Monster Manual

Edit links
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Monster Manual
LC Class
GV1469.D8G93 1979

The Monster Manual (MM) is the primary

mythology and folklore, as well as creatures created specifically for D&D. Creature descriptions include game-specific statistics (such as the monster's level or number of hit dice), a brief description of its habits and habitats, and typically an image of the creature. Along with the Player's Handbook and Dungeon Master's Guide
, the Monster Manual is one of the three "core rulebooks" in most editions of the D&D game. As such, new editions of the Monster Manual have been released for each edition of D&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.

History of the Monster Manuals

Inspiration

Games scholar Jaroslav Švelch saw the Monster Manual modelled 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 like Dungeons & Dragons created simulated natures of their own and populated them with creatures that followed their artificial laws and conditions."[1]

Early Dungeons & Dragons

The first D&D boxed set did not have a separate Monster Manual but provided listings for monsters in Book 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 (the Basic, Expert, Companion, Master, and Immortal sets). These monsters were later collected in the Rules Cyclopedia, which replaced higher-level the boxed sets, and the Creature Catalogue.

Advanced Dungeons & Dragons

Original Monster Manual

The first publication bearing the title Monster Manual was written by

The Strategic Review and Dragon 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 by David C. Sutherland III.[2] A softcover version of the Monster Manual was printed in the United Kingdom by Games Workshop in 1978.[2] When the book was reprinted in 1985 it featured new cover art by Jeff 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 and house style, and some minor corrections introduced in the 1978 printings.

The first edition Monster Manual included topless portrayals of some of its female monsters, such as the

sylph. The first edition was also the first appearance of the mimic
.

In 1999, a paperback reprint of the first edition was released.[6]

The first edition Monster Manual was reproduced as a reprint in 2012.[7][8]

Reception

Monster Manual was also reviewed by Don Turnbull who 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."[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 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."[3] Lawrence Schick, author of Heroic Worlds, commented that "As nothing is easier to design than new monsters, it has spawned a host of imitations."[2] Games journalist David M. Ewalt commented that the "Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Monster Manual may have been a rush job, but its quality is undeniable.[...] The Monster 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 of Black Gate listed the Monster 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 book Monsters, Aliens, and Holes in the Ground, RPG historian Stu Horvath called the amount and professionalism of the interior illustrations groundbreaking, saying "

David 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] Witwer et al. commented in their overview of the artwork of the game: "Collectively, the Monster 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]

Reviews

Fiend Folio

Main article: Fiend Folio

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

Main article: Monster Manual II

Greyhawk
campaign world.

Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd Edition

The

campaign settings
.

The format was intended to help Dungeon 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, the Monstrous Manual was released,[4] compiling all monsters from the first two volumes of the Monstrous Compendium plus many monsters from other sources into a 384-page hardcover book edited by Doug Stewart. More Monstrous Compendium appendices were released as a supplements to the Monstrous Manual in the form of paperback books. They included updated reprints of loose leaf Monstrous Compendium Appendices and new volumes.

Dungeons & Dragons 3rd edition

The Monster Manual for the third edition of D&D was released on October 1, 2000 as the third of three core books of the system.

Origins Award for Best Graphic Design of a Roleplaying Game, Adventure, or Supplement 2000.[16] One reviewer for Pyramid called it "...an essential reference book, and it is a bargain..."[17]

The next volumes, Monster Manual II and Fiend 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 of Monster Manual II or Fiend Folio for the 3.5 edition of D&D, although update errata for both volumes and for the original third edition Monster Manual are available for download from the publisher's website.[18]

Reviews

Dungeons & Dragons version 3.5

In July 2003, the Monster Manual was revised and released again for D&D v 3.5. The revision was done by Rich 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 into attack and full attack entries.[21] 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."[22] Some creatures from the Psionics Handbook and the third edition Manual of the Planes were added to the revised book.[21] 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.

The Monster Manual v 3.5 was reproduced as a premium reprint on September 18, 2012.[23]

Reviews

Monster Manual III

Main article: Monster Manual III

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 the Eberron and Forgotten Realms campaign settings.[25] Chris Perkins explained: "Almost all of the monsters in the Monster 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.[26]

Monster Manual IV

Main article: Monster Manual IV

JD Wiker, and Skip Williams. This book was also published in the v3.5 format and used the new stat block format that was introduced in the Dungeon Master's Guide II. Monster Manual IV contained fewer actual monsters than Monster Manual II and Monster 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 the Spawn of Tiamat
, yet contains no new monsters that are considered true dragons.

Special Edition Monster Manual

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 D&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.[27]

Monster Manual V

Main article: Monster Manual V

Monster Manual V was released in July 2007, with David Noonan as lead designer, and additional design by Creighton 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, and Wil Upchurch. This book was 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.

Dungeons & Dragons 4th edition

The D&D 4th edition Monster Manual was released with the other core books on June 6, 2008. It featured the demon prince

Orcus on the cover. The book was designed by Mike Mearls, Stephen Schubert, and James Wyatt
.

Lolth
on its cover.

Nentir Vale
. All volumes of the Monster Vault are parts of the Dungeons & Dragons Essentials line of 4th edition D&D products.

Reviews

Dungeons & Dragons 5th edition

On September 30, 2014, the D&D 5th edition Monster Manual was the second core book released for the new edition.[29] 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".[30] The book is 350 pages and illustrated.[31] Crawford and Mike Mearls co-lead design for the Fifth Edition of Dungeons & Dragons. The cover depicts the beholder Xanathar attacking adventurers in the Underdark.

