I already owned the PHB and everything that comes with the Essentials Kit, including the 3 expansion adventures. I just bought Waterdeep: Dragon Heist during the anniversary sale. While I was skimming through it I saw that a bunch of content from other sourcebooks had been unlocked. Several monsters from the MM and at least one from Volo's. Most of the monsters and items linked in the adventure are unlocked. The weird thing is that not all of them are. For example, the Gazer is unlocked but not the Kenku. Beholder Zombies are unlocked, but not Orogs or Half-Ogres.
I can easily buy the missing ones so I don't mean to complain, but I was wondering if there is any reason for this inconsistency?
1) some monsters in the Monster Manual are also in the Basic Rules/SRD, which are available for free here. (Although none of your examples are Basic Rules Monsters)
2). WOTC’s policies with monsters used in published adventures that are from a source other than the Monster Manual is to reprint those monsters in the adventure. This is to because their policy is to never require more than the core 3 books plus the adventure book to run their adventures.
Those two alone don’t explain the Beholder Zombie in your example. Although I have a vague memory that DDB sometimes unlocks needed MM monsters for adventures, too.
When I got to the end, I did see that the monsters from Volo's (like the Gazer) had been reprinted in an appendix. But there are plenty of MM exclusive monsters that have been unlocked as well. Other's not mentioned include the Beholder, Barlgura, Grell, and several others.
On my scan through the book, the only monsters I noticed that were still locked are the three I mentioned above, and two of them only appear once in a branch of the quest. The Kenku is the only locked monster that appears several places.
Most DMG magic items are still locked.
It looks like they tried to unlock all monsters that appear, but missed a very small number.
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I already owned the PHB and everything that comes with the Essentials Kit, including the 3 expansion adventures. I just bought Waterdeep: Dragon Heist during the anniversary sale. While I was skimming through it I saw that a bunch of content from other sourcebooks had been unlocked. Several monsters from the MM and at least one from Volo's. Most of the monsters and items linked in the adventure are unlocked. The weird thing is that not all of them are. For example, the Gazer is unlocked but not the Kenku. Beholder Zombies are unlocked, but not Orogs or Half-Ogres.
I can easily buy the missing ones so I don't mean to complain, but I was wondering if there is any reason for this inconsistency?
There are probably a few things going on:
1) some monsters in the Monster Manual are also in the Basic Rules/SRD, which are available for free here. (Although none of your examples are Basic Rules Monsters)
2). WOTC’s policies with monsters used in published adventures that are from a source other than the Monster Manual is to reprint those monsters in the adventure. This is to because their policy is to never require more than the core 3 books plus the adventure book to run their adventures.
Those two alone don’t explain the Beholder Zombie in your example. Although I have a vague memory that DDB sometimes unlocks needed MM monsters for adventures, too.
Trying to Decide if DDB is for you? A few helpful threads: A Buyer's Guide to DDB; What I/We Bought and Why; How some DMs use DDB; A Newer Thread on Using DDB to Play
Helpful threads on other topics: Homebrew FAQ by IamSposta; Accessing Content by ConalTheGreat;
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When I got to the end, I did see that the monsters from Volo's (like the Gazer) had been reprinted in an appendix. But there are plenty of MM exclusive monsters that have been unlocked as well. Other's not mentioned include the Beholder, Barlgura, Grell, and several others.
On my scan through the book, the only monsters I noticed that were still locked are the three I mentioned above, and two of them only appear once in a branch of the quest. The Kenku is the only locked monster that appears several places.
Most DMG magic items are still locked.
It looks like they tried to unlock all monsters that appear, but missed a very small number.