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.

 

[Urriak Uruk]

See, this? This right here is why this is a great idea. If they insist on keeping monsters the same as PC's, then, you lose all the oportunities to make interesting effects because you're limited to what the PC's can do. There's a REASON for PC's and Monsters to work differently. I know, I know, there's all this hoopla about "We MUST CONFORM the two!!!" but, frankly, I don't really care. NPC's, outside of 3e, never followed PC rules. There's no reason that we should go back to that.

I agree, but I can see one good reason for specifically humanoid NPCs to use the same spells PCs do - the simple question, “can I learn to cast that?” It doesn’t really matter if like a manticore or whatever produces a magical effect that PCs can’t reproduce, because the PCs aren’t manticores, why would they expect to be able to do the same things manticores do? But when a war priest NPC can cast a spell at-will that looks basically like Sacred Flame but does damage on a successful save (not even half damage! It just says “deals as much damage,” though I suppose that could be a typo) and blinds in addition to doing damage on a failed save, it’s pretty reasonable for the PC war domain cleric to wonder why they can’t do that trick too.

The annoying thing is you both make good points, but they're irreconcilable.

 

[Charlaquin]

The annoying thing is you both make good points, but they're irreconcilable.

I would actually say they’re difficult, but not impossible, to reconcile. The key is, you have to be willing to go outside the box. The answer to “can I learn that spell the NPC is using?” is the same as the answer to “can I learn to cast Fireball but have it deal lightning damage instead?” Work with the DM to figure out if and how to make it work. Maybe the War Priest has some kind of divine Gift that enhances his Sacred Flame, and maybe the player can acquire that gift - maybe as a Feat, or maybe as a reward for a quest in place of a magic item or something.

 

[Urriak Uruk]

I would actually say they’re difficult, but not impossible, to reconcile. The key is, you have to be willing to go outside the box. The answer to “can I learn that spell the NPC is using?” is the same as the answer to “can I learn to cast Fireball but have it deal lightning damage instead?” Work with the DM to figure out if and how to make it work. Maybe the War Priest has some kind of divine Gift that enhances his Sacred Flame, and maybe the player can acquire that gift - maybe as a Feat, or maybe as a reward for a quest in place of a magic item or something.

I do agree with this, but this is the catch-all solution to any problem with a TTRPG... that the GM is flexible and work out a solution with players. Which is how it always should be, but some GMs/Players absolutely need something in the rules or else they feel they're "cheating" or something.

 

[Charlaquin]

I do agree with this, but this is the catch-all solution to any problem with a TTRPG... that the GM is flexible and work out a solution with players. Which is how it always should be, but some GMs/Players absolutely need something in the rules or else they feel they're "cheating" or something.

Oh, for sure! I think @Sword of Spirit ’s post is pretty insightful here. At some point, you just gotta make a call between the flexibility and usability of asymmetry, or the internal consistency of symmetry. I’m really not sure which is the better way for 5e to go. I definitely think either way they go, writing out the spells/spell-like abilities an NPC is most likely to use in combat, in their stat block, is a good move.

 

[DEFCON 1]

If/when they release these new NPC statblocks with the differently named spells... how long will it take for the ink in all the previous books to disappear, thereby rendering the opportunity for those players who actually like the spell lists on NPCs from being unable to be used?

Otherwise, it seems to me you will have two different "War Priest" statblocks to use and can choose which one works for you.

 

[Urriak Uruk]

Otherwise, it seems to me you will have two different "War Priest" statblocks to use and can choose which one works for you.

This is probably going to be the case. I am curious whether DND Beyond will scrub the originals, but I doubt it. More likely they'll have two statblocks when you search "War Priest."

 

[DEFCON 1]

This is probably going to be the case. I am curious whether DND Beyond will scrub the originals, but I doubt it. More likely they'll have two statblocks when you search "War Priest."

Heh... if you are on D&D Beyond, you can just go to the Browse Homebrew Monsters section and get 24 different war priests right now. And you can be pretty sure that even if they ever announced that the current War Priest statblock in the game was going to go away... seventeen copies of it would suddenly get added to the Homebrew section just in case.

 

[SkidAce]

I must admit, I find the idea that a version of a class that I am using and paid for might be overwritten and the only place I could get it would be the homebrew section....slightly disconcerting.

 

[Yaarel]

So the "Monsters of the Multiverse" is possibly going to abbreviate as MOM.

 

[Zaukrie]

I agree, but I can see one good reason for specifically humanoid NPCs to use the same spells PCs do - the simple question, “can I learn to cast that?” It doesn’t really matter if like a manticore or whatever produces a magical effect that PCs can’t reproduce, because the PCs aren’t manticores, why would they expect to be able to do the same things manticores do? But when a war priest NPC can cast a spell at-will that looks basically like Sacred Flame but does damage on a successful save (not even half damage! It just says “deals as much damage,” though I suppose that could be a typo) and blinds in addition to doing damage on a failed save, it’s pretty reasonable for the PC war domain cleric to wonder why they can’t do that trick too.

So let them?