Reception

In Publishers Weekly's "Best-selling Books Week Ending October 13, 2014", Monster Manual was #5 in "Hardcover Nonfiction" and sold 16,956 units.[32]

In a review of Monster Manual in Black Gate, Scott Taylor said "In all, this is a very sharp book in the gaming 'Big Three' (Players Handbook, DMG, and MM), and anyone looking to take on the challenge of 5E will be happy with what they've invested in."[33]

The 5th edition Monster Manual won the 2015

ENnie Awards: "Best Monster/Adversary" and "Best Interior Art".[35]

Reviews

References

  1. ISBN 978-1-4411-9326-1
    .
  2. ^
    ISBN 0-87975-653-5
    .
  3. ^ a b c d e f Turnbull, Don (August–September 1978). "The Open Box, The Monster Manual". White Dwarf (8): 16–17.
  4. ^ a b "The History of TSR". Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on September 24, 2008. Retrieved August 20, 2005.
  5. ^ "Dungeons & Dragons FAQ". Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on October 2, 2008. Retrieved October 3, 2008.
  6. ^ Fogens, M. (August 1999). "Classic AD&D books are back". InQuest Gamer. No. 52. Wizard Entertainment. p. 20.
  7. ISSN 1059-1028
    . Retrieved September 2, 2021.
  8. ^ "Art of the Genre: The Old School Renaissance – Black Gate". August 28, 2012.
  9. ISBN 978-1-4516-4052-6
    .
  10. ^ "Art of the Genre: Top 10 'Orange Spine' AD&D Hardcovers by Jeff Easley – Black Gate". September 14, 2016.
  11. ISBN 9780262048224
    .
  12. OCLC 1033548473
    .
  13. ^ "Têtes d'Affiche | Article | RPGGeek".
  14. ^ "Profiles: Monte Cook". Dragon (#275). Renton, Washington: Wizards of the Coast: 10, 12, 14. September 2000.
  15. ^ Ryan, Michael G. (October 2000). "ProFiles: Skip Williams". Dragon (#276). Renton, Washington: Wizards of the Coast: 12, 14, 16.
  16. ^ "2000: List of Winner". Origins Game Fair. Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts and Design. Archived from the original on January 5, 2008. Retrieved December 24, 2007.
  17. ^ Shafer, Scott (October 20, 2000). "Pyramid Picks: Monster Manual (WotC) and Creature Collection (Sword & Sorcery Studios), for D&D3/d20". Pyramid. Steve Jackson Games. Retrieved December 24, 2007.
  18. ^ "D&D v.3.5 Accessory Update Booklet". Wizards.com. 2003. Archived from the original on August 11, 2003.
  19. ^ Croitoriu, Michaël (November 2000). "Monster Manual". Backstab (in French). 24: 76. Retrieved September 7, 2021.
  20. ^ "D&D: Monster Manual".
  21. ^ a b Ehrbar, Steven E. (August 22, 2003). "Pyramid Review: Monster Manual v.3.5 (for Dungeons & Dragons)". Pyramid. Steve Jackson Games. Retrieved December 24, 2007.
  22. ^ Ryan, Michael (July 4, 2003). "Product Spotlight: D&D 3.5". Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on August 11, 2003. Retrieved August 11, 2013.
  23. ^ "3.5 Edition Premium Monster Manual". Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on August 30, 2012. Retrieved June 24, 2013.
  24. ^ Thibault, Mike (2003). "Player's Handbook: Core Rulebook I - Dungeon Master's Guide: Core Rulebook II - Monster Manual: Core Rulebook III". SF Site. Retrieved March 23, 2023. The latest version of the Dungeons and Dragons game [edition 3.5] is in stores now [...], the monsters have been assigned more realistic challenge ratings and some powers have been altered slightly or changed.
  25. ^ Honeywell, Steve (January 21, 2005). "Pyramid Review: Monster Manual III (for Dungeons & Dragons)". Pyramid. Steve Jackson Games. Retrieved December 24, 2007.
  26. ^ Ryan, Michael (September 3, 2004). "Product Spotlight: Monster Manual III". Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on September 15, 2004. Retrieved August 12, 2013.
  27. ^ "Wizards.com". Archived from the original on November 16, 2006.
  28. ^ "Pyramid: Pyramid Reviews: Dungeons & Dragons 4th Edition -- Player's Handbook, Dungeon Master's Guide, & Monster Manual".
  29. ^ "Monster Manual | Dungeons & Dragons". dnd.wizards.com. Archived from the original on August 10, 2015. Retrieved June 21, 2020.
  30. ^ Hall, Charlie (December 8, 2014). "D&D's last core book is your comprehensive guide to breaking the rules". Polygon. Retrieved June 20, 2020.
  31. ^ "New D&D Monster Manual Unleashed on the World – Black Gate". September 29, 2014.
  32. ^ "Publishers Weekly Bestseller Lists | Back Issue 10/13/2014". www.publishersweekly.com. Retrieved June 21, 2020.
  33. ^ "Art of the Genre: A Review of the 5E Monster Manual and its Place in D&D Product History – Black Gate". October 17, 2014.
  34. ^ "2015 Origins Award Winners".
  35. ^ "2015 ENnie Award Winners". ENNIE Awards. August 12, 2015. Archived from the original on March 8, 2019. Retrieved June 21, 2020.
  36. ^ "Monster Manual: Une superbe ménagerie du bizarre | Article" (in French). RPGGeek.

External links

Wikibooks has a book on the topic of: Dungeons & Dragons monsters
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Monster_Manual&oldid=1215807460"