D&D 5E List of All 33 Races in Mordenkainen's Monsters of the Multiverse

Mordenkainen Presents Monsters of the Multiverse contains 33 races compiled from previous Dungeons & Dragons books.

greg-rutkowski-monsters-of-the-multiverse-1920.jpg

  • Aarackocra
  • Assimar
  • Bugbear
  • Centaur
  • Changeling
  • Deep Gnome
  • Duergar
  • Eladrin
  • Fairy
  • Firbolg
  • Genasi, Air
  • Genasi, Earth
  • Genasi, Fire
  • Gennasi, Water
  • Githyanki
  • Githzerai
  • Goblin
  • Goliath
  • Harengon
  • Hobgoblin
  • Kenku
  • Kobold
  • Lizardfolk
  • Minotaur
  • Orc
  • Satyr
  • Sea Elf
  • Shadar Kai
  • Shifter
  • Tabaxi
  • Turtle
  • Triton
  • Yuan-ti

While reprinted, these races have all been updated to the current standard used by WotC for D&D races used in Tasha's Cauldron of Everything, including a free choice of ability score increases (increase one by 2 points and another by 1 point; or increase three by 1 point), and small races not suffering a movement speed penalty.

The video below from Nerd Immersion delves into the races in more detail.

 
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JEB

Legend
I think the more interesting question how they'll handle D&D Beyond. I suspect a lot if users are going to see content they paid for changed.
Considering the backlash to the recent errata updates (which were comparatively limited), I would hope Wizards would permit Beyond users to keep access to both versions of the various races. I guess it may depend on whether or not the changes are considered "errata" or not.

EDIT: I guess one thing might stay Wizards' hand - the profits from selling digital copies of Monsters of the Multiverse would be significantly reduced if all the changes were also provided as errata to other books.
 

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Speaking for myself, lore is certainly more a lure than rules for me when buying a rulebook, though I wouldn't find an all-lore no-rules book as appealing. Still, if that counts as "primarily for the lore", I guess you know at least one person like that!
If lore wasn't a draw then one could just settle for the monster cards WotC has released. I personally especially liked the section on the duergar from Mordenkainen's Tome of Fies where they were described as having a diminished capacity to feel positive emotions or satisfaction. It's really influenced how I portray even non-evil duergar.
 

TwoSix

Dirty, realism-hating munchkin powergamer
It's certainly possible that Mordenkainen's Monsters of the Multiverse is an anomaly, since it's a compilation and update of previously published material. But it's also clear that these new versions are meant to replace, not supplement, the originals. And furthermore, the presentation of races here matches the approach taken with character races in the last three books, as well as in recent Unearthed Arcana releases.
I thought it was obvious the MMotM is aberrational; they're cramming together material from two previous books to excise material that no longer fits their lore paradigm, and it has a strong focus on crunch rather than lore precisely because the roll-out of newer lore is a longer term project. It's a one-off product as "lore surgery", not a harbinger. I sincerely doubt the revised PHB is going to have important races as a stat block and a small snippet of explanatory text.

Now, this doesn't certainly doesn't mean they won't bollocks things up in the future, but I wouldn't use anything about this specific book as evidence for anything other than their desire to reframe races.
 

Considering the backlash to the recent errata updates (which were comparatively limited), I would hope Wizards would permit Beyond users to keep access to both versions of the various races. I guess it may depend on whether or not the changes are considered "errata" or not.

EDIT: I guess one thing might stay Wizards' hand - the profits from selling digital copies of Monsters of the Multiverse would be significantly reduced if all the changes were also provided as errata to other books.
They still have both versions of dragonborn on D&D beyond. Really, they aint going to remove races until they release new versions of all the PHB races as lineages, which will be in the new PHB in 2024.

WotC know that when they transition to a new edition they lose players, so they are doing a soft transition this time around, with the new rules sitting alongside the old rules for a time.
 

Cadence

Legend
Supporter
Just got my copy, and it's easy to tell I didn't have the two previous books or even read a lot of the MM. When did Eladrin and Shadar-Kai become elves of their respective plains? Has it always been like that? Always been like that in 5th? (I like it).
 

Parmandur

Book-Friend
Just got my copy, and it's easy to tell I didn't have the two previous books or even read a lot of the MM. When did Eladrin and Shadar-Kai become elves of their respective plains? Has it always been like that? Always been like that in 5th? (I like it).
Mordenkeinin's Tome of Foes turned Shadar-Kai into Elves, they were a couple different things in earlier Editions, but they just made them Raven Queen worshipping Shadowfell Elves this go around (also, the Raven Queen is an Elf leader who tried to find a...creative solution to the Elves fall from grace).

The Eladrin have two prior edition histories: as Outsiders from Arborea (IIRC), and High Elves in 4E. Mordenkeinin's turned them into Feywild Elves.
 

Levistus's_Leviathan

5e Freelancer
Just got my copy, and it's easy to tell I didn't have the two previous books or even read a lot of the MM. When did Eladrin and Shadar-Kai become elves of their respective plains? Has it always been like that? Always been like that in 5th? (I like it).
Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes made those changes to Eladrin and Shadar-Kai. Eladrin have been Feywild-elves ever since the DMG, and Shadar-Kai have been Shadowfell Elves ever since the Elven Subraces UA. So, as long as they've existed in D&D 5e, they have been elves adapted to their specific otherworldly environments.
 

Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes made those changes to Eladrin and Shadar-Kai. Eladrin have been Feywild-elves ever since the DMG, and Shadar-Kai have been Shadowfell Elves ever since the Elven Subraces UA. So, as long as they've existed in D&D 5e, they have been elves adapted to their specific otherworldly environments.
I really like the Eladrin and Shadar-Kai symmetry, though I feel it would work thematically better in a world where those were the only two types of elves in existence. Like the Seelie and Unseelie courts. If Shadar-Kai are your creepy goth shadow elves, then having the Drow too seems redundant and thematically muddy.
 

Marandahir

Crown-Forester (he/him)
Considering the backlash to the recent errata updates (which were comparatively limited), I would hope Wizards would permit Beyond users to keep access to both versions of the various races. I guess it may depend on whether or not the changes are considered "errata" or not.

EDIT: I guess one thing might stay Wizards' hand - the profits from selling digital copies of Monsters of the Multiverse would be significantly reduced if all the changes were also provided as errata to other books.
D&D Beyond team have stated they’ll keep the old versions up after MP:MotM is released digitally. You’ll be able to toggle between. It’s essentially like how Orc vs Orc of Eberron vs Orc of Exandria was before they errata’d Volo’s Orc (creating a new version with the different rules). Now we have 3 different Orc race choices on D&DB with the exact same mechanics but different Lore, but D&D Beyond have assured their users that their characters wouldn’t be switched to MP rules come release. There will be a toggle.

I’d imagine, if 2024 is really 5.5e, that there will be a 5e/5.5e toggle eventually added. Though based on the way WotC are using creature subtype tags in this book (much more user-friendly for database searching, a la D&D Beyond search function), I wouldn’t be surprised if Hasbro themselves are preparing a new alternative to D&DB that will focus on 5.5e rules.
 

Marandahir

Crown-Forester (he/him)
Just did a bit of number crunching, and there are 52 lineages/races released thus far by WotC that are neither in the 2014 Core Rules nor Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse, while there are 50 lineages/races that are currently considered Core Rules or Rules Expansion lineages.

(This is assuming that Chromatic and Metallic Dragonborn were in the 2014 Core Rules, but have been overhauled by Fizban's).

I doubt we're in for another big book of lineages anytime soon (save possibly a M:tG one, see below), and most of these are Setting-specific lineages, but I think that 9 of these missing lineages will make it into the 2024 Core Rules:

1. Gem Dragonborn
2. 8 Tiefling lineages reflecting each of the other Archdukes of Baator

While Gem Dragonborn have been only very recently released, by 2024 it'll have been over 2 years, and I'm certain that other two Dragonborn sublineages from Fizban's are going to directly replace the Dragonborn breath weapon choices from the PHB. Meanwhile, the 8 Tiefling variants are the ONLY lineages from Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes to miss out on Monsters of the Multiverse, and I believe that to be because, minus their ability score modifiers, they'll all be options that Tieflings can take, rather than full-on separate lineage write ups like other subraces became in Mordenkainen Presents, sort of like how the three different Aasimar subraces were incorporated into the single Aasimar lineage (though unlike those, where you choose the angelic manifestation each time you use the power, I believe the Tiefling options will be chosen at character creation, functioning sort of like the huge list of Warlock invocations). I doubt that the Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide Tiefling variants will be in this book, though.

In addition, there are 10 currently-released lineages that are neither in the 2014 Core Rules or 2022 Rules Expansion that area already updated to the Post-Tasha's model (no ability score bumps). This leaves 35 lineages left unaccounted for as fully 2014-compatible rules but not fully 2024-compatible rules.

I don't think Tasha's Custom Lineage will be explicitly reprinted in the 2024 Core Rules as the 2022 Rules Expansion books are intended to serve as a companion to both the 2014 Core Rules and the 2024 Core Rules. But I do think it'll essentially be treated as an option for customizing your lineage, and the errata for the option already accomodates the lack of ability score bumps: it no longer assumes that the racial Ability Score bumps are in your race or lineage, but that IF a race or lineage has an ASI built in, you can replace it with another. This allows for the book to cross sub-editions of 2014 Core Rules and 2024 Core Rules, and let you modify the other 31 lineages that have NOT been updated, so as to make those 31 lineages compatible with the new revised 5e a decade into the edition.

Finally, of those 35 missing lineages, I expect several to get overhauled in future 2024-compatible books. Eberron is extremely likely for a setting revisit, and when it does, I expect reprints of Kalashtar, Warforged, and the Dragonmarked lineages (in addition to incorporating the Changeling, Shifter, Orc, and Goblinoid reprints, whether Keith Baker likes the Changeling changes or not).

There MAY be a big book of Magic: the Gathering lineages if there is ever a multi-setting-specific lineage book. This could reprint Loxodon, Vedalken, Simic Hybrid, Leonin, and Owlin, and I wouldn't be surprised if Reborn sneaks in there too as it really fits Theros' The Returned.

And Critical Role will likely get another official WotC-sanctioned book of options eventually. While Tal'Dorei Reborn is great for updating Tal'Dorei lore to the CR's 3th Campaign, it notably lacks ALL lineage rules - assuming that the player has purchases Explorer's Guide to Wildemount or some other book that covers the relevant lineages. Of the 4 missing Critical Role lineages, the Draconian Dragonblood/Draconblood Dragonborn and the Ravenite Dragonblood/Ravenite Dragonborn are MOST pressing for a rules update as they assume building off of the 2014 Core Rules Dragonborn and thus will NOT be compatible with the 2024 Core Rules, should it replace the 2014 Core Rules Dragonborn with Fizban's Dragonborn subraces as I consider likely above.

Planescape or Spelljammer is also a likely destination for setting reprints, if we get any of these 35 missing lineages/races reprinted before 2024.
 

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