‘Dungeons & Dragons’ Makes Our Bookshelves Complete Again With A New ‘Monster Manual’

Welcome to the table,

As a kid, I often found myself flipping through the 1993 Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Monster Manual. I would not get my own copy until a little later in life. A kid in my science class had one and he would let me look through it during class. The teacher always found ways to leave a bunch of fresh middle-schoolers alone for prolonged periods of time. They did not really seem to care what we did, as they were often in the hall breaking up fights or getting into one thing or another with other teachers.

For the most part, while we were fairly educated children, we were left to our own devices. That meant there was plenty of time to study the various dragons, giants, and undead that appeared in those pages. I still think my favorite version of a Kobold is the ’93 MM done by Tony DiTerlizzi.

That’s the thing about the Monster Manual. It’s this formative book of possibilities with images, mechanics, and lore, packed with inspiration that can spawn hours, weeks, or even years of game play. That game play allows you to hang out with your friends around the table laughing and sharing stories that can last a lifetime.

Personally, my life has largely been anchored around this book and others like it. I’m not unique in that way. It’s more than just my own personal experiences. The sentiment that the Monster Manual is impactful has been shared time and time again by those from all corners of the pop culture space.

Friends who have worked on Emmy Award winning shows have talked about flipping through the MM with awe and wonder as kids. Friends who write comics talk about being inspired by the lore and possibilities for stories that they drew from these pages as they found their creative voices. From dice makers to streamers, store owners to mini painters and everyone in between, you can find stories about how childhoods and formative years were spent looking through the Monster Manuals and finding wonder in the contents within.

We are now on the eve of the newest version of this iconic Monster Manual being released, and I am excited for all it has to offer. I had the opportunity to sit at the digital table with some of the best and brightest from the Dungeons & Dragons team who provided insight on what we can expect from this tome and I’m here to report on the wonders it has to offer.

LaTia Jacquise led the charge as the host of this meeting. As one of the brightest lights in the TTRPG space, her infectious energy and excitement about this book helped build the anticipation of what D&D had in store.

Before we dug into the Monster Manual proper, Jess Lanzillo, VP of Franchise and Product for Dungeons & Dragons and long time champion of gaming, gave us all a quick update on the state of D&D going into 2025.

Some of the key takeaways that Jess touched on were that, to date, over 3.6 million characters have been made on D&D Beyond using the 2024 core rules. That’s an epic feet considering that the third book in the trilogy of core books to form the foundation of D&D at this time, the Monster Manual we were going to dive into shortly, has not even been released yet.

The number made sense, though. D&D Beyond, the virtual table top tool currently has over 19 million registered users and that coupled with fans of the films, books, games, toys, and more means there are somewhere around 85 million fans of D&D globally.

This is probably due in no small part to shows like Stranger Things, Amazon’s The Legend of Vox Machina, and video games like Baldur’s Gate 3. I was surprised and more than a little delighted to hear that Larian Studios will continue their support of Baldur’s Gate 3 into 2025 adding a bunch of new subclasses to the game, a move that will more than likely bolster the ranks of the already massive amount of players enjoying the game on console and Steam.

Wesley Schneider and Jeremy Crawford were up next and took us on a quick journey across what is promised to be the biggest Monster Manual ever. The upcoming edition features 85 new monsters, updates on monsters we have already seen, and ways to advance your various creature and combatants t0 create epic level memorable moments at your table.

The sense of that epic level combat and those huge memorable moments around the table was in high swing as we were shown some of the new “apex level threats” that would be coming to the table.

In a game with foes like the legendary dragons and the iconic Tarrasque, the team felt it was time some of the other classifications of creatures saw their own epic level threats. The Elemental Cataclysum will be coming to the table. This creature sounds like such a fun foe to drop at the table and Jeremy and Wes spoke to the customization tools provided in the Monster Manual allowing for Storytellers and Game Masters to really make this towering elemental enemy fit the story you are trying to tell.

In addition to the Elemental Cataclysum we also got a glimpse of a Haunted House that serves as a grand, possessed building with its own personality and ways to be put to rest, and the Blob of Annihilation, an ooze that could consume whole villages if given the chance.

These high level threats will also have legendary actions that are unique to them and can be modified with some of the tools provided within the Monster Manual. This will make them more accessible to Storytellers who may shy away from using them as they do not fit the exact vibe that is wanted or needed at the table at the time.

This push to make Monster Manual a true tool box and easily accessible to both incoming Game Masters and longtime Storytellers was a consistent through line in the conversation. It honestly reaffirmed my position, yet again, that the Dungeons & Dragons team is really trying to open the table to everyone and make gameplay and these life long memory making experiences something that is easy to access.

The Tarrasque was mentioned and a possible breath weapon, or at the very least a way to allow for this kingdom ending creature to attack from a distance, was hinted at. There was also talk of an ability that would allow for this thing to suppress teleportation making one of the most dangerous monsters in the game even more of a versatile threat to the table.

As someone who has spent hours hanging out with friends and discussing new and creative ways to take down the towering terror that is the Tarrasque, my heart swelled with nostalgic delight. The high school version of myself would have even more hours around slowly cooling pizza boxes in the back of a comic shop discussing with players from all walks of life what the best method to go about dealing with a Tarrasque could be.

An unexpected blast from the past for me was seeing that the Animal Lords were making an appearance in this newest Monster Manual. The Animal Lords, who I only encountered on a lock in game as a teen while navigating through some Planescape settings, are these gold like entities who live in the Beastlands. They serve as a kind of ruler over animals of  their type.

So the Cat Lord rules over cats, the Ape Lord rules over apes, and so forth. The Animal Lords have two forms they could take, one of an animal and one of a humanoid with animal like features. They were pretty daunting as far as that one shot went. They were irritated with the party for something we did not do and all the various birds, bats, cats, and rats were working with them to bring us down.

It looks like things have gotten a little more anthropomorphic but nevertheless cool. It seems like we are going to get a stat block that is “animal lord” and then various additional possible plug and play mechanics we can add to that stat block depending on what type of beast you want to bring to the table.

It is really apparent the D&D team has put a ton of work into creating these biomes of creatures rather than just a collection of lone monsters who will pop out on a random encounter. With the Azer image above you not only see an Azer armed with their flame wreathed warhammer and shield, but also an Azer Pyromancer casting a spell that seems to be conjuring flaming weapons around them. Each illustration and entry feels as if it is positioned to give opportunities for more stories, more encounters, and more versatility at the table.

As someone who runs a weekly game that is very much themed around various cults and secret organizations locked in a vicious war with each other, I was delighted to find out the cultists are being expanded upon in this newest edition. It’s no longer going to be a stat block that is just some sinister looking guy with a curved knife standing in the shadows.

In the newest Monster Manuel, we will have access to a slew of options ranging from those that follow Aberrant entities to those who are locked into the Elemental Forces and each one has the ability to be customized to really drive home the specific flavor of the villains they serve.

In addition to the cultist, we also got some information that pirates would have the same kind of treatment allowing industrious Storytellers to build out lone pirates, pirate crews, and even an entire pirate navy, complete with a section for making your own pirate flag to set out on sea adventures with.

The monster listings also contain not only phenomenal art and mechanics, but bylines that give you a quick idea of what the creature in question is, and then extended information about their biomes, treasures, lore, and more to really help Storytellers bring these creatures to life at the table.

It seems like the Dungeons & Dragons team has worked very hard to ensure that each monster is not just a box to check off, but a showcase of the potential that these creatures can have at the table and how each entry can serve as a springboard for adventures going as far as players and the Storyteller are willing to take them.

We did not even touch on the image above, but as someone who has a replica of the Wand of Orcus hanging on my wall, I’m excited to see what devils and demons are going to be making appearances in the pages of this upcoming offering from the worlds greatest role-playing game.

This newest edition of the Monster Manual will see early access in Wizards Play Network Stores and on D&D Beyond beginning on February 4th for Master Tier subscribers and on February 11th for Hero Tier subscribers. On February 18th, the 2024 Monster Manual will release globally, completing the trilogy of core books from this newest rules edition of the game.

As a lifelong fan, a creator in the space, and someone who lives and breaths TTRPG, I’m continually impressed by the current team at D&D and the efforts they are making to ensure that these books are making and the culture they are creating is one that brings new perspectives and players to the table.

Until next time, the landscape of TTRPG is by nature every changing. The rules and lore are only successful, and what’s more, memorable when they can inspire and allow the people playing them the opportunity to create moments around the table with family and friends. As Dungeons & Dragons expands its wings into other avenues, the team at the core of this hobby, the ones directing the “pen and paper” experience remain some of the kindest, most tuned in, and welcoming people in the gaming space.

While it is easy to throw rocks at the throne or pile on when online threads begin to spiral, I can say first hand that every interaction, conversation, and coming together I have had with the current team continues to fill me with nothing but hope for the future of the hobby.

These people want to make a game that everyone can enjoy. They are seeking ways to make everyone feel included and accommodated and they are doing that with their whole hearts. As someone who very much has known the sting of not being included or considered at the table because I rolled up to it rather than walked, it is endlessly comforting to have a team of creatives working to make a space that is safe for everyone to feel comfortable and what’s more confident in.

This is the table, and we are all welcomed here.