D&D 5E Explain: Mordenkainen's Monsters of the Multiverse

[overgeeked]

I am curious if you feel this way in regards to other kinds of games, since many, many game designs include ways to undo the turn of or skip other players' turns.

The worst kind of game design is telling a player that actively wants to play your game that they don’t get to actually play your game. The longer between turns the worse this is. A lightning-fast two-player card game? No big deal. An RPG where it could be 20-30 minutes between my turns…only when it’s my turn…nope sorry, you don’t get to do anything. Launch that terrible design idea into the sun.

 

[Reynard]

The worst kind of game design is telling a player that actively wants to play your game that they don’t get to actually play your game. The longer between turns the worse this is. A lightning-fast two-player card game? No big deal. An RPG where it could be 20-30 minutes between my turns…only when it’s my turn…nope sorry, you don’t get to do anything. Launch that terrible design idea into the sun.

Who are you playing 5E with that it's 20 minutes between turns? Whoever it is you should fire them.

 

[Reynard]

Perhaps, but it would appear you won't be getting it from us. You'll have to try asking Jeremy Crawford et al directly.

Maybe I wasn't clear: I expect the rules to be in the book that introduced the rules.

 

[pukunui]

Maybe I wasn't clear: I expect the rules to be in the book that introduced the rules.

Well, they aren't, so ... what do you expect us to be able to do about it? There are several threads here on EN World in which this topic has been discussed at length, so forgive us for treating this like old news.

 

[dave2008]

Maybe I wasn't clear: I expect the rules to be in the book that introduced the rules.

The book doesn't introduce any new rules. They simply emphasize a design philosophy that existed from the beginning. Open up the MM and go to "Death Knight." Now read the "Hellfire Orb" action. This spell-like magical ability is what everyone is talking about. MotM, and monster design moving forward, emphasis these spell-like magical abilities over simply listing a spell. There is nothing new here conceptually, they are just using this type of design on all spellcasters.

EDIT: Incase you don't have the MM, here is the Hellfire Orb from the Death Knight in the MM:

Hellfire Orb (1/Day). The death knight hurls a magical ball of fire that explodes at a point it can see within 120 feet of it. Each creature in a 20-foot-radius sphere centered on that point must make a DC 18 Dexterity saving throw. The sphere spreads around corners. A creature takes 35 (10d6) fire damage and 35 (10d6) necrotic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

 

[Reynard]

The book doesn't introduce any new rules. They simply emphasize a design philosophy that existed from the beginning. Open up the MM and go to "Death Knight." Now read the "Hellfire Orb" action. This spell-like magical ability is what everyone is talking about. MotM, and monster design moving forward, emphasis these spell-like magical abilities over simply listing a spell. There is nothing new here conceptually, they are just using this type of design on all spellcasters.

EDIT: Incase you don't have the MM, here is the Hellfire Orb from the Death Knight in the MM:

Hellfire Orb (1/Day). The death knight hurls a magical ball of fire that explodes at a point it can see within 120 feet of it. Each creature in a 20-foot-radius sphere centered on that point must make a DC 18 Dexterity saving throw. The sphere spreads around corners. A creature takes 35 (10d6) fire damage and 35 (10d6) necrotic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

That makes more sense. I got the impression from earlier descriptions that they, say, converted Magic Missile to an inmate ability without defining whether it was still a spell (but just given quick reference stats so you didn't have to page flip).

I am all for making me not have to have the PHB open at the same time. There's only so much space behind the screen.

(Of course this is a non issue if I am running on Fantasy Grounds.)

 

[pukunui]

@Reynard, here are all the videos WotC released about Monsters of the Multiverse:

 

[Reynard]

@Reynard, here are all the videos WotC released about Monsters of the Multiverse:

Thanks for sharing that! Assuming it is an accurate description, it seems pretty straightforward: the things listed under the "spellcasting" trait are spells, and other things are not. Now I'm wondering where the confusion is coming from unless they didn't adequately define the trait.

 

[Parmandur]

Thanks for sharing that! Assuming it is an accurate description, it seems pretty straightforward: the things listed under the "spellcasting" trait are spells, and other things are not. Now I'm wondering where the confusion is coming from unless they didn't adequately define the trait.

Any mild change of any sort will get some up in arms...

 

[pukunui]

Thanks for sharing that! Assuming it is an accurate description, it seems pretty straightforward: the things listed under the "spellcasting" trait are spells, and other things are not. Now I'm wondering where the confusion is coming from unless they didn't adequately define the trait.

No worries.

Here's an EN World thread with some screenshots comparing the old and new spellcaster statblocks so you can see the difference: D&D 5E - Zooming In On Monsters of the Multiverse [UPDATED!]