The DUNGEON MASTER'S GUIDE is out today!

If you weren't lucky enough to be near one of the Wizards WPN stores, you can now get your shiny new D&D 5th Edition Dungeon Master's Guide from your local game store, bookshop, or online retailer of choice! That's right - the street date is here, and the DMG is now widely available! And it's worth it - the book is trending at 94% right now!

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Additionally, WotC's Jeremy Crawford gives an interview at Polygon about the new DMG.

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[Dargrimm]

Well, mine is on its way with estimate delivery date of December 30th, but I'll not be home for the Christmas season so I'll not be able to get it until January 7th...

 

[mouselim]

Guys, admittedly that it is packed with content, information and optional rules but don't get your hope and expectations up too high - there are simply too much fluff and too high-level guidelines and information that will somehow make this one of the least used books of the three (PHB, MM and DMG) in the near future.

 

[Claire Redfield]

For those of you who have used the book to create monsters, how well does it work? Is it pretty effective at matching CR to expectations? Is the overall process pretty good, with solid guidelines for abilities and powers and everything?

 

[Klataubarada]

Mine arrived with the pages slightly warped. Like they had minor moisture damage. Did this happen to anyone else?

Yes. When you're reading the book you cant notice it at all, but when its closed it looks like a ruffles potato chip.

 

[mouselim]

For those of you who have used the book to create monsters, how well does it work? Is it pretty effective at matching CR to expectations? Is the overall process pretty good, with solid guidelines for abilities and powers and everything?

That portion of the book is pretty solid (unlike the first few chapters of the book which are fluff content, not useful at all). There are altogether 17 pages covering how to create a new monster or using an existing one (or combining a few) to make a new monster. There are 20 steps given covering such as expected CR, hit points, damage vulnerabilities, resistances and immunities, speed, senses, languages, etc. This section also provides a two page monster features that proofs really useful.

E.g. Brute - example is bugbear. Effect on CR will be to increase the monster's damage on one attack by the amount noted in the trait.

Yet it isn't perfect. It left out guidelines on helping with the monster's ecology and social structure (if any) but I guess the DM can make this up on their own.

 

[Claire Redfield]

So have you made many? Does the expected CR match up pretty well to the creature's actual performance?

 

[mouselim]

Yup..mine too

Yes. When you're reading the book you cant notice it at all, but when its closed it looks like a ruffles potato chip.

Yes, mine too. Pages are wavy. On top of that, the binding wasn't very well done. The inner binding of the hardcover has creases (it wasn't glued down properly) and excessive glue are sticking some of the pages together.

 

[mouselim]

So have you made many? Does the expected CR match up pretty well to the creature's actual performance?

Nope. I only did a test modification of the goblin (that I plan to use in Lost Mine of Phandelver) race to make then like ants - following a queen goblin with worker goblins, soldier goblins and such.

From steps 1 to 20, I only modify on step 1 (name), 4 (alignment), 5 (ability scores), 6 (expected CR) following the table found in page 274 (really useful guideline), 9 (adding immunity to mind spells since they have the hive mentality) and use the darkmantle "Transfer damage" when the hive goblins attack en-masse.

Edit: I'm also worried about the CR match-up to actual play but I assumed that WoTC designers had done their homework. In my campaign, my players have yet to meet these "newly created" monsters so I do not know if the CR is as expected.

 

[Claire Redfield]

Do let me know, if you would, when you get a chance to test them out. I love creating monsters and I'm really hoping the guidelines they have will produce usable monsters that line up with CR expectations, because then I can go crazy on it.

Edit: Can someone please tell me how to disable email notifications of quoted messages? I turned off the available options and unsubscribed from the thread but it keeps doing it. I don't need my inbox filling up with useless notifications.

 

[mouselim]

Sure - will PM you.