5e announced!

[Jester of the FoS]

Does anyone know when the "basic" monster manual would be out? The 60-pages handbook with monsters doesn't have any art or descriptions, it can't be that.
It also misses a lot of the iconic monsters and all devils, demons and angels.

They might update the DMing rules, but I doubt we'll see many more monsters.
Yes, it lacks art, but so does the PHB. It's meant to be as bare bones as the PHB. No frills, the very basics needed to run.

[alhoon]

OK, no art. That I can understand. But why not any fluff at all? If you squint, there's 2-3 lines at the end of some monsters.
And a ton of important monsters are missing. There's not enough variety in there for CR.

[Quinntonia]

I have the PHB and the Monster Manual now, the MM is very, very good IMHO.

Vast stat blocks from 3.5 and 4th replaced with much smaller versions, and then the rest of the page packed with fluff and artwork. Very cool.

[alhoon]

Yeah, but I would prefer a couple more cool powers in monsters. They seem quite slim as they are. I know I could add them in, I actually do add powers in, but it's taking the extra mile.

[Tobias Blackburn]

I don't know... the lair and legendary abilities are pretty awesome.

There are no real new "leap out and shock you" abilities, but that's because the book is converting some of the biggest staples of the game. They aren't rewriting them entirely, but they are bringing in new mechanical changes. I like how Goblins, Bugbears, Orcs, Hobgoblins and Kobolds each have an ability that really makes them work differently than the others instead of being just being a set of hit points in a different skin.

Goblins constantly run away and hide while you just can't escape from Orcs. Bugbears just smash things in their way while Kobolds pile on in hordes and Hobgoblins co-ordinate their attacks. They aren't amazing and out of the blue powers but they are nice mechanics that help emphasize the nature of each creature. And I would prefer they take that kind of approach and save the really flashy stuff for the "boss"-type monsters.

[alhoon]

I don't know... the lair and legendary abilities are pretty awesome.

There are no real new "leap out and shock you" abilities, but that's because the book is converting some of the biggest staples of the game. They aren't rewriting them entirely, but they are bringing in new mechanical changes. I like how Goblins, Bugbears, Orcs, Hobgoblins and Kobolds each have an ability that really makes them work differently than the others instead of being just being a set of hit points in a different skin.

Goblins constantly run away and hide while you just can't escape from Orcs. Bugbears just smash things in their way while Kobolds pile on in hordes and Hobgoblins co-ordinate their attacks. They aren't amazing and out of the blue powers but they are nice mechanics that help emphasize the nature of each creature. And I would prefer they take that kind of approach and save the really flashy stuff for the "boss"-type monsters.

Yes, I like those humanoids, no problem with those.
However, I would like if say, the giants weren't different-size bag of hit points with an added resistance to cold or fire for some.

Many of the monsters seem very "bare-bones" to me compared with 4th edition where 90% of monsters had 1-2 aces up their sleeve. Orcs, goblins, hobgoblins etc are fine. Ogres? Ogres are just big bags of hit points. Frost giants? the same. Gargoyles? They just sit still.

Do I mind that they are bare-bones? not at all. I just would prefer an "optional" array next to them. Like "Optional: When an ogre deals over 12 damage with a melee attack, the target must make a strength save with DC 12 or be pushed back 5' and fall prone". Some monsters have such blocks for extras! I just wanted more.

I would also want a table with possible powers you could give to "spice things up". Like "Disarm (recharges after rest). If the creature is the target of a melee attack that misses, he/she/it can use his/her/its reaction to disarm the character that attacked him/her/it"
that I could decide to give to one monster in an encounter of 5 monsters. Things like that.

Now, I have to make this list for myself. Is it easy? Totally! 5th edition thrives on slight-additions. A knight with disarm added to the leadership is still CR3. Nothing changes.
But it's something you should do yourself, when there could be a table for this.

[Tobias Blackburn]

Yes, I like those humanoids, no problem with those.
However, I would like if say, the giants weren't different-size bag of hit points with an added resistance to cold or fire for some.

