D&D: ‘Monster Manual’ Previews Hidden In The Free Adventures
It won’t be out for a few months yet, but these Monster Manual previews, scattered in some of the new adventures, foretell things to come.
The new 5.5E Monster Manual won’t be out for a few months yet. February is, at press time, not yet right around the corner. Which is a relief, because I’m finally getting the hang of September.
But though time stands between you and the completion of the 5.5E core rulebook set (first printing), you can still catch a glimpse of what lies in store. Monster Manual previews are scattered throughout the books and adventures released so far.
Scions of Elemental Evil, Uni and the Hunt for the Lost Horn, and the adventures included in the Dungeon Master’s Guide, as well as stat blocks in the Player’s Handbook, all point to what the new Monster Manual will be like. Here are a few things we’ve learned.
5.5E Monster Manual Previews Tell A Tale Of Magic Actions And Multiattack
First things first, Monsters in 5.5E look a lot like they did in 5E. The wheel hasn’t been reinvented; it’s just had its numbers crunched a bit more. At least, that’s what they say.
I haven’t actually done a number crunch myself. Every time I think of the phrase “number crunch,” my brain just sort of short circuits to WoW Guild Pals For Life’s seminal video about a man who returns from being AFK to grab some chicken, which came out 19 years ago now.
But we’re not here to see what happens when Blackrock Whelps overwhelm a party. We’re here to talk about the Monster Manual previews sprinkled throughout the adventures. One of the first lessons we learn is all about mages and other magic-using enemies.
And that is the return and evolution of the “magic attack” from Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse. In Hunt for the Lost Horn, we see the Mage, a new CR 6 NPC that could potentially be an enemy or ally NPC spellcaster. It follows a familiar format.
A unique “magic attack,” in this case an Arcane Burst, which is a ranged or melee spell attack that does 3d10 damage and can be made three at a time thanks to its multiattack feature. The mage also has a handful of spells, including Fireball and Cone of Cold.
Another quick lesson we learn from the same adventure is that some previous things like Pack Tactics seem to have been folded into the attacks themselves. It’s like weapon mastery properties but for monsters.
Take the Worg from the same adventure. It has a Bite Attack. But an innate part of the bite attack is that the next attack roll made against a target bitten by a Worg has advantage. It’s no longer a separate trait DMs are likely to forget. It’s a subtle change, but one I think makes Monsters a bit more dynamic and interesting.
Some Monsters Bring a Gun to the Swordfight
Another thing we see is a lot more monsters with ranged attacks. The Bugbear Warrior, featured in Scions of Elemental Evil comes with a Light Hammer. Ignore for now that Light Hammer is an awful name for a weapon. Because while it’s a bad name, the hammer can be thrown or used in a grapple.
Sometimes, though, your enemies will roll up armed with a brace of pistols. Take the Pirate Captain out of Scions of Elemental Evil.
They can just shoot you with a pistol as much as they like (up to three times per round). Each shot does 2d10 + 4 damage on a hit. They get to ignore the Loading property of a pistol. But if that bothers you as a DM, don’t worry. You can just say it’s a brace of pistols and determine when they run out. D&D being the way it is, they’ll be dead before they can make more than a handful of attacks.
But this is a trend we see a lot of: monsters with multiple attacks and multiple modes of attack. I think monsters may feel a little more dynamic overall. The DM may have more options for monsters to use to adapt to the unfurling situation of combat.
Look for the Monster Manual in February 2025!
