures have some basic general fluff and then allow more specific (or different) versions of creatures to be adjusted by their respective world/campaigns?

So, exactly how its functioned for years?

 

[overgeeked]

Just a thought...

Why not have the "default" version of creatures have some basic general fluff and then allow more specific (or different) versions of creatures to be adjusted by their respective world/campaigns?

That's exactly what they're doing. The default is the basic, general fluff and specific setting books will add details like culture and, as always, DMs are always free to change whatever they want.

 

[Uni-the-Unicorn!]

I'll say it plainer then.

It being 66 paragraphs doesn't mean anything. You said it like it was a lot of text, but it isn't. I'm not commenting on if the 2 paragraph model is good or not, but you basically tried to spin it into being a lot of text, when it isn't.

I think my he was just being a bit cheeky, it just sounds like your trying to start a fight to me

 

[Uni-the-Unicorn!]

Its not that I care a lot, I was trying to be clear. Do you enjoy quoting people and riling them up or something? I don't know why you're responding to me with so much hostility for. Quite frankly, it feels like you just bullied me and ran away by doing this.

It looks just the opposite to me. You are the bully IMO. I guess perspective is everything

 

[wingsandsword]

Brining inline all their properties. Easier to connect Faerun to Planescape to Crit Role to Magic the Gathering. The last 2 being very important to WotC Im sure.

Forgotten Realms and Planescape have been deeply connected since Planescape was created in 2e, and Forgotten Realms fitting into the "Great Wheel" cosmology goes back to 1e and early Realms stuff.

There were even crossover adventures in 2e, like Tales from the Infinite Staircase (PS). . .which crossed over into For Duty and Deity (FR).

In 1e, before Planescape was specifically a thing, Realms adventures went planar right into the Great Wheel of Planescape, like Throne of Bloodstone.

Planescape was always a "crossover" setting designed to weave together the multiverse, along with Spelljammer.

3e and 4e works tried to shoehorn in some new cosmology to be unique to the realms, but that was the retcon, whereas FR and PS being in the same cosmology and closely tied together was the earlier way things were done.

 

[Reynard]

Just a thought...

Why not have the "default" version of creatures have some basic general fluff and then allow more specific (or different) versions of creatures to be adjusted by their respective world/campaigns?

Exactly. "Goblins are small sized, green skinned humanoids of foul disposition who are often found inhabiting dark forests, abandoned ruins and dungeons." No need to say a single word about origins or get too specific on culture. That's for setting books.

I swear, one of the biggest problems with D&D is the books are too long and writers feel the need to use to many words. (I know because I am an occasional paid-by-the-word freelance writer or RPGs.) Going back to 64 page rules manuals would solve half the problems we have with both mechanics and lore.

 

[Minigiant]

Cool cool cool fey goblins are cool.

Sooooooooo when we getting a new construct race?
Perhaps with a disguise self ability
And two major factions

 

[Zaukrie]

Serious question: why does it have to affect gameplay for it to be unpalatable?

This is a good example of reading something no one said.... It doesn't, nor did I say it did.

 

[Malmuria]

Those aren't goblins. These are goblins...

View attachment 150841

But these don't remind me of the baby. Goblins should remind you of the baby.

 

[Charlaquin]

Those aren't goblins. These are goblins...

View attachment 150841

Meh. Not a fraction as compelling as the Froud depiction to me.

 

[Reynard]

This is a good example of reading something no one said.... It doesn't, nor did I say it did.

You are right. I assumed a tone that wasn't present. So to answer your question: it doesn't necessarily affect gameplay, but it can still be unpalatable relative to the original conception of Eberron, which was a wholly separate and unique universe, not just another world in the vast Great Wheel cosmology.

 

[Argyle King]

That's exactly what they're doing. The default is the basic, general fluff and specific setting books will add details like culture and, as always, DMs are always free to change whatever they want.

If so, the video doesn't express that very well.

I'm of the impression that the "multiverse" itself is being approached as a setting (with whatever setting-specific approaches come with that). I think that's different.

 

[TwoSix]

Just a thought...

Why not have the "default" version of creatures have some basic general fluff and then allow more specific (or different) versions of creatures to be adjusted by their respective world/campaigns?

You mean, how they're still going to be doing it?