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Dungeons and Drawings: An Illustrated Compendium of Creatures
Who hasn’t been fascinated by monsters? This book collects some of the best creatures from Dungeons & Dragons, setting them out in an informative illustrated bestiary for beginners and enthusiasts alike.
Whether they’re beasts, spirits, demons, or even aliens, most fantasy worlds are filled with monsters. Some are harmless—many more are deadly. Luckily for the discerning adventurer, this book is here to help distinguish between the two. As a popular series sold at conventions and on Etsy, animators Blanca Martinez de Riuerro and Joe Sparrow have compiled three volumes into one deluxe edition. Each creature comes with a full-color illustration, a set of simplified statistics, a description, and a history section indicating its folkloric history and the scientific phenomena that may have influenced its creation. With creatures like the Archdevil, Dryad, Fire Bat, Gold Dragon, Smoke Devil, Bomb Plant, Ettin, and Spirit Fox, any tabletop player will find the perfect creature for their next campaign.
Whether they’re beasts, spirits, demons, or even aliens, most fantasy worlds are filled with monsters. Some are harmless—many more are deadly. Luckily for the discerning adventurer, this book is here to help distinguish between the two. As a popular series sold at conventions and on Etsy, animators Blanca Martinez de Riuerro and Joe Sparrow have compiled three volumes into one deluxe edition. Each creature comes with a full-color illustration, a set of simplified statistics, a description, and a history section indicating its folkloric history and the scientific phenomena that may have influenced its creation. With creatures like the Archdevil, Dryad, Fire Bat, Gold Dragon, Smoke Devil, Bomb Plant, Ettin, and Spirit Fox, any tabletop player will find the perfect creature for their next campaign.
280 pages, Hardcover
First published November 1, 2019
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143 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
December 7, 2019
'Dungeons and Drawings: An Illustrated Compendium of Creatures' by Blanca MartÃnez de Rituerto and Joe Sparrow is an illustrated bestiary of creatures that one might encounter in role playing games.
In alphabetical entries from Ahuizotl to Zombie, the reader learns on one page about the stats and dangers of every creature. A system of icons gives alignment, element, and type. An infographic ranks each monster on a scale of 1 to 5 for things like combat, magic and loot. There is a description of what an encounter with the creature might be like and some interesting text noting where in the real world the origins might have come from.
The second page is a full page drawing of the creature. There are some nice variations of drawings for things like vampires or a colossus. The drawings are colorful and some are kind of funny. The book ends with sources for further reading.
What could be more fun than an encyclopedia of monsters? I had a fun time reading this.
I received a review copy of this ebook from Andrews McMeel Publishing and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.
In alphabetical entries from Ahuizotl to Zombie, the reader learns on one page about the stats and dangers of every creature. A system of icons gives alignment, element, and type. An infographic ranks each monster on a scale of 1 to 5 for things like combat, magic and loot. There is a description of what an encounter with the creature might be like and some interesting text noting where in the real world the origins might have come from.
The second page is a full page drawing of the creature. There are some nice variations of drawings for things like vampires or a colossus. The drawings are colorful and some are kind of funny. The book ends with sources for further reading.
What could be more fun than an encyclopedia of monsters? I had a fun time reading this.
I received a review copy of this ebook from Andrews McMeel Publishing and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.
January 6, 2020
While I don't play TTRPGs, I have a good friend who does, and I know enough about the games to be able to tell this is a very useful book. Even if you're not into TTRPGs, it's a good read- the information is interesting, the art is really cool, and there's a nice long bibliography at the end to help you find more info. For gamers, there's a key at the beginning to help you figure out a creature's stats at a glance- tables for alignment, abilities, type, etc. The folklore information in each entry is also helpful and interesting. A great book for the geek/nerd in your life (which might be you)!
