Dungeons & Dragons' refreshed Monster Manual isn’t only for DMs.
While it might seem superfluous, the art sometimes tells more of the story than the text can.
Monsters are now in alphabetical order based on their actual name, not their types.
Even smaller adjustments that help make sense of the world are welcome.
The Kenku, known for being from the Shadowfell, now have a dagger with shadow magic.
The flavor has amped up narratively, and the mechanics have followed.
Everything needed is in the stat block, ensuring you won’t miss necessary information when glancing quickly.
You’ll also notice several creatures have name changes, the goal of which is two-fold.
First, to better reflect what creatures do, but also to fix any uncomfortable naming conventions.
A great example is the Yuan-ti Pureblood.
Without spoiling them, imagine the possibilities of what the Blob of Annihilation can do.
Aside from high-level play, you’ll also see lower CR versions of monsters.
2025 Dungeons & Dragons Alternate Cover Monster Manual by Olena Richards.
The balancing has also been adjusted.
The medium challenge-rated monsters are now the easy version, and everything has been scaled up.
Is The New Monster Manual Worth It?
Arch Hag by Dario Jelusic
This is the big question.
Of the three core rulebooks, it’s to me, the least necessary to have.
There are no fundamental adjustments players need to make, making this entry feel less integral to gameplay.
Pirates by Alexandre Honoré
However, the ease of use can prove to be exactly what DMs were missing when creating adventures.
Cultists by Aurore Folny
Blob of Annihilation by Mathias Kollros
Empyrean by Nestor Ossandon Leal
Tarrasque by Chris Rahn
Flumph by Axel Defois
