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

[Paul Farquhar]

The reason for kenku, Yuan-Ti and werecreatures become monstrosities isn't they look monstrosity, but because they got altered by external magic force (but not fey/fiend/far realm)
I guess that is the same reason for monster koblod is dragon type, they got changed by draconic magic.

They clearly aren’t humanoid in the new sense of the term (physiologically and mentally human-like), and don’t clearly fit any other category. You could make a case for elemental for Aarakora.

 

[QuentinGeorge]

I mean making the switch from (for example) Orc Berserker in the main section of the MM, to some statblock in the NPC section meant to model a "berserker" of any species through some unknown method. Every orc and drow statblock in the 2014 MM will be replaced by these more generic representations, and the monster entries they previously had will be removed. The same will occur for any creature who used to have an entry in the MM and is remaining humanoid, and those that were humanoid and are retaining their places in the MM are being changed to another creature type. That is my understanding of what is happening.

Look at this way, there giving you a reason to keep your 2014 MM.

 

[Parmandur]

I would say that for consistency, Aarakora (because kenku), lizardfolk and trogs (because Yuan-Ti) much become monstrosities. Sahaugin might go to monstrosity or aberration, merfolk might go monstrosity, fey or stay as humanoids.

Aarocka's lore is that they come from the Plane of Air, which explains why they can even fly with their body plan. I think they might be Elementala. Same with Merfolk.

 

[Micah Sweet]

Look at this way, there giving you a reason to keep your 2014 MM.

Well, except for WotC IP monsters (which I'm copying into a compiled bestiary of my own) I don't use the 2014 book either. My go-to 5e bestiary is A5e's Monster Menagerie, among others. I renamed all the humanoid statblocks and indexed them in my monster document in the NPC section a long time ago, so I have no problem with humanoids moving out of "monster" and into "NPC" in principle. But I see no creative reason to make all humanoid statblocks more generic, nor to change the creature type of so many other humanoids, nor to list every monster strictly A-Z, and the reasons I suspect they have actually made those choices in 5.5 have nothing to do with making the game better.

 

[Remathilis]

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

CALLED IT! They specifically cite PC goblins are humanoids, not fey. Ditto Githyanki PCs aren't aberrations. They are different types from the monster types.

But they will make new pc species that aren't humanoids.

 

[Micah Sweet]

CALLED IT! They specifically cite PC goblins are humanoids, not fey. Ditto Githyanki PCs aren't aberrations. They are different types from the monster types.

But they will make new pc species that aren't humanoids.

That is IMO simply ridiculous. A PC gith and an NPC gith are not different kinds of being.

 

[Remathilis]

That is IMO simply ridiculous. A PC gith and an NPC gith are not different kinds of being.

So their explanation is this. The goblins in the MM are one example of a goblin. Goblins in another source (Phandelver psionic goblins) are another. They are two different creature types (fey, aberration) but still goblins. The goblins that are PCs (and by extension, NPCs) are a different type that don't have as strong an influence from the feywild as the MM goblins, thus are humanoids with fey ancestry (same as elves).

WotC has done this before: the eladrin monsters are fey, the eladrin PCs are humanoids. Why? The former live in the feywild and the latter lived on the Material plane.

Interestingly, this also is a workaround for people who don't like the lack of humanoid goblins. They can exist. They just use NPC stats rather than dedicated monster statblocks. Want a humanoid goblin? Grab the scout and make it a goblin. It also means that you can have gnolls that aren't fiendish and have become more civilized (and become humanoids) if you want.

The trick is to stop thinking of the stat block as the only expression of a creature idea.

 

[Azzy]

I'm beginning to think we should just eliminate creature types.

 

[Remathilis]

I'm beginning to think we should just eliminate creature types.

Game existed fine without them before I guess...

 

[Micah Sweet]

So their explanation is this. The goblins in the MM are one example of a goblin. Goblins in another source (Phandelver psionic goblins) are another. They are two different creature types (fey, aberration) but still goblins. The goblins that are PCs (and by extension, NPCs) are a different type that don't have as strong an influence from the feywild as the MM goblins, thus are humanoids with fey ancestry (same as elves).

WotC has done this before: the eladrin monsters are fey, the eladrin PCs are humanoids. Why? The former live in the feywild and the latter lived on the Material plane.

Interestingly, this also is a workaround for people who don't like the lack of humanoid goblins. They can exist. They just use NPC stats rather than dedicated monster statblocks. Want a humanoid goblin? Grab the scout and make it a goblin. It also means that you can have gnolls that aren't fiendish and have become more civilized (and become humanoids) if you want.

The trick is to stop thinking of the stat block as the only expression of a creature idea.

Not a trick I can accept, really. To me the whole point of RPG rules is to model the setting. If they're not intended to do that, I don't want them.