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

 

[Paul Farquhar]

True. Its a shame that the IP laws prevent those companies from innovating with all the material.

There is plenty of stuff available in the SRD. They didn't have to put that out there. And WotC don't go round suing the hell out of other companies like TSR used to.

And you could be like really innovate, and make your own RPG. It's easier than ever to self-publish now.

 

[Reynard]

It seems strange that they want to simultaneously broaden the available settings, and also enforce a universal lore. Isn't that counter productive? Is there anyone that wants a common prehistory for goblins between FR and Eberron? The only reason I can think this would be desirable is if WotC is planning a setting and/or an adventure that covers multiple worlds. "Planejammer" incoming?

 

[Parmandur]

It seems strange that they want to simultaneously broaden the available settings, and also enforce a universal lore. Isn't that counter productive? Is there anyone that wants a common prehistory for goblins between FR and Eberron? The only reason I can think this would be desirable is if WotC is planning a setting and/or an adventure that covers multiple worlds. "Planejammer" incoming?

I mean, the next Setting book is Spelljammer.

 

[Reynard]

I mean, the next Setting book is Spelljammer.

Is that confirmed? I haven't been paying attention.

 

[Laurefindel]

Well, safety and risk-avoidance do seem to be WotC's watchword these days.

I may agree or disagree with WotC's politics in that regard, but "to carefully tread where many have gone before" might actually get you further that those who "boldly go where no one has gone before", even if it doesn't even come close to sound as exciting. If you're in for the long game, it's not a bad approach. There are many pitfalls and WotC is pretty big so, you know, the bigger they are... As said before, this leaves more room for smaller and more agile companies (and DMs) to make bold jumps in certain directions.

And while I don't want to get into NuTSR-crapping, I'm forced to admit that they didn't even try to thread carefully and while they are not as big as they used to, their baggage is too heavy for them to get out of their hole.

 

[Parmandur]

Is that confirmed? I haven't been paying attention.

Thr latest UA, which was billed as "Multiversal," was all Spelljammer options.

Not "confirmed," but they are working on something with playable Giff and space oozes, soooo...soft confirmed.

 

[Micah Sweet]

There is plenty of stuff available in the SRD. They didn't have to put that out there. And WotC don't go round suing the hell out of other companies like TSR used to.

And you could be like really innovate, and make your own RPG. It's easier than ever to self-publish now.

There is plenty of space to innovate, I agree. And I just said that WotC has the legal right to allow or deny any of their IP to be used by others. But to be honest, I don't like what WotC has done with their campaign settings lately (I know others do, and good for them), and dont trust them to do better (read: more to my liking) moving forward. I wish others outside WotC's corporate structure had a whack at it. The only reason I want them to release more setting material is so non-WotC folks can produce products for those settings on DM's Guild.

 

[Kurotowa]

a multiverse campaign/adventure path that takes you to very different worlds seems like fun.

Interesting line from Crawford about that. "We've been letting fans know for the last year or two that we are going out there to other worlds, other planes, and there's going to be a lot of exciting journeys ahead." So yeah, as if we needed any more confirmation that a new version of Spelljammer is on the way, there you go.

And yeah, this gives lots of room for a goblinoid PC who recently quit the legions of Maglubiyet themselves, or is from a group of goblinoids who quit a long time ago, or is from the deep Faewild and is from an enclave that never joined in the first place. All sorts of juicy material there. (You want to do a Black Panther inspired riff with a hobgoblin? Have fun with that.)

 

[Reynard]

Thr latest UA, which was billed as "Multiversal," was all Spelljammer options.

Not "confirmed," but they are working on something with playable Giff and space oozes, soooo...soft confirmed.

So, Planejammer is still on the possibilities list. i know some people love Spelljammer, but I have a hard time seeing it made for 5E in its original form. There's a clear path to creating a usable, fun, fantastic and wild setting by marrying Spelljammer, Planescape and the 4E Astral Sea.

 

[Parmandur]

Interesting line from Crawford about that. "We've been letting fans know for the last year or two that we are going out there to other worlds, other planes, and there's going to be a lot of exciting journeys ahead." So yeah, as if we needed any more confirmation that a new version of Spelljammer is on the way, there you go.

And yeah, this gives lots of room for a goblinoid PC who recently quit the legions of Maglubiyet themselves, or is from a group of goblinoids who quit a long time ago, or is from the deep Faewild and is from an enclave that never joined in the first place. All sorts of juicy material there. (You want to do a Black Panther inspired riff with a hobgoblin? Have fun with that.)

Maybe Goblins on most parts of the Material Plane are the numerical aberration, taken out of their natural fairyland habitat.