Some of the conversions feel weird, though most make sense.
For example drow -> priest acolyte doesn't feel smooth. Takes an enemy that focuses on shortsword and hand crossbow with some racial magic and poison and makes it into a cleric lite hitting people with a mace. The scout feels like a better fit (CR difference aside).
Edit: Ignore me, i was looking at the wrong Monster Manual.
Easy mistake to make when the links to all three core books on the "Featured Sources" drop-down just went back to being the 2014 versions for no obvious reason
There’s some pros and cons to condensing boss monster actions under one banner, but they should have added at least one lair specific Legendary Action to help maintain that “this is their home turf” vibe
I'll need to do a deeper dive but I'm not really digging most of what I'm seeing. The most common change is giving monsters a few more hit points. In a number of cases, it seems like the monsters are actually nerfed rather than strengthened.
And I'll never get on board with a lich without a full range of spellcasting.
ETA: and I know this is a deeply nerdy thing to harp on, but man, I so prefer the parchment-y stat blocks from 2014. Yeah, this one's more efficient and all. But it's uglier.
ETA: and I know this is a deeply nerdy thing to harp on, but man, I so prefer the parchment-y stat blocks from 2014. Yeah, this one's more efficient and all. But it's uglier.
One thing I do prefer about the 5.0 style is that it includes where the AC is coming from. Compare a berserker to a berserker.
The 5.0 notes that the 13 AC is with hide armor. While the 5.5 has the same AC, you aren't exactly sure where it's coming from. And the 5.5 berserker commander's AC seems to be calculated Barbarian-style with DEX+CON.
One place this comes in handy is when describing monsters to players. For example with a guard you can say, "The guards wear chain shirt and shield." And players can know chain shirt + shield has an AC of at least 15 (and probably more) so they're decently armored. Whereas with a guard you don't have that info to give. Plus if a player has heat metal prepared knowing where that AC comes from is useful. "Oh the guards have chain mail? COOK, BABY, COOK!" vs. "Um... I don't know what the guards are wearing. But maybe you could still do it on their weapon?"
EDIT: I swear when I was looking earlier the gear section wasn't showing up. But now that I'm seeing gear, I retract this part of my commentary.
One thing I do like from browsing the 5.5 MM via content sharing though is the various tables about what a monster wants such as the mezzoloth having a table of reasons they might serve someone or a green hag having a possible angle upon which she might bargain.
The spellcasting changes since Multiverse has been discussed to death elsewhere so I won't go over that. I understand the rationale of "simplify the stat block" since a DM at a table would have to flip through a lot of books (whereas my DMing experience has been with the aid of digital tools) but I do prefer the fuller spell lists.
It also feels weird to me for a werewolf to not having immunity to non-silvered/magical weapons. Though I'd heard the possibility of taking the idea of Troll regeneration and applying that to some of the werecreatures to not regenerate if struck by silver. (On the topic of trolls, did notice the troll subsumed the [Tooltip Not Found]'s limb stuff that used to be a variant of trolls. Which is kinda unique and interesting.)
I did like the arcanaloth ability to bind people in its book. Though doesn't feel like the 5.5 MM gives a feel as to what Yuguloths really are IMO. (But again, the lore debate has been discussed to death elsewhere.)
Overall there's some things I like, such as new takes on monsters, that I'll have to look at. But also some things that are "eh" IMO. So it's a book that's something I'd consider purchasing in the future maybe, but also not something I'm looking at like "OMG I gotta get this right away."
I really, really dislike the removal of mundane weapon resistance/immunity from the higher undead and (especially) lycnathropes. Also don't like how there's no risk of infection from lycanthropes now.
Also don't like how there's no risk of infection from lycanthropes now.
I can see some reasoning to it. In 5.0 the lycanthropy was, mechanically, a straight boon. And while roleplaying consequences could happen it also make getting bitten a problematic thing to deal with since you have to decide, "Okay, do we keep you with the party, nerf lycanthropy, or what?"
Feels like the fix to that is make lycanthropy a mixed blessing at best, but that is firmly against the trend of 5.5.
I hadn't noticed higher undead losing resistance/immunity to mundane weapons. Absolutely dislike this and will change it for my game.
Maybe my opinion will change when I'm holding the physical book but I'm pretty disappointed. It's sad that the best monster book for D&D remains something done by a third party (MCDM's Flee, Mortals!).
