D&D (2024) Humanoids in the MM...

[Micah Sweet]

That could be; however, I can't understand how that relates to this statement:

The stat blocks of monsters with the Humanoid creature type have been redesigned to represent any Humanoid species

This sounds like stat blocks to me and not a table or template. However, I am likely just reading to much into vague wording by the Beyond author.

How does that statement not imply, "we've homogenized our humanoid offerings"?

I'm really looking forward to hearing about this thing once it's out.

 

[Parmandur]

Basically, I expect the "dwarven" and "halfling" parts of such to become ribbons by default in 2024, with the expectation that DMs should just use the Veteran or Archmage statblock without modification. With a sidebar suggesting species traits among further customizations, if a DM wants that level of detail. But as you said, we're all speculating at this point - and we only have a few weeks to find out!

I could see them doing thar, easily. Or both. Or maybe another direction.

We will find out and dissect it ad nasuam soon enough lol.

 

[dave2008]

Oh, that part seems relatively clear to me: let's take the Orc, since we know that's definitely covered by this (I would suspect drow, Deep Gnoems, and Duergar at least, too, maybe Lozardfolk or Troglodytes...):

The 2014 MM has four Orc stat blocks:

• Orc, CR 1/2
• Orc Eye of Gruumsh, CR 2
• Orc War Chief, CR 4
• Orog, CR 2

So, they seem to be saying that the 2024 MM will be adapting all four of these stat blocks, but making them Species-agnostic NPCs: like say Orc becomes Marauder, Orc War Chief Becomes Maurader Captain, Orog becomes Elite Marauder, and Eye of Gruumsh becomes a seperate Species-agnostic NPC. These deracialized NPCs can then be used for Human, Tiefling, Dwarven, Elven, Goliath, etc. Marauder bands. And the Conversion Guide can say "if your published Advebture calls for an Orog, take the Elite Marauder and modify it to be an Orc".

OK, that makes more sense, but also make me a little disappointed. And it is really not different from the NPC stat blocks we had in the 2014 MM. That is not a redesign, it is just using the NPC stat block in the place of, which you could do with the 2014 ones (at least I did and then added the traits from the 2014 DMG table). It would be somewhat better if there is a list of species specific traits you can add to each one too, but I prefer discrete stat blocks to tables and templates. It is interesting the mentioned making discrete stat blocks for monsters they only had templates of before and they appear to going the opposite direction with humanoids.

 

[dave2008]

How does that statement not imply, "we've homogenized our humanoid offerings"?

I'm really looking forward to hearing about this thing once it's out.

Honestly I don't know what it implies. I too am interested in hearing more. I think it sounds interesting and something I would like to have, but I would prefer to have this (maybe, we will see) and discrete humanoid stat blocks.

 

[Parmandur]

OK, that makes more sense, but also make me a little disappointed. And it is really not different from the NPC stat blocks we had in the 2014 MM. That is not a redesign, it is just using the NPC stat block in the place of, which you could do with the 2014 ones (at least I did and then added the traits from the 2014 DMG table). It would be somewhat better if there is a list of species specific traits you can add to each one too, but I prefer discrete stat blocks to tables and templates. It is interesting the mentioned making discrete stat blocks for monsters they only had templates of before and they appear to going the opposite direction with humanoids.

Assuming they go with Templates: if not, then they have made re-skinning more front and center for new DMs. We will see.

 

[Weiley31]

So you want each NPC to have the same table with 25 different lines for species specific modifications? That seems very redundant and a waste space. I assume that is not what you mean, can you clarify?

EDIT: @Reynard and @Micah Sweet Here is the table from the DMG. I assume you don't want this, or something similar, to be reprinted with every NPC stat block?! Note, if such a table appears in the MM, I am sure it will modified in some way. I don't expect to see ability modifies as part of it.

View attachment 392703

That's EXACTLY what I want in the MM. Kobold Press also does the same thing in their Tome of Beasts books as well with stuff like this.

 

[Remathilis]

Nope, the Monster blocks are Fey but the PC options were Humanoids and "Fey Ancestry". Next time they appear, I think the PCs will be Fey.

Possibly. I can see them keeping the PC versions as humanoids, but we'll see.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

I'm pretty sure they're going to leave detailed species-specific NPC customizations as a DM matter, yeah. The 2014 MM just talked generally about ways to customize, including species, and I anticipate the 2024 version will do the same.

In practice, I suspect, they assume you won't need to worry about species-specific traits during a typical encounter, and that the NPC mechanics are more important.

I still suspect the trait list that was in the DMG 5.14 makes an appearance in the new MM.
It would be weird if they left customization out.

 

[Parmandur]

I still suspect the trait list that was in the DMG 5.14 makes an appearance in the new MM.
It would be weird if they left customization out.

It's also a pretty easy way to effectively explode the number of options in the MM.

 

[Micah Sweet]

Honestly I don't know what it implies. I too am interested in hearing more. I think it sounds interesting and something I would like to have, but I would prefer to have this (maybe, we will see) and discrete humanoid stat blocks.

As it stands, it sounds like a good number of statblocks are making it to 5.5, or will be radically altered so nothing looks like any particular species.

It just occurred to me. What are they doing with the Drow? Wouldn't they be humanoids like elves, or are splitting them again? If they are humanoids, shouldn't their statblocks be pulled from the monster section and homogenized too?