 Cover of the originalMonster Manual | |
| Author | Gary Gygax |
|---|---|
| Genre | Role-playing game |
| Publisher | TSR |
Publication date | December 1977 |
| Media type | Print (Hardback) |
| Pages | 112 |
| ISBN | 0-935696-00-8 (4th printing) |
| 794 | |
| LC Class | GV1469.D8G93 1979 |
| Followed by | Monster Manual II |
TheMonster Manual (MM) is the primarybestiary sourcebook formonsters in theDungeons & Dragons (D&D)fantasyrole-playing game, first published in 1977 byTSR. TheMonster Manual was the first hardcoverD&D book and includes monsters derived frommythology andfolklore, as well as creatures created specifically forD&D. Creature descriptions include game-specific statistics (such as the monster'slevel or number of hit dice), a brief description of its habits and habitats, and typically an image of the creature. Along with thePlayer's Handbook andDungeon Master's Guide, theMonster Manual is one of the three "core rulebooks" in most editions of theD&D game. As such, new editions of theMonster Manual have been released for each edition ofD&D. Due to the level of detail and illustration included in the 1977 release, the book was cited as a pivotal example of a new style of wargame books. Future editions would draw on various sources and act as a compendium of published monsters.
The firstD&D boxed set did not have a separateMonster Manual but provided listings for monsters inBook 2: Monsters and Treasure, one of the included booklets. After the series was separated 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 (theBasic,Expert,Companion,Master, andImmortal sets). These monsters were later collected in theRules Cyclopedia, which replaced the higher-level boxed sets,and theCreature Catalogue.
Games scholar Jaroslav Švelch saw theMonster Manual modeled after "medieval bestiaries, only with more precise figures": "Whereas medieval bestiaries attempted to situate unknown creatures within what was the known system of nature, games likeDungeons & Dragons created simulated natures of their own and populated them with creatures that followed their artificial laws and conditions."[1]
The first publication bearing the titleMonster Manual was written byGary Gygax and published in 1977 as a 108-page book.[2] It was the firsthardcover book for anyD&D game[3][4] and the first of the core manuals published for the newAdvanced Dungeons & Dragons (AD&D) version of the game.[2][5] TheMonster Manual was a game supplement intended to detail the standard monsters used withAD&D.[2] The book compiles over 350 monsters, some new and others revised from older sources such asMonsters and Treasure,Greyhawk,Blackmoor,Eldritch Wizardry,The Strategic Review andDragon magazine.[3] Each monster was listed in the book alphabetically with a full description and game statistics and many featured an illustration.[3]
The cover of the original printing was illustrated byDavid C. Sutherland III.[2] A softcover version of theMonster Manual was printed in the United Kingdom byGames Workshop in 1978.[2] When the book was reprinted in 1985 it featured new cover art byJeff Easley.[2] The book remained relatively unchanged throughout its fifteen printings up to 1989. Minor changes during the print run included a cover art change to match a new logo andhouse style, and some minor corrections introduced in the 1978 printings.
The first editionMonster Manual included topless portrayals of some of its female monsters, such as thesuccubus,Type V demons, lamia, andsylph. The first edition was also the first appearance of themimic.
In 1999, apaperback reprint of the first edition was released.[6] The first editionMonster Manual was reproduced as a reprint in 2012.[7][8]
Monster Manual was also reviewed byDon Turnbull who felt that "this manual deserves a place on everyD&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 ofD&D monsters you will find, presented in a clarity which is unfortunately all too rare in other sources."[3] Turnbull noted some minor printing errors and felt that some of the drawings were 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".[3] Turnbull concluded by saying "I can do no more than heap high praise on theMonster Manual. If everyDM and every player didn't buy it, I would be very surprised. It is without doubt the best thing thatTSR have produced so far."[3] Lawrence Schick, author ofHeroic Worlds, commented that "As nothing is easier to design than new monsters, it has spawned a host of imitations."[2] Games journalistDavid M. Ewalt commented that the "Advanced Dungeons & DragonsMonster Manual may have been a rush job, but its quality is undeniable.[...] TheMonster Manual succeeded not just as a game supplement but by elevating the D&D rule book to fetish object. [...] The book became a beloved companion to a generation of gamers, something they came back to again and again."[9]
Scott Taylor ofBlack Gate listed theMonster Manual as #8 on the list of "Top 10 'Orange Spine'AD&D Hardcovers By Jeff Easley, saying "Classic! Red Dragon fighting Pegasi in an air duel? What isn't to love about this one?"[10]
In his 2023 bookMonsters, Aliens, and Holes in the Ground, RPG historian Stu Horvath called the amount and professionalism of the interior illustrations groundbreaking, saying "Sutherland is joined primarily byDavid Trampier, whose clean, precise lines often evoke the feel of medieval woodcuts. Together, they create a world where green slime drips from the ceiling and treasure chests can come to (hungry) life. RPGs take place in the theater of the mind, but the importance of finally seeing these creatures, often in tableau with unfortunate adventurers meeting their dooms, can't be overstated ...Monster Manual set the mold for other to follow [and] all embrace a standard of art and detail created here by Gygax and his collaborators."[11] Witweret al. commented in their overview of the artwork of the game: "Collectively, theMonster Manual images became the canonical representations of these fantastic creatures for an entire generation, a modern bestiary that has served as an authoritative resource for countless subsequent fantasy games."[12]
Fiend Folio was published byTSR, Inc.Fiend Folio was primarily made up of monsters described in the "Fiend Factory" feature ofWhite Dwarf and from variousD&D modules, while some were original creations. It introduced several popular monsters to theD&D game includingdrow, 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 the volume.
