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Dungeons & Dragons
Monstrous Manual
New illustrations and corrected material highlight this revision of the standard monstrous compendiums collected together in one volume. This will be the perfect, easy-to-use replacement for the bulkier compendiums of the past. Illustrations, some in color.
384 pages, Hardcover
First published June 15, 1993
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
July 28, 2022
Such a classic.
October 21, 2014
The bestiary for the second edition
21 February 2013
When the original Monstrous Manuals were released for the second edition game they consisted of loose sheets of paper which were placed into binders so that only the monsters that you required needed to be taken with you. They ended up releasing quite a few of these loose leaf packs. The idea was that the first compendium had the binder, and when they released the next two, you just inserted them into the binder in alphabetical order. The third (or was it fourth, I believe it was the Dragonlance one) also had a binder, and that was so that one binder did not get too big.
Each of the monsters took up one page, though the problem that arose was that each sheet generally had a monster on the front and one on the back, so when you got a monster that would fall between those two monsters (alphabetically that is) the order would be thrown out. I thought it was a clever idea, however while it worked for a while, they ended us scrapping the concept and going back to the book form (which is basically this book).
I sort of liked it through, but what I ended up doing is scrapping the binder and buying my own binders so you could put the pages into plastic sleeves. Initially I tried to have them all in alphabetical order, but as I mentioned, it ended up not working, so I simply put them into the particular settings that these monsters were related too, so what I would do when I took them to games (the games where never at my house as I lived pretty much on the city fringe, and one of the players simply never wanted to leave his house, so it was basically either at his house or we wouldn't play, so in the end we ditched him and played at a roleplaying club in the city) I would take the standard compendiums and any world specific compendiums that I needed. Oh, and if a module was released that had a new monster in the back (or Dragon magazine released an issue with monsters in it) I would photocopy the monsters and add it to my 'special' monster folder. That is what I really liked with the idea of one page one monster.
Obviously things have changed though and they have gone back to the old standard with regards to the Monster Manuals. This book did try to capture all of the monsters available, and maintained the one page, one monster style. The other problem with the loose leaf sheets is that they had pretty poor resale value since they would deteriorate quite quickly (and with the early ones having perforated strips that made using them and keeping them in good condition particularly hard indeed).
21 February 2013
When the original Monstrous Manuals were released for the second edition game they consisted of loose sheets of paper which were placed into binders so that only the monsters that you required needed to be taken with you. They ended up releasing quite a few of these loose leaf packs. The idea was that the first compendium had the binder, and when they released the next two, you just inserted them into the binder in alphabetical order. The third (or was it fourth, I believe it was the Dragonlance one) also had a binder, and that was so that one binder did not get too big.
Each of the monsters took up one page, though the problem that arose was that each sheet generally had a monster on the front and one on the back, so when you got a monster that would fall between those two monsters (alphabetically that is) the order would be thrown out. I thought it was a clever idea, however while it worked for a while, they ended us scrapping the concept and going back to the book form (which is basically this book).
I sort of liked it through, but what I ended up doing is scrapping the binder and buying my own binders so you could put the pages into plastic sleeves. Initially I tried to have them all in alphabetical order, but as I mentioned, it ended up not working, so I simply put them into the particular settings that these monsters were related too, so what I would do when I took them to games (the games where never at my house as I lived pretty much on the city fringe, and one of the players simply never wanted to leave his house, so it was basically either at his house or we wouldn't play, so in the end we ditched him and played at a roleplaying club in the city) I would take the standard compendiums and any world specific compendiums that I needed. Oh, and if a module was released that had a new monster in the back (or Dragon magazine released an issue with monsters in it) I would photocopy the monsters and add it to my 'special' monster folder. That is what I really liked with the idea of one page one monster.
Obviously things have changed though and they have gone back to the old standard with regards to the Monster Manuals. This book did try to capture all of the monsters available, and maintained the one page, one monster style. The other problem with the loose leaf sheets is that they had pretty poor resale value since they would deteriorate quite quickly (and with the early ones having perforated strips that made using them and keeping them in good condition particularly hard indeed).
November 23, 2012
A bit over the top on Giants, Beholders and Dragons but still my favourite edition Monster Manual.
December 11, 2015
Can really help you prepare what what the DM throws at you.
May 15, 2019
Fairly basic stuff, to be honest: mostly a retread of the earlier editions and their monsters, with all the new and interesting stuff relegated to compendiums and setting books. And then navigating those, finding something to throw at my party, tends to be a pain in the ass.
Good thing for the fan supplement Monstrous Collection, which clumps every single one of them under the same covers. Compared to that, the original Manual doesn't really hold too much of use for me anymore.
Good thing for the fan supplement Monstrous Collection, which clumps every single one of them under the same covers. Compared to that, the original Manual doesn't really hold too much of use for me anymore.
November 27, 2022
The revised replacement for the "Monstrous Compendium" 3-ring binder concept provides deep dives on the ecology, behaviour, and (where applicable) societies of the monsters described, which is fantastic if you want them to be more than mere set dressing. Full thoughts on TSR editions of D&D: https://refereeingandreflection.wordp...
January 27, 2021
Books like these are pure imagination fuel.
July 1, 2021
You had me at Gelatinous Cube. Boy that’s a lot hit points!
March 11, 2017
The backbone of our 2nd Dungeons and Dragon games.
All the monsters we fought, killed, dissected and pillaged.
Good times.
All the monsters we fought, killed, dissected and pillaged.
Good times.
April 7, 2007
An old-school classic crammed full of hundreds and hundreds of monsters, classic and new. So most of the new ones are lame - see, it looks just like a cloak, but when you put it on, its a BLOOD SUCKING FIEND! The reason I loved this as a teenage boy as the mosters looked like they were created (and illustrated) by other teenage boys, and I filled notebooks up with my own Monster Manuals, all inspired by this classic layout - a picture, stats, and a write up. I remember I made up a leech-like parasite that looked just like a leaf; they waited in swarms in forests, then attacked! Damn, I could have written this.
March 1, 2010
While the Player's Handbook is fun and you get all the info to play your favorite character in it...this is the most just plain fun book in the best edition of the game (in my opinion). I enjoyed the Second Edition best of the Dungeon and Dragons editions.
The Monstrous (Monster) Manual is the most just plain fun book in the series. You really don't have to play the game to enjoy this book. Monsters from folklore, creatures from mythology, creepy-crawlies right out of the writer's imagination...enjoy.
The Monstrous (Monster) Manual is the most just plain fun book in the series. You really don't have to play the game to enjoy this book. Monsters from folklore, creatures from mythology, creepy-crawlies right out of the writer's imagination...enjoy.
April 21, 2015
This book has the images of monsters I think of when I think of classic fantasy monsters.
Kobolds are more ratlike than dragon like. Goblins are filthy and mean. Dragons are fierce and plentiful.
Good stuff.
The rules are useless to me as all dnd rule sets are, but this book represents my intro to RPGs through D&D. And for that reason it gets to like on my bookshelf.
Kobolds are more ratlike than dragon like. Goblins are filthy and mean. Dragons are fierce and plentiful.
Good stuff.
The rules are useless to me as all dnd rule sets are, but this book represents my intro to RPGs through D&D. And for that reason it gets to like on my bookshelf.
May 31, 2007
I recall this one bein in our house...but I think it was my hubbys.
October 11, 2007
My copy has a white cover with a beholder in the center of a mass of other creatures.
September 16, 2008
Rating based on usefulness.
March 9, 2012
I used to own this book,hope to get it again through amazon.com someday.
October 18, 2012
Great art and full of information on the many monsters you can use to beat up players with.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews