D&D (2024) Monster Change: Force Damage vs. Magic Weapons

[the Jester]

So it very much seems like monsters that previously had the Magic Weapons trait are being switched to doing force damage instead of bludgeoning/piercing/slashing damage. What are your thoughts on this?

EDIT: To be clear, this is based on the changes to monsters in Mordenkainen's Monsters of the Multiverse.

 

[HammerMan]

wait... like sword damage is force? or they get an eldritch blast like ability instead of a sword attack? or they get an extra attack added on?

 

[the Jester]

So for example, if an iron golem hits you with its Slam attack, it does force damage instead of bludgeoning. I believe the idea is probably to simplify things by eliminating the Magic Weapons trait.

 

[Bacon Bits]

So it very much seems like monsters that previously had the Magic Weapons trait are being switched to doing force damage instead of bludgeoning/piercing/slashing damage. What are your thoughts on this?

It is a more straightforward way of representing the mechanic. The Battle Smith Artificer's steel guardian does force damage, for example. It also means instead of "magical" being its own axis, magical swords can just deal force, radiant, necrotic, etc. damage. It means that those items key right into the game's existing mechanics, too.

Overall I'd say "it's fine and probably better," but I still assume that WotC is going to continue to deprecate magic items even further which I feel is overall not very fun. I'm already irritated by how useless most magic items are. We found a circlet of blasting two weeks ago, for example, and it's so bad I don't even know if anybody wrote it down on their character sheet. We're only level 8!

 

[billd91]

So it very much seems like monsters that previously had the Magic Weapons trait are being switched to doing force damage instead of bludgeoning/piercing/slashing damage. What are your thoughts on this?

EDIT: To be clear, this is based on the changes to monsters in Mordenkainen's Monsters of the Multiverse.

It might work for a select few, but if it's too broad, it's gonna suck. If this is to nerf things like barbarian rage, it's a terrible way to handle it.

 

[Stormonu]

Not a fan. I just wish they would put on the attack entries “Damage: X (YdZ + N) magic <type> damage. No need for a whole “magic weapon” line, just one word on the attack line. Certainly doesn’t need to be force (or radiant) damage.

 

[Bitbrain]

Magic items in my games already deal force damage on a hit (and ignore immunity/resistance too), so this is a change which I like.

 

[HammerMan]

Magic items in my games already deal force damage on a hit (and ignore immunity/resistance too), so this is a change which I like.

I may steal this with a slight modification... give a few more monsters immunity to slash pierce and bludg then put weapons in that can change as no action to force damage... especially at high level it could incentivize upgrading +1 weapons to the new 'force' weapons.

 

[dave2008]

So it very much seems like monsters that previously had the Magic Weapons trait are being switched to doing force damage instead of bludgeoning/piercing/slashing damage. What are your thoughts on this?

EDIT: To be clear, this is based on the changes to monsters in Mordenkainen's Monsters of the Multiverse.

I am a bit on the fence, but I generally don't like it. I understand that it simplifies things and make some game design sense. However, with the return BPS damage in 5e I don't want magical versions of BPS to be force instead.

 

[Weiley31]

wait... like sword damage is force? or they get an eldritch blast like ability instead of a sword attack? or they get an extra attack added on?

Ooooh boy: Stay awhile and listen.

So originally, before Monsters of the Multiverse, there were a number of Monsters/Stat Blocks where they had the trait called Magic Weapon. The idea is, according to the trait, was that the attacks/weapon used by the monster, were magical in nature. This would allow things, such as Demogorgon for example, to not have to worry about silly things like not being able to damage, say, ANOTHER Demon Lord, like Baphomet or Zuggtmoy if they were all like put in one big Royal Rumble showdown, like in Out of The Abyss. (I've heard/read some posters on here insisting that was a legit thing simply because Demon Lord attacks did S/B/P damage.) So, because Demogorgon had the trait Magic Weapon in his stat block, when he punched somebody like Orcus/another Demon Lord, they would feel the full force of his blow and not have to worry about Orcus having damage immunity because Demogorgon's attacks, like his fist, are considered Magical.

But let's say suppose, one day, Demogorgon meets a Barbarian. A barbarian named, mmm, let's call him Gorg, who is a member of an adventuring company called the Vocal Machine. Now Gorg doesn't like demons very much and Demogorgon is having that moment where he doesn't like any Barbarian he sees. So he straight up punches Gorg, who has already entered into Rage by then. Now unlike Orcus, when Demogorgon punches Gorg, his magical demon fist does Bludgeon damage. It's magical Bludgeon damage, but still Bludgeon damage nonetheless. So Gorg just smiles with a bloody lip, proceeds to spit the blood back in his demonic opponents face, and only suffers half damage because Barbarians, when Raging, have Resistance to Slashing/Piercing/Bludgeoning damage.

Now, the ONLY damage type in 5E, that doesn't have to worry about getting blocked/resisted, most of the time out side of DM fiat/rare things, is Force Damage. Which is explained in 5E as being pure, raw, arcane/magic power. Lets circle back round to our buddy Demogorgon. He, post Monsters of the Multiverse, has been "updated/buffed" because of the trait Magical Weapon being removed from stat blocks. Instead, to emphasize the fact that Demogorgon's demon fist/attacks are magical, they were changed from doing Bludgeoning Damage to Force Damage. Meaning that poor ol Gorg the Barbarian can not only feel the full blunt of Demogorgon's wrath, but also the look of horror on his player's face when the Prince of Demons just straight up murders Gorg on the spot.

It's no laser beam or anything, unless the attack is made as that. Orcus, devils, demons, Demogorgon, and a buncha others were updated to do Force Damage with their attacks. Any reprints of prior stat blocks that had the trait Magic Weapon will probably be retroactively updated to now do Force Damage. So unless your a Shadar-Kai or something that has Necrotic Resistance, your going to be feeling ALL of Orcus's attacks when he's swinging his Wand around.