D&D: ‘Monster Vault 2’ From Kobold Press – 300+ New Frenemies, Monsters, And More
Kobold Press has a new book filled with more than 300 new monsters. But that’s only half of what makes Monster Vault 2 so cool.
Kobold Press is back with another big book for Tales of the Valiant and also D&D. This is the cool thing about their books. You can play with either of the systems without too much trouble at all – they work that 5E Compatible label to the fullest. And in Monster Vault 2, Kobold has not just new monsters, but new ways to drop them in your games. Everything from bar brawls to escalating campaigns with Doom points and more.
Monster Vault 2 – Monsters And How To Use Them
High fantasy adventure is at the heart of pretty much everything Kobold does. And in Monster Vault 2, you get to see how they riff on some popular themes. Because the book is not just a compendium of creatures, it’s got a bunch of new GM tools that you can bring to bear in your encounters. That’s what has me excited to dig into this book.
I feel like a lot of times encounters can default to the dreaded conga line/clump of doom, where you have all these mobility powers and then you spend two hours with all of your minis lined up in a row, swinging back and forth until one side is gone.
Avoiding that paradigm is one of the things we work towards as DMs. And I love seeing the methods people develop to keep things both streamlined and dynamic. In the case of Monster Vault 2, that means tables full of ideas for plots. As well as an escalatinng set of Doom points that lets you raise the stakes in any fight.
“The vault opens again! Monster Vault 2 releases over 300 new creatures to populate your next tale of high-fantasy adventure. Pit your heroes against an army of strange and never-before-seen enemies, and wield new GM tools to streamline every encounter!
With extensive appendices, simplified stat blocks, and monster bundles to quickly fill your next dungeon or combat encounter, Monster Vault 2 expands your Tales of the Valiant® bestiary with unique foes perfect for any fantasy setting!”
Kobold makes some of my favorite monster books. They offer a lot of extra crunch to their monster abilities that make them feel more challenging or active than your regular fare. And with a suite of DM tools and guidelines, I think this one is going to earn a place on any shelf, whether you play D&D or Tales of the Valiant.
Look for Tales of the Valiant and the Monster Vaults 2 at DriveThruRPG or wherever you play!
