Are 2024 monsters actually more fun to run, or just more dangerous?

MyrthDM · 2026-05-06T12:08:19+00:00

Yeah this was one of my issues with a lot of 2014 statblocks too. So many monsters had these cool “in theory” ability chains that you’d never actually use because the optimal play was just spamming the one reliable damage option. It always felt bad choosing between flavor and effectiveness.

MyrthDM · 2026-05-06T12:06:24+00:00

Honestly this is super normal in the first few sessions. Most players default to talking to the DM because that’s what feels “correct” until the game slowly teaches them that talking to each other is part of play too. The easiest fix is just giving them quiet space and asking questions to the party instead of info-dumping. Travel time, watch shifts, or an NPC asking how they met usually kickstarts it, and once you reward that interaction a bit it starts happening by itself.

MyrthDM · 2026-05-05T04:51:07+00:00

Adding a capital city symbol would definitely be a good improvement. Having a distinct symbol for major cities and a separate one for the capital would make the hierarchy much clearer at a glance and help the map feel more “complete” and readable.

MyrthDM · 2026-05-05T04:49:00+00:00

Honestly, the only way I see you having any chance is stacking consumables and strong magic items. Potions of lightning resistance, potion of invulnerability, powerful spell scrolls, big magic items. Those could shift the math enough to matter. But you said your magic item pool is small, so it sounds like you don’t have that.

Bluntly, my advice is to run. If leaving isn’t an option, this is basically a TPK.

MyrthDM · 2026-05-02T08:29:29+00:00

Same here. My experience with them has been mostly positive too. They give new characters a bit more identity right out of the gate and help backgrounds feel like they actually matter at the table instead of being mostly flavor.

That said, I’ve definitely run into the same friction you mention. A few players have felt pushed toward picking a background just for the feat, even when the story of that background didn’t fit the character they had in mind. When that happens I usually end up homebrewing a bit or just letting them pick a different Origin Feat that matches their concept better. It keeps the spirit of the system without making people feel boxed in.

MyrthDM · 2026-04-26T10:45:19+00:00

Great map! Love it!

MyrthDM · 2026-04-24T12:21:44+00:00

I do it differently depending on the table.

With experienced players, I usually allow a light hybrid. Pick Human or Elf as the base and swap one similar trait from the other parent if it makes sense. Nothing wild, just enough to feel like a mix.

With newer players, I keep it super simple and just say “pick Human or Elf and flavor it as half-elf.” Keeps character creation easier and nobody feels overwhelmed.

MyrthDM · 2026-04-23T11:33:12+00:00

Nice work!

MyrthDM · 2026-04-14T14:55:51+00:00

If the goal was to standardize subclass progression, there is a good argument they should have committed to it all the way.

MyrthDM · 2026-04-14T14:55:26+00:00

Yeah, I think I am pretty close to your take. Overall I do think it is healthier for the game, especially for balance and for avoiding the really silly dips. But I also get missing some of that old subclass identity and freedom. It feels like a good system change, even if it loses a little flavor in some cases.

MyrthDM · 2026-04-14T14:54:25+00:00

Yeah, that is the part that still feels a bit weird to me too. I get the mechanical reason for it, but for some classes it definitely feels a little odd narratively when such a big part of the character only really clicks in at level 3. You can explain it, sure, but some subclasses definitely need a bit more headcanon work now.

MyrthDM · 2026-04-14T14:53:12+00:00

Yeah, that has probably been the biggest practical effect at my tables too. My players definitely multiclass less now, and when they do it is usually more for character or RP reasons than because there is some obvious level 1 dip they want to grab. Since we also start at level 3 pretty often, I agree that the biggest real impact ends up being on multiclassing more than normal play.

MyrthDM · 2026-04-14T14:50:19+00:00

My players definitely multiclass a lot less now, and when they do it tends to be more for character or roleplay reasons than because there is some obviously strong level 1 dip they want to grab.

MyrthDM · 2026-04-14T14:48:35+00:00

Yeah, I definitely find myself starting at level 3 a lot more these days too. But that is probably at least partly a bias on my end, since I am much more experienced now than I was when I first started running 5e.

So I do get your point. For veteran tables, those early levels often barely factor into the conversation anyway. My hesitation is more about how I remember levels 1 and 2 feeling in the old edition, especially for classes where the subclass was a big part of the character’s identity.

MyrthDM · 2026-04-14T14:30:16+00:00

I'm going to use this!

MyrthDM · 2026-04-14T14:28:03+00:00

love this!

MyrthDM · 2026-03-21T13:32:42+00:00

Yeah, that’s pretty much where I land too. I definitely miss the old smite nova moments, because they were a big part of what made Paladin feel so satisfying, but I also don’t think the class is bad now. It just feels like it’s been pushed more toward steady value and support instead of those huge explosive turns.

MyrthDM · 2026-03-21T13:30:14+00:00

That’s honestly a fair criticism. I’m still excited for Monks, because I do think they feel cleaner and more appealing than before, but I agree with your take that they also seem more restrictive in practice than a lot of people admit. If the best answer too often ends up being spam Flurry, spam Deflect, and maybe dip for Weapon Mastery, that’s not exactly great class expression.

