MCDM monster book “Flee Mortals!” KS is live!

[dave2008]

I don't think I need 12 orc blocks either......

WotC monsters are largely "stand around and hit each other with sticks until they die". Very little battlefield control. Few reactions or bonus actions. A lot of their monsters are just re-fluffed statblocks where bite=claw for another monster. Boring. Few things that distinguish one humanoid from another. I don't love all their choices here, but at least they are choices.

I get not everyone agrees.

While I agree to some extent, the fact is a lot of WotC monsters do more interesting things to, particularly once you get outside the MM. And though I like bonus actions and reactions from a design stand point (I use them in my monster designs too), I don't like them as much as a DM. Particularly in non-solo monsters. They are just to easy, IME, to forget about. So I just hope the monsters are not balanced around those extra actions.

Look I generally agree with their designs, but I've been doing the same thing for years and have a whole thread with 250+ monsters (and growing) on these very forums: 5e Updates: Monstrous Compendium

I guess I was hoping for some more innovative. Now, to be perfectly honest I haven't gone through the documents exhaustively. This was my first impression. What will make or break the book for me is what they do with dragons. It is always about the dragons with me!

 

[Zaukrie]

While I agree to some extent, the fact is a lot of WotC monsters do more interesting things to, particularly once you get outside the MM. And though I like bonus actions and reactions from a design stand point (I use them in my monster designs too), I don't like them as much as a DM. Particularly in non-solo monsters. They are just to easy, IME, to forget about. So I just hope the monsters are not balanced around those extra actions.

Look I generally agree with their designs, but I've been doing the same thing for years and have a whole thread with 250+ monsters (and growing) on these very forums: 5e Updates: Monstrous Compendium

I guess I was hoping for some more innovative. Now, to be perfectly honest I haven't gone through the documents exhaustively. This was my first impression. What will make or break the book for me is what they do with dragons. It is always about the dragons with me!

I love your work here, to be clear.

And, I somewhat agree on bonus and reactions....though I'm much better at that now that I play online.

 

[dave2008]

....though I'm much better at that now that I play online.

That is a good point, probably a lot more people playing that way now than before, and a lot easier to track those actions. I am still an in-person only player/DM at this time.

 

[darjr]

The MCDM community that is there, both before, and the one shaping up around the new book, leans towards a set of play styles that I can really appreciate and sometimes wan't to mix into my games. And for the goals of MCDM and that community they are also play tested a lot. And MCDM shifts gears on monsters and ideas based on those play tests.

Finally they also involve a great many other developers from across the D&D creator community which was a perk I didn't realize I'd like as much I am.

 

[el-remmen]

I find them a little too complicated for my tastes, actually.

 

[overgeeked]

These preview packets are amazing. Most of these monsters are VAST improvements over what we have. VAST.

Yeah. That’s 4E monster design.

 

[Uni-the-Unicorn!]

I find them a little too complicated for my tastes, actually.

It’s a tough balance. I think you need both: simple and complex.

 

[dave2008]

Yeah. That’s 4E monster design.

We do need to be careful in overselling 4e design. I loved 4e, but it had a lot of boring monsters too and it never really solved the solo problem IMO. In general, I would put any 5e Legendary monster against any 4e monster.

Now the one area 4e monsters do more, like the rest of 4e, than 5e monsters hand down is in tactical effects (forced movement & conditions). I personally see that a less a monster issue and more of a 5e issue, buy YMMV.

 

[el-remmen]

It’s a tough balance. I think you need both: simple and complex.

I don't think any one of them is too complex, but playing any two or more different kinds at once (which I like to do) seems like it'd be hard. But as someone who has been inspired by what MCDM is doing to make my own versions of monsters I get that it can be tricky.

 

[darjr]