D&D 5E Zooming In On Monsters of the Multiverse [UPDATED!]

Earlier, WotC announced Mordenkainen Presents Monsters of the Multiverse, a new D&D compilation of monster material from previous products updated to a new format. These screen grabs are as good as I could get them. They're not terribly clear, but you can make more out than in the original images.

The screenshots show the original entry in Volo's Guide to Monsters next to the new entry in Mordenkainen Presents Monsters of the Multiverse.

"The Future of D&D" (New Core Books in 2024!)

The online D&D Celebration event, which has been running all weekend, comes to a close with The Future of D&D, a panel featuring WotC's Ray Winninger, Liz Schuh, Chris Perkins, and Jeremy Crawford, hosted by Elle Osili-Wood. D&D is exploring the multiverse Revisiting classic settings. 1st of...

www.enworld.org

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UPDATE -- a cleaned up version of the War Priest has appeared on imgur.

 

[Henadic Theologian]

I also counted wrong on the Volo's stat blocks, there are only 96 (I suspected there were repeats in its table of contents!). So 236 stat blocks from those books, which gives us 14+ from other sources, if they don't cut some VGtM and MToF stat blocks, that is (I'm wondering if they might cut the Demon Lord and Archdevil stat blocks from MToF for re-release in a Planescape product, and just leave this book with monsters and no individuals)

I think individual unique creatures like Orcus won't be in the set, it's intended for more broadly useful creatures. So yeah I think some creatures from various adventures and even more broadly useful creatures from setting books, like the Nymphs from Theros will be in (I use this as an example as Theros' Naiad appeared in Candlekeep Mysteries so they are no longer only Theros creatures).

 

[Henadic Theologian]

I look forward to MP: MotM's ToC.

 

[Demetrios1453]

I think individual unique creatures like Orcus won't be in the set, it's intended for more broadly useful creatures. So yeah I think some creatures from various adventures and even more broadly useful creatures from setting books, like the Nymphs from Theros will be in (I use this as an example as Theros' Naiad appeared in Candlekeep Mysteries so they are no longer only Theros creatures).

If they do have room in this book, ToA has a whole bunch of classic monsters and plants of 1e vintage that haven't been reprinted in a dedicated monster book yet. And the ixitxachitl from OotA as well...

 

[Remathilis]

If they do have room in this book, ToA has a whole bunch of classic monsters and plants of 1e vintage that haven't been reprinted in a dedicated monster book yet. And the ixitxachitl from OotA as well...

There are a bunch of unreprinted monsters from the various modules like Yawning Portal and the like. Many don't have any lore write-ups except what the module text provided. I'd like to see those put in this book so I don't need to buy ToA just for assassin vines...

 

[Remathilis]

So I messed around with the filtering on a few D&D databased and checked to see monster counts.

First, I removed all supplemental products (such as the beginner box sets), DMs Guild official products, and other reprint fodder. Then I removed all setting books (Eberron, Ravenloft, Theros, Ravnica). Then I removed the Core books, Tasha and Xanathar, and I set a negative tag on ToF and VGE to remove reprints. Then I selected every hardback module, filtering for named NPCs (Strahd Von Zarovich). I couldn't filter for functional duplicates (elf guard vs. guard) but even with that, there was 250 unique monster stat blocks in all the adventures. I'm sure if you manually went in and whittled out the duplicates and module specific ones (Barovian commoner or aarakroca simulacrum) You'd get that number below 200.

Anyway, my point is they could fill a third book at this point covering nothing but the monsters from Tyranny of Dragons through Rime of the Frostmaiden.

 

[Demetrios1453]

So I messed around with the filtering on a few D&D databased and checked to see monster counts.

First, I removed all supplemental products (such as the beginner box sets), DMs Guild official products, and other reprint fodder. Then I removed all setting books (Eberron, Ravenloft, Theros, Ravnica). Then I removed the Core books, Tasha and Xanathar, and I set a negative tag on ToF and VGE to remove reprints. Then I selected every hardback module, filtering for named NPCs (Strahd Von Zarovich). I couldn't filter for functional duplicates (elf guard vs. guard) but even with that, there was 250 unique monster stat blocks in all the adventures. I'm sure if you manually went in and whittled out the duplicates and module specific ones (Barovian commoner or aarakroca simulacrum) You'd get that number below 200.

Anyway, my point is they could fill a third book at this point covering nothing but the monsters from Tyranny of Dragons through Rime of the Frostmaiden.

Nice work. Although even some creatures from the settings could be included, as they are classic D&D creatures that are otherwise just in a setting book, like the hippocamp in Theros or the nosferatu in Ravenloft (or even the living spells in Eberron, although RotFM has them as well; it's just the base rules for them are in the former book).

If they do remove the unique creatures from the list (there are 14 of them in MToF), that means we'll have 30+ creatures from other sources, which would hopefully include the most important ones from D&D lore that have yet to appear in a monster-specific book in 5e...

 

[Charlaquin]

This...
actually every power being called differently and being slightly differently was a pita.
Knowing that an npc casts fireball was enough.
That was my first thought when I read Kelek in dragon+
Why didn't they just say:
Reaction: Kelek casts shield (level 1)
Action: Kelek casts fireball (lvl 5) recharge 4 - 6?

So that you don’t have to look shield or fireball up.

To be clear, I firmly believe the actions (/reactions/bonus actions) should be named for the spell they reproduce to avoid confusion, and should be clearly called out as spells. But, I think writing what they do right in the stat block is a good move.

 

[Charlaquin]

This is doubly painful if you had stat block NPCs as party members. It makes them very one tick ponies and loses a lot of flexibility. No more asking the war priest ally to memorize raise dead or restoration I guess...

For this concern specifically, I think the solution is to use Sidekick classes for NPC party members.

 

[Charlaquin]

Dark Sun will also have Psychic Gifts for everyone the way Theros has Supernatural Gifts or Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft has Dark Gifts.

Oh. Yes, of course this would be it. I’m almost embarrassed for not having thought of this before.

 

[Charlaquin]

Because it is a pain to look up what spells do. That said, I agree, this could really nerf counterspell and items that work against spells.

I know some folks will probably be pleased with the Counterspell nerf. Personally, I’ll be ruling that if it’s magic, it’s magic. Counterspell works, dispel magic works etc. This will actually be a pretty big buff to a lot of anti-magic abilities, but I’m ok with that.