D&D (2024) Is Monster Manual 2025 compatible with 2014 Characters?

[Alby87]

Hi! We all know one that the old MM had underperforming monsters based on their CR (if used badly), and the new keep those CR expection giving the DM less choices. Questions: is this MM usable with the old rules, old encounter building rules and old characters? There will be interesting fights (going to the hard side) or new monsters will obliterate older characters?

(I know I will go for full 2024 in the future, but this is a question going in my head)

Thanks!

 

[GMMichael]

Chris Perkins: "fully compatible."

I wouldn't say the DM has fewer choices, though. They're just more difficult choices.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

You can 100% use the 2024 Monster Manual on your side of the screen. (Or Monstrous Menagerie, Monster Vault or Flee, Mortals, as you prefer.) The players might not even notice that anything's different except for the ones who memorize all the monster stats.

 

[Clint_L]

I would say that they are fully compatible, yes. I have not had any trouble at all switching from the one to the other, and there isn't that much difference in creature strength in most cases; the cases where there are, it was already needed. A 2014 party will be fine.

 

[DEFCON 1]

Try using one of them and see what happens. Playtesting the game is the best way to determine whether something can work for you.

There's no reason to trust the opinions of any of us here, because we all run our combats differently and have differing opinions on what we consider "compatible" and "usable"... so what any of us might say could be completely opposite for you. So do your own research.

 

[Swarmkeeper]

For our current 2014 campaign, I’ve used monsters from the 2014 MM, Tome of Beasts series, Creature Codex, Flee! Mortals, Nerzugal’s Extended Bestiary, and others. I intend to use the 2025 MM as well. Then again, I’ve given up worrying about “balance” and instead am more interested in creating encounters that are location appropriate.

 

[Quickleaf]

Did they roll back completely on Legendary Reactions?

Because if those are still present in 2024 MM monsters, and you have a 2014 PC with reaction-denial like shocking grasp, that's one hiccup you need to figure out.

What about the "it's a spell but it's not a spell" abilities, are those present?

Those were in...MotM maybe?...and raised a lot of confusion around how counterspell and dispel magic should interact with such things.

 

[Clint_L]

Try using one of them and see what happens. Playtesting the game is the best way to determine whether something can work for you.

There's no reason to trust the opinions of any of us here, because we all run our combats differently and have differing opinions on what we consider "compatible" and "usable"... so what any of us might say could be completely opposite for you. So do your own research.

This is true, but objectively speaking, most creatures are not that changed. If you hold up, say, a 2024 owlbear next to a 2014 owlbear, there aren't massive differences.

I wish there were more, to be honest. I think player character buffs in 2024 significantly exceed creature buffs, especially for melee characters.

 

[Leatherhead]

The big issues would come from player abilities like Wildshape and Polymorph, which skim the MM for stat blocks.
A lot of the MM24 monsters are significantly more deadly than their MM14 counterparts.

 

[Clint_L]

Did they roll back completely on Legendary Reactions?

Because if those are still present in 2024 MM monsters, and you have a 2014 PC with reaction-denial like shocking grasp, that's one hiccup you need to figure out.

What about the "it's a spell but it's not a spell" abilities, are those present?

Those were in...MotM maybe?...and raised a lot of confusion around how counterspell and dispel magic should interact with such things.

Legendary actions are still there, and actually got buffed, a bit. There are no more "costs 2-3 legendary actions" - each legendary action costs one legendary action. And creatures typically get FOUR if they are in their lair. So a beholder, for example, can use its eye rays seven times, rather than six, each turn if it is in its lair, as well using its anti-magic cone as a bonus action.

"Spell but not a spell" is still very much a thing, meaning that you can't counterspell a beholder's eye rays or anti-magic cone, for example. The anti-magic cone is specifically described as "acting as" the spell anti-magic field, but it is not that spell. Dispel magic would still work, as both the cone and rays are described as "magical."