D&D 5E Let’s Read Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse.

[Leatherhead]

Hah, I've made it this far, it would be a shame if I didn't try to finish it.

Feel free to comment on any monsters if you have an idea that needs to get out though.

 

[bergec]

Even with the book, I'm still finding this thread valuable for your analysis of the changes.

 

[Leatherhead]

Hutijin (MToF)​

Hutijin is famous among archdevils for a relatively unique trait: His loyalty. As a Duke of Mephistopheles, he commands two companies of Pit Fiends (which is any number between 160 to 500), and slaughters anyone who might be a threat to his master. Needless to say, nobody, not even other devils, want to fight Hutijin and his armies in a fair fight. Which has lent itself to a somewhat amusing, if morbid, situation.

Hutijin loathes mortals, and rarely contacts them of his own volition. So other devils sometimes give mortals Hutijin’s contact information, allowing them to summon him, and more importantly keep him away from Mephistopheles side, for an extended period of time. Whenever such contact is established, Hutijin makes a deal as quickly as possible (often at little cost to the summoner, just to make the contract quicker), and then kills the offending summoner shortly after the contract's completion. He then sends his minions to cover his tracks and erase his name from any documents, in a somewhat fruitless attempt to prevent such summonings in the future.

In combat, Hutijin is a flying melee brute with just a smidge of control. Meaning you want to keep him as close to as many targets as possible. His multiattack cycles between 4 different weapons, each with a different elemental rider. His bite is particularly nasty. Not only can it poison, the poison also deals ongoing damage, and prevents healing. He can also teleport as an action should he need to escape for whatever reason. While Hutijin has some spellcasting options, none of them are particularly great unless you need some extra AoE coverage, due to the fact he cannot swap an attack out for spellcasting.

As a reaction to being damaged he can AoE fear, which can be handy. For legendary actions he can teleport, attack, or do an AoE Lighting Storm to fry everyone near him.

In the changeover, Hutijin lost a few spells, most importantly Heal. Aside from that, his legendary actions were buffed. He can pick from three different attacks (instead of just his mace), and his Lightning Storm had its range increased.

 

[Leatherhead]

Hydroloth (MToF)​

Yet another entry into the Fearsome Frog Folder. The Hydroloth is an amphibious Yugoloth that lives in the memory draining River Styx, and like the river, they have the ability to rob their victims of their very memories.

Being Yugoloths, Hydroloths are often hired for their aquatic assault acumen. Be it scuttling ships from below, raiding coastal settlements from the shore, or even just diving for sunken treasure. You may also find use for them if you need some pesky memories removed. In fact, these creatures give you a perfect excuse to start a mid level campaign in-media-res with a fight against them. Give the PCs amnesia (Players are often willing to make up such characters without DM prodding, so you would be surprised how many will jump at the opportunity) and give each of them patchy clues as to who they are, where they are from, and what they are questing for in the first place.

When used in combat, the Hydroloth loves to be in the water (unlike those Firenewts~!) where it has an innate advantage on all attack rolls. And like all of the better spellcasters in this book, Its three-pronged multiattack can swap out an attack for a spell. Control Water will make a slightly damp arena into a pool, or create a whirlpool in existing water, punishing any characters who used STR as a dump stat. I am going to point out the Crown of Madness spell, mostly because I honestly didn’t expect any creature in this book to have it, given how much the writers have done to avoid the word “madness” up to this point. There are other staples like Darkness (which combos well with their Hydroloths Blindsight), Dispel Magic, and Suggestion, to sell their roles as melee controllers. And should their swim speed fail to be sufficient, they can even teleport up to 60 as an action.

The Hydroloths signature power, Steal Memory, is a doozy. The target must make an INT save (The most popular Dump Stat), or else they lose all of their proficiencies, can't cast spells, and have their INT and CHA set to 5 for 24 hours. The saving throw against this effect is once per day. Nasty stuff. Of course, if you are going to use the campaign idea above, it’s best to handwave the power a bit to fit the story. It could even be a plot point: Whatever kind of magic prevents the total loss of memories, also prevents them from regaining all of them.

