Monster Manual
Encyclopedia
The Monster Manual is the primary bestiary
sourcebook for monster
s in the Dungeons & Dragons
(D&D) fantasy
role-playing game
. It includes monsters derived from mythology
, and folklore
, as well as creatures created for D&D specifically. It describes each with game-specific statistics (such as the monster's level or number of hit dice), and a brief description of its habits and habitats. Most of the entries also have an image of the creature. Along with the Player's Handbook
and Dungeon Master's Guide
, it is one of the three "core rulebooks" in most editions of the Dungeons & Dragons game.
did not have separate Monster Manuals but provided listings for monsters in one of the three booklets in the set entitled Book 2: Monsters and Treasure.
After the separation into "Basic" and "Advanced" games, the "Basic" game continued to be published in level-based boxes. Monsters of the appropriate level were included in the rulebooks for the various "Basic Game" sets (Basic, Expert
, Companion
, Master
, and Immortal
) and later collected in a single D&D Rules Cyclopedia
book.
and published in 1977 as a 108-page book. It was the first hardcover
book for any Dungeons & Dragons game, and the first of the Core Manuals published for the new Advanced Dungeons & Dragons (AD&D) version of the game. The Monster Manual was a supplement to the game intended to describe the standard monsters used in AD&D, many with illustrations. The book was a compendium of more than 350 monsters – some were new, but some were compiled and revised from older sources such as Monsters and Treasure
, Greyhawk
, Blackmoor
, Eldritch Wizardry
, Strategic Review
and the Dragon
. Each monster was listed alphabetically with a comprehensive description and full statistics, and was in some cases supported by an illustration. A softcover version of the Monster Manual was printed by Games Workshop
(U.K.) in 1978. The cover of the original printing was illustrated by David Trampier, and when the book was reprinted in 1985 it featured new cover art by Jeff Easley
. Except for a cover art change to match a new logo and house style, and some minor corrections introduced in the 1978 printings, it went through very little change in its fifteen printings up to 1989.
The credited artists of the first manual, in order, are David C. Sutherland III
(DCS), David A. Trampier
(DAT), Tom Wham
(TW), and Jean Wells. The editor of the original edition was Mike Carr.
The first edition Monster Manual is also famous for the topless portrayals of some of its female monsters, including the succubus
and Type V demons, the lamia
, and the sylph
. The casual depiction of female nudity is a hallmark of first edition Dungeons and Dragons art.
Tim Kask
, editor of The Dragon
, reviewed the book in The Dragon #12, calling it "a radical departure from the norm in wargame publishing". Kask felt that, while "Gary Gygax
, in his prefatory remarks, spreads the credit around, but the majority of the kudos should be heaped on his shoulders". Kask also mentioned that the hardbound format of the book would make it an ideal surface for mapping, and insure that the book would hold up for a long time. It was Kask's opinion that the book's profuse illustrations were "outstanding", and that "in themselves would warrant the cover price".
The original Monster Manual was reviewed by Don Turnbull in issue #8 of the magazine White Dwarf
(August/September 1978). Turnbull felt that "this manual deserves a place on every D&D enthusiast's bookshelf", and praised the explanatory text, stating that it "amplifies, where necessary, [the game statistics] and the result is the most comprehensive listing of D&D monsters you will find, presented in a clarity which is unfortunately all too rare in other sources." Turnbull noted some minor printing errors, and felt that some of the drawings are not as good as others, but felt that the book's quality "is as high as one can reasonably expect in such a complex matter". Turnbull concluded by saying "I can do no more than heap high praise on the Monster Manual. If every DM
and every player didn't buy it, I would be very surprised. It is without doubt the best thing that TSR
have produced so far." Lawrence Schick commented on the Monster Manual in his 1991 book Heroic Worlds: "As nothing is easier to design than new monsters, it has spawned a host of imitations."
Fiend Folio
(1981) was published by TSR UK. Much of the Fiend Folio 's contents were taken from the Fiend Factory feature of White Dwarf, others were taken from various D&D modules, and some were original creations for this volume. It introduced several popular monsters to the D&D game including drow, githyanki
, githzerai
, slaad
, and death knights. It also featured monsters that were widely ridiculed, such as the flumph
, one of the few non-evil creatures presented in that volume.
