D&D (2024) Worldbuilding Differences between 5e and 5.5?

[Reynard]

True. And now nuanced Humanoids are core.

I haven't looked at the alignment sections of the 5E books in a long time. I am curious what they say about monster alignments. I would be surprised if "not all orcs" wasn't already built into the language.

 

[Yaarel]

I haven't looked at the alignment sections of the 5E books in a long time. I am curious what they say about monster alignments. I would be surprised if "not all orcs" wasn't already built into the language.

Generally, in later books:

All Humanoid creature types are "Any" alignment.

However, Humanoids can be members of factions, and these factions can be "Typically" a specific alignment.

For example in Mordenkainen Presents Monsters of the Multiverse, most Drow are "Any" alignment. But the Drow Arachnomancer who is an adherent of the Lolth faction, is "Typically Chaotic Evil".


The Non-Humanoid creature types can still be specific alignments.

The distinction gets blurry in cases where the Non-Humanoid happens to look very human.

 

[delericho]

I haven't looked at the alignment sections of the 5E books in a long time. I am curious what they say about monster alignments. I would be surprised if "not all orcs" wasn't already built into the language.

"Not all orcs" was built into the language of the 3.0e Monster Manual.

Edit: Indeed, even the 2nd Ed Monstrous Manual noted the possibility of exceptions to alignment, albeit rarely.

 

[bedir than]

Unless they are useless fluff like billowing cloaks and helmets that make the wearer's eyes glow they are almost certain to be just as overturning to PCs as not so common magic items already are. If they are useless fluff I'm not sure how it could impact world building beyond consuming a notable number of pages that could otherwise be better used to actually support the dungeon master in the dmg.

There are dozens of common magic items already. We need not guess how they expand story. They exist.

Based on your statement you'll find them useless.

At other tables they will expand the stories available via the game

 

[Reynard]

"Not all orcs" was built into the language of the 3.0e Monster Manual.

Edit: Indeed, even the 2nd Ed Monstrous Manual noted the possibility of exceptions to alignment, albeit rarely.

This is what the 5E MM says about humanoids. ::cringe::

 

[delericho]

Yeah, there's a weird step backwards there.

 

[GMMichael]

How do the mechanical changes to the game (and how classes, monsters, spells, and etc) work change how the in-game world of a 5e game functions?

For example, does a larger list of "common" magic items mean a world in which magic items are more commonly assumed?

How do some of the changes influence the style of the game and the types of stories told through the game?

My game will still be my game. I expect the types of stories put out by WotC to start (?) looking like they were pulled from Baldur's Gate 3.

It's a good question, but what really should happen with the way the game functions still hasn't happened: anyone with the ability to cast at-will magic is forced into factory work, and dragonborn take over the world due to sheer coolness.

 

[Argyle King]

Thanks for the responses.

To give some context, another example might be short-range teleporting becoming a more-common ability. (If true) that is something which would change assumptions about how things in the game world work. Certain types of challenges become more or less of an obstacle based upon which abilities are more or less available to someone wanting to learn them.

Similarly, while unlimited cantrips was a small change from older editions to now, it's something which alters how readily available an ability is for someone living within the game world.

If assumptions about how the world findings changes, I see that as influencing the telling of stories through the lens of a particular world.

 

[Vikingkingq]

I'm surprised that no one's brought up the change to PC species as something that might affect world-building.

 

[mellored]

Thanks for the responses.

To give some context, another example might be short-range teleporting becoming a more-common ability. (If true) that is something which would change assumptions about how things in the game world work.

Misty Step is still a level 2 spell.
Flight is still level 3.
Ect..

There is a new warlock subclass that specializes in misty step, but they could teleport every short rest anyways. But that doesn't change anything more than any other new subclass.

I guess Push and Prone will happen more since martials can do it without giving up an attack.