Many of the monsters seem very "bare-bones" to me compared with 4th edition where 90% of monsters had 1-2 aces up their sleeve. Orcs, goblins, hobgoblins etc are fine. Ogres? Ogres are just big bags of hit points. Frost giants? the same. Gargoyles? They just sit still.

Do I mind that they are bare-bones? not at all. I just would prefer an "optional" array next to them. Like "Optional: When an ogre deals over 12 damage with a melee attack, the target must make a strength save with DC 12 or be pushed back 5' and fall prone". Some monsters have such blocks for extras! I just wanted more.

I would also want a table with possible powers you could give to "spice things up". Like "Disarm (recharges after rest). If the creature is the target of a melee attack that misses, he/she/it can use his/her/its reaction to disarm the character that attacked him/her/it"
that I could decide to give to one monster in an encounter of 5 monsters. Things like that.

Now, I have to make this list for myself. Is it easy? Totally! 5th edition thrives on slight-additions. A knight with disarm added to the leadership is still CR3. Nothing changes.
But it's something you should do yourself, when there could be a table for this.

I get that. And I would definitely like to see things like you've suggested. Maybe we'll see something in the DMG, since that's supposedly where they go into things like Challenge Ratings. Fingers crossed at any rate.

[alhoon]

Trust me, I've added a simple "ace on the sleeve" power here and there and it didn't change the challenge of the monster.
Take the disarm for example: The enemy uses the reaction to drop your weapon. So... you can get it from his legs without him being able to make an attack of opportunity. Sure, you lose an action and if you're surrounded by 3 enemies and one can drop your weapon the others may grab your weapon and run away. It's not useless. It's just not... encounter changing.

CR 2 is 450 XP, CR 3 is 700 XP. It's a big gap to be filled because you may lose an action and there's a small chance a kobold would run away with your weapon.

another trick you could use is to "hide" a normal attack as something different. Say, skeletons. Kinda banal now, right? Just walking to you and attacking. And I've rarely seen art or movies or fluff that had most of the skeletons armed with sword and bow.
So, what if instead of bows, 1 in the 5 skeletons you put in the encounter could throw a bolt of negative energy? Ranged attack+4, dealing 1d10 necrotic damage at a range of 60'. It's the same thing as a bow attack; less range but on a critical, it deals more damage. And a surprise for the party.
Give another skeleton in the group the disarm ability and now you have 2 odd apples in a basket of 5. It'll be still a moderate encounter for 5 players of 2nd lvl, but your players will look at the next group of skeletons with some suspicion, not knowing what to expect from them.

I may throw a list of the minor powers I use in here, although most are way too fantasy oriented for Ravenloft.

[Jester of the FoS]

I imagine we'll see a bunch of combat options in the DMG. An array of maneuvers you can do in place of attacking. Likely mixed with the tactical combat rules module.

Monsters are likely simple for that reason. If you have a single tough boss type monster they can use those options. But if you have a dozen monsters in a fight you don't want them each to have three options to choose from.

[alhoon]

I'm not that optimistic about the DMG Jester.
I think there would be guides and examples on how to make monsters like those in the MManual, more detailed info on world-building, lists of and rules of how PCs can craft magic items, a few pages dedicated to different settings (low magic, high tech, psionics, underwater etc), help for the novice DM on what a DM does, suggestions on how to deal with Heroic-paragon-epic (or low-mid-high lvl) stuff, perhaps 3-4 pages on PC strongholds, fiefs and mass combat, 2-3 pages on PC guilds/temples/academies and some fluff and nice art.

I doubt we will see deep "zooming in" on stuff, like deep rules for horror checks or long lists of detailed powers that you can use on monsters. Frankly that's not DMG stuff and I would be surprised if they're there. Those are... forum stuff.
I believe they will throw a couple of examples and optional rules to open the way and the DM would do as he/she sees fit.