Monster Manual II (1983) was a 160-page hardcover, also credited solely to Gygax, and featured cover art by Jeff Easley. The book was a supplement describing over 250 monsters, most with illustrations; many of the monsters were drawn from scenario modules. The book includes random encounter tables for dungeon and wilderness settings, built from the Monster Manual, Fiend Folio, and Monster Manual II. Some of its contents had been taken from various AD&D adventure modules, in particular quite a number from S4: Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth
and a dozen new devils that had been first published in the pages of Dragon
magazine. Like the Fiend Folio before it, the monsters in Monster Manual II listed the experience point value for each monster in the entry itself. The Monster Manual II along with the 1st Edition Unearthed Arcana
book featured quite a number of monsters, races and place names from Gary Gygax's Greyhawk Campaign world. The book featured interior illustrations by Jim Holloway, Harry Quinn, Dave Sutherland
, and Larry Elmore
.
Monster Manual II was rated fairly well at the time, receiving 7 out of 10 overall in a review in issue 49 of White Dwarf magazine. The reviewer praised the book's standard of clear presentation, and felt that the artwork was better than the previous monster books. The reviewer felt that there were too many high level monsters, and too many overly deadly ones, and that just about all the monsters in the book are inimical to adventures; the reviewer felt that it would have been nice to have something friendly to meet on occasion. The reviewer did make note of the fact that there were "many interesting ideas and several well-developed tribes and hierarchies", and felt that overall the book is "a good, well presented addition to the AD&D series, with some very useful creatures" and recommended the book to anyone who likes a wide range of monsters in the game. Lawrence Schick also commented on the Monster Manual II in Heroic Worlds: "Some of the monsters are less than inspired, and some are quite silly; this author's favorites are the stegocentipede, a giant arthropod notable for its twin row of back plates (wow!), and the stench kow, a monstrous bison that smells real bad."
The Monstrous Compendium
(1989) superseded the Monster Manual with the release of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Second Edition. The Compendium was a binder of looseleaf sheets rather than a hardback book. The first two volumes contained the "core" monsters of the game. These were followed by a large number of appendices that contained extra monsters for particular campaign settings.
The format was intended to help Dungeon Master
s keep handy only the monster statistics needed for a particular game session, as well as to greatly expand the information about each monster, as each was given at least one full page. It would also mean they would only need to purchase core volumes and appendix volumes for the campaigns they wanted, rather than getting a mix of monsters in books. However, the binder format ultimately proved impractical for two main reasons:
In 1993 the Monstrous Manual was released, compiling all monsters from the first two volumes of the Monstrous Compendium plus a large number of monsters from other sources into a 384 page hardcover book. Cover art is by Jeff Easley
, with interior illustrations by Tony DiTerlizzi
, Jeff Butler
, Davis Simons, Tom Baxa
, Mark Nelson
, and color by Les Dorscheid. More Monstrous Compendium Appendices were released as a supplement to the Monstrous Manual in the form of paperback
books, mostly 128 pages. They included updated reprints of loose leaf Monstrous Compendium Appendices and new volumes.
, Jonathan Tweet
, and Skip Williams
all contributed to the 3rd edition Players Handbook, Dungeon Master's Guide
, and Monster Manual, and then each designer wrote one of the books based on those contributions. According to Williams, "The first item on the agenda was coming through the game's twenty year collection of monsters, and deciding which ones were going into the book... The design team decided to focus on creatures that fit well into classic dungeon style adventures, with extra emphasis on creatures we felt the game needed." It was revised and released again as Monster Manual subtitled Core Rulebook III v3.5, in July 2003.
These volumes are not major variations from the earlier concepts of the Monster Manual; they update older monsters to Third Edition rules. In 2001, Monster Manual won the Origins Award
for Best Graphic Design of a Roleplaying Game, Adventure, or Supplement 2000. One reviewer called it "...an essential reference book, and it is a bargain...."
The v3.5 revision has a slightly different entry on each monster, particularly the division of the attack into Attack and Full Attack entries. Also, most of the monsters now have an enhanced version of them near the original one as an example of advancement (usually either with a template or with class levels). Many monsters now have instructions on how to use them as player characters.
Monster Manual II (2002) and Fiend Folio
(2003) are new monster-specific rulebooks, and contain mostly updated monsters from the sourcebooks of earlier editions, though some others of the specific monsters featured therein have almost no overlap with those of their first edition namesakes. Monster Manual II includes a discussion of monster design. There have been no new versions of Monster Manual II and Fiend Folio for 3.5 edition, however update errata for both volumes and for the original third edition Monster Manual are available for download from the publishers website .
