Monster Vault

[the Jester]

I don't think there have been any previews of this yet, but has anyone seen any hints as to what monsters are in this?

Anyone gotten a preview copy, seen it early, gotten ahold of prerelease stuff I've missed?

Of all the Essentials stuff, as a dm, this is the one that I'm most interested in getting- assuming that it's new takes on monsters rather than reprints.

 

[Dire Bare]

There haven't been any excerpts printed yet, but Monster Vault has been talked about in the (currently) free Ampersand column at WotC and a picture of the contents has been posted somewhere.

We do know that the monsters in Monster Vault are mostly new builds of existing monsters, designed to fill the same overall role that the MM1 monsters filled . . . monsters good for a new DM.

 

[Aegeri]

There is a preview of it this week. I'm hoping today, but it might be Friday's ampersand.

I am going to speculate, though I don't know for certain, that the Young Black Dragon printed in the DDI comic wasn't made for the comic. I believe that Dragon actually comes from the Monster Vault.

 

[Greatwyrm]

I'm always up for more monsters, especially if they're mostly Heroic tier. The counters would be nice, too. Unfortunately, I may just wait until they drop into DDI. Counters are only so much use when you DM online and have no scanner.

 

[pemerton]

There is a Balor in one of the Demononicon encounters that looks like an MM1 Balor upgraded to MM3 mathematical standards. I think there is also a possibility that this will be in the Monster Vault.

I'm hoping that the MV will basically be the MM1 redone to reflect the MM2/MM3 guidelines.

 

[Dire Bare]

There is a Balor in one of the Demononicon encounters that looks like an MM1 Balor upgraded to MM3 mathematical standards. I think there is also a possibility that this will be in the Monster Vault.

I'm hoping that the MV will basically be the MM1 redone to reflect the MM2/MM3 guidelines.

While it's possible we'll get updated versions of existing builds, such as the Young Black Dragon or Balor, they will be a minority. WotC has already stated that the majority of the monsters in the vault will be entirely new builds of existing creatures.

Unless of course, they've changed their minds . . . but I doubt it.

 

[Aegeri]

While it's possible we'll get updated versions of existing builds, such as the Young Black Dragon or Balor, they will be a minority. WotC has already stated that the majority of the monsters in the vault will be entirely new builds of existing creatures.

Unless of course, they've changed their minds . . . but I doubt it.

The young black dragon from the DDI comic, which I think is from Monster Vault is nowhere near the same as the original. It's an entirely new monster mechanically. So they could do just about anything with monsters in the MV and it wouldn't look anything like the original.

 

[fjw70]

While it's possible we'll get updated versions of existing builds, such as the Young Black Dragon or Balor, they will be a minority. WotC has already stated that the majority of the monsters in the vault will be entirely new builds of existing creatures.

Unless of course, they've changed their minds . . . but I doubt it.

What is a monster "build?" Do you mean any new monsters won't share the same name as a current monster (e.g. a new Balor wouldn't be a Balor but would be a Balor Protector or something like that)?

 

[Bold or Stupid]

What is a monster "build?" Do you mean any new monsters won't share the same name as a current monster (e.g. a new Balor wouldn't be a Balor but would be a Balor Protector or something like that)?

This would seem to be the case, Goblin Slicers rather than Goblin Cutters (to make up an example).