I do wish there had been some guidance on layering humanoid species on top of the humanoid monsters.
Just something like "Add the features from the appropriate species, using the appropriate number of hit dice as level, if the feature requires it." or, if they wanted to go the other way, saying "The features in the Players Handbook version of this Species are stats for exceptional individuals of the species like payer characters, so only add features involving movement modes and senses"
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I hadn't noticed higher undead losing resistance/immunity to mundane weapons. Absolutely dislike this and will change it for my game.
Why bother? How many times has resistance or immunity normal weapons been relevant in games above tier 1?
My biggest issue with it is the worldbuilding/verisimilitude implications- with mundane weapon resistance/immunity, it justifies the presence of a small group of adventurers dealing with powerful threats because throwing a battalion of infantry at the problem simply cannot end it.
Mechanically, +X weapons have definitely become such a staple/expectation of play that the resistances almost never come up, though. I’m not terribly put out by the absence, but it does feel like we’re starting to drift further into asymmetric setting mechanics and that’s a notable blow to immersion. But maybe that’s just me.
My biggest issue with it is the worldbuilding/verisimilitude implications- with mundane weapon resistance/immunity, it justifies the presence of a small group of adventurers dealing with powerful threats because throwing a battalion of infantry at the problem simply cannot end it.
In the end, the problem is that bounded accuracy promised to make hordes of minions dangerous... and the result is that hordes of minions are dangerous.
I do wish there had been some guidance on layering humanoid species on top of the humanoid monsters.
For the most part it just works the same way as it would for adding traits to a creature in the DMG, with the same caveats: species effects that do damage (aasimar celestial revalation, dragonborn breath weapon, goliath fire/frost/storm ancestry, human certain feats, some tiefling spells) or change ability to take damage of common types (goliath stone ancestry, human certain feats, orc adrenaline rush/relentless endurance) may change challenge, though in practice this is only likely to be meaningful for sub-CR 1.
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Some of the conversions feel weird, though most make sense.
For example drow -> priest acolyte doesn't feel smooth. Takes an enemy that focuses on shortsword and hand crossbow with some racial magic and poison and makes it into a cleric lite hitting people with a mace. The scout feels like a better fit (CR difference aside).
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So Lair Actions and Regional Effects are gone?
Don't like that at all.
It does appear that they've taken away specific lair actions and just allowed taking more Legendary Actions when the creature is in its lair.
The descriptions of the lairs and their regional effects are still right there.
pronouns: he/she/they
Easy mistake to make when the links to all three core books on the "Featured Sources" drop-down just went back to being the 2014 versions for no obvious reason
pronouns: he/she/they
There’s some pros and cons to condensing boss monster actions under one banner, but they should have added at least one lair specific Legendary Action to help maintain that “this is their home turf” vibe
I'll need to do a deeper dive but I'm not really digging most of what I'm seeing. The most common change is giving monsters a few more hit points. In a number of cases, it seems like the monsters are actually nerfed rather than strengthened.
And I'll never get on board with a lich without a full range of spellcasting.
ETA: and I know this is a deeply nerdy thing to harp on, but man, I so prefer the parchment-y stat blocks from 2014. Yeah, this one's more efficient and all. But it's uglier.
One thing I do prefer about the 5.0 style is that it includes where the AC is coming from. Compare a berserker to a berserker.
The 5.0 notes that the 13 AC is with hide armor. While the 5.5 has the same AC, you aren't exactly sure where it's coming from. And the 5.5 berserker commander's AC seems to be calculated Barbarian-style with DEX+CON.
One place this comes in handy is when describing monsters to players. For example with a guard you can say, "The guards wear chain shirt and shield." And players can know chain shirt + shield has an AC of at least 15 (and probably more) so they're decently armored. Whereas with a guard you don't have that info to give. Plus if a player has heat metal prepared knowing where that AC comes from is useful. "Oh the guards have chain mail? COOK, BABY, COOK!" vs. "Um... I don't know what the guards are wearing. But maybe you could still do it on their weapon?"
EDIT: I swear when I was looking earlier the gear section wasn't showing up. But now that I'm seeing gear, I retract this part of my commentary.
One thing I do like from browsing the 5.5 MM via content sharing though is the various tables about what a monster wants such as the mezzoloth having a table of reasons they might serve someone or a green hag having a possible angle upon which she might bargain.
