D&D: Scions Of Elemental Evil Preview New Monsters In 5.5E Monster Manual Changes

From a pistol-wielding pirate captain to a modified succubus, the new free Scions of Elemental Evil adventure features the monsters of 5.5E. Scions of Elemental Evil is currently available for free to all users on D&D Beyond. And you might want to check it out. Because even if you don’t play, the adventure is still a window to the future. The new adventure is designed to introduce you to the 5.5E ruleset. This means that in addition to new magic items, there will also be new monsters. There’s a fair amount here too, including updated versions of classic monsters like ogres and incubi, as well as new monsters and NPCs. Scions of Elemental Evil – New Monsters and What’s Different Now, who knows if these are the final versions of the monster stat blocks that will appear in the upcoming 5.5E Monster Manual, released in February 2025. But I’d like to lean more into what those are. And remember, the news from WotC is that monsters have been completely overhauled. In the future, it will be more consistent with the actual CR. All calculations have probably been adjusted. But in some cases, little has changed. Like a new ogre. This is essentially the same as the old Monster Manual, and basic rules, with one important difference. It now has 68 hit points instead of 59. I’m not sure how much of a difference it actually makes. But hey, that’s another potential hit from a cantrip or something. However, not all the monsters in the adventure have just had minor tweaks. In some cases, it’s effectively an entirely new stat block. The same is true for incubus. An incubus used to be just a skinned version of a succubus, but now the two demons are substantially different. Incubi are now more like Nightmare creatures. Instead of psychic damage claws, they have nightmare touch. This is a more damaging attack (3d6 + 5 instead of 1d6 + 3) and automatically curses any target it hits as well. Incubi’s Nightmare Touch means that it receives no benefit from a short rest. The curse lasts for 24 hours or until the end of Long Rest, so it’s pretty cruel. Similarly, an incubi can knock out someone with fewer than 20 hit points as a bonus action. Creatures so affected are rendered unconscious for 1 hour (or until they take damage or wake up) or take 4d8 damage. It’s not bad. Incubi isn’t the only thing that’s different However, Incubi has one final trick up its sleeve. That is, you can transform into a succubus at the end of a long rest. And the succubus also has a slightly different shape from 5E. Although not as bad as Incubi. 5.5E The Succubus has a different structure. Has the same Devil’s Touch, but the Succubus’ Consuming Kiss has been nerfed. Deals only 3d8 damage (or half of a successful con save) instead of 5d10 + 5. However, whether successful or not, a kiss reduces the target’s maximum HP. damage inflicted. And in lieu of a non-spell charm ability, a succubus can cast Sovereign as an 8th level spell at will (lasting up to 8 hours). So what about the new monster in Scion of Elemental Evil? We know it’s Jaraxle, but it doesn’t have the typical pirate captain art. still. There are a few more updates along these lines, but there are also new stat blocks to play with. My favorite is the pirate captain with the pistol. Weighing in at CR 6, the Pirate Captain packs a mean punch. Each attack with a rapier deals 2d8 + 4 damage. However, the captain also has a pistol that deals 2d10 + 4 damage. The Pirate Captain can make three attacks using any combination of either weapon. Admittedly, this is a big deal. However, the Captain can also counterattack as a reaction, adding 3 to his AC and potentially making a rapier attack if the original attack misses. Good, clean, fun. There are several other adjustments throughout the adventure. For example, Gray Oozes can interact with crafting rules. You can find all the rest for yourself at the links below. A staff writer and DM for Bell of Lost Souls, JR covers all kinds of RPGs and occasionally eats a sandwich. You can ask him about both (email protected) Read Comments (0)