Hi everyone, I'm relatively new to D&D and new to DMing. I decided to jump into it with the 2024 rule revisal, and have already preordered that bundle. With the revised 2024 MM not releasing until next year, my monster stat block options are limited, especially when trying to build encounters in the D&D Beyond encounters tool.
What would be the better investment in the mean time? Buying the 2014 MM, even though I already have the revised edition preordered? Or to get MotM to hold me over, and then have access to those variants' stat blocks to continue using along sides the revised content in the future? Is there any information on if the 2024 MM will be including content from MotM?
I know some subclasses and expanded rules/content from other source books are being incorporated into the revised core rule book, so I'm operating under the assumption the same thing might be happening with the 2024 MM, and am trying to buy as little redundant content as possible. Any guidance on this would be really appreciated!
There's some MotM content in the 2024 PHB so it wouldn't be surprising if there's some in the 2024 MM, but I would expect a large majority will be revamped creatures from the 2014 MM, because there's not a lot there I can see them wanting to get rid of outright and once you've printed new/revised versions of everything in the current MM you don't have a lot of page count left. Thus, MotM should be far less redundant content than the 2014 MM.
I assumed this would be the case. My question then becomes if the MoTM will be a good value on it own for the next 6 months or so until the new MM comes out, especially for running lower level/intro campaigns (<10th level)
I assumed this would be the case. My question then becomes if the MoTM will be a good value on it own for the next 6 months or so until the new MM comes out, especially for running lower level/intro campaigns (<10th level)
Creatures from MotM are definitely the B-list monsters, if you want monsters your players have heard of before you might be better off waiting or using the basic rules. Alternately, you might pick up an adventure that includes its own stat blocks, or consider a third party product.
MotM has the advantage of also providing a lot of additional species for player characters. Three will become redundant if you’re using the 2024 PHB (Aasimar, Goliath and Orc) but there are about thirty others that will still be usable with the new rules.
I've run a handful of one-shots using official guides with included stat blocks, and homebrewed a few one shots using free rules/repurposing stat blocks from the content i do own and been reasonably successful.
The problem i do have is finding what I need thematically in my homebrew stuff. A lot of the free stuff is dragons and undead.
As an example of what I mean, I'm running a campaign with a Ranger who chose Monstrosity as one of his chosen enemy types. I've been trying to include enemies of that type in the encounters that align thematically with his character backstory. My players currently have stumbled onto a Lolth related plot, and thus I included a Drider and some generic stat block Drow in dimly lit areas with lots of stealth checks against their high passive perception. It worked, but its redundant and their aren't many other suitable alternatives in the free rules.
So I'd gladly accept some creature ambiguity and take a few minutes to do some lore/knowledge checks to feed my players information then cut and paste the same encounter over and over. But this was very helpful perspective!
MotM has the advantage of also providing a lot of additional species for player characters. Three will become redundant if you’re using the 2024 PHB (Aasimar, Goliath and Orc) but there are about thirty others that will still be usable with the new rules.
This was very helpful! The additional player species was a major selling point of the MotM for me, but I wasn't sure how many of them were being baked into the revised rulebook.
The problem with monstrosity as a chosen enemy type is that it is, frankly, the "we couldn't come up with a better category" monster category, so kinda hard to create themed encounters. Looking at all the monstrosities in the basic rules, the ones that stand out for low to mid level campaigns (guessing that's where you are) are
Terrible Burrows: use Ankhegs, Bulettes, and maybe something homebrew like giant ants.
The Garden of Stone: first indications would be lots of statues. Could be Basilisk, Cockatrice, Gorgon, Medusa, or some combination, maybe mixed with a few Gargoyles.
The Pack of Evil: all the canine-themed things -- Death Dog, Worg, Winter Wolf, along with non-monstrosity relatives such as Hell Hounds, Werewolves, Wolves, Dire Wolves.
The problem with monstrosity as a chosen enemy type is that it is, frankly, the "we couldn't come up with a better category" monster category, so kinda hard to create themed encounters. Looking at all the monstrosities in the basic rules, the ones that stand out for low to mid level campaigns (guessing that's where you are) are
Terrible Burrows: use Ankhegs, Bulettes, and maybe something homebrew like giant ants.
The Garden of Stone: first indications would be lots of statues. Could be Basilisk, Cockatrice, Gorgon, Medusa, or some combination, maybe mixed with a few Gargoyles.