Monster Manual III (2004) contains more monsters and was originally published in the v3.5 format. This Monster Manual is notable for having descriptions within on where the monsters might be found in the Eberron
and Forgotten Realms
campaign setting
s.
Monster Manual IV (July 2006) is also published in the v3.5 format, and uses the new stat block format that was introduced in the Dungeon Master's Guide II. Monster Manual IV contains fewer actual monsters than Monster Manual II and III, but has sample lairs and encounters for them, gives stats for classes and templates applied to old creatures (for example Drow Ninja) and full page maps. Also, like the third, it has information on where the monsters might appear in Eberron or the Forgotten Realms. The book also ties into the "Year of the Dragons" theme that Wizards of the Coast planned out for 2006 with the Spawn of Tiamat, yet contains no new monsters that are considered 'true dragons.'
In October 2006 the Special Edition Monster Manual was released, completing the set of special edition core rulebooks started in 2004 to commemorate the 30th anniversary of Dungeons & Dragons. Like the others, this book was leather-bound with silver-gilt edges and a cloth bookmark. The book was expanded with some new information, 31 new illustrations, and a new index. All collected errata up to its release date was included in this revision, making this edition the most up-to-date Monster Manual so far .
Monster Manual V was released in July 2007, published in the same format as the Monster Manual IV, featuring lairs and tactics and like III and IV detailing how these new monsters fit into Eberron
and Forgotten Realms
.
(a villain since the earliest days of D&D) on the cover. The Monster Manual 2 was released on May 20, 2009, and featured Demogorgon
on the cover. The Monster Manual 3 was released on June 15, 2010, and featured Lolth
on its cover.
The Monster Vault was released November 16th, 2010 and featured monsters introduced in the Monster Manual revised to the new format that was introduced in Monster Manual 3. The Monster Vault 2: Threats to the Nentir Vale was released June 28th, 2011 and re-introduced a few new monsters as well as several related to the setting of Nentir Vale.
Bestiary
A bestiary, or Bestiarum vocabulum is a compendium of beasts. Bestiaries were made popular in the Middle Ages in illustrated volumes that described various animals, birds and even rocks. The natural history and illustration of each beast was usually accompanied by a moral lesson...
sourcebook for monster
Monster
A monster is any fictional creature, usually found in legends or horror fiction, that is somewhat hideous and may produce physical harm or mental fear by either its appearance or its actions...
s in the Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. . The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997...
(D&D) fantasy
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
role-playing game
Role-playing game
A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
. It includes monsters derived from mythology
Mythology
The term mythology can refer either to the study of myths, or to a body or collection of myths. As examples, comparative mythology is the study of connections between myths from different cultures, whereas Greek mythology is the body of myths from ancient Greece...
, and folklore
Folklore
Folklore consists of legends, music, oral history, proverbs, jokes, popular beliefs, fairy tales and customs that are the traditions of a culture, subculture, or group. It is also the set of practices through which those expressive genres are shared. The study of folklore is sometimes called...
, as well as creatures created for D&D specifically. It describes each with game-specific statistics (such as the monster's level or number of hit dice), and a brief description of its habits and habitats. Most of the entries also have an image of the creature. Along with the Player's Handbook
Player's Handbook
The Player's Handbook is a book of rules for the fantasy role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons . It does not contain the complete set of rules, but only those for use by players of the game...
and Dungeon Master's Guide
Dungeon Master's Guide
The Dungeon Master's Guide is a book of rules for the fantasy role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons...
, it is one of the three "core rulebooks" in most editions of the Dungeons & Dragons game.
Early Dungeons & Dragons
The earliest 1974 Dungeons and Dragons boxed setDungeons & Dragons (1974)
The original Dungeons & Dragons boxed set by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson was published by TSR, Inc. in 1974. It initially included the original edition of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game...
did not have separate Monster Manuals but provided listings for monsters in one of the three booklets in the set entitled Book 2: Monsters and Treasure.
After the separation into "Basic" and "Advanced" games, the "Basic" game continued to be published in level-based boxes. Monsters of the appropriate level were included in the rulebooks for the various "Basic Game" sets (Basic, Expert
Dungeons & Dragons Expert Set
The Expert Set is an expansion boxed set for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. It was first published in 1981 as an expansion to the Basic Set.-1981 printing:The D&D Basic Set saw a major revision in 1981 by Tom Moldvay...
