D&D (2024) D&D Monster Manual (2025)

[mamba]

From previous comments I believe @Parmandur does indeed mean in the next "of Everything" style book.

not sure how that is more targeted than the DMG or MM though, the past ones were a mix of player and DM material and even a DM only one is not really more targeted

 

[Parmandur]

not sure what you consider ‘a more targeted supplement’, WotC is not going to release a 32 page or so softcover, so this either goes into the next ‘of Everything’ book or it becomes a 4 page or so post on their website

I mean a fat Everything book, yes. Just not in the base rulebooks. A ready to use Setting is more useful for new DMs than complex Monster rules, but that sort of thing might be very appealing to vets as part of a package of quirky options.

 

[mamba]

I mean a fat Everything book, yes. Just not in the base rulebooks. A ready to use Setting is more useful for new DMs than complex Monster rules, but that sort of thing might be very appealing to vets as part of a package of quirky options.

well, let’s see what they come up with, so far the of Everything books were even less targeted than the DMG or MM imo, as they contained parts for the player and the DM

 

[Parmandur]

well, let’s see what they come up with, so far the of Everything books were even less targeted than the DMG or MM imo, as they contained parts for the player and the DM

"Targeted" in terms of audience, not necessarily theme. A bog book of new options and material is for a more niche audience than the DMG and MM, and the previous Everything books accounted for this by grouping very different niche topics together to capture a wider audience.

So a book with detailed Monster creation tools, detailed Dungeon created tools, new player options, mass combat, or so on, is more targeted than the basic Dungeon Master's Guide which needs to serve everyone.

 

[Kobold Avenger]

So Tuesday is Undead and Thursday is Monstrosities

Maybe we'll find out if the Owlbear is no longer a Monstrosity...

 

[Parmandur]

So Tuesday is Undead and Thursday is Monstrosities

Maybe we'll find out if the Owlbear is no longer a Monstrosity...

Alright, seems they are going Type by Type.

 

[renbot]

Let it be known that I'm not happy about the approach where caster NPCs have unique spell like abilities that don't actually count as spells, as seen in MoM etc.

I like having all the info I need to run a monster in the stat block so that I don't have to look up spells in the PHB, but if an "arcanist" is waving his hands and creating something that looks like a Fireball, it should be declared as a spell so that it can interact with other game features that relate to spells.

I'm only on page two of a 94 and counting page thread so this may have already been said. But they handled NPC spellcasters in the correct way exactly once: Candlekeep. The spells most likely to be used in combat were laid out in the same format as an attack for any other monster. The rest of the spells they had access to were given as a list. I think looking up a spell if the party comes to an NPC for advice or as a diplomatic effort is fine, as long as you don't have to look up the spell in the heat of combat. They got it right very briefly and then they abandoned that approach and the game has suffered for it since.

 

[Micah Sweet]

I'm only on page two of a 94 and counting page thread so this may have already been said. But they handled NPC spellcasters in the correct way exactly once: Candlekeep. The spells most likely to be used in combat were laid out in the same format as an attack for any other monster. The rest of the spells they had access to were given as a list. I think looking up a spell if the party comes to an NPC for advice or as a diplomatic effort is fine, as long as you don't have to look up the spell in the heat of combat. They got it right very briefly and then they abandoned that approach and the game has suffered for it since.

Agreed. That was a good compromise.

 

[TravDoc42]

I wonder if, now that the Para-elemental Planes are called that again, if we'll see the Para-elementals return as monsters?

 

[Micah Sweet]

I wonder if, now that the Para-elemental Planes are called that again, if we'll see the Para-elementals return as monsters?

They're in the 5e Manual of the Planes on DM Guild, I think. I have 5e versions of them from somewhere anyway.