D&D's Surprising Update To This Classic Monster Shows How They're Changing For New 2024 Rules

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A change to two classic monsters showcases how the game's designers are making monsters feel more unique in the new ruleset. October 29 marks the release of, a new mini-adventure made for organized play at stores and conventions. The new adventure will send players into the infamous Temple of Elemental Evil to face off against an Elemental Evil fanatic and her followers. will also serve to highlight some of the upcoming rules changes in including in the upcoming .

also uses several updated creature statblocks from next year's revised . 's designers have previously said that they've looked to update various monsters to bring them in line with their Challenge Ratings, especially in terms of their various abilities and attacks. Many of these changes are rebalanced attack damage and more flavorful abilities. However, the changes to the incubus and succubus suggesteven bigger changes are in store for some monsters.

The incubus and succubus are classic monsters pulled from traditional demonological lore. Both types of demons are used to tempt mortals into evil acts, with incubi taking on a male form and succubi taking on a female form. Within lore, incubi and succubi are referred to as separate creatures but can switch between forms at will. But while the 2014 statblocks for incubi and succubi included their ability to shapeshift, they could only mechanically transform into humanoids. Since all demons are considered fiends, the two creatures had no way to actually transform between forms.

Material in D&D's 2024 Dungeon Master's Guide went through a lot of hands before it was finalized, and the book changed a lot as a result.

The 2024 incubus and succubus statblocks correct this error by giving them both the specific ability to change between incubus and succubus forms at the end of a long rest. While the 2014 statblocks for incubi and succubi were identical, the 2024 statblocks give both monsters different abilities.

The incubus statblock is more geared towards direct