Giants & Orc Gods: More VOLO'S GUIDE Previews!

Some more pages of Volo's Guide to Monsters have hit the web, this time over at Paste Magazine. These pages show off some more material on giants, and some on orcish gods. Be sure to check out their article for some more overview information about the book, as well as previous previews from around the web, including mindflayers and beholders, fire giant dreadnoughts, giant lore, and the book's preface. Volo's Guide to Monsters is a 224-page book containing monsters new to 5E, and in-depth look at a bunch of iconic monsters, and new player races.

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[Chaosmancer]

Loving that art for the Tanarukk, and the ideas that come with it

 

[knasser]

Loving that art for the Tanarukk, and the ideas that come with it

I'm envisiaging my next villain will be an orcess invoking Baphomet in some rite so that the next child she conceives can be a Tanarukk. I'll seed the campaign background with tales of a terrible orc war leader who brought chaos and slaughter to half the kingdom and that he was a Tanarukk. So the PCs will want to prevent a new prophecied chieften being born of the same rites that produced the prior one history recalls. I'm imagining some terrifying orc matriarch making blood sacrifices and summoning the tribes strongest males to her deerskin tent.

 

[Chaosmancer]

See, I'd rather just get on with it. He's already taken over, he's already building a dark army, and he is the war chief that is going to bring a swath of destruction upon the kingdoms.

Stop him or bad things happen. By the way, Baphomet likes how far he's gotten and has given him extra toys, as you do.

 

[Demetrios1453]

One interesting note - frost giants who forsake the worship of Thrym have, in previous editions, turned to the worship of the demon lord Kostchtchie. The sample page we get in VGtM, however, discusses frost giants who instead decide to worship Vaprak, the ogre and troll deity. It's not a huge difference, but it is odd, given what has come before, and it's not like mentioning a new (for 5e) demon lord would cause problems. Perhaps Vaprak converts the weak frost giants while Kostchtchie tempts the strong ones?

 

[Nilbog]

I have to admit, WotC has so won me over with this book, all 5e I've been crying out for a traditional monster manual 2, and when I heard about this I was a little disappointed "I don't want fluff, i want MOAR monsters!"

However reading the preview articles has changed my mind entirely, I've already several ideas for a campaign I'd like to run just from the flavour text in these previews, it really does give the monsters cultures a life, and ways to interact with them rather than just as combat targets.

Can't wait to get my mitts on it!!

 

[Prakriti]

One interesting note - frost giants who forsake the worship of Thrym have, in previous editions, turned to the worship of the demon lord Kostchtchie. The sample page we get in VGtM, however, discusses frost giants who instead decide to worship Vaprak, the ogre and troll deity. It's not a huge difference, but it is odd, given what has come before, and it's not like mentioning a new (for 5e) demon lord would cause problems. Perhaps Vaprak converts the weak frost giants while Kostchtchie tempts the strong ones?

Maybe they realized that expecting people to pronounce Kostchtchie was too much to ask.

 

[Mirtek]

I'm envisiaging my next villain will be an orcess invoking Baphomet in some rite so that the next child she conceives can be a Tanarukk. I'll seed the campaign background with tales of a terrible orc war leader who brought chaos and slaughter to half the kingdom and that he was a Tanarukk. So the PCs will want to prevent a new prophecied chieften being born of the same rites that produced the prior one history recalls. I'm imagining some terrifying orc matriarch making blood sacrifices and summoning the tribes strongest males to her deerskin tent.

Make her turn to Luthic instead. She's underused and much more scary

 

[Chimpy]

I'm sure that Goliath artwork has been re-purposed from one of the 4e products.

 

[Parmandur]

One interesting note - frost giants who forsake the worship of Thrym have, in previous editions, turned to the worship of the demon lord Kostchtchie. The sample page we get in VGtM, however, discusses frost giants who instead decide to worship Vaprak, the ogre and troll deity. It's not a huge difference, but it is odd, given what has come before, and it's not like mentioning a new (for 5e) demon lord would cause problems. Perhaps Vaprak converts the weak frost giants while Kostchtchie tempts the strong ones?

Maybe just an effort to tie in giantkin and sundry together more tightly?

 

[Juomari Veren]

I'm sure that Goliath artwork has been re-purposed from one of the 4e products.

It did indeed. I'm pretty sure it was in the PHB2. I actually kind of enjoy looking for old art from previous editions- it's like a small nostalgia trip.