Monster Manual II was a 160-page hardcover book published in 1983, also credited solely to Gygax.[2] The book was a supplement that detailed more than 250 monsters, most of them featuring illustrations. Many monsters in the book were taken from previously published adventure modules.[2] The book contained random encounter tables for dungeon and wilderness settings built from the monsters in theMonster Manual,Fiend Folio, andMonster Manual II.[2] Some of its contents were taken from variousAD&D adventure modules, in particular quite a number fromS4: Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth, and a dozen new devils that had been first published in the pages ofDragon magazine. Like theFiend Folio before it, the monsters inMonster Manual II listed the experience point value for each monster within the entry. TheMonster Manual II along with the First EditionUnearthed Arcana book featured quite a number of monsters, races, and places from Gary Gygax's homeGreyhawk campaign world.
TheMonstrous Compendium superseded theMonster Manual with the release ofAD&D 2nd edition.[2] TheCompendium 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 many appendices that contained extra monsters for particularcampaign settings.
The format was intended to helpDungeon Masters (DM) 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. First, looseleaf pages were not as durable as the hardcover format. As it was a frequently used game aid this was a serious concern. Second, TSR routinely printed different monsters on each side of a sheet, making it impossible to keep monsters in strict alphabetical order.
In 1993, theMonstrous Manual was released,[4] compiling all monsters from the first two volumes of theMonstrous Compendium plus many monsters from other sources into a 384-page hardcover book edited byDoug Stewart. MoreMonstrous Compendium appendices were released as a supplements to theMonstrous Manual in the form ofpaperback books. They included updated reprints of loose leafMonstrous Compendium Appendices and new volumes.
| Author | Monte Cook,Jonathan Tweet,Skip Williams |
|---|---|
| Genre | Role-playing game |
| Publisher | Wizards of the Coast |
Publication date | October 1, 2000 |
| Media type | Print (Hardback) |
| Pages | 224 |
| ISBN | 0-7869-1552-8 |
| Followed by | Monster Manual II |
TheMonster Manual for the third edition ofD&D was released on October 1, 2000 as the third of three core books of the system.Monte Cook,Jonathan Tweet, andSkip Williams all contributed to the third editionMonster Manual.[13] Williams is credited with the design of the book. The updates were not intended to make major changes, only to update older monsters to third edition rules. According to Williams, "the first item on the agenda was combing 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."[14] In 2001Monster Manual won theOrigins Award forBest Graphic Design of a Roleplaying Game, Adventure, or Supplement 2000.[15] One reviewer forPyramid called it "...an essential reference book, and it is a bargain..."[16]
The next volumes,Monster Manual II andFiend Folio were new monster-specific rulebooks. They contain mostly updated monsters from the sourcebooks of earlier editions, though some monsters have almost no overlap with those of their first edition namesakes. There were no new versions ofMonster Manual II orFiend Folio for the 3.5 edition ofD&D, although update errata for both volumes and for the original third editionMonster Manual are available for download from the publisher's website.[17]
| Author | Monte Cook,Jonathan Tweet,Skip Williams |
|---|---|
| Genre | Role-playing game |
| Publisher | Wizards of the Coast |
Publication date | July 1, 2003 |
| Media type | Print (Hardback) |
| Pages | 319 |
| ISBN | 0-7869-2893-X |
| Followed by | Monster Manual III,Monster Manual IV,Monster Manual V |
In July 2003, theMonster Manual was revised and released again forD&D v 3.5. The revision was done byRich Baker and Skip Williams. The 3.5 revision has a slightly different entry on each monster than 3rd edition. Notably, each monster's attack has been divided intoattack andfull attack entries.[18] When asked about the hardest part in revising the book, Rich Baker replied: "The hardest part of the job was probably the sheer volume of the work we needed to do. There are hundreds of monster entries, and each monster has a couple dozen data points to examine and check."[19] Some creatures from thePsionics Handbook and the third editionManual of the Planes were added to the revised book.[18] Further revision included the addition of an enhanced version of most monsters as an example of advancement (usually either with a template or with class levels). Many monsters also included instructions on how to use them as player characters.