#DungeonsAndDrawingsAnIllustratedCompendiumOfCreatures #NetGalley
#DungeonsAndDrawingsAnIllustratedCompendiumOfCreatures #NetGalley
November 26, 2019
Dungeons and Drawings was bound to catch my eye, given that I and many of my friends are dedicated tabletop RPG gamers. I've read and owned bestiaries (books that explain the monsters of a game world, along with specifics that apply to interacting with them in-game) for several tabletop gaming systems. So the promise of another book, a little more general in subject matter (as opposed to dedicated to one specific brand of game and its worldbuilding), with artistic illustrations sounded perfect for me, and I was delighted when #NetGalley approved my request for an advanced copy.
Unfortunately, this book falls a little flat for me. It's fine. Absolutely fine. It just didn't blow me away. Some of my disappointment was probably due to my own misplaced expectations, and some was due to the fact that the book seems to be trying to tread a path midway between geeky/ gaming and intellectual/ artistic, that didn't seem to fully satisfy either need, at least for me.
The art is arresting and often beautiful, but it's not necessarily practical art for familiarizing players with their opponents, instead being more purely decorative. suited to wall art or coffee table books. (Dragon, Good and the Feathered Serpent are two of my favorites.) It may have also challenged my own expectations, by not being as Eurocentric and Tolkein-esque in look and tone as as fantasy basis for my gaming experience thus far has primarily been. That is in no way a poor reflection on the book, but on my own tastes and expectations, especially since in theory I appreciate the broader artistic influences.
The brief descriptions of each monster are interesting, especially the second paragraph of each section that details the folkloric and mythological roots of each monster. That bit of research is something I haven't encountered in bestiaries before, and found fascinating--in a nerdy intellectual way. It is less relevant for the geeky gamer who wants to know how to best interact with it, though, and so again seems caught suspended between the two categories, not fully satisfying either.
So in general, the book, both in art and in content, seems to try to be two different things at once, and doesn't particularly succeed at either, in my opinion. The striking art and bits of information about each monster might make the book a lovely coffee table/ conversation piece, though, for those who want to reflect both their geeky sides and their intellectual and artistic sides. It's certainly worth looking through at least once, if you're a gamer with interest in monsters or a folklore buff with interest in how past myths and lore have merged into games now, a fan of artwork with diverse cultural influences depicting monsters from myths around the world--or perhaps all even all three.
I'd like to thank NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for giving me a chance to read #DungeonsAndDrawingsAnIllustratedCompendiumOfCreatures in exchange for my honest opinion.
Unfortunately, this book falls a little flat for me. It's fine. Absolutely fine. It just didn't blow me away. Some of my disappointment was probably due to my own misplaced expectations, and some was due to the fact that the book seems to be trying to tread a path midway between geeky/ gaming and intellectual/ artistic, that didn't seem to fully satisfy either need, at least for me.
The art is arresting and often beautiful, but it's not necessarily practical art for familiarizing players with their opponents, instead being more purely decorative. suited to wall art or coffee table books. (Dragon, Good and the Feathered Serpent are two of my favorites.) It may have also challenged my own expectations, by not being as Eurocentric and Tolkein-esque in look and tone as as fantasy basis for my gaming experience thus far has primarily been. That is in no way a poor reflection on the book, but on my own tastes and expectations, especially since in theory I appreciate the broader artistic influences.
The brief descriptions of each monster are interesting, especially the second paragraph of each section that details the folkloric and mythological roots of each monster. That bit of research is something I haven't encountered in bestiaries before, and found fascinating--in a nerdy intellectual way. It is less relevant for the geeky gamer who wants to know how to best interact with it, though, and so again seems caught suspended between the two categories, not fully satisfying either.
So in general, the book, both in art and in content, seems to try to be two different things at once, and doesn't particularly succeed at either, in my opinion. The striking art and bits of information about each monster might make the book a lovely coffee table/ conversation piece, though, for those who want to reflect both their geeky sides and their intellectual and artistic sides. It's certainly worth looking through at least once, if you're a gamer with interest in monsters or a folklore buff with interest in how past myths and lore have merged into games now, a fan of artwork with diverse cultural influences depicting monsters from myths around the world--or perhaps all even all three.
