ADungeons & Dragonsadventure without any enemies would be a dull affair, which is why one of thethree core rulebooksthat all groups need is all about statting out the foes your party will face on the battlefield.
To this end, the last of the updatedD&D 5e rulebookshas finally arrived, withthe new Monster Manual offering a better-organized tome with stronger beasts and more guidance for DMs on how to run them.
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But what about the existing Monster Manual, the one for the 5th edition of D&D that launched in 2014? The new books are all supposed to be backward compatible, so why would a DM need to upgrade when those stats have been perfectly fine for a decade?
The devil (or demon oryugoloth) is in the details, as D&D has changed a great deal since 2014. The game has moved on, and the reason a new Monster Manual is needed is to help DMs keep up with the players. But does the new Monster Manual bring the challenge, or is it just the same rulebook with the dates changed?
Changes In The 2024 Monster Manual
Off the bat, the new Monster Manualhas more contentthan the 2014 book,with over 500 monsters within its pages, including updated versions of the foes seen in the previous book.
The book’s intro has been cleaned up, with a lot of extraneous information clipped. The first page is a breakdown of how to read the stats, followed by breakdowns of the technical terms. The new Monster Manual is front-loaded with information that new DMs need, especially the “Running a Monster” sidebar, all of which are huge improvements over the 2014 book.
One major change is the layout, as the NPC archetype monsters (Assassin, Bandit, Mage) are now spread throughout the book alphabetically rather than being kept in their own section. Some monsters that were originally put into specific sections, like Demons and Lycanthropes, now have their own alphabetical entries.
Despite this, animals retain their own section at the end of the book, likely because a) they aren’t mechanically complex, and b) they don’t need as much lore explanation as D&D-specific monsters.
Easily the biggest change is how stats and abilities are presented.The Monster Manual has streamlined stat blocks to make the pertinent information more obvious. One way this is accomplished by putting the numbers the DM needs (hit points, AC) further at the top, making it easier to see what you need when in the middle of a game.
The monster’s section outside of the stat block has also been altered, with each now providing a usual habitat and treasure type, and a few containing charts that help DMs create scenarios around them, such as the “Banshee’s Sorrows” offering ideas for how it became a Banshee. These tool tips are an incredible addition for homebrew DMs who want to create quick scenarios or are stuck for inspiration.
New Additions To The 2024 Monster Manual
When it comes tothe monsters themselves, most of the wholly new material is on the high-level side, with creatures like the Blob of Annihilation, Arch-Hag, Elemental Cataclysm, and Animal Lord. Most players will never fight these outside of gimmick campaigns, but their presence is welcome, considering how the 2014 book’s high-end content was mostly focused on dragons.
One major addition is breaking down existing monsters into different tiers of play. For example, the 2014 Monster Manual had the generic Cultist, but the new book has multiple variants, such as the Aberrant Cultist and the Death Cultist, which make better threats for mid-level parties.The new Monster Manual is teeming with variants like this and they’re a huge plus for the book, expanding classic enemy types to make them useful in all levels of play.
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A subtle but important addition is that some iconic monsters have changed creature types from Humanoids, includingKobolds becoming Dragons, Gnolls becoming Fiends, and Githzerai becoming Aberration. This affects the kinds of spells that can affect them, though that will be more apparent when these new versions become playable.
A mechanic that has been drastically improved is the Legendary Actions used by boss monsters. In the old D&D books, Legendary Actions were very basic. One of D&D’s most iconic villains, Strahd von Zarovich, had Legendary Actions such as “Move” and “Punch.” Meanwhile, the Vampire Umbral Lord in the new book can spend Legendary Actions to use the Command spell for free, or move and use one of its primary attacks at the same time.
A Treat For The Eyes
As is the case with the other revised D&D core rulebooks,the artwork in the Monster Manual is absolutely stellar.
Nearly every single creature in the book gets its own unique piece of artwork. Even a lot of the animals make an appearance in group shots. It’s a pleasure to just thumb through the book and behold the illustrations, letting your imagination run wild.
Like in some of the recent D&D books, there are quotes dotted around the Monster Manual attributed to specific characters that discuss the creatures. These include D&D stalwarts like Mordenkainen, as well asBaