D&D (2024) I have a Monster Manual. AMA!

[Weiley31]

Is Gruumsh not a "Fiend"?

Gruumsh is actually now a Fey.

Nah. He always has, and been, Corellon Larethian's twin brother and the evil creator god of Orcs.

So, he's Orc.

 

[Weiley31]

Berserker is an Orog, Cultist Fanatic is for Eye of Gruumsh. (Mechanically they were quite similar in 2014)

Also just discovered that Beyond has some extra art. Was going through the Cultist Section and they have extra art of the cultists.
Aberrant Cultist, Hierophant, Fiend Cultist

Whose the wicked looking chick in the gold mask!?!?
That's a prime BBEG look right there for a campaign!

 

[dave2008]

If Beasts are "monsters", the player characters would go around "killing puppies".

It relates to sensitivity about whether a Familiar can be killed, but expands to include any "innocent" animal.

Everything can be killed, why is this even a question? Types are not a code for what can and cannot be killed.

 

[Reynard]

I don't think the MM should weigh in on.the morality of using any particular thing as "monsters." It should just give you statblocks.

 

[dave2008]

Back during my brief foray running 4e, I actually experimented with giving PCs recharges (5-6 for an encounter power and 6 for a daily). It was fun! I think it would be fun for players in 5e too.

I've thought about it, but never did it. I actually think it is a mechanic more suited to PCs than DMs.

 

[dave2008]

I never understood that as something other than 85 additional statblocks. To me the scam is that they also got rid of some in the ‘we map orcs to NPCs’ approach, so it is not actually 85 more

Is that true though? I am honestly asking as I haven't looked up the total number of stat blocks in the two books. Well I don't have the 2024 MM yet.

 

[dave2008]

I mean, you can wrap yourself in knots to justify it, but its comical on its face.

A Goblin is no different than an Orc or Drow, at all. This is honestly some of the most weaselly behavior I've seen from Wizards.

This is no different than "orcs are a force of destruction" from Volos. Laughable.

I have no issues with species having multiple types (like Fey, Fiend, Humanoid, etc.). I actually like the story that can tell very simply. However, this issue for me is removing some from the book, and this started with the MM. The MM, IMO, should have stat blocks for all manner of potential adversaries (orcs, drow, humans, goblins, goliaths, dwarfs, etc.) and a set of generic NPC stat blocks that can be used by any "monster." NPCs don't have to be just humanoids.

To me that would solve the problem from a moral and ease of use perspective.

 

[mamba]

Is that true though? I am honestly asking as I haven't looked up the total number of stat blocks in the two books. Well I don't have the 2024 MM yet.

Don’t have the book, but when mapping both Orc and Thug to Tough, you have one stat block less. Pretty sure there are some more in that mapping page, so we should be able to figure it out from that if you want a number

Also, some video said the new book contains 504 stat blocks, that would be another way to check if there are 85 more than in 2014

 

[dave2008]

Don’t have the book, but when mapping both Orc and Thug to Tough, you have one stat block less. Pretty sure there are some more in that mapping page, so we should be able to figure it out from that if you want a number

Also, some video said the new book contains 504 stat blocks, that would be another way to check if there are 85 more than in 2014

I get that, but I am asking about raw numbers. I have heard there are 504 stat blocks in the MM. I believe that number did not include the conversion guide (but I could be wrong). How many stat blocks are in the 2014 MM?

 

[Reynard]

Is that true though? I am honestly asking as I haven't looked up the total number of stat blocks in the two books. Well I don't have the 2024 MM yet.

I just checked the "everything you need to know" video and all they say is that there are "a bunch of new critters" and that the total number of statblocks is 500. The marketing image is where "85 new monsters" comes from. So it was intentionally vague -- whether a person thinks it was a "lie" is entirely dependent on how they perceived that marketing push (as usual).

I don't actually care about that. I am far more concerned with utility (which is where I think the "apply a species to a NPC statblock" falls down).