D&D Monks Pack More Punch, Withers Epilogue In BG3, Matt Mercer On CR Video Game - TTRPG News 11/30/2023

As a lot of people shook off their turkey-induced lethargy and returned to work, this week in tabletop RPGs didn’t have much doorbusting news. But there were still a few big surprises to cap off November! For starters, a Dungeons & Dragons playtest won monk fans over. A surprising feat, indeed. Meanwhile, Larian Studios teased a holiday update for Baldur’s Gate 3 centered around Withers. Finally, Matthew Mercer discussed the possibility of Critical Role video games. Let’s get rolling. 

D&D Playtest 8 Gives Monks Some Serious Punch

There’s been a lot of concern about the changes made in D&D’s 2024 update. But the most recent playtest packet, Playtest 8, buffed monks in ways that seem to make everyone happy. 

With these new changes, monks can bonus action attack even if they use their action to cast a spell or use an item. They can also dash as a bonus action without spending resources and use a melee version of Deflect Missile. The coolest change has to be Stunning Strike, which now deals force damage if the target saves so that there’s no feeling of a wasted turn. Barbarians and Druids also got some love with this round, but the monk is a clear winner overall. 

Withers Epilogue Released For Baldur’s Gate 3

Larian Studios sent out an intriguing tweet this week that announces a Withers epilogue for BG3. The day after, it released Patch 5 for Baldur's Gate 3. The patch adds epilogues for several beloved characters as well as reference to a recent fan-favorite familiar. It also allows players to wear Orin's outfit and have a party back at camp. Overall it's a great holiday gift from Larian to the BG3 fandom, and a great sendoff to many playthroughs before The Game Awards announces the Game of the Year.

Matthew Mercer Would Love To Make A Critical Role Video Game, But Nothing Announced Yet

Legendary Critical Role DM Matthew Mercer recently shared his hopes for a CR video game. Dicebreaker recently interviewed Mercer amidst the release of several board games for CR’s Darrington Press publisher and the Candela Obscura TTRPG. They asked if video games would be the next step for Darrington. Mercer responded by saying that they’d need the right idea, studio, and budget for such a venture. Yet his enthusiasm also reportedly showed, as he concluded with “I would love to see that in the future, should all those stars align!”

D&D Beyond Adds More Third-Party Content

There was a surprise content drop from D&D Beyond, featuring modules and player options from two popular creators. The first is Grim Hollow: Lairs of Etharis from Ghostfire Games. The Beyond version comes complete with all the spells, feats, and magic items as well as maps for its in-platform VTT. December will see the release of Dungeon Dudes' Dungeons of Drakkenheim. This will also include the full adventure, monsters, player options, and maps. This continues a trend of D&D Beyond adding and spotlighting third-party creators, and hopefully points to more support in the eventual VTT.

That brings this week to a quick close. Exciting things are in the air for fans of both video games and TTRPGs, as the worlds seem to be merging. Yet until you can play as Scanlan using your PS5 controller, consider sticking with StartPlaying for your TTRPG needs. Have fun this weekend, and may your dice be kind!