Evil Drow Statblocks to Return in Forgotten Realms Rulebooks Later This Year

drow matron.jpg


Drow-specific NPC statblocks will be included in the upcoming Forgotten Realms Adventurer's Guide set for release later this year. Over the past several weeks, much hullabaloo has been made over the Monster Manual, specifically that the D&D design team replaced specific drow and orc statblocks with generic NPC statblocks that can be used for any kind of humanoids. In a video released today, D&D lead designer Jeremy Crawford confirmed that more specific statblocks tied to specific humanoid sects or characters would return in future rulebooks, with evil drow given as an example.

"Also for anyone who's eager to see more species-tailored humanoid statblocks, people are going to see more of that in our setting books," Crawford said. "You're going to see that in our Forgotten Realms products, for example. The malevolent drow of Menzoberranzan are an important part of that setting and so they get their own statblocks. This is really true of all the creatures in the Monster Manual. This is your massive starting toy box of monsters that are usable anywhere in the multiverse. The bestiaries in our setting products, that's where we can provide you versions of things tailored to the cultures and histories of our different worlds."

 

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Christian Hoffer

Christian Hoffer

I'm surprised to see you making a comment like this. You're normally very much on top of the rules. Are you really not familiar with the customizing NPC stat blocks section in the 2014 DMG? It's got a whole table with a big long list of creatures - all the PHB species plus other humanoids and even skeletons and zombies and what all you need to do to adjust the generic NPC stat blocks to account for those "racial traits".
Did anyone use the 2014 DMG? :)

To a large extent, I wish we still had the AD&D drow which were far more distinctive than their modern day versions.

The interesting thing about the 2014 tables is that they include the monster traits for beings like grimlocks, hobgoblins and orcs, which weren't in the PHB at the time (as well as other monsters). So I'm pretty sure all of that is removed.

There are monster traits that really don't work for PCs, and I like seeing in the game. Consider the 2014 Hobgoblin had Martial Advantage which added a bunch of damage (now, sadly, in 2024, Pack Tactics).

Cheers!
 

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I am mildly amused at the number of people declaring that THIS is what will get them to buy the new FR books coming out, not the 8 new subclasses and the new form of ritual-based magic the books are introducing, just the ability to have Drow statblocks that say "Drow" and "Evil" on them.


Less amused by the number of people who are offered solutions, then saying those solutions cannot possibly work, because they need WoTC to spell it out exactly for them with no possibility of them doing it differently. Wild.

Probably gonna buy new FR book regardless.
 

Unless it's going to come about organically?

Yeah, sure. Look at the new Purple Dragon Knight. It's an abomination of lore butchery.
I don't find it that bad lore wise, I don't like it for another reason, that it should be just a general dragon rider subclass that could be plopped down on any dragon color... I don't like it because it IS a huge missed opportunity.


If I cared that much about FR lore. I'd again just make the sub class just a Dragon Rider. Separate out the Purple Dragon Knight as a title. And make the possibility that a Purple Dragon Knight could be a Dragon Rider. I don't think the Purple Dragon Knight needed a subclass.
 
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Did anyone use the 2014 DMG? :)

To a large extent, I wish we still had the AD&D drow which were far more distinctive than their modern day versions.

The interesting thing about the 2014 tables is that they include the monster traits for beings like grimlocks, hobgoblins and orcs, which weren't in the PHB at the time (as well as other monsters). So I'm pretty sure all of that is removed.

There are monster traits that really don't work for PCs, and I like seeing in the game. Consider the 2014 Hobgoblin had Martial Advantage which added a bunch of damage (now, sadly, in 2024, Pack Tactics).

Cheers!
The 2014 DMG is actually a very good book as far as content goes. The organization is just really, really bad.
 





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