Micah Sweet
Level Up & OSR Enthusiast
They probably have. I just generally believe that Level Up, for me, does a better job than O5e at pretty much everything.
D&D 5E Let’s Read Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse.
Faolyn
(she/her)
That I will agree with entirely.
Leatherhead
Possibly a Idiot.
There is an appendix in the book that groups creatures by environment (among other groupings), but it is nowhere near the level of the old Organization listings. Even a simple "If you like this monster, consider using these monsters too" would have been great.
To be fair, VGTM and MTOF also just had the listings by environment, and no list of potential allies. Maybe something for the 2024 Monster Manual?
Leatherhead
Possibly a Idiot.
Kraken Priest (VGtM)
The Kraken Priest is a priest. And while older players may think that title is synonymous with “Cleric” that is not the case. In fact, the Priest lacks any tags that might associate it with any class. It’s not a Cleric, or a Warlock, or a Sorcerer, or even a Druid, despite the thematic overlaps. The Kraken Priest focuses their worship on a Kraken (shocking, I know), and the monstrous Titan bestows them with a non-divine great power in return. A power that warps and twists their body into a amphibious monstrosity in its own right.
However, A Kraken Priest could be used in any congregation of similarly-minded sea-beast monsters, such as the Deep Scions* and Sea Spawn*, maybe even cursed pirates, where they can lead their fishy flock against the surface dwellers for a Lovecraftian-inspired adventure.
*Also in this book.
In combat the Priest packs quite the punch. As in, its punch deals thunder damage. Kind of like a mantis shrimp (which is now how I will motif this creature in the future) If the Priest isn’t in range for a punch, it can instead shoot out a thunderbolt, which will knock the target prone. It is worth noting that the Priest has multiattack, and its not exactly the best idea to target a prone creature with a ranged attack, so you might want to spread that damage around. Instead focusing on the control aspect.
Speaking of control, the Priest also has a bevy of control spells to fling around. Most notably Evard’s Black Tentacles, which restrains targets and also deals some bludgeoning damage in the process. The Priest can set up a patch, and then snipe any PCs caught inside, knocking them prone, to prevent them from easily moving away should they manage to escape the tentacle’s grasp. Also, it is thematically appropriate, which is a huge plus. Unfortunately the tentacles have no IFF, so while you may be tempted to have the Priest's minions push the PCs into the mess, be warned they can be pushed back.
If you are looking for a more “friendly” control option, use Control Water instead. Not only do Kraken Priests align themselves with gilled creatures, but any not-yet-converts can be “blessed” with Water Walk and Water Breathing, allowing them to avoid being drowned. At least until the Priest turns all the water into a raging whirlpool anyway. And while they do have Darkness, they don’t even have so much as normal Darkvision, so it’s best to avoid that spell unless you have something specifically set up to abuse it.
In the changeover, the Priest had their Call Lighting spell swapped out for the Thunderbolt attack, and a Multiattack that also applies to their Thunderous Touch. Which is unquestionably a buff for the creature. Now their concentration can be used with their control spells while they blast from afar. The Priest was also changed from a Humanoid into a Monstrocity, given a higher AC and had their innate resistance to non-magical attacks removed.
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Weiley31
Legend
Look anybody not happy with how they do it with monsters and spells, can just look back at the old versions of the books and add em back in. Especially if you're making a Boss version of said monsters. Let the no name gruff cast spells as is while named NPCs can have your spell lists/spell slots to upcast their spells.
GMforPowergamers
Legend
I am on your side but this isn't really helpful.
I can look at the old and new archmage no problem. if on the other hand a new monster called a QWERTY shows up in the next adventure and is super cool and fun, I have no 'old stats' for a QWERTY to go back to.
Weiley31
Legend
Point taken.
In my defense, WoTC wasn't supposed to change up the Stat Block format when 5E came out in 2014. But I believe in QWERTY to have the appropriate spell list to modify based upon the session's situation/DM fiat/style. That or refluff an existing Spellcaster list already present in a Stat Block from the old method and go from there.
Leatherhead
Possibly a Idiot.
Kruthiks (MToF)
Kruthiks are reptilian predators, covered in chitinous plates and spines. Each of their legs ends in a long, sharp claw. And their mandibles are strong enough to chew through stone. As a hive creature, they live in tunnels that they dig themselves, or take over existing cave structures. Interestingly enough, they often let elementals, undead, oozes, and even constructs cohabitate their lairs. Though how such arrangements are made is quite perplexing, given that Kruthiks only speak their own language, and don’t seem to possess any spellcasting or ritual capabilities in their own right, despite having the mental power for it. Still, a vague listing of allies is better than no listing of allies, and at least it can inspire searches for creatures that might be able to serve as backup.
OK, I’m going to say it, Kruthiks look a lot like they would fit in with the Zerg, and their temperament matches that observation. While Gnolls function a bit like locusts, these creatures function more like ants, right down to the hive structure, the tunneling, and the seemingly eclectic group of friends that they keep. Given this similarity, ants would serve as a great source of inspiration for what these creatures should be doing, or even what might be happening to these creatures. Multiple hives coming into territorial disputes with other underground creatures (like kobolds or dwarves), while fleeing from their own version of Ophiocordyceps (the ant-zombie-fungus), would provide a decent low level adventure hook that has multiple resolution paths. Keep in mind, these creatures do have a language and at least human levels of intelligence, so it is theoretically possible to negotiate with them.
Kruthiks come in three different categories for this book: Young, Adult, and Hive Lord. Each category builds upon the options of the previous with a new hook. Making this entry easily truncated.
Young Kruthiks are somewhat advanced low level fodder. At CR ⅛ they come with a low damage melee attack, a climb speed, a burrow speed, Tremorsense, and most interestingly, a way to tunnel through solid rock. Allowing them to pop themselves into existence in any square on a battlemap. They also have pack tactics, meaning they are at their best when they are swarming the same target. It’s also worth mentioning that their Tunneler ability creates a permanent whole that other creatures can use, making it much faster for reinforcements to arrive after the first breach.
Adult Kruthicks are all that, with bigger numbers (most noticeably in the speed and multiattack departments) to match their CR of 2, and the somewhat novel Spine attack, which is a short ranged attack presumably made out of their body parts. While the range is on the short side, it does allow them to fully exploit their climb speed by shooting the enemy from above, preferably while the Younger Kruthiks provide advantage.
Hive Lords are the Queens of the hive. They have all the tricks of the Adults (and thus all the tricks of the Young), with the addition of even bigger numbers for their CR of 5, and an Acid Spray attack. While the logical use of the Acid spray is hurting the PCs, acid can also be used to dissolve most metals that would otherwise stop Kruthiks from burrowing into a secured area.
In the changeover, Kruthiks lost their Keen Smell ability, which was folded into their Perception score.
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