I'd like to thank NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for giving me a chance to read #DungeonsAndDrawingsAnIllustratedCompendiumOfCreatures in exchange for my honest opinion.
November 5, 2019
Originally published on my blog: Nonstop Reader.
Dungeons and Drawings is a gallery bestiary with annotations for magical beasts and creatures. Due out 12th Nov 2019 from Andrews McMeel, it's 280 pages and will be available in hardcover format.
I was (and am) a fan of tabletop RPGs. I remember poring over the D&D rulebooks, mapping out campaigns, and spending hundreds of hours painting miniatures. This book brings back a lot of fun nostalgic memories for me.
The short introduction and author statement provide some background for the genesis of this project as well as some context which will be mostly familiar to readers familiar with gaming in general. I liked the stylized alignment, elemental, and type (humanoid etc) markings as well as the characteristics such as combat, magic, and other abilities.The book progresses directly from the introduction into the bestiary/compendium starting with ahuizotl and ending with zombie (because Z is -always- for zombie! :) ). Each of the entries includes a short description with ratings for combat, magic, smarts, loot, and dangers.
The art itself is stylized and cartoonish in a good way. It's simple, colorful, direct, and bold.The book also includes a comprehensive links and further list of resources including films, books, and games.
This would be a good selection for younger readers up through adults who are fantasy game enthusiasts. It would also likely be enjoyed as a source of inspiration by readers who are interested in drawing fantasy and monster subjects. There are a lot of sources here to practice drawing.
Four stars.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
Dungeons and Drawings is a gallery bestiary with annotations for magical beasts and creatures. Due out 12th Nov 2019 from Andrews McMeel, it's 280 pages and will be available in hardcover format.
I was (and am) a fan of tabletop RPGs. I remember poring over the D&D rulebooks, mapping out campaigns, and spending hundreds of hours painting miniatures. This book brings back a lot of fun nostalgic memories for me.
The short introduction and author statement provide some background for the genesis of this project as well as some context which will be mostly familiar to readers familiar with gaming in general. I liked the stylized alignment, elemental, and type (humanoid etc) markings as well as the characteristics such as combat, magic, and other abilities.The book progresses directly from the introduction into the bestiary/compendium starting with ahuizotl and ending with zombie (because Z is -always- for zombie! :) ). Each of the entries includes a short description with ratings for combat, magic, smarts, loot, and dangers.
The art itself is stylized and cartoonish in a good way. It's simple, colorful, direct, and bold.The book also includes a comprehensive links and further list of resources including films, books, and games.
This would be a good selection for younger readers up through adults who are fantasy game enthusiasts. It would also likely be enjoyed as a source of inspiration by readers who are interested in drawing fantasy and monster subjects. There are a lot of sources here to practice drawing.
Four stars.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
August 30, 2023
I found this book while looking for official DnD rulebooks and fell in love with the art styles immediately. Sometimes when I prep for DMing, I'll sift through the pages for ideas and then look up official statblocks. It's a very charming book to add to the collection of any DnD/TTRPG players, writers, or art enthusiasts.
The book is simple and DMs or GMs looking to utilize it should probably look into the way I use it mentioned above--but it is formatted nicely to show how challenging a creature is and what their strengths/weaknesses are, so you get a general idea of creatures and monsters before flipping back and forth between this book and official statblocks. The simplicity works for this book as it's first and foremost a compendium of art and showcase the artists' renditions of creatures both classic and lesser-known.
This book is a great find for anyone who is a fan of fantasy, character design, or art in general--if you're anything like me, you'll find yourself perusing the pages just to appreciate all the hard work put into compiling and drawing everything.
The book is simple and DMs or GMs looking to utilize it should probably look into the way I use it mentioned above--but it is formatted nicely to show how challenging a creature is and what their strengths/weaknesses are, so you get a general idea of creatures and monsters before flipping back and forth between this book and official statblocks. The simplicity works for this book as it's first and foremost a compendium of art and showcase the artists' renditions of creatures both classic and lesser-known.
