MM2 sneak peak / new warforged art

[OchreJelly]

AICN has a small sneak peak on MM2 which you can find here.

Not much is detailed really, but he hints that there aren't any dinosaurs and that the actual page count is smaller. There is an art piece for the new warforged entry.

He also links to Elder Iron Dragon stats (here) and its illo can be found here.

Presumably more info to come later...

Update: it seems that the DND Facebook site will be posting the updates periodically:

 

[Derren]

And another unaligned metallic dragon.

If it is good you can't fight it and so you don't need it..........

 

[avin]

5E should fix this "GOOD vs evil" idea from 4E. I want good aligned monsters and minis.

 

[Jack99]

Seems that they keep the 8*(level+1) hit calculation for at least dragons, but make it *4 instead of *5 for a solo creature, even at paragon tier.

 

[alleynbard]

I suppose he could be insinuating the page count is the same.

The warforged art appears to be based on the various minis that have been released. Not a bad piece.

I don't mind that the dragons are unaligned, honestly. In fact, if all dragons were unaligned, I would be a happy person. It definitely eases the transition into Eberron where draconic color didn't necessarily have bearing on what the dragon was going to do to you.

The absence of good creatures is odd. I understand the design philosophy behind that choice. I think it was fine for MM1 but it would be nice to see a few in MM2. While the planes aren't tied to alignment I find it weird we have planar creatures who are expressly evil but no planar creatures that are expressly good. Or have we seen some and I just missed it?

But, I will admit, if it never happens I am not going to be too upset. I would like to see a "good" race but my enjoyment of the game doesn't hinge upon it.

 

[OchreJelly]

Golem illos have been added to Geekdad Wired blog with stat blocks coming soon. Looks like MM2 is spinning up into full info / spoiler mode.

Update: Clay Golem stats here

 

[Ktulu]

In my entire history of gaming, I have never, not one time, thrown a "good" dragon at the party in an encounter that required combat. Thus, all the good dragon minis are wasted.

I actually LOVE the shift to more "unaligned" dragons. That means they can be allies or enemies, and not be required to eat princesses and the like.

With the 4e having alignment-lite, I can also use a good dragon (which you all know Gold and Silver will be) in a combat scenario in dealing with opposing goals without the players having all anti-evil spells, making them useless against the big-bad dragon.

Bring on the unaligned, I say.

 

[Scribble]

I think the idea is to highlight the overwhelming encroaching darkness of the D&D core world.

I mean if you're in a PoL setting, then there SHOULd be an overwhelming amount of evil, and even those that aren't should probably be unaligned. Good would just find it really hard to survive. Evil is winning in a PoL setting.

 

[alleynbard]

Golem illos have been added to Geekdad Wired blog with stat blocks coming soon. Looks like MM2 is spinning up into full info / spoiler mode.

Update: Clay Golem stats here

Love the iron golem.

 

[alleynbard]

Bring on the unaligned, I say.

Hear, hear!

I think the idea is to highlight the overwhelming encroaching darkness of the D&D core world.

I mean if you're in a PoL setting, then there SHOULd be an overwhelming amount of evil, and even those that aren't should probably be unaligned. Good would just find it really hard to survive. Evil is winning in a PoL setting.

I absolutely agree with what you are saying. One of the things that always appealed to me about Greyhawk was the number of evil/neutral kingdoms you could find. In some ways, good was outnumbered. I like the idea that evil is winning. Conflict makes good stories and helps justify why these adventurers are always out there on the front lines.

I think the vast majority of the creatures should be evil/unaligned. I wouldn't mind seeing one or two good races though. But, like I said, I am not going to get upset if I don't. It would just be interesting to see what they would do.

Perhaps the MMs aren't the place to debut those though. Mayhaps the other, more fluff oriented, sourcebooks would be more appropriate.