D&D 5E Does anyone who got an mm at Gencon want to offer up spoilers to us?

[Steely Dan]

Throwback to 1e. IIRC, the shadow was the only monster in 1e (MM, MM2, or FF) that drained ability scores.

I still might add ability drain to other monsters, like Wis-drain to lamias, etc.

 

[Curmudjinn]

It pretty much looks like they have gone right back to the original version of almost every monster in the game.

I like that train of thought, as long as it doesn't drag the Gith race in there with it. In old editions, the Githyanki and Githzerai had some flip-flopped lore that made both races rather bleh, aside from the illithid empire bits.

 

[the Jester]

Could someone with the book comment on how diseases look in the MM? Do monsters like giant rats, otyughs, etc. cause disease? How do diseases look, if they get any details in the MM?

I am so eager to get my hands on that Monster Manual... aargh.

 

[Grazzt]

Could someone with the book comment on how diseases look in the MM? Do monsters like giant rats, otyughs, etc. cause disease? How do diseases look, if they get any details in the MM?

I am so eager to get my hands on that Monster Manual... aargh.

Otyugh is in the download supplement for Hoard of the Dragon Queen. It causes disease with its bite if creature fails a DC 15 Con save. Every 24 hours that pass, target must repeat save or reduce hp maximum by 5. Disease is cured on success.

 

[AngryMojo]

It pretty much looks like they have gone right back to the original version of almost every monster in the game.

I'm kind of okay with this. Most of what I've seen with the game shows a lot of 2e and before peeking through.

 

[Sword of Spirit]

I'm kind of okay with this. Most of what I've seen with the game shows a lot of 2e and before peeking through.

Yeah. 2e is my favorite lore, but I don't feel that I'm really justified in complaining when they roll back to 1e. Close enough that I can always tweak little details, like saying that Rakshasa have colonized parts of Acheron. Both editions are now happy.

 

[Li Shenron]

I have a bit of concern about the monsters we've been spoiled so far...

1) From the Shadow it looks like ability score damage is back. Does the MM give any indication that handling this is less onerous than in past editions where some players would have trouble reworking their attack bonuses, etc? I know it might sound silly to experienced gamers, but I have seen so many times when a player handling modifiers and then ability damage on top of it ended up taking too long or needing help from other players.

Truth is, 5e is the best edition so far for handling ability score damage.

I just posted a thread with some musings on skipping all those traditional modifiers calculations on the character sheet, on the ground that it's much much easier to calculate on the fly in 5e than it used to be in previous editions.

http://www.enworld.org/forum/showth...e-the-game-feel-lighter&p=6372939#post6372939

One consequence of doing so, is that it becomes EASY to track ability score damage. Because you don't need to rework anything, just the ability score modifier.

 

[Thaumaturge]

Spent some time with the family. I've skimmed the last couple of pages. If I miss anything, just ask again. It probably isn't personal.

Probably.

Modrons want everyone to share one common perception of reality, for everything to be like Mechanus. Slaadi want everyone to have no shared reality, for everything to be chaos soup with individual after lives dissolving all planar boundaries. Philosophical war? Definitely.

Yeah. That works for me.

The current Primus probably has no firm idea if its own story is the truth, given the discontinuity and corruption in the Modron Energy Pool after Orcus/Tenebrous used the Last Word on the previous incarnation of Primus and temporarily assumed his position.

I didn't know about this. I like the fact that there is no established Truth. There's just what each side believes.

Can someone tell us a bit about the 5e aboleth, and how it compares to its previous incarnations?

I never paid much attention to aboleth in previous editions, but this one sparked my imagination. I already have a campaign idea based on it slowly taking over an area. CR 10, legendary with lair and regional effects like fouled water and illusory images of itself, it can learn a person's greatest desires, and enslave 3/day. Aboleth have eternal memories passed down generation to generation, they are the enemies of the gods, never truly die, and have been plotting the overthrow of the gods for eons. They learn every thing every creature they consume knows.

Creepy, Cthulu-like, lake monsters. My guess is if I opened my Monstrous Manual it would be similar lore, but I haven't checked.

How is Appendix A organized?

Those of you who have the DM basic rules can see that it's annoyingly alphabetized by the first letter of the name of the monster (Giant Owl; Giant Poisonous Snake; Giant Rat). In the book, is it all nicely in order (Horse, Draft; Horse, Riding; Horse, War)?

Strict alphabetical. Giant shark and hunting shark are in the "g"s and "h"s, respectively. They aren't in the "s"s under "shark".

Thaumaturge.

 

[Grazzt]

I still might add ability drain to other monsters, like Wis-drain to lamias, etc.

Good call. I forgot about that lamia doing Wis drain in 1e/2e.

 

[Thaumaturge]

Good call. I forgot about that lamia doing Wis drain in 1e/2e.

The lamia now has a mêlée spell attack that if it hits causes the target to be cursed for an hour. The curses gives disadvantage on all Wisdom saves and checks.

It's not drain, but it's not fun.

Thaumaturge.