MM2 sneak peak / new warforged art

[Derren]

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.

No, the idea is that you don't need things you don't fight. (What I call Diablo world design. If it moves, kill it).

 

[Jhaelen]

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

And I want them to get rid of alignments, already!
It's one of the few chances to improve the game that they missed in 4E. It's one of the last remaining sacred cows that needs to be killed.

 

[Kaodi]

Is it just me or does it seem like there is something weird about the warforged faces/heads?

 

[chaotix42]

The iron dragon doesn't seem like much of a lurker beyond his Stealth check. At first glance he seems quite underwhelming compared to the adamantine dragon - I thought, compared to other roles, lurkers were supposed to sport high damage? The aforementioned soldier outclasses this lurker's damage in almost every way! Wing Block & Iron Wing Defense are interesting, though. This is the first preview that has me disappointed.

That clay golem is cool though! No problems there at all, and it reminds me a lot of its previous incarnations in earlier editions.

 

[OchreJelly]

Love the iron golem.

So far I like the golems quite a bit. That pic of the clay and iron is really well done. On the stats, that aura that prevents shifting sounds interesting too.

 

[I'm A Banana]

I'm not sure the MM is the place for "good" critters, but 4e's complete lack of good creatures is evident and obnoxious.

If the MM was a big book of encounters instead of an alphabetical list of things to kill, I'd expect some Good-aligned encounters (both combat and non-combat) with creatures in the setting that are Good.

Personally, the alignment fixation just annoys me because it's like WotC tell me that if I have evil or unaligned characters who might want to kill a Mother Theresa that I'm playing their game wrong. I get a little irked at the suggestion that the game is THEIRS and not MINE.

I think they would've cut alignment, but the fact is that alignment adds something to a game of heroic fantasy, where good guys shoot blue lazers and bad guys shoot red lazers.

 

[avin]

And I want them to get rid of alignments, already!

Amen.

But that would force some DMs think about motivation. Some DMs I know would have problem trying to figure out a campaign outside the traditional "you are good guys, kill the bad guys because they are evil".

 

[Derren]

Amen.

But that would force some DMs think about motivation. Some DMs I know would have problem trying to figure out a campaign outside the traditional "you are good guys, kill the bad guys because they are evil".

Thats why 4E has no good guys other than the PCs (and one mount).

 

[alleynbard]

Amen.

But that would force some DMs think about motivation. Some DMs I know would have problem trying to figure out a campaign outside the traditional "you are good guys, kill the bad guys because they are evil".

I go back and forth on alignment. On one hand, I don't think players or DMs need it to provide motivation for the game. In that case, alignment needs to go. Some players and DMs use it as a crutch.

But in a "Moorcockian Multiverse" way, I really like it. But then, I prefer the idea that Chaos and Law are manifestations of true universal concepts and the only thing keeping these two from tearing the universe apart is Balance. It was for this reason I re-worked the alignment system presented in 4e. Good and Evil are not really universal. But Law and Chaos are.

Even then, I don't think an alignment system is needed for that situation. Or, if it is used, only certain creatures should have an alignment. The simpler the alignment system the better.

So I like it from the world building point of view but I don't think it is a necessary part of playing the game.

Sorry for taking the thread a bit off topic.

 

[alleynbard]

So far I like the golems quite a bit. That pic of the clay and iron is really well done. On the stats, that aura that prevents shifting sounds interesting too.

The mechanics are strong. I can see describing the aura as a result of clay being flung off the golem.

I tend to prefer the more "scultped" look to the clay golem, but this looks real nice.