 Cover | |
| Genre | Role-playing games |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Wizards of the Coast |
Publication date | 15 November 2016 |
| Media type | Print (hardcover) |
| Pages | 224 |
| ISBN | 978-0-7869-6607-3 (Limited Edition Cover),978-0-7869-6601-1 (Standard Edition) |
Volo's Guide to Monsters is a sourcebook for the5th edition of theDungeons & Dragonsfantasyrole-playing game, published in 2016. It is, in part, a supplement to the 5th editionMonster Manual and thePlayers Handbook.[1][2]
Volo's Guide to Monsters adds a variety of new playable races and expands on existing creatures in theMonster Manual in addition to adding new ones.[3] The book also containsmarginalia by bothVolothamp Geddarm andElminster ofShadowdale.[4]
This book was released on November 15, 2016. An exclusive edition with an alternate art cover by Hydro74 was pre-released to select game shops early in November 2016.[5][6] The book was also released as a digital product through the following Wizards of the Coast licensees:D&D Beyond,Fantasy Grounds, andRoll20.[2]
In October 2020, anerrata for the book was released. This errata included changes such as removing stat penalties for playablemonster races and makes the changes to playable monster races seen in campaign specific settings (Eberron: Rising From The Last War andExplorer's Guide to Wildemount)canon for all ofDungeons & Dragons.[7][8]
The digital edition onD&D Beyond wasdelisted on May 17, 2022, which corresponds with the digital release ofMordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse (2022).Monsters of the Multiverse contains revised versions of the player races and monsters originally published inVolo's Guide to Monsters andMordenkainen's Tome of Foes (2018).[9][10] In May 2022, D&D Beyond stated that users will retain access to previously purchased copies ofVolo's Guide to Monsters andMordenkainen's Tome of Foes.[11] Christian Hoffer, forComicBook.com in May 2022, commented that "one major concern about the delisting is access to the chapters of lores contained inVolo's Guide to Monsters andMordenkainen's Tome of Foes. Both books contained dozens of pages of lore about the D&D multiverse that don't appear inMonsters of the Multiverse. [...] D&D Beyond has not said whether the various expanded lore chapters will be available to D&D Beyond players moving forward, or if they'll be delisted and essentially removed from access by new players moving forward. Of course, D&D players can still read the lore inVolo's Guide to Monsters andMordenkainen's Tome of Foes by purchasing physical copies of the books, which will still be available even afterMonsters of the Multiverse is released next week".[9]
Volo's Guide to Monsters wonBest Supplement andBest Artwork & Presentation at the2016 Golden Geek Awards (determined by users ofBoardGameGeek, RPGGeek and VideoGameGeek).[12] InPublishers Weekly's "Best-selling Books Week Ending November 20, 2016",Volo's Guide to Monsters was #13 in "Hardcover Nonfiction".[13]
ForThe A.V. Club, Nick Wanserski wrote that "what I’ve enjoyed aboutVolo’s is that it understands how role-playing game source books, at their best, serve two distinct purposes. As a direct campaign aid, it provides more mechanical ingredients like monsters, player characters, and treasure. Secondly it serves as an idle reading companion—something to flip through and explore and pick out the appealing ideas. Even without actively playing a 5th Edition campaign, there’s a lot in here that I will happily slice out and reassemble in my Frankenstein’s monster of a campaign".[14]
Zack Furniss, forDestructoid, wrote that "in the second chapter, there are new character race options. I was expecting only a few, but there are seven new (well five, if you're counting downloadable supplements) races and six monster races. The angelic Aasimar are more fleshed out here than in theDungeon Master's Guide, and the huge, mountain-dwelling Goliaths are no longer relegated solely to the downloadableElemental Evil Player's Campaign. [...] Monster races aren't quite as in-depth, lacking history and storytelling hooks, but still include enough information to be playable. Bugbears, goblins, hobgoblins, kobolds, orcs, and yuan-ti purebloods are all ready to be played now. An all-monster campaign could be a fun, if I ever have the time to run it. [...] I'll be plucking out nasties and their stories to creep out my friends for a long time. I love the marriage of narrative and mechanical information. It's easy to ignore if you just want to have new stat blocks, but it's hard not to get sucked in and read all of it".[3]
ForPolygon, Charlie Hall wrote that "most of the information is great fodder for dungeon masters. How do you roleplay a beholder? How do you speak like a giant? What does their four-tier caste system contribute to goblin society? What does a gnoll chant to keep his spirits up while on the hunt? What is the lifecycle of a mind flayer? [...] Ever wondered what a hag is most likely to drive off the used car lot, or fancied a careful examination of the kobold pantheon? It’s all in there, and something is going to light a fire in your mind and bring a richer, more memorable experience to the table. The second third of the book might be my favorite. I’m not able to share much, but suffice it to say that withVolo’s Guide both dungeon masters and players will be able to bring new races to the table, both as player and non-player characters. [...] The final third contains rules for 96 monsters that are new to fifth edition, including the Gauth and the Mindwitness".[1]
On using Volo's point of view as the framing device for this book, Cameron Kunzelman forPaste wrote "imagine thatKen Jennings was a drunk, really cared about being able to name all the animals of the zoo, and was the sole grantor of Michelin stars across the world. That's Volo. [...] As a character, Volo is brilliant because he is a device through which the designers of the Forgotten Realms can give Dungeon Masters a set of bounds.[...] That 'thinks he knows' is crucial, because having Volo write the guide means that he can bewrong. From a design perspective, Volo is a way of giving DMs a toolbox that they don’t have to be completely adherent to. Whatever Volo thinks or writes can be slightly off the mark. Maybe he only saw a tavern during the daytime. Maybe he cut some corners. Nesting world design within the subjective opinions of an expansive, world-trotting character with a penchant for embellishment solves a lot of problems and generally makes the job of being a DM a little more fun".[4] In a later review, Kunzelman wrote that "my one serious critique ofVolo’s Guide to Monsters is that it doesn’t do enough with its supposed writer. The character Volo has done a number of things: he wrote guides to specific cities, appeared in games, and even wrote the manual for aBaldur’s Gate game. [...]Volo’s Guide to Monsters has snippets of info from Volo, but it mostly tells the DM facts about a world, rather than opinions, rumors and suspicions that might be completely unfounded. [...] In any case, the book is interesting and genuinely helpful for any given Dungeon Master who might be using these monsters in her campaign".[15]
In a review ofVolo's Guide to Monsters inBlack Gate, Howard Andrew Jones said "In sum, this is a great addition to any DM's library. Whether you're using 5e or some compatible system, you'll find yourself inspired by the countless clever ideas inside."[16]