The spellcasting changes since Multiverse has been discussed to death elsewhere so I won't go over that. I understand the rationale of "simplify the stat block" since a DM at a table would have to flip through a lot of books (whereas my DMing experience has been with the aid of digital tools) but I do prefer the fuller spell lists.
It also feels weird to me for a werewolf to not having immunity to non-silvered/magical weapons. Though I'd heard the possibility of taking the idea of Troll regeneration and applying that to some of the werecreatures to not regenerate if struck by silver. (On the topic of trolls, did notice the troll subsumed the [Tooltip Not Found]'s limb stuff that used to be a variant of trolls. Which is kinda unique and interesting.)
I did like the arcanaloth ability to bind people in its book. Though doesn't feel like the 5.5 MM gives a feel as to what Yuguloths really are IMO. (But again, the lore debate has been discussed to death elsewhere.)
Overall there's some things I like, such as new takes on monsters, that I'll have to look at. But also some things that are "eh" IMO. So it's a book that's something I'd consider purchasing in the future maybe, but also not something I'm looking at like "OMG I gotta get this right away."
Just my two copper.
This is a signature. It was a simple signature. But it has been upgraded.
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Get rickrolled here. Awesome music here. Track 48, 5/23/25, Immaculate Mary
I really, really dislike the removal of mundane weapon resistance/immunity from the higher undead and (especially) lycnathropes. Also don't like how there's no risk of infection from lycanthropes now.
I can see some reasoning to it. In 5.0 the lycanthropy was, mechanically, a straight boon. And while roleplaying consequences could happen it also make getting bitten a problematic thing to deal with since you have to decide, "Okay, do we keep you with the party, nerf lycanthropy, or what?"
This is a signature. It was a simple signature. But it has been upgraded.
Belolonandalogalo, Sunny | Draíocht, Kholias | Eggo Lass, 100 Dungeons
Talorin Tebedi, Vecna: Eve | Cherry, Stormwreck | Chipper, Strahd
We Are Modron
Get rickrolled here. Awesome music here. Track 48, 5/23/25, Immaculate Mary
Feels like the fix to that is make lycanthropy a mixed blessing at best, but that is firmly against the trend of 5.5.
I hadn't noticed higher undead losing resistance/immunity to mundane weapons. Absolutely dislike this and will change it for my game.
Maybe my opinion will change when I'm holding the physical book but I'm pretty disappointed. It's sad that the best monster book for D&D remains something done by a third party (MCDM's Flee, Mortals!).
I do wish there had been some guidance on layering humanoid species on top of the humanoid monsters.
Just something like "Add the features from the appropriate species, using the appropriate number of hit dice as level, if the feature requires it." or, if they wanted to go the other way, saying "The features in the Players Handbook version of this Species are stats for exceptional individuals of the species like payer characters, so only add features involving movement modes and senses"
🎵I'm on top of the world, looking down on creation, wreaking death and devastation with my mind.
As the power that I've found erupts freely from the ground, I will cackle from the top of the world.🎵
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Why bother? How many times has resistance or immunity normal weapons been relevant in games above tier 1?
My biggest issue with it is the worldbuilding/verisimilitude implications- with mundane weapon resistance/immunity, it justifies the presence of a small group of adventurers dealing with powerful threats because throwing a battalion of infantry at the problem simply cannot end it.
Mechanically, +X weapons have definitely become such a staple/expectation of play that the resistances almost never come up, though. I’m not terribly put out by the absence, but it does feel like we’re starting to drift further into asymmetric setting mechanics and that’s a notable blow to immersion. But maybe that’s just me.
Will D&D Beyond receive the new stat block format for the encounter builder?
In the end, the problem is that bounded accuracy promised to make hordes of minions dangerous... and the result is that hordes of minions are dangerous.
For the most part it just works the same way as it would for adding traits to a creature in the DMG, with the same caveats: species effects that do damage (aasimar celestial revalation, dragonborn breath weapon, goliath fire/frost/storm ancestry, human certain feats, some tiefling spells) or change ability to take damage of common types (goliath stone ancestry, human certain feats, orc adrenaline rush/relentless endurance) may change challenge, though in practice this is only likely to be meaningful for sub-CR 1.
looks like the classic monsters are no longer EVIL
so, for us poor people that purchase the funny digital copy without a subscription, when will we be able to view what WE PURCHASED?