D&D 2025 Monster Manual Deep Dive – Lazy RPG Talk Show

The Lazy RPG Podcast - D&D and RPG News and GM Prep from Sly Flourish

D&D and RPG news and commentary by Mike Shea of https://slyflourish.com

Contents

• 00:00:00 Show Start
• 00:00:58 Hexploration Decks
• 00:02:59 Mike on EN World and Kobold Press Podcasts
• 00:04:09 All Three D&D 2024 Core Books are Released
• 00:06:33 2024 Monster Manual is the Most Important DM-Focused D&D 2024 Book
• 00:07:46 Is the 2025 Monster Manual Better than the 2014 MM?
• 00:08:40 Is the D&D 2025 MM the Best 5e Monster Book?
• 00:12:30 Could It Have Been Better? Of Course.
• 00:14:36 Monsters Hit at Their Challenge Rating
• 00:19:59 Other Designers on the Monster Math
• 00:22:05 D&D 2025 Monster Manual Compared to Forge of Foes
• 00:25:56 2025 Monster Manual Effects Don't Negatively Impact Damage Anymore
• 00:28:04 Vampire
• 00:30:15 Requires Looking Up Spells
• 00:35:50 Cultist Fanatic
• 00:37:59 The Language of the 2025 Monster Manual
• 00:39:47 No Orcs, Drow, or Duergar
• 00:50:56 Static Initiative Scores
• 00:54:16 Crappy Treasure "Tables"
• 00:56:29 Crappy Ability Score Tables
• 01:00:05 Awesome Contextual Random Tables
• 01:03:01 Alphabetically Sorted Most of the Time
• 01:05:31 What Else Is Missing?
• 01:06:38 Day 1 Errata
• 01:07:55 Final Thoughts

Links

• Subscribe to the Sly Flourish Newsletter
• Support Sly Flourish on Patreon
• Buy Sly Flourish Books:
• BackerKit: Hexploration Decks by Inkwell Ideas
• Mike on Morrus's Unofficial Tabletop Podcast (YouTube – MM starts at 1:18:00)
• Mike on Morrus's Unofficial Tabletop Podcast (Podcast Recording)
• Mike on Kobold Chat Talking About Doom Points
• Paul Hughes on 2025 Monster Manual on a Business Card
• Alphastream YouTube Monster Manual Analysis
• Bob World Builder on the Monster Manual