The Pack of Evil: all the canine-themed things -- Death Dog, Worg, Winter Wolf, along with non-monstrosity relatives such as Hell Hounds, Werewolves, Wolves, Dire Wolves.
Yeah, its a 3 member, 5th level campaign. These are good recs, a lot of these were mixed in to other encounters, but the feat bonuses are specifically around tracking/survival checks, so I basically needed a big dumb monstrosity for my Ranger to notice and decide to follow that would further the plot, in case none of my other hooks caught.
Are you switching to the ‘24 PHB? It does away with the whole concept of favored enemy, so that may solve the problem for you. If you can wait a month.
Are you switching to the ‘24 PHB? It does away with the whole concept of favored enemy, so that may solve the problem for you. If you can wait a month.
I am, but i think the bigger issue is the limited creature stat blocks when home brewing campaigns without going through the tedium of making/modding them myself. The favored enemy thing is just what drew my attention to just how limited my options were.
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Hi everyone, I'm relatively new to D&D and new to DMing. I decided to jump into it with the 2024 rule revisal, and have already preordered that bundle. With the revised 2024 MM not releasing until next year, my monster stat block options are limited, especially when trying to build encounters in the D&D Beyond encounters tool.
What would be the better investment in the mean time? Buying the 2014 MM, even though I already have the revised edition preordered? Or to get MotM to hold me over, and then have access to those variants' stat blocks to continue using along sides the revised content in the future? Is there any information on if the 2024 MM will be including content from MotM?
I know some subclasses and expanded rules/content from other source books are being incorporated into the revised core rule book, so I'm operating under the assumption the same thing might be happening with the 2024 MM, and am trying to buy as little redundant content as possible. Any guidance on this would be really appreciated!
There's some MotM content in the 2024 PHB so it wouldn't be surprising if there's some in the 2024 MM, but I would expect a large majority will be revamped creatures from the 2014 MM, because there's not a lot there I can see them wanting to get rid of outright and once you've printed new/revised versions of everything in the current MM you don't have a lot of page count left. Thus, MotM should be far less redundant content than the 2014 MM.
I assumed this would be the case. My question then becomes if the MoTM will be a good value on it own for the next 6 months or so until the new MM comes out, especially for running lower level/intro campaigns (<10th level)
Creatures from MotM are definitely the B-list monsters, if you want monsters your players have heard of before you might be better off waiting or using the basic rules. Alternately, you might pick up an adventure that includes its own stat blocks, or consider a third party product.
MotM has the advantage of also providing a lot of additional species for player characters. Three will become redundant if you’re using the 2024 PHB (Aasimar, Goliath and Orc) but there are about thirty others that will still be usable with the new rules.
I've run a handful of one-shots using official guides with included stat blocks, and homebrewed a few one shots using free rules/repurposing stat blocks from the content i do own and been reasonably successful.
The problem i do have is finding what I need thematically in my homebrew stuff. A lot of the free stuff is dragons and undead.
As an example of what I mean, I'm running a campaign with a Ranger who chose Monstrosity as one of his chosen enemy types. I've been trying to include enemies of that type in the encounters that align thematically with his character backstory. My players currently have stumbled onto a Lolth related plot, and thus I included a Drider and some generic stat block Drow in dimly lit areas with lots of stealth checks against their high passive perception. It worked, but its redundant and their aren't many other suitable alternatives in the free rules.
So I'd gladly accept some creature ambiguity and take a few minutes to do some lore/knowledge checks to feed my players information then cut and paste the same encounter over and over. But this was very helpful perspective!
This was very helpful! The additional player species was a major selling point of the MotM for me, but I wasn't sure how many of them were being baked into the revised rulebook.
The problem with monstrosity as a chosen enemy type is that it is, frankly, the "we couldn't come up with a better category" monster category, so kinda hard to create themed encounters. Looking at all the monstrosities in the basic rules, the ones that stand out for low to mid level campaigns (guessing that's where you are) are
Yeah, its a 3 member, 5th level campaign. These are good recs, a lot of these were mixed in to other encounters, but the feat bonuses are specifically around tracking/survival checks, so I basically needed a big dumb monstrosity for my Ranger to notice and decide to follow that would further the plot, in case none of my other hooks caught.
Are you switching to the ‘24 PHB? It does away with the whole concept of favored enemy, so that may solve the problem for you. If you can wait a month.
I am, but i think the bigger issue is the limited creature stat blocks when home brewing campaigns without going through the tedium of making/modding them myself. The favored enemy thing is just what drew my attention to just how limited my options were.