“Flee Mortals” Now Available on D&D Beyond

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Originally published in late 2023 after a record breaking Kickstarter, MCMD’s Flee, Mortals unleashed a new horde monsters for use in Dungeons & Dragons 5th edition, with the goal of making enemy encounters faster and more fun.

Now, a new D&D Beyond version of Flee, Mortals has just been released. It’s yet another example of a third-party publication making it into the official D&D online ecosystem. It’s also a surprising move given that MCDM has had an occasionally rocky relationship with Wizards of the Coast due to both the OGL scandal and the release of their upcoming MCDM RPG, the latter of which threatens to take a beholder-sized bite out of WotC profits.

So just what new and terrifying creatures can D&D Beyond users expect to find in this re-release? Below we break out all the details.

What is “Flee, Mortals”?

Flee, Mortals is a monster book designed for D&D 5e Dungeon Masters that was released in late 2023 after generating over $2 million on Kickstarter. The original book (which is currently available in hardcover and as a PDF) includes over 339 unique monster stat blocks along with rules for creating more dynamic and engaging combat scenarios.

One of the key principles of the book is creating “Action-Oriented Monsters,” a concept designed to make individual boss battles more challenging to players. In particular, this means providing these types of creatures with unique abilities called “Villain Actions.” Similar to the existing DnD 5e concept of Legendary/Lair Actions, in Flee, Mortals, Villain Actions allow monsters to act outside their usual turn with unique effects and abilities that add a new level strategy, drama and tension to the encounter.

Flee, Mortals also offers a fresh take on classic DnD 5e monsters by adding new abilities and variants. For example, dungeon fodder goblins are made much more deadly with a new Goblin Assassin stat blocks. These types of redesigns focus more on the monsters’ ability to perform memorable actions that emphasize their lore and character, rather than relying too much on mechanics and stats that can potentially slow down the game.

That being said, if you are looking for more crunch in your combat, Flee, Mortals does incorporate new rules for minions, companions and retainers – all of which come complete with stat blocks, lore and narrative hooks. It’s a great way to deal with combat against hordes of low-level monsters and provide a framework for player character-owned pets and hirelings.

Notably, Flee, Mortals is on our list of best DnD monster books of all time and is also a companion work to MCDM’s Where Evil Lives, which is a book of monster lairs that is also now available on D&D Beyond.

What’s included in the D&D Beyond version of “Flee, Mortals”?

The D&D Beyond version of Flee, Mortals is really a port of the original 400 page book, which is still available on the MCDM website. The D&D Beyond version, however, fully integrates with the platform’s online character builder and other features. Specifically it includes:

• 293 monster stat blocks for use with the D&D Beyond Encounters
• Rules for special Villain Actions that will make a single creature capable of taking on a party of adventurers alone
• Rules for handling minions, which allows players to hack through hordes of combatants
• Rules for friendly—and not so friendly—pet companions
• Rules for retainers to support players who want an NPC to aid in their adventures
• New maps and monster that can be imported into the D&D Maps VTT

Notably, MCDM has confirmed that this is the most up-to-date version of Flee, Mortals, correcting a number of minor typos and issues that were included in the first printing of the book.

How Much is “Flee Mortals” on D&D Beyond?

Currently, the D&D Beyond version of Flee, Mortals is retailing for $39.99 USD. On the MCDM website the PDF bundle retails for $56.00 USD, with the hardcover/PDF bundle selling for $97.00 USD, so the price point here is solid.

That being said, if you’ve already snagged a physical or digital copy of Flee, Mortals, you’re not really missing out any new content, although if you are a D&D Beyond subscriber, one key advantage is being able to mix and match contents with official Wizards of the Coast materials, including characters and the latest rules set. Being able to use the D&D Beyond Encounters and Maps VTT is also a bonus (although the latter tool is still fairly rough and remains in Beta testing).

Why is the Book’s Release on D&D Beyond Such a Big Deal?

This marks the latest in a growing line of major third-party DnD content to be released on D&D Beyond, following Critical Role’s Tal’Dorei Campaign Setting, The Dungeon Dude’s Dungeons of Drakkenheim, Hit Point Press’ Humblewood Campaign and Kobold Press’ Tome of Beasts I (the latter of which is also an excellent monster book).

So while it’s great that Flee, Mortals is going to be available to an even larger audience on D&D Beyond, it’s also important to the hobby as a whole in that it continues a positive trend from Wizards of the Coast in promoting DnD third-party books.

Final Thoughts

It’s amazing to see more third-party content appear on D&D Beyond, especially a book as popular and useful as Flee, Mortals. It’s also great to see that WotC isn’t afraid to work with direct competitors like MCDM. All of it is an important step for WotC to take to earn back the trust of both publishers and players following some major brand missteps over the past few years.

You can order your copy of Flee, Mortals now on D&D Beyond. Below is an also a video from the official D&D Beyond YouTube channel, which provides more information on the book and an interview with MCDM Lead Designer James Introcaso.

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