, Companion
Dungeons & Dragons Companion Set
The Companion Set is an expansion boxed set for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. It was first published in 1984 as an expansion to the Basic Set.-Publication history:...
, Master
Dungeons & Dragons Master Rules
Dungeons & Dragons Master Rules is an expansion boxed set for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. It was first published in 1985 as an expansion to the Basic Set.-Publication history:...
, and Immortal
Dungeons & Dragons Immortals Rules
Dungeons & Dragons Immortals Rules is an expansion boxed set for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. It was first published in 1986 as an expansion to the Basic Set.-Publication history:...
) and later collected in a single D&D Rules Cyclopedia
Dungeons & Dragons Rules Cyclopedia
The Dungeons & Dragons Rules Cyclopedia was published by TSR, Inc. in 1991, as a continuation of the basic edition of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, which ran concurrently with Advanced Dungeons & Dragons. Its product designation was TSR 1071...
book.
1st Edition Advanced Dungeons & Dragons
The original publication actually bearing the title Monster Manual was written by Gary GygaxGary Gygax
Ernest Gary Gygax was an American writer and game designer best known for co-creating the pioneering role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons with Dave Arneson. Gygax is generally acknowledged as the father of role-playing games....
and published in 1977 as a 108-page book. It was the first hardcover
Hardcover
A hardcover, hardback or hardbound is a book bound with rigid protective covers...
book for any Dungeons & Dragons game, and the first of the Core Manuals published for the new Advanced Dungeons & Dragons (AD&D) version of the game. The Monster Manual was a supplement to the game intended to describe the standard monsters used in AD&D, many with illustrations. The book was a compendium of more than 350 monsters – some were new, but some were compiled and revised from older sources such as Monsters and Treasure
Dungeons & Dragons (1974)
The original Dungeons & Dragons boxed set by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson was published by TSR, Inc. in 1974. It initially included the original edition of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game...
, Greyhawk
Greyhawk (supplement)
Greyhawk is a supplementary rulebook written by Gary Gygax and Robert J. Kuntz for the original edition of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game...
, Blackmoor
Blackmoor (supplement)
Blackmoor is a supplementary rulebook for the original edition of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game written by Dave Arneson...
, Eldritch Wizardry
Eldritch Wizardry
Eldritch Wizardry is a supplementary rulebook by Gary Gygax and Brian Blume, written for the original edition of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, which included a number of significant additions to the core game.-Contents:...
, Strategic Review
Dragon (magazine)
Dragon is one of the two official magazines for source material for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game and associated products, the other being Dungeon. TSR, Inc. originally launched the monthly printed magazine in 1976 to succeed the company's earlier publication, The Strategic Review. The...
and the Dragon
Dragon (magazine)
Dragon is one of the two official magazines for source material for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game and associated products, the other being Dungeon. TSR, Inc. originally launched the monthly printed magazine in 1976 to succeed the company's earlier publication, The Strategic Review. The...
. Each monster was listed alphabetically with a comprehensive description and full statistics, and was in some cases supported by an illustration. A softcover version of the Monster Manual was printed by Games Workshop
Games Workshop
Games Workshop Group plc is a British game production and retailing company. Games Workshop has published the tabletop wargames Warhammer Fantasy Battle and Warhammer 40,000...
(U.K.) in 1978. The cover of the original printing was illustrated by David Trampier, and when the book was reprinted in 1985 it featured new cover art by Jeff Easley
Jeff Easley
Jeff Easley is an oil painter who creates fantasy artwork in the tradition of Frank Frazetta.-Early life:...
. Except for a cover art change to match a new logo and house style, and some minor corrections introduced in the 1978 printings, it went through very little change in its fifteen printings up to 1989.
The credited artists of the first manual, in order, are David C. Sutherland III
David C. Sutherland III
David C. Sutherland III was an early Dungeons & Dragons artist. Sutherland was a prolific artist and his work heavily influenced the early development of Dungeons & Dragons.-Early life and inspiration:...
(DCS), David A. Trampier
David A. Trampier
Dave A. Trampier is a former artist and writer who worked on some of the earliest editions of the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game and was the creator of the Wormy comic strip that ran in Dragon magazine...
(DAT), Tom Wham
Tom Wham
Tom Wham is a designer of board games who has also produced artwork, including that for his own games.Wham worked a variety of odd jobs during his early adult life. After serving four years in the U.S. Navy, he worked for the Guidon Games hobby shop in Maine where he got his first game, a variant...
