A change to two classicDungeons & Dragonsmonsters showcases how the game’s designers are making monsters feel more unique in the new ruleset. October 29 marks the release ofScions of Elemental Evil, 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.Scions of Elemental Evilwill also serve to highlight some of the upcoming rules changes inDungeons & Dragons,including in the upcomingDungeon Master’s Guide.
Scions of Elemental Evilalso uses several updated creature statblocks from next year’srevisedMonster Manual.D&D’s designers have previously said that they’ve looked toupdate various monstersto 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.
How Dungeons & Dragons Is Changing The Incubus And Succubus
Different Statblocks And Lore-Accurate Abiliites
The incubus and succubus are classicDungeons & Dragonsmonsters 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. WithinDungeons & Dragonslore, 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.
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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 conflict, with a Nightmare Touch attack that deals 3d6+5 psychic damage and a Nightmare bonus action that can deal 4d8 psychic damage or knock a creature unconscious for an hour. The succubus, meanwhile, has access to an at will eighth-level Dominate Person spell that it can use to set up its Draining Kiss ability. Thanks to the succubus’s multiattack ability, the succubus can now cast Dominate Person and use Draining Kiss in the same turn.
What These Changes Show For The Future Of Dungeons & Dragons
Expect Monsters To Hit Harder With More Interesting Abilities
The changes to the incubus and succubus show how Wizards of the Coast is approaching its monster redesigns. First and foremost, the monsters can now mechanically match their lore.The succubus and incubus can now explicitly do what their lore says they can do, correcting an oversight from the 2014Monster Manual.Furthermore, both monsters now have specific abilities that only one form can access, providing more options for DMs when crafting encounters.
Secondly, both monsters are much stronger than their 2014 versions. The 2014 versions of both monsters could only deal their expected damage based on their Challenge Rating if they could use their Draining Kiss ability, which required a turn to set up as it requires a target to be charmed.The incubus can now deal an average of 30 damage per turnwith its Nightmare Touch attacks.
The succubus deals an average of 19 damage, but can also set up its Draining Kiss ability every turn thanks to its access to Dominate Person every turn. If a target makes a saving throw against Draining Kiss, the succubus can still hit with two Fiendish Touch attacks and not waste a turn.
To be blunt, the incubus and succubus are much more usable with their 2024 statblocks. These creatures were imbalanced in their 2014 incarnation. Their Draining Kiss ability could potentially permakill a player in one shot, but it required multiple turns to set up. The new statblocks are much more stable, withmore consistant damage output and a toned down Draining Kissthat can still be deadly in the right circumstances.
DMs can now choose between statblocks if they choose, or throw both monsters in the same encounter to make things even more interesting. If every monster inDungeons & Dragonshas received similar changes, then both players and DMs will enjoy somemore intense encountersin the very near future.
Dungeons and Dragons
Dungeons and Dragons is a popular tabletop game originally invented in 1974 by Ernest Gary Gygax and David Arneson. The fantasy role-playing game brings together players for a campaign with various components, including abilities, races, character classes, monsters, and treasures. The game has drastically expanded since the ’70s, with numerous updated box sets and expansions.
