D&D 5E (2024) Views on 24 MM/SRD monster mechanics now

[Remathilis]

Non-magic BPS resistance was not replaced with blanket BPS resistance, or any resistance at all, it was just removed entirely.

So apparently, resistance to non-magical weapons was overvalued in 2014 as being a multiplier on HP. Thing is, it's pretty rare to fight creatures and not have a magic way to damage them, which made them far weaker than their CR indicated. So when they removed it, they replaced it with more hd/HP. It means creatures who were resistant to magic got tougher if you have a magic weapon.

Granted, it's a lot less flavorful, but it does make the fights more impactful.

 

[Stormonu]

I'm curious on folk's experience with the new Lycanthropes, and other creatures that used to have B,P & S resistances.

 

[Charlaquin]

I’ll push back a little. The 24 monsters typically still have the flavor traits you speed of, they are just not called out. They are tucked into the stats. So mechanically the same or similar trait, just no name.
Though I miss them too.

They also often added interesting actions in many cases.

Yeah, that is often the case, but not always. And since it’s worked into the stats instead of called out as specific features, it just ends up looking like loose design instead of unique traits.

 

[TravDoc42]

I am a big fan of a lot of the changes! I like the spellcasting for the post part (although I might've preferred they put the damage dice for certain spells like Fireball in the stat block instead of putting "Fireball (level 5 version)"), and I like the damage and effect riders on many of the attacks! Makes certain monsters feel more flavorful in combat, IMHO.

I like that they added new monsters in certain monster families, so there's more than one azer or cyclops, for example. The corresponding shrinkage of the flavour text for those critters irks me somewhat, but I'd rather more stat blocks than more flavour text, to be fair.

Combat is still good from my DMing experience! I've gotten to use several low to mid level monsters, and I like what I see!

The organization is a step in the right direction, if a bit haphazard and inconsistent.
Honestly, "step in the right direction, if a bit haphazard and inconsistent" is a good description of the new MM in general.

I'd give it a 7 or 8 out of 10.

 

[TravDoc42]

Non-magic BPS resistance was not replaced with blanket BPS resistance, or any resistance at all, it was just removed entirely.

Weirdly, there are some exceptions, like the Empyrean, which does have BPS resistance.

 

[Zaukrie]

Better than 14.... Still missing variety and that one unique things for each monster that is creative and fun, imo.

 

[Charlaquin]

So apparently, resistance to non-magical weapons was overvalued in 2014 as being a multiplier on HP. Thing is, it's pretty rare to fight creatures and not have a magic way to damage them, which made them far weaker than their CR indicated. So when they removed it, they replaced it with more hd/HP. It means creatures who were resistant to magic got tougher if you have a magic weapon.

Granted, it's a lot less flavorful, but it does make the fights more impactful.

Well, it makes for more consistent difficulty, for sure. With nonmagical BPS resistance, monsters were often too easy if you had magic weapons and too hard if you didn’t. Just giving those monsters more HP does make estimating their difficulty much easier and more reliable across tables, which is a positive. But it’s also extremely boring. Which may be a worthwhile tradeoff for some, your mileage may vary. Personally, I’d rather they just keep the B/P/S resistance and not have magic weapons automatically bypass it. But, I’m not inherently opposed to getting rid of those broad resistances… I’d just rather they be given some other interesting traits in its place, instead of just more HP.

So, like I said, great base design principles, squandered on uninspired designs.

 

[Charlaquin]

I'm curious on folk's experience with the new Lycanthropes, and other creatures that used to have B,P & S resistances.

I absolutely hate what they did to lycanthropes. A vampire taking normal damage from nonmagical weapons I can live with, even though I preferred them having that resistance. But werewolves not even getting regeneration that silver turns off anymore is a travesty in my opinion. That’s the single most recognizable trait of lycanthropes, getting rid of it completely ruins the monster’s feel.

 

[Aurel Guthrie]

I don't like that so many monsters give rider effects without the need of a saving throw. My players have a few times gotten ready to roll a saving throw only for me to have to say "Sorry, you're automatically prone", it's kind of disappointing especially when it's targetting a player character's strength. A wolf immediately proning the 20 STR goliath feels.. off. Also our table loves rolling dice and anything that gets rid of dice rolling is a negative for me.

 

[Charlaquin]

I don't like that so many monsters give rider effects without the need of a saving throw. My players have a few times gotten ready to roll a saving throw only for me to have to say "Sorry, you're automatically prone", it's kind of disappointing especially when it's targetting a player character's strength. A wolf immediately proning the 20 STR goliath feels.. off. Also our table loves rolling dice and anything that gets rid of dice rolling is a negative for me.

Yeah, this was also done for the sake of making CR estimations more reliable. ‘14 CR
monsters with abilities that could be avoided with saving throws tended to be overvalued, especially when the monster had to hit an attack roll first to force the save, and then the effect could still be avoided on a successful save. Two-factor accuracy is much harder to make accurate assumptions about than one-factor accuracy.

I don’t mind it with poison, in part because it’s hard to picture what the character is actually doing to resist the poison. I mean, I guess it’s their immune system or whatever, but it’s abstract enough that I’m comfortable saying, if the attack hit, you’re poisoned, full stop. But when it comes to being knocked prone, having the rider apply automatically after a hit just doesn’t feel right to me.