(TW), and Jean Wells. The editor of the original edition was Mike Carr.
The first edition Monster Manual is also famous for the topless portrayals of some of its female monsters, including the succubus
Succubus (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, a succubus is a female demon. Under 4th edition rules, a succubus is a devil.-Publication history:The succubus is based on the succubi from Western medieval legend.-Dungeons & Dragons :...
and Type V demons, the lamia
Lamia (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, the lamia is a magical beast. The lamia was introduced in the first edition Advanced Dungeons & Dragons game's original Monster Manual sourcebook...
, and the sylph
Sylph (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, a sylph is an outsider that shares many similarities to fey creatures.-Publication history:...
. The casual depiction of female nudity is a hallmark of first edition Dungeons and Dragons art.
Tim Kask
Tim Kask
Timothy James Kask is an American editor and writer in the role-playing game industry. Kask became interested in board games in his childhood, and later turned to miniatures wargames...
, editor of The Dragon
Dragon (magazine)
Dragon is one of the two official magazines for source material for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game and associated products, the other being Dungeon. TSR, Inc. originally launched the monthly printed magazine in 1976 to succeed the company's earlier publication, The Strategic Review. The...
, reviewed the book in The Dragon #12, calling it "a radical departure from the norm in wargame publishing". Kask felt that, while "Gary Gygax
Gary Gygax
Ernest Gary Gygax was an American writer and game designer best known for co-creating the pioneering role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons with Dave Arneson. Gygax is generally acknowledged as the father of role-playing games....
, in his prefatory remarks, spreads the credit around, but the majority of the kudos should be heaped on his shoulders". Kask also mentioned that the hardbound format of the book would make it an ideal surface for mapping, and insure that the book would hold up for a long time. It was Kask's opinion that the book's profuse illustrations were "outstanding", and that "in themselves would warrant the cover price".
The original Monster Manual was reviewed by Don Turnbull in issue #8 of the magazine White Dwarf
White Dwarf (magazine)
White Dwarf is a magazine published by British games manufacturer Games Workshop. Initially covering a wide variety of fantasy and science-fiction role-playing and board games, particularly the role playing games Dungeons & Dragons, RuneQuest and Traveller...
(August/September 1978). Turnbull felt that "this manual deserves a place on every D&D enthusiast's bookshelf", and praised the explanatory text, stating that it "amplifies, where necessary, [the game statistics] and the result is the most comprehensive listing of D&D monsters you will find, presented in a clarity which is unfortunately all too rare in other sources." Turnbull noted some minor printing errors, and felt that some of the drawings are not as good as others, but felt that the book's quality "is as high as one can reasonably expect in such a complex matter". Turnbull concluded by saying "I can do no more than heap high praise on the Monster Manual. If every DM
Dungeon Master
In the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, the Dungeon Master is the game organizer and participant in charge of creating the details and challenges of a given adventure, while maintaining a realistic continuity of events...
and every player didn't buy it, I would be very surprised. It is without doubt the best thing that TSR
TSR, Inc.
Blume and Gygax, the remaining owners, incorporated a new company called TSR Hobbies, Inc., with Blume and his father, Melvin Blume, owning the larger share. The former assets of the partnership were transferred to TSR Hobbies, Inc....
have produced so far." Lawrence Schick commented on the Monster Manual in his 1991 book Heroic Worlds: "As nothing is easier to design than new monsters, it has spawned a host of imitations."
Fiend Folio
Fiend Folio
Fiend Folio is the title shared by three products published for successive editions of the fantasy role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons...
(1981) was published by TSR UK. Much of the Fiend Folio 's contents were taken from the Fiend Factory feature of White Dwarf, others were taken from various D&D modules, and some were original creations for this volume. It introduced several popular monsters to the D&D game including drow, githyanki
Githyanki
The githyanki are a fictional humanoid race in the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game. They are cousins to the githzerai. In the Dark Sun setting, they are simply called gith...
, githzerai
Githzerai
The githzerai are a fictional race of creatures in the roleplaying game Dungeons & Dragons.Githzerai are extraplanar humanoid creatures that reside on the Plane of Limbo.-Publication history:...
, slaad
Slaad
In the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, slaad are a fictional race of Outsiders that resemble giant humanoid toads of various colors.-Development and licensing:...
