Mike Shea

All you need to do is join the Sly Flourish newsletter and you will get a copy of this Dungeon Adventure Generator, which I think is pretty fun and pretty cool. This past week, Wizards of the Coast has fired up their marketing machine for the 2025 Dungeons & Dragons Monster Manual. They've had a couple of big videos. One they did was an overall video. I think it was a little bit more than an hour.

All you need to do is join the Sly Flourish newsletter and you will get a copy of this Dungeon Adventure Generator, which I think is pretty fun and pretty cool. This past week, Wizards of the Coast has fired up their marketing machine for the 2025 Dungeons & Dragons Monster Manual. They've had a couple of big videos. One they did was an overall video. I think it was a little bit more than an hour.

It was a pretty long video. And then they did one about dragons. Shockingly, they haven't shown a lot of stat blocks. They've shown a lot of the art and they've had a lot of discussion about it, but they didn't show a lot of stat blocks. I had thoughts and opinions that I wanted to share. You of course have your thoughts and opinions and that's cool too.

It was a pretty long video. And then they did one about dragons. Shockingly, they haven't shown a lot of stat blocks. They've shown a lot of the art and they've had a lot of discussion about it, but they didn't show a lot of stat blocks. I had thoughts and opinions that I wanted to share. You of course have your thoughts and opinions and that's cool too.

It was a pretty long video. And then they did one about dragons. Shockingly, they haven't shown a lot of stat blocks. They've shown a lot of the art and they've had a lot of discussion about it, but they didn't show a lot of stat blocks. I had thoughts and opinions that I wanted to share. You of course have your thoughts and opinions and that's cool too.

But I just had a few things that kind of grabbed my mind when I was looking at this. Part of which was like, I don't think we should get bent out of shape about the fact that we didn't see stat blocks because we're going to be seeing stat blocks in the pretty near future anyway. Like I'm, you know, we're going to see him within a month and then we're going to have 600 stat blocks.

But I just had a few things that kind of grabbed my mind when I was looking at this. Part of which was like, I don't think we should get bent out of shape about the fact that we didn't see stat blocks because we're going to be seeing stat blocks in the pretty near future anyway. Like I'm, you know, we're going to see him within a month and then we're going to have 600 stat blocks.

But I just had a few things that kind of grabbed my mind when I was looking at this. Part of which was like, I don't think we should get bent out of shape about the fact that we didn't see stat blocks because we're going to be seeing stat blocks in the pretty near future anyway. Like I'm, you know, we're going to see him within a month and then we're going to have 600 stat blocks.

And also like how soon, this is my cynical, my cynical joke, prepare for my cynical joke. Why am I looking forward so much to opening a book, reading it and going, well, that's not how I would have done it. which is almost certainly what I'm going to do. And not because their design is the worst, but we're all tinkerers. Many GMs are tinkerers.

And also like how soon, this is my cynical, my cynical joke, prepare for my cynical joke. Why am I looking forward so much to opening a book, reading it and going, well, that's not how I would have done it. which is almost certainly what I'm going to do. And not because their design is the worst, but we're all tinkerers. Many GMs are tinkerers.

And also like how soon, this is my cynical, my cynical joke, prepare for my cynical joke. Why am I looking forward so much to opening a book, reading it and going, well, that's not how I would have done it. which is almost certainly what I'm going to do. And not because their design is the worst, but we're all tinkerers. Many GMs are tinkerers.

And then those of us who have gotten now familiar and comfortable with designing stat blocks or changing monsters and stuff are immediately going to open up and go, well, that's not how I would have done it. Oh, four new vampires. Very cool. Well, those aren't how I would have done it. So it's very unlikely I'm going to look.

And then those of us who have gotten now familiar and comfortable with designing stat blocks or changing monsters and stuff are immediately going to open up and go, well, that's not how I would have done it. Oh, four new vampires. Very cool. Well, those aren't how I would have done it. So it's very unlikely I'm going to look.

And then those of us who have gotten now familiar and comfortable with designing stat blocks or changing monsters and stuff are immediately going to open up and go, well, that's not how I would have done it. Oh, four new vampires. Very cool. Well, those aren't how I would have done it. So it's very unlikely I'm going to look.

I already know it's not the case because I have seen some of the stat blocks and you're like, oh, okay, I guess that's a thing. You know, it's not how I'd have done it. So that's kind of my little joke, right? And it's not, I mean, that's not a knock on them. That's just how, I mean, it's true with everything.

I already know it's not the case because I have seen some of the stat blocks and you're like, oh, okay, I guess that's a thing. You know, it's not how I'd have done it. So that's kind of my little joke, right? And it's not, I mean, that's not a knock on them. That's just how, I mean, it's true with everything.

I already know it's not the case because I have seen some of the stat blocks and you're like, oh, okay, I guess that's a thing. You know, it's not how I'd have done it. So that's kind of my little joke, right? And it's not, I mean, that's not a knock on them. That's just how, I mean, it's true with everything.

And there's never been a monster book I haven't opened up and go, well, that's, you know, I'd have done it differently. The great thing is we can, we can do it differently. You can modify things all you want in this game. It's not like any other game, any other video game in the world. You're like, oh, I wish I hadn't done that boss that way. What am I going to do? Because they made the boss.

And there's never been a monster book I haven't opened up and go, well, that's, you know, I'd have done it differently. The great thing is we can, we can do it differently. You can modify things all you want in this game. It's not like any other game, any other video game in the world. You're like, oh, I wish I hadn't done that boss that way. What am I going to do? Because they made the boss.

And there's never been a monster book I haven't opened up and go, well, that's, you know, I'd have done it differently. The great thing is we can, we can do it differently. You can modify things all you want in this game. It's not like any other game, any other video game in the world. You're like, oh, I wish I hadn't done that boss that way. What am I going to do? Because they made the boss.