D&D 5E Monsters of the Multiverse Releases a Day Early

Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse is now available to buy, a day earlier than scheduled. While it releases most places tomorrow, you can grab it from D&D Beyond today.

Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse - Shop D&D Beyond

Pick up this wonderous bestiary to unlock 34 playable species and stat blocks for 261 monsters for Dungeons & Dragons fifth edition.

dnd.wizards.com

 

[Demetrios1453]

Is this book a compilation of monsters that originally appeared in VGtM and MToF, or does it include stuff from the MM too? Im assuming that whatever the case its not every entry and if you wanted every monster for 5E, outside of those in adventures and campaign settings, you'd still need the MM, VGtM and MToF?

It's basically VGtM and MToF, with a few omissions. It's more or less the MM2 for 5e.

 

[Demetrios1453]

One oddity caught my eye - there's an incongruous cameo of a tressym in the deep rothe illustration. I'm very much wondering if it was going to be included in the book as well - it makes sense since "Cat, Tressym" would be right next to "Cattle" (although it could be argued that "Catoblepas" might get in the way). They've printed the tressym stat block in several adventure books already, and they might just wanted to have it "official". I wonder if they were going to include some other adventure-only creatures, but cut them due to time/budget/space reasons...

(This also brings up the question on whether they will consider MotM creatures as standard in adventures like they do with MM creatures right now, so as to cut back on duplicating stat blocks all the time)

 

[Parmandur]

One oddity caught my eye - there's an incongruous cameo of a tressym in the deep rothe illustration. I'm very much wondering if it was going to be included in the book as well - it makes sense since "Cat, Tressym" would be right next to "Cattle" (although it could be argued that "Catoblepas" might get in the way). They've printed the tressym stat block in several adventure books already, and they might just wanted to have it "official". I wonder if they were going to include some other adventure-only creatures, but cut them due to time/budget/space reasons...

(This also brings up the question on whether they will consider MotM creatures as standard in adventures like they do with MM creatures right now, so as to cut back on duplicating stat blocks all the time)

They do refer to Subclasses from Xanathar's or Tashain somr Setting books, like Domain recommendations for Wildemount.

I could see it for the Races: just about every one of these player options fits in Spelljammer, and I wouldn't be surprised if the Spelljammer Adventurer's Guide points to this book for PC options. And they wouldn't have to reprint Orcs and Goblins in each setting book, like they did from 2018-2020...

 

[Demetrios1453]

They do refer to Subclasses from Xanathar's or Tashain somr Setting books, like Domain recommendations for Wildemount.

I could see it for the Races: just about every one of these player options fits in Spelljammer, and I wouldn't be surprised if the Spelljammer Adventurer's Guide points to this book for PC options. And they wouldn't have to reprint Orcs and Goblins in each setting book, like they did from 2018-2020...

But what about monsters themselves? Will the monsters here be considered standard like MM monsters - i.e. be put in bold print in text, and not have re-printed stat blocks in adventure books' bestiaries? Maybe with a suggestion or two if a DM doesn't have MotM....

 

[Parmandur]

But what about monsters themselves? Will the monsters here be considered standard like MM monsters - i.e. be put in bold print in text, and not have re-printed stat blocks in adventure books' bestiaries? Maybe with a suggestion or two if a DM doesn't have MotM....

Maybe: that might still be a bit much for WotC to want to expect for people. Now they are also doing the "Monstrous Compendium," so who knows where they might go with providing people what they need to run an Adventure?

 

[Demetrios1453]

Also - there's the question of what we can expect in the future for 5e for monster books. It seems that VGtM and MToF are seen by WotC as experiments that ended up being something of a mixed bag - the format seems popular, but the actual lore became quickly outdated in some cases, and they were both seen as thematically very unfocused when they were published (even MToF's theme of "warring foes" kind of fell flat when they purposely included gnomes and halflings and specifically said they didn't have foes). FToD seems to have been created in response to this, especially with its much tighter theming and focus on one particular group of creatures. Should we assume we'll see FToD-style books for, say, undead or aberrations? Will creature types from the first two books be revisited with updated lore - will we see, say, an "extraplanar creatures" book with fiends in it (as well as celestials and others)? And will we see more compilations like MotM, for those who just want the stats?

 

[R_J_K75]

Now they are also doing the "Monstrous Compendium,

Are you referring to the Spelljammer MC or are they releasing another standalone MC before 2024?

 

[Flamestrike]

Nice to see Hobgoblin Gene Simmons on pg 23.

That Gene Simmonds picture was a Hobgoblin?

 

[R_J_K75]

That Gene Simmonds picture was a Hobgoblin?

He is playing an axe guitar so could be.

 

[NaturalZero]

It's sad how this book is getting review bombed on Amazon because it's a collection of Volo's and Mordenkainen's instead of all new content. People on the internet these days try really hard and dig deep to get offended over nothing.