, and death knights. It also featured monsters that were widely ridiculed, such as the flumph
Flumph
The flumph is a monster found in the fictional world of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy roleplaying game. Flumphs are described as sentient, and are the only Lawful Good creatures in the original 1981 Fiend Folio.-Physical description:...
, one of the few non-evil creatures presented in that volume.
Monster Manual II (1983) was a 160-page hardcover, also credited solely to Gygax, and featured cover art by Jeff Easley. The book was a supplement describing over 250 monsters, most with illustrations; many of the monsters were drawn from scenario modules. The book includes random encounter tables for dungeon and wilderness settings, built from the Monster Manual, Fiend Folio, and Monster Manual II. Some of its contents had been taken from various AD&D adventure modules, in particular quite a number from S4: Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth
Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth
The Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth is an adventure module for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. It was written by Gary Gygax and published by TSR in 1982 for the first edition Advanced Dungeons & Dragons rules. The 64-page adventure bears the code "S4" and is set in the World of...
and a dozen new devils that had been first published in the pages of Dragon
Dragon (magazine)
Dragon is one of the two official magazines for source material for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game and associated products, the other being Dungeon. TSR, Inc. originally launched the monthly printed magazine in 1976 to succeed the company's earlier publication, The Strategic Review. The...
magazine. Like the Fiend Folio before it, the monsters in Monster Manual II listed the experience point value for each monster in the entry itself. The Monster Manual II along with the 1st Edition Unearthed Arcana
Unearthed Arcana
Unearthed Arcana is the title shared by two hardback books published for different editions of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game...
book featured quite a number of monsters, races and place names from Gary Gygax's Greyhawk Campaign world. The book featured interior illustrations by Jim Holloway, Harry Quinn, Dave Sutherland
David C. Sutherland III
David C. Sutherland III was an early Dungeons & Dragons artist. Sutherland was a prolific artist and his work heavily influenced the early development of Dungeons & Dragons.-Early life and inspiration:...
, and Larry Elmore
Larry Elmore
Larry Elmore is an American fantasy artist whose work includes creating illustrations for video games, comics, magazines and fantasy books. His list of work includes illustrations for Dungeons & Dragons, Dragonlance, and the comic strip series SnarfQuest...
.
Monster Manual II was rated fairly well at the time, receiving 7 out of 10 overall in a review in issue 49 of White Dwarf magazine. The reviewer praised the book's standard of clear presentation, and felt that the artwork was better than the previous monster books. The reviewer felt that there were too many high level monsters, and too many overly deadly ones, and that just about all the monsters in the book are inimical to adventures; the reviewer felt that it would have been nice to have something friendly to meet on occasion. The reviewer did make note of the fact that there were "many interesting ideas and several well-developed tribes and hierarchies", and felt that overall the book is "a good, well presented addition to the AD&D series, with some very useful creatures" and recommended the book to anyone who likes a wide range of monsters in the game. Lawrence Schick also commented on the Monster Manual II in Heroic Worlds: "Some of the monsters are less than inspired, and some are quite silly; this author's favorites are the stegocentipede, a giant arthropod notable for its twin row of back plates (wow!), and the stench kow, a monstrous bison that smells real bad."
2nd Edition Advanced Dungeons & Dragons
The Monstrous Compendium
Monstrous Compendium
The Monstrous Compendium is a series of accessories for the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game.-Volumes:MC1 Monstrous Compendium, Volume One was published by TSR in 1989...
(1989) superseded the Monster Manual with the release of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Second Edition. The Compendium was a binder of looseleaf sheets rather than a hardback book. The first two volumes contained the "core" monsters of the game. These were followed by a large number of appendices that contained extra monsters for particular campaign settings.
The format was intended to help Dungeon Master
Dungeon Master
In the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, the Dungeon Master is the game organizer and participant in charge of creating the details and challenges of a given adventure, while maintaining a realistic continuity of events...
s keep handy only the monster statistics needed for a particular game session, as well as to greatly expand the information about each monster, as each was given at least one full page. It would also mean they would only need to purchase core volumes and appendix volumes for the campaigns they wanted, rather than getting a mix of monsters in books. However, the binder format ultimately proved impractical for two main reasons:
- Looseleaf pages were not as durable as the hardcover format, especially for a frequently used game aid;
- Although some pages featured only one monster per sheet, TSR routinely printed different monsters on both sides, making it impossible to keep monsters in strict alphabetical order.
