Monster Manual: What's missing which has impacted you?

[beeflv30]

Very true. I didn't mean this as a slam on WotC or a search for alternative solutions...I was just musing on what did and didn't make this first MM. Those would have been some interesting planning session to have been a fly on the wall for...they made some tough calls.

Of course, the pessimists could argue that key mobs were omitted intentionally in order to space them out over multiple MM volumes.

I did not think your post to be a slam (Not a fan of the whats the better edition war).
As for what I miss from the 4e MM..pretty much the good aligned dragons. I think that Destrachan could have been left out and replaced with something better. Glad they brought back cyclops though.

 

[Nightson]

I thought the MM had Formians but I could be mistaken (I don't have the MM).

It has Fomorians the feywild guys, something which is sure to cause plenty of confusion for many years.

 

[Rechan]

The one thing I wish there were, was more 1-2 level monsters. Not humanoids, but Creatures.

 

[pawsplay]

a. Kitten Minion
b. Rabid Kitten (has Dire rats Filth fever representing rabies/Skirmishers)
c. Robust Cat (brutes)
d. Fel Cats (demonic Cats)

I hope the Fel Cats can, as an immediate action, redirect an attack to a kitten minion. Also, the kittens should transform back into kidnapped orphans once slain.

 

[oneof3steves]

This is only having played a little bit, but my experience DMing the beginning of my game suggests that part of the reason that there are not as many lvl 1 and 2 monsters is that the party at level 1 can engage enemies that are at least level 3.

At first I looked and was afraid of how boring the early encounters would be, but knowing that you can thrown monsters from a variety of levels at them and that the monsters have a greater variety of abilities than I'm used to it's actually much more exciting.

Incidentally this is also my first post.

 

[Jack Colby]

Real-world wild animals such as apes, tigers, cobras. Many of the staples of pulp adventure seem to be missing. For people who like to use the "fantastic" a bit more sparingly, this is a real negative.

I also feel that including two "dinosaurs" was silly, especially considering which ones they are. If they had to include only two of them, how is it that one isn't a T-Rex equivalent?

I don't really mind them leaving out some of the traditional D&D monsters, and I know they will be released eventually. However, considering several existing entries are more recent or (IMO) just plain silly monsters that will never be used, ignoring the classics seems to be a poor decision.

I'm not overly bothered by any of the above, however. And it's not too hard to alter or create monsters in this edition.

 

[Jack Colby]

This is only having played a little bit, but my experience DMing the beginning of my game suggests that part of the reason that there are not as many lvl 1 and 2 monsters is that the party at level 1 can engage enemies that are at least level 3.

That's an excellent point, however, since I DM a group that's smaller than the recommended five PCs, it would be nice to have more low level (1st) monsters.

A whole lot of new or converted monsters have sprung up online already though, so it's not too bad.

 

[balard]

For more low level monster, just get the level 2-3 ones and weaken then as DMG says. It works nice.

 

[On Puget Sound]

They tried to get a nymph into the book, but she was too busy wringing her hands.

 

[Particle_Man]

It has Fomorians the feywild guys, something which is sure to cause plenty of confusion for many years.

Ok, so the Formians and the Modrons are both gone, but the Slaads are in the book.

I guess chaos beat law, in the end.