D&D 5E (2024) Its till just me or is the 2024 MM heavily infused by more 4e influences?

[mamba]

The Flame Skeleton from 4e is back.

that already existed in 2e, not everything was invented by 4e

 

[occam]

Sister Garaele in Shattered Obelisk, is an Acoloyte which is a 1st level caster.

Minor point: Despite being described as a "scholarly acolyte", Sister Garaele appears to be a commoner in Phandelver & Beyond, and seems to have indeterminate stats in the original Lost Mine of Phandelver.

 

[Micah Sweet]

This is an honest question for you @Micah Sweet, because I am not as invested or knowledgeable in D&D lore as you are, but how do the big bad NPCs lean? Almost all of the ones I am familiar with are spellcasters. Are there some icon D&D NPC big bads that are not spellcasters?

Probably not many to be honest, but what does that have to do with name level PCs and the overall magicalness of D&D settings? That sounds more like a gamist question (at least your motivation for asking it), than a narrative or simulationist one, and even so, PCs fight enemy spellcasters all the time. What are you getting at?

 

[Paul Farquhar]

This is an honest question for you @Micah Sweet, because I am not as invested or knowledgeable in D&D lore as you are, but how do the big bad NPCs lean? Almost all of the ones I am familiar with are spellcasters. Are there some icon D&D NPC big bads that are not spellcasters?

One thing to consider in early D&D was the Conan influence. So fighters = good, spellcasters = bad.

 

[dave2008]

One thing to consider in early D&D was the Conan influence. So fighters = good, spellcasters = bad.

Accept for the PCs of course!

 

[dave2008]

Probably not many to be honest, but what does that have to do with name level PCs and the overall magicalness of D&D settings? That sounds more like a gamist question (at least your motivation for asking it), than a narrative or simulationist one, and even so, PCs fight enemy spellcasters all the time. What are you getting at?

Take it however you want, but for me it is a simulationist / narrative question. If all your powerful movers and shakers are magic users, it implies magic is pretty important in your setting. That, to me, isn't gamist at all.

 

[Micah Sweet]

Accept for the PCs of course!

In Dragonlance, even the PC spellcasters were looked at askance. Dark sun too.

 

[Micah Sweet]

Take it however you want, but for me it is a simulationist / narrative question. If all your powerful movers and shakers are magic users, it implies magic is pretty important in your setting. That, to me, isn't gamist at all.

Important to the setting and suffusing every aspect of it in a visible way are not the same thing.

 

[mamba]

Are there some icon D&D NPC big bads that are not spellcasters?

even if there weren’t, that ignores two points. 1) most groups end before they get to high levels, 2) now the low levels are more magical already, just look at the races we have now

 

[MonsterEnvy]

even if there weren’t, that ignores two points. 1) most groups end before they get to high levels, 2) now the low levels are more magical already, just look at the races we have now

Our point is that is has not changed nearly as much as you are trying to say it has.