In 1993 the Monstrous Manual was released, compiling all monsters from the first two volumes of the Monstrous Compendium plus a large number of monsters from other sources into a 384 page hardcover book. Cover art is by Jeff Easley
Jeff Easley
Jeff Easley is an oil painter who creates fantasy artwork in the tradition of Frank Frazetta.-Early life:...
, with interior illustrations by Tony DiTerlizzi
Tony DiTerlizzi
Tony M. DiTerlizzi is an American fantasy artist, children's book creator, and motion picture producer.DiTerlizzi created The Spiderwick Chronicles series with Holly Black, and was an executive producer on the 2008 film adaptation of the series. He won a Caldecott Honor Medal for his adaptation of...
, Jeff Butler
Jeff Butler
Jeff Butler is an American illustrator and comic book artist. Butler worked with the art department of TSR, Inc...
, Davis Simons, Tom Baxa
Thomas Baxa
-Biography:Tom Baxa grew up in the suburbs of Chicago. He enrolled at Northern Illinois University, where he studied under comic and fantasy artist Mark Nelson.-Works:...
, Mark Nelson
Mark Nelson (artist)
Mark A. Nelson is an artist whose work has appeared in role-playing games and comic books.-Works:Mark Nelson has continued to produce interior illustrations for many Dungeons & Dragons books and Dragon magazine since 1985...
, and color by Les Dorscheid. More Monstrous Compendium Appendices were released as a supplement to the Monstrous Manual in the form of paperback
Paperback
Paperback, softback or softcover describe and refer to a book by the nature of its binding. The covers of such books are usually made of paper or paperboard, and are usually held together with glue rather than stitches or staples...
books, mostly 128 pages. They included updated reprints of loose leaf Monstrous Compendium Appendices and new volumes.
3rd Edition Dungeons & Dragons
The Monster Manual for Third Edition Dungeons & Dragons was released in 2000 as one of three core books of the system. Monte CookMonte Cook
Monte Cook is a professional table-top role-playing game designer and writer. He is married to Sue Weinlein Cook.-Roleplaying:Cook has been a professional game designer since 1988, working primarily on role-playing games. Much of his early work was for Iron Crown Enterprises as an editor and writer...
, Jonathan Tweet
Jonathan Tweet
Jonathan Tweet is a game designer who has been involved in the development of the role-playing games Ars Magica, Everway, Over the Edge, Talislanta and the third edition of Dungeons & Dragons, as well as the Collectible Miniatures Game Dreamblade.-Early life:Jonathan Tweet started playing D&D in...
, and Skip Williams
Skip Williams
Ralph Williams, almost always referred to as Skip Williams, is an American game designer. He is married to Penny Williams, who is also involved with the games industry...
all contributed to the 3rd edition Players Handbook, Dungeon Master's Guide
Dungeon Master's Guide
The Dungeon Master's Guide is a book of rules for the fantasy role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons...
, and Monster Manual, and then each designer wrote one of the books based on those contributions. According to Williams, "The first item on the agenda was coming through the game's twenty year collection of monsters, and deciding which ones were going into the book... The design team decided to focus on creatures that fit well into classic dungeon style adventures, with extra emphasis on creatures we felt the game needed." It was revised and released again as Monster Manual subtitled Core Rulebook III v3.5, in July 2003.
These volumes are not major variations from the earlier concepts of the Monster Manual; they update older monsters to Third Edition rules. In 2001, Monster Manual won the Origins Award
Origins Award
The Origins Awards are American awards for outstanding work in the game industry. They are presented by the Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts and Design at the Origins Game Fair on an annual basis for the previous year, so the 1979 awards were given at the 1980 Origins.The Origins Award is commonly...
for Best Graphic Design of a Roleplaying Game, Adventure, or Supplement 2000. One reviewer called it "...an essential reference book, and it is a bargain...."
The v3.5 revision has a slightly different entry on each monster, particularly the division of the attack into Attack and Full Attack entries. Also, most of the monsters now have an enhanced version of them near the original one as an example of advancement (usually either with a template or with class levels). Many monsters now have instructions on how to use them as player characters.
Monster Manual II (2002) and Fiend Folio
Fiend Folio
Fiend Folio is the title shared by three products published for successive editions of the fantasy role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons...