To give you an example, I would feel cheated if I found out that I paid 50$ for a DMG that spends 10 pages on spaceships and high tech, then 10 pages more on modern era, 10 pages on how to build thieves guilds, 10 pages on underwater adventures, 10 pages on 16th+ lvl stuff. That's 50 pages which are stuff that I won't use. The same would be true for DMs that would find 10 pages on horror campaigns, planar campaigns and low magic campaigns that they won't use.

Better spend 2 pages on each of those to open the possibilities and then those that want underwater adventure help talk to other DMs and buy the accessory book.

[Sorti]

Since I most likely won't have to reference it during the game, for the DMG I think I'l just find some cheaper PDF edition and not have a paper one

[Jester of the FoS]

I'm not that optimistic about the DMG Jester.
I think there would be guides and examples on how to make monsters like those in the MManual, more detailed info on world-building, lists of and rules of how PCs can craft magic items, a few pages dedicated to different settings (low magic, high tech, psionics, underwater etc), help for the novice DM on what a DM does, suggestions on how to deal with Heroic-paragon-epic (or low-mid-high lvl) stuff, perhaps 3-4 pages on PC strongholds, fiefs and mass combat, 2-3 pages on PC guilds/temples/academies and some fluff and nice art.

I doubt we will see deep "zooming in" on stuff, like deep rules for horror checks or long lists of detailed powers that you can use on monsters. Frankly that's not DMG stuff and I would be surprised if they're there. Those are... forum stuff.
I believe they will throw a couple of examples and optional rules to open the way and the DM would do as he/she sees fit.

To give you an example, I would feel cheated if I found out that I paid 50$ for a DMG that spends 10 pages on spaceships and high tech, then 10 pages more on modern era, 10 pages on how to build thieves guilds, 10 pages on underwater adventures, 10 pages on 16th+ lvl stuff. That's 50 pages which are stuff that I won't use. The same would be true for DMs that would find 10 pages on horror campaigns, planar campaigns and low magic campaigns that they won't use.

Better spend 2 pages on each of those to open the possibilities and then those that want underwater adventure help talk to other DMs and buy the accessory book.

You can cover a lot of topics with 1-3 page spreads. Fear/horror needs a page, madness needs two, guns need 2, a couple alternate death rules in a page, a couple alternate damage rules in a page, armour as DR in a page, mana-based spell casting in two pages, power based spell casting in two pages, science fantasy and magic items as tech in 2-3 pages, tactical combat needs more and can have 6 pages, mass combat might have four, kingdom management could have 3.
All that takes 27 pages.

Still 300 pages to go.


I expect 50 pages to be running the game, 50 pages to be DMing advice (if even that), and 100 pages to be magic items. Which leaves 100+ pages for optional rules and customizing options.
Really, we need a lot less space dedicated to DMing, world building, and the like. Because that's really stuff that could be free articles. There's a bazillion blogs online dedicated to that purpose.

[Le Noir Faineant]

Just wondering - any setting-related news yet? With Halloween month, one would assume that Wizbro at least namedropped RL somewhere.

[alhoon]

All that takes 27 pages.

Still 300 pages to go.

The DMG will be 327 pages?!?

I think magic Items will be closer to 50-60 pages with ~30 pages on DM advice (including making monsters). I have no idea what they will stick in the rest. 20 pages may be art\indexes.
A looong list of optional rules, special rules (ala arctic\desert campaings), extra rules and a huge array of magic items that takes 220 pages? That's like DMG + a couple of accessories.
I would be very pleasantly surprised if that's the case

[Jester of the FoS]

All that takes 27 pages.

Still 300 pages to go.

The DMG will be 327 pages?!?

I think magic Items will be closer to 50-60 pages with ~30 pages on DM advice (including making monsters). I have no idea what they will stick in the rest. 20 pages may be art\indexes.
A looong list of optional rules, special rules (ala arctic\desert campaings), extra rules and a huge array of magic items that takes 220 pages? That's like DMG + a couple of accessories.
I would be very pleasantly surprised if that's the case

320-pages, the same as the PHB and was planned for the MM. Biggest DMG since the first one.
Or, put in perspective, consider the 4th Edition DMG1 and DMG2 bound together. That's how much room they have.