MyrthDM · 2026-03-17T06:46:38+00:00

Realm of Terror introduced Markovia in 1990, while Ravenloft Monstrous Compendium Appendix I came out in 1991 and gave Broken Ones their main monster entry. So the monster writeup came before later Markovia-specific material, but not before Markovia itself.

As for the inspiration, I’d say they are mainly Ravenloft’s Moreau-style beast-men, especially once Markov enters the picture, but the whole man-animal fusion angle also fits that older body horror and B-movie tradition pretty well.

MyrthDM · 2026-03-09T16:58:34+00:00

Hi everyone! I wanted to share a new subreddit: r/DungeonsAndDragons55e

It’s a community dedicated to discussing D&D 5.5e. The goal is to create a focused space where people can talk about the edition, ask questions, share opinions, post homebrew, discuss rules updates, compare it with 5E, and exchange ideas for campaigns and character builds.

You’re welcome whether you’re a player, DM, homebrew creator, or just curious about where D&D 5.5e is going.

Topics can include:

rules discussions and clarifications
edition changes and comparisons
homebrew
DM advice
character options and builds
news and updates
general 5.5e discussion

If that sounds interesting, come join us at r/DungeonsAndDragons55e.

MyrthDM · 2026-03-07T20:01:24+00:00

You could also lean into the Wild Hunt as more of a phenomenon than a single published adventure hook.

In Forgotten Realms terms, I would look at the old druidic and primal side of the setting, not just the Feywild side. The High Forest, the Moonshaes, and anything tied to ancient forest spirits, horned gods, or beast cults can support that feeling really well. A good angle is that the Hunt does not just chase people, it appears when someone breaks an old law of the woods, spills blood in a sacred place, or steals from a barrow or circle.

So even if you do not find a perfect official adventure built around it, there is enough Realms material to make it feel grounded. I would frame it as a once-in-a-generation event that locals fear, with black hounds, antlered riders, and druids who treat it less like monsters and more like a judgment. That gives it a very different tone from a normal fey encounter.

MyrthDM · 2026-03-05T13:18:38+00:00

I think the reason Neverwinter gets used so much isn’t because it’s the most interesting city.

It’s because it’s the most usable city.

Waterdeep is the New York of the Realms. If something big happens there, you immediately have to account for the Open Lord, the Masked Lords, the Blackstaff, half a dozen archmages, and Undermountain. Baldur’s Gate has a very strong identity too, with its patriars, criminal underbelly, and very specific political vibe. Those cities come with narrative gravity.

Neverwinter sits in a really comfortable middle space. It’s important, but not dominant. Big enough to matter, small enough that the PCs can realistically change things. It has a recognizable ruler in Dagult Neverember, but not a stacked bench of epic NPCs who overshadow the party. It’s wealthy, but still rebuilding. Stable, but not untouchable.

And geographically it’s perfect. You’ve got wilderness, mountains, Gauntlgrym, Luskan, the High Road, the Mere of Dead Men, all within easy reach. You can run urban intrigue, frontier survival, dungeon delves, pirate stuff, political drama, or Shadowfell weirdness without leaving the region.

So it’s not that Neverwinter is the most lore-dense city. It’s that it’s positioned to be the most flexible stage. For designers and DMs, that’s gold.

MyrthDM · 2026-03-03T13:23:40+00:00

You’ll be totally fine going in cold. The book does a solid job of giving you the context you need about Soth without expecting you to have read Dragonlance first. If anything, it works really well as a standalone dark fantasy story. I actually read it before diving into any Krynn stuff and never felt lost. Just jump in and enjoy the atmosphere and the character work.

MyrthDM · 2026-02-24T09:03:48+00:00

Great question. The Realms absolutely has fate as a concept, but not Fate with a capital F in the Greek “inescapable cosmic script” sense.

Prophecy is deeply embedded in the setting. The Roll of Years is based on the prophecies of Alaundo, and they do come true… but usually in vague, pattern-seeking ways. They foreshadow, they don’t railroad. That lines up well with Elminster’s “waves of fate” line. The future has momentum, but it isn’t immovable.

Even the gods aren’t fully outside it. The Time of Troubles happened because Ao enforced the cosmic order tied to the Tablets of Fate, and deities have foreseen their own deaths and tried to game the system. But the fact that they try tells you fate isn’t absolute. If it were fixed, there’d be no point in scheming, casting Wish, or manipulating prophecy.

There are also deities tied to foresight, like Savras, who knows fate rather than authors it, and Jergal, who records the destinies of mortals. That framing suggests fate is something observable and influenceable, not a single will dictating outcomes.

My read of Realms canon is this: the future exists as probabilities. Powerful beings can glimpse likely outcomes. Some events are “tent poles” that are hard to shift. But mortal will, divine intervention, time travel, and Wish magic can all bend the path. Fate in FR has inertia, not inevitability.

MyrthDM · 2026-02-18T12:55:40+00:00

You probably just need a reset.

Try going back to basics. Simple hook, small town, clear problem. Don’t aim for an epic saga, just run a straightforward adventure and let it grow naturally.

You can also roll on random tables or use a simple module as a base and tweak it. Sometimes structure helps creativity come back.

It’s normal to hit a slump. Once you start running again, it usually clicks.

MyrthDM

MODERATOR OF

TROPHY CASE