Games - Monster Manual

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	Games - Monster Manual

The Monster Manual (or Monstrous Compedium) is the primary sourcebook for monsters in the Dungeons & Dragons
fantasy role-playing game. It includes monsters derived from both mythology and folklore, and creations invented for D&D specifically, describing each with game-specific statistics (such as number of hit dice), a brief description of its habits and habitats, and an image. With the Player's Handbook
and Dungeon Master's Guide
, it is one of the three "core rulebooks" in all editions of the (Advanced) Dungeons & Dragons game.

Current Monster Manual (3rd Edition Dungeons & Dragons)

The current version of the Monster Manual (July 2003), subtitled Core Rulebook v3.5, is a revision of the Monster Manual (2000) for Third Edition Dungeons & Dragons.

The v3.5 revision has a slightly different entry on each monster, particularly the division of the attack into Attack and Full Attack entries. Also, most of the monsters now have an enhanced version of them near the original one as an example of advancement (usually either with a template or with class levels). Many monsters now have instructions on how to use them as player characters.

These volumes are not major variations from the earlier concepts of the Monster Manual; they update older monsters to Third Edition rules. In 2001, Monster Manual won the Origins Award for Best Graphic Design of a Roleplaying Game, Adventure, or Supplement 2000.

Monster Manual II (2002) and Fiend Folio
(2003) are new monster-specific rulebooks, though some of the specific monsters featured therein have almost no overlap with those of their first edition namesakes. There have been no new versions of Monster Manual II and Fiend Folio for v3.5, however update errata are available for both volumes and the original third edition Monster Manual are available for download from the publishers website .

Monster Manual III (2004) contains more monsters and was originally published in the v3.5 format.

Earlier Monster Manuals

Early Dungeons & Dragons

The earliest Dungeons and Dragons box games did not have separate Monster Manuals but contained the monsters in the manuals in the boxed set. The original boxed set included a Book 2: Monsters and Treasure.

After the publication of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, the game was still published in level-based boxes. Monsters of the appropriate levels were included in the rulebooks in Basic/Expert/Companion/Master/Immortals Sets and D&D Rules Cyclopedia book.

AC9 Creature Catalogue (1986) and its expanded revised namesake DMR2 Creature Catalogue (1993) were the only major new monster specific accessory for Dungeons & Dragons (pre-third edition).

Advanced Dungeons & Dragons (1st Edition)

The original Monster Manual (1977) was written by Gary Gygax. It was the first hardcover book for any Dungeons & Dragons game, and the first of the Core Manuals for the new Advanced Dungeons & Dragons. Except for a cover art change in 1983 to match a new logo and house style, and some minor corrections introduced in the 1978 printings, it went through very little change in its fifteen printings up to 1989.

The pen and ink illustrations within the first volume of the Monster Manual are uneven—some artwork is amateurish (as in many early D&D publications), while some shows skillful use of lines and media. Many illustrations even evoke a feeling of medieval woodcuts. The cover for the first Monster Manual is one the most notable uses of non-orthodox fantasy artwork (c.f. Boris Vallejo) by TSR, and is often jokingly disparaged by fans, although this two-dimensional "Bic pen and school notebook" style vividly captures and expresses the quaint, adolescent nature of 1970s fantasy roleplay. Despite their uneven quality, the illustrations within the tome are some of the best in the series. The credited artists of the first manual, in order, are David C. Sutherland III (DCS), David A. Trampier (DAT), Tom Wham (TW), and Jean Wells. It is a common misperception that Erol Otus contributed to the first Monster Manual; he did not.

[ Visit the complete Wikipedia entry for Monster Manual ]

Games - Monster Manual

Current Monster Manual (3rd Edition Dungeons & Dragons)

Earlier Monster Manuals

Early Dungeons & Dragons

Advanced Dungeons & Dragons (1st Edition)

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