In the changeover, the Hydroloth had their attacks changed to force damage due to the loss of the Magic Weapons ability, and also had a psychic damage rider put on their attacks to even out the DPR for the CR. Surprisingly, they already had the ability to use a spell when multiattacking, but lost access to the Water Walk and Phantasmal Killer spells anyway.

 

[dave2008]

They changed the rules for a subset of monsters mid-stream.

I've never really understood monster stat blocks as rules. They are notes on how to run a monster, but the rules (IMO) are what are in the PHB & DMG. They are shorthand designed to help you play a game. If following the "rules" is important to you, build them like PCs. That is a completely valid option, just more work than it is typically worth.

Regarding the odd idea that they changed it mid-stream. IMO, they haven't. These are new books with new monsters. The old books and monsters can still be used. Heck, I am likely to use both versions in the same combat.

 

[dave2008]

I really don't understand the appeal of the fey. Can someone explain to me what they like about the concept?

Personally, I like Fey because of its relation to our RL folklore, myths, and fantasy. Many of the creatures they are calling fey now always were fey, they just have not been labeled properly IMO.

 

[JEB]

Regarding the odd idea that they changed it mid-stream. IMO, they haven't. These are new books with new monsters. The old books and monsters can still be used. Heck, I am likely to use both versions in the same combat.

Wizards clearly considers the material in MOTM to be official replacements for the older material. They declared VGTM and MTOF "Legacy Content," and users can no longer purchase either product on D&D Beyond. Meanwhile, DDAL will only be using the MOTM versions in adventures from this point forward, and is requiring all players to update non-core PCs to MOTM versions. And officially this is still D&D 5th Edition, so the change is ostensibly "mid-stream" (as opposed to part of an edition change).

Of course, individual DMs can use both versions together in their private games. But Wizards has clearly signaled that MOTM is the version they'd prefer you use.

 

[dave2008]

Wizards clearly considers the material in MOTM to be official replacements for the older material. They declared VGTM and MTOF "Legacy Content," and users can no longer purchase either product on D&D Beyond.

But you can still use and access the older material if you own it (which I do).

Meanwhile, DDAL will only be using the MOTM versions in adventures from this point forward, and is requiring all players to update non-core PCs to MOTM versions. And officially this is still D&D 5th Edition, so the change is ostensibly "mid-stream" (as opposed to part of an edition change).

That is interesting. I have no experience with DDAL.

Of course, individual DMs can use both versions together in their private games.

Yes, and that is something like 99% of the players? I mean from what you posted this really only affects DDAL players. How many people play that?

But Wizards has clearly signaled that MOTM is the version they'd prefer you use.

Sure, and that makes sense. With the information about DDAL I can see how it can feel like changing course mid-stream as @Micah Sweet said. But realistically it is a change that impacts a very small portion of the D&D fan base. To me it doesn't really feel like a change at all.

 

[Micah Sweet]

I've never really understood monster stat blocks as rules. They are notes on how to run a monster, but the rules (IMO) are what are in the PHB & DMG. They are shorthand designed to help you play a game. If following the "rules" is important to you, build them like PCs. That is a completely valid option, just more work than it is typically worth.

Regarding the odd idea that they changed it mid-stream. IMO, they haven't. These are new books with new monsters. The old books and monsters can still be used. Heck, I am likely to use both versions in the same combat.

Given the fact that the books these monsters originally appeared in have just been retired in DDB, I think it fair to say WorC doesn't consider them separate monsters.

 

[dave2008]

Given the fact that the books these monsters originally appeared in have just been retired in DDB, I think it fair to say WorC doesn't consider them separate monsters.

Yes, but WotC doesn't run games at my table. The only games this really affects is DDAL and that is a very small % of the games. Or at least I assume it is, I could be wrong.