This book is a great find for anyone who is a fan of fantasy, character design, or art in general--if you're anything like me, you'll find yourself perusing the pages just to appreciate all the hard work put into compiling and drawing everything.
September 28, 2019
First off, thanks to NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for providing this book for me to take a look at!
This book is exceptionally well put together! The information on all the creatures is fantastic, and the illustrations are bright and colorful and really interesting to look at! It's honestly a very fantastic compendium of creatures that any GM/DM for Dungeons & Dragons, or other tabletop games might want to keep in their library/arsenal. There's also a wonderful set of references in the back of the book that includes other books that could be useful, as well as films and television!
For anyone who just wants a simple, at-a-glance guide to some really interesting monsters and creatures, this book could certainly be useful for your next campaign, or just to have on your shelf to admire the wonderful artwork!
This book is exceptionally well put together! The information on all the creatures is fantastic, and the illustrations are bright and colorful and really interesting to look at! It's honestly a very fantastic compendium of creatures that any GM/DM for Dungeons & Dragons, or other tabletop games might want to keep in their library/arsenal. There's also a wonderful set of references in the back of the book that includes other books that could be useful, as well as films and television!
For anyone who just wants a simple, at-a-glance guide to some really interesting monsters and creatures, this book could certainly be useful for your next campaign, or just to have on your shelf to admire the wonderful artwork!
November 13, 2019
A cod bestiary, only to be bought if you really, REALLY like such things. It wins in the script, with a paragraph about how it might fit in with the mythos of your D&D game, and then another about the real-life mythology and derivation. Where it loses is the artwork, which really did not seem the standard fare, and was all the worse for it. The Banshee doesn't deserve picking out, but if you pass this volume and need to see how wackily nonconformist it is, turn there. Or pretty much anywhere – the Disease Demon and Hell Hound are particularly risible. Still, in mentioning so much stuff I'd not heard of (Slavic wood fairies, Jan Tregeagle, the fomorians etc) it does show an immensely rich scope. I still think the design is a huge negative here – since when are succubi going to be successful looking like that?! Two and a half stars, and all for the authorial erudition.
September 28, 2019
This is a great reference for anyone looking to expand their knowledge of mythological creatures. There is an introduction to alignment and elements at the start; as well as a description of how the ranking system will work for the creatures throughout the book. Each entry gives you a bit of information on the creature, and it also shares the origin of the creature. I found that interesting, especially if you want to research more. (There is a list in the back of resources mentioned.) I love the drawings. They were colorful and bright, even if they didn't all line up to the way that I imagined the creatures to be. It was a neat surprise to see the sketchbook entries in the back.
October 13, 2019
The art inside this book was not at all what I expected, and I mean that in the nicest way possible. Being D&D related, I went in expecting some very typical high fantasy-type art – you know, like, Monster Manual type of stuff.
The inclusion of character attributes, stats, and monster history was really neat. I learned some things about some stuff, and I’m never going to be upset about that. I think the illustration of the Bajang was probably my favorite in the bunch. Additionally, book runs in A-Z format, so if you’re looking for stats on the fly, this book has got you covered too.
The inclusion of character attributes, stats, and monster history was really neat. I learned some things about some stuff, and I’m never going to be upset about that. I think the illustration of the Bajang was probably my favorite in the bunch. Additionally, book runs in A-Z format, so if you’re looking for stats on the fly, this book has got you covered too.
December 31, 2020
Wonderful exploration of various creatures from fantasy, games, and folklore. The author and illustrator create interesting connections between the strange beings and monsters encountered in fiction and media, often going back to the original stories from many cultures that inspired or resemble these modern myths. The illustrations have a unique style that is sometimes a bit too cartoon-y, but even these encourage new and interesting ways to imagine classic monsters. Particularly recommended for anyone running an RPG campaign, to inspire intriguing new encounters with traditional beasts.