TheMonster Manual v 3.5 was reproduced as a premium reprint on September 18, 2012.[20]
Monster Manual III was published in September 2004, and was designed byRich Burlew,Eric Cagle,Jesse Decker,Andrew J. Finch,Gwendolyn F.M. Kestrel,Rich Redman,Matthew Sernett,Chris Thomasson, and P. Nathan Toomey. This Monster Manual is notable for its descriptions of where the monsters might be found in theEberron andForgotten Realmscampaign settings.[21] Chris Perkins explained: "Almost all of the monsters in theMonster Manual III are new. We didn't want to give gamers a bunch of beasties they'd already seen, and we found several interesting monster niches to fill.[22]
Monster Manual IV, published July 2006, was designed byGwendolyn F.M. Kestrel,Jennifer Clarke Wilkes,Matthew Sernett,Eric Cagle,Andrew Finch,Christopher Lindsay,Kolja Raven Liquette, Chris Sims,Owen K.C. Stephens,Travis Stout,JD Wiker, andSkip Williams. This book was also published in the v3.5 format and used the new stat block format that was introduced in theDungeon Master's Guide II.Monster Manual IV contained fewer actual monsters thanMonster Manual II andMonster Manual III, but had sample lairs and encounters for them, gave stats for classes and templates applied to old creatures, and full page maps. The book also ties into the "Year of the Dragons" theme that Wizards of the Coast planned out for 2006 with theSpawn of Tiamat, yet contains no new monsters that are considered true dragons.
In October 2006, theSpecial Edition Monster Manual was released, completing the set of special edition core rulebooks started in 2004 to commemorate the 30th anniversary ofD&D. 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 were included in this revision.[23]
Monster Manual V was released in July 2007, withDavid Noonan as lead designer, and additional design byCreighton Broadhurst,Jason Bulmahn,David Chart,B. Matthew Conklin III,Jesse Decker,James "Grim" Desborough,Rob Heinsoo,Sterling Hershey,Tim Hitchcock,Luke Johnson,Nicholas Logue,Mike McArtor,Aaron Rosenberg,Robert J. Schwalb,Rodney Thompson, andWil Upchurch. This book was published in the same format as theMonster Manual IV, featuring lairs and tactics and, like III and IV, detailing how these new monsters fit into Eberron and Forgotten Realms.
| Author | Mike Mearls, Stephen Schubert, James Wyatt, and Matt Sernett |
|---|---|
| Genre | Role-playing game |
| Publisher | Wizards of the Coast |
Publication date | June 6, 2008 |
| Media type | Print (Hardback) |
| Pages | 288 |
| ISBN | 978-0-7869-4852-9 |
| Followed by | Monster Manual 2,Monster Manual 3 |
TheD&D 4th editionMonster Manual was released with the other core books on June 6, 2008. It featured the demon princeOrcus on the cover. The book was designed byMike Mearls,Stephen Schubert, andJames Wyatt.
Monster Manual 2 was released on May 20, 2009 withDemogorgon on the cover;Monster Manual 3 was released on June 15, 2010 featuringLolth on its cover.
Monster Vault was released November 16, 2010 and featured monsters introduced in theMonster Manual revised to the new format that was introduced inMonster Manual 3.Monster Vault: Threats to the Nentir Vale was released June 28, 2011 and re-introduced a few new monsters as well as several related to the setting ofNentir Vale. All volumes of theMonster Vault are parts of theDungeons & Dragons Essentials line of 4th editionD&D products.
| Author | Mike Mearls, Jeremy Crawford, Chris Sims, Rodney Thompson, Lee Peter, Robert J. Schwalb, Matt Sernett, Steve Townshend, James Wyatt, and Wizards RPG Team |
|---|---|
| Genre | Role-playing game |
| Publisher | Wizards of the Coast |
Publication date | September 17. 2014 |
| Media type | Print (Hardback) |
| Pages | 352 |
| ISBN | 978-0-7869-6561-8 |
On September 30, 2014, theD&D 5th editionMonster Manual was the second core book released for the new edition.[24] On the staggered release schedule,Jeremy Crawford wrote "our small team couldn’t finish the books at the same time and also ensure their high quality. [...] We could either stagger their releases, or we could sit on the books until all three were finished".[25] The book is 350 pages and illustrated.[26] Crawford andMike Mearls co-lead design for theFifth Edition ofDungeons & Dragons. The cover depicts thebeholder Xanathar attacking adventurers in theUnderdark.
| Author | Wizards RPG Team |
|---|---|
| Genre | Role-playing game |
| Publisher | Wizards of the Coast |
Publication date | February 18, 2025 |
| Media type | Print (Hardback) |
InPublishers Weekly's "Best-selling Books Week Ending October 13, 2014",Monster Manual was #5 in "Hardcover Nonfiction" and sold 16,956 units.[27]
In a review ofMonster Manual inBlack Gate, Scott Taylor said "In all, this is a very sharp book in the gaming 'Big Three' (Players Handbook,DMG, andMM), and anyone looking to take on the challenge of 5E will be happy with what they've invested in."[28]
The 5th editionMonster Manual won the 2015Origins Award for Best Role Playing Supplement and Fan Favorite Role Playing Supplement.[29] The book won two 2015 goldENnie Awards: "Best Monster/Adversary" and "Best Interior Art".[30]
