I'm still waiting for mine (delivery times are a little longer to this end of the world). However, Ryan fought zombies on the weekend, and I can say that I really like the 5e version. (They get a Con saving throw when they get reduced to 0 hp, unles it's from a crit or radiant damage. DC is based on the damage. If they pass, they stay at 1 hp.) Makes fighting them an interesting experience.

Yeah, we fought some when we did a playtest with the basic rules this summer. It was very unnerving when they wouldn't go down.

5e and Next are the same thing, right?

Yes. It was called Next during the play test. But all the new books call it 5th Edition in the interiors. (The exteriors all just say Dungeons & Dragons.)

I spoke too soon, my Monster Manual arrived today. Mephits! And flumphs! And a hook for actually seeking out a flumph, interesting.

I like it. I think they've done a good job with the flavour text, and the mechanics look pretty workable. (Just one thing I've notived so far: they've changed the golems' magic immunity to advantage on saves against magic. I think that should work nicely.)

Hey switch-hitters. Do you feel that your dice roll better for you when you are the GM than they do when you are a player?

It certainly seems that way to me. I've had complaints from players when I get on a got streak and start critting the hell out of them.

Then again, in my Roll20 Rise of the Runelords game right when they were attacked by a monster that I'd been building up for several sessions beforehand I got stuck in a horrible cold streak and couldn't roll above a 10. I think one PC got hit for minimum damage in the fight.

Ran some more 5th Ed for my son today.

Answering the call for volunteers to seek out the goblin lair from the village elder were a ranger and a fey pact warlock, in addition to Rex the barbarian and his cleric friend. I let my son roll for all the characters in his party, while I still made the decisions for them.

I'm running a modified version of the adventure from the Pathfinder Beginner's Box. The party tracked the goblins to a cave a couple miles from the village and managed to sneak up on the two goblins keeping guard, dispatching them easily. Moving on, they encountered a fountain glowing with golden light, but after no one in the group could decipher the runes on it, my son decided they should leave it alone.

Hearing the sounds of goblin voices, they moved down the tunnel and came upon 4 goblins having an intense argument while a bigger goblin sat on a rough throne, holding his hands over his ears. At the party's approach, the big goblin demanded "Who dares enter King Fatmouth's throne room?" My son thought this was hilariously funny, and Rex laughed in the big goblin's face, then attempted to intimidate the goblins by screaming and swinging his greatsword around. His intimidate check was enough to cow the lesser goblins, granting them disadvantage, but the goblin boss bellowed for them to attack.

After a hard fight, the party managed to put the four goblins and their leader down (with Rex landing the killing blow on King Fatmouth) and ransacked the treasure hidden behind the throne, earning themselves a handful of pearls, some gold, a strange ring and couple healing potions. They then decided to hole up and take short rest (after I explained the mechanics to my son as a suggestion), as everyone was at half HPs or less.

That was where we called the session on account of bedtime. My son asked if we could play again tomorrow. If we do, he'll likely hit level 2, as he's only 75XP shy.

ETA: Also, forgot to mention that my son decided to open the fight with the goblins by hurling a lit torch at King Fatmouth. While the damage was minimal it got the goblin boss' attention and made him focus on Rex instead of his squishier teammates.

That's fantastic. I think that when Ryan reaches Cragmaw Castle, he will find it groaning under the iron rule of King Fatmouth.

I also forgot to mention that Mattias saw a mimic in one of my books awhile back and asked what it was. Every time he's encountered a chest so far, he declares that he makes sure it's not a mimic before he gets close to it.