July 1, 2021
While die-hard D&D fans might be frustrated that the book doesn't use all the "official" names for these creatures (probably because of copyright concerns), that doesn't take away from the sheer amount of fun and creative ways the artists re-interpret popular monsters from folklore and mythology. Another neat addition is that each monster entry comes with a list of different names the creatures have had over the years and snippets of commentary about the myths and fictional stories that inspired the creatures. An all-around great art book for the D&D or monster fan in your life.
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May 23, 2025How? Found at the bookstore when I was already buying something else.
What? A system-agnostic (winky winky) list of traditional fantasy monsters with new art drawings.
Yeah, so? It's fine! I'm not really sure what the constituency is for this sort of book. I enjoy the cartoony vibes for most of these monsters, and it's interesting to see what some people do with these ideas. Am I going to flip through this again or am I going to let it go?
What? A system-agnostic (winky winky) list of traditional fantasy monsters with new art drawings.
Yeah, so? It's fine! I'm not really sure what the constituency is for this sort of book. I enjoy the cartoony vibes for most of these monsters, and it's interesting to see what some people do with these ideas. Am I going to flip through this again or am I going to let it go?
October 4, 2019
This is such a fun and unique take on a monster manual. The art was flipping fantastic. I loved how the style stayed cohesive but shifted slightly to fit each monster. I know this will give me so many world building and encounter ideas in the future. I can't wait to use it in my dungeons and dragons game.
October 12, 2019
An interesting book of creatures and their statistics to play games with. Great for any beginner or just someone wanting to make a new character that they would not normally play. Love half the illustrations, but not as excited about the other half. With the style was the same throughout the book.
January 2, 2020
Got this book as a Christmas gift from a friend, and wow! What a perfect gift! This is quite possibly the most visually stunning compendium of creatures from folklore and mythologies the world over. The art styles for each monster are just different enough that the pictures stand out from one another while still fitting together as a whole. Best art book I've come across for some time.
December 28, 2024
I really enjoyed this! It will come in handy as a DM as well as an author it’s always good to have a handful of characters and creatures to pull from! The back also had a lot of helpful resources such as books, myths, shows, and fables that they got the information from which is always great! Loved the artwork and the designs!
January 5, 2020
absolutely delightful, even without the text alongside explaining origins and modern game stats- the illustrations are so outside the usual depictions it's incredible. The Eldritch Horror is especially my favorite.
January 8, 2020
This a wonderful book, the art is a bit too cartoony for me, but the presentation and accompanying text work delightfully well with the art. The end result is a charming guide book that any adventurer in the realms of imagination needs to carry with themselves at all time.
March 17, 2023
Some very interesting artistic interpretations of mythical creatures, and while it has a good bibliography in the back, the "aka" part of the entries sometimes rubbed me the wrong way. For example, the tarasque was "also known as" a kaiju, which are totally separate things. A nit pick I'm sure.
November 24, 2019
Everything about this makes my art heart very very happy :')
December 16, 2019
Dungeons and Dragons and some great drawings. They really are interesting and well drawn. There are many people who would love this book.
December 15, 2020
This is hella cute.
January 16, 2021
An absolutely beautiful book! As an avid player of dnd and other tabletop games, I thought it was a wonderful mix of stats, art and mythical origins.
August 26, 2021
Great inventive illustrations, and fascinating little snippets of real-world origins to familiar DnD fantasy creatures. I just wish we could've gone a bit deeper into some of the entries!
September 8, 2021
An excellent guide to mythical beasts with beautiful and creative illustrations to match.
May 4, 2022
I loved the little tid-bits about where these creatures originate in real-world mythology. The art is incredible too.
September 27, 2022
Imaginative and fun!
May 19, 2023
Fun book, inspires me to maybe run a The Witcher Style monsterhunting RPG campaign sometime.
January 5, 2024
The artwork in this tome is amazing! Plus, all the folkloric digging the artists did for it, fantastic.
July 23, 2024
Beautiful illustrations of various creatures.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews