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 hadn't thought of this before, but they might put in the ship stats from Saltmarsh (since they are compiling things like this from other books for this one, and it's really useful info to have in a general book and not just in an adventure), and then maybe throw in some extras like nautiloids. There are some very general stats for one in Dungeon of the Mad Mage (along with stats for a Spelljamming helm), so it wouldn't be too hard to update it to a full stat block. It would be pretty neat, and actually a selling point if they did so, as it would be something entirely new in the book...

Heck, they could even throw in other vehicles like those in Descent to Avernus, and add further regular vehicle stats...

That would be cool, BG3 trailers made me fall in love with Nautiliods.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

We already have NPCs that can do things the PCs can’t. Look at the champion from Volo’s, for instance. They can do an extra 2d6 damage if they have more than half their hit points.

My Friday group made an alliance with one last night. When I pointed out this feature, one of my players said “I want that ability!”

It immediately made me think of this thread and the complaints about giving NPC spellcasters abilities the PCs can’t have.

When that happens in my games, I let them spend time (with checks to determine how much time) to learn the ability. 2d6 damage is what, a 1st level spell? So, being able to do it all the time would be a rare magic item, while a few times per day would be uncommon, at a rough guess. Basically count it as a magic item in terms of keeping track of what the PC has gained overall.

 

[Von Ether]

Looks great!

Though I remember an editor yelling at me a few years ago for writing out spell effects as monster abilities instead of just saying that the monster could cast a given spell: "it's simpler! and DMs don't mind looking stuff up!"

How the times change.

In that exchange, the editor sounds like their spouting a classic example of the cart leading the horse to justify not having to go an extra mile for the customer. I'd rather not look up stuff at all if I don't have to which made 4e so much easier ... at lower levels. Hopefully this is will be a solid compromise.

 

[Von Ether]

We already have NPCs that can do things the PCs can’t. Look at the champion from Volo’s, for instance. They can do an extra 2d6 damage if they have more than half their hit points.

My Friday group made an alliance with one last night. When I pointed out this feature, one of my players said “I want that ability!”

It immediately made me think of this thread and the complaints about giving NPC spellcasters abilities the PCs can’t have.

That's been a complaint in D&D for like ... always. When I was a big D&D hater (mostly due to players not wanting to learn a new system OR take a turn DMing*), one of my complaints was that NPC mages could make flying castles and armies of zombies (which you got to have when you mix your franchise fiction with your rpg.) Why would my PC go risk their life in a dungeon to cast fireball?

The answer to most of those questions eventually became artifacts in most editions of the game. And as a DM, it does make life simpler to NOT give PCs those type of NPC powers.

*Before the internet and the geeky ascension, players could hold -- and would -- a whole "community" of gamers (3 players and 1 GM in a rural town) hostage with their demands for D&D.

 

[Chaosmancer]

That's been a complaint in D&D for like ... always. When I was a big D&D hater (mostly due to players not wanting to learn a new system OR take a turn DMing*), on of my complaints was that NPC mages could make flying castles and armies of zombies (which you got to have when you mix your franchise fiction with your rpg.) Why would my PC go risk their life in a dungeon to cast fireball?

The answer to most of those questions eventually became artifacts in most editions of the game. And as a DM, it does make life simpler to NOT give PCs those type of NPC powers.

*Before the internet and the geeky ascension, players could hold -- and would -- a whole "community" of gamers (3 players and 1 GM in a rural town) hostage with their demands for D&D.

Yeah, it is concern, but there are multiple ways to handle it.

Another good example is creating a nexus of magic. Sure, the Necromancer has an army, but they needed to invest months of time and effort doing nothing else except enchanting a core to support that army, which can't be easily moved or they needed to sell their soul to Orcus or something.

The PC can do these things, but they generally find the cost too high.