(2003) are new monster-specific rulebooks, and contain mostly updated monsters from the sourcebooks of earlier editions, though some others of the specific monsters featured therein have almost no overlap with those of their first edition namesakes. Monster Manual II includes a discussion of monster design. There have been no new versions of Monster Manual II and Fiend Folio for 3.5 edition, however update errata for both volumes and for the original third edition Monster Manual are available for download from the publishers website .
Monster Manual III (2004) contains more monsters and was originally published in the v3.5 format. This Monster Manual is notable for having descriptions within on where the monsters might be found in the Eberron
Eberron
Eberron is a campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, set in a period after a vast destructive war on the continent of Khorvaire...
and Forgotten Realms
Forgotten Realms
The Forgotten Realms is a campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. Commonly referred to by players and game designers alike as "The Realms", it was created by game designer Ed Greenwood around 1967 as a setting for his childhood stories...
campaign setting
Campaign setting
A campaign setting is usually a fictional world which serves as a setting for a role-playing game or wargame campaign. A campaign is a series of individual adventures, and a campaign setting is the world in which such adventures and campaigns take place...
s.
Monster Manual IV (July 2006) is also published in the v3.5 format, and uses the new stat block format that was introduced in the Dungeon Master's Guide II. Monster Manual IV contains fewer actual monsters than Monster Manual II and III, but has sample lairs and encounters for them, gives stats for classes and templates applied to old creatures (for example Drow Ninja) and full page maps. Also, like the third, it has information on where the monsters might appear in Eberron or the Forgotten Realms. The book also ties into the "Year of the Dragons" theme that Wizards of the Coast planned out for 2006 with the Spawn of Tiamat, yet contains no new monsters that are considered 'true dragons.'
In October 2006 the Special Edition Monster Manual was released, completing the set of special edition core rulebooks started in 2004 to commemorate the 30th anniversary of Dungeons & Dragons. Like the others, this book was leather-bound with silver-gilt edges and a cloth bookmark. The book was expanded with some new information, 31 new illustrations, and a new index. All collected errata up to its release date was included in this revision, making this edition the most up-to-date Monster Manual so far .
Monster Manual V was released in July 2007, published in the same format as the Monster Manual IV, featuring lairs and tactics and like III and IV detailing how these new monsters fit into Eberron
Eberron
Eberron is a campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, set in a period after a vast destructive war on the continent of Khorvaire...
and Forgotten Realms
Forgotten Realms
The Forgotten Realms is a campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. Commonly referred to by players and game designers alike as "The Realms", it was created by game designer Ed Greenwood around 1967 as a setting for his childhood stories...
.
4th Edition Dungeons & Dragons
The 4th edition Monster Manual was released with the other core books on June 6, 2008, and featured the demon prince OrcusOrcus (Dungeons & Dragons)
Orcus is the fictional demon prince, and lord of the undead in many campaign settings for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. He is named after Orcus of Roman mythology. His symbol is a mace with a human skull as the head...
(a villain since the earliest days of D&D) on the cover. The Monster Manual 2 was released on May 20, 2009, and featured Demogorgon
Demogorgon (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, Demogorgon is a powerful demon prince. He is known as the Prince of Demons, a self-proclaimed title he holds by virtue of his power and influence; which in turn, is a title acknowledged by both mortals and his fellow demons...
on the cover. The Monster Manual 3 was released on June 15, 2010, and featured Lolth
Lolth
Lolth is a fictional goddess in the Dungeons and Dragons fantasy role-playing game. Lolth , the Demon Queen of Spiders, is the chief goddess of drow elves...
on its cover.
The Monster Vault was released November 16th, 2010 and featured monsters introduced in the Monster Manual revised to the new format that was introduced in Monster Manual 3. The Monster Vault 2: Threats to the Nentir Vale was released June 28th, 2011 and re-introduced a few new monsters as well as several related to the setting of Nentir Vale.
Additional reading
Reviews for first edition Monster Manual II: Fantasy Gamer #6 (1984) and Different Worlds #33External links
- 4th Edition Monster Manual at Wizards of the CoastWizards of the CoastWizards of the Coast is an American publisher of games, primarily based on fantasy and science fiction themes, and formerly an operator of retail stores for games...
website. - 3rd Edition Monster Manual at Wizards of the CoastWizards of the CoastWizards of the Coast is an American publisher of games, primarily based on fantasy and science fiction themes, and formerly an operator of retail stores for games...
website. - Detailed information on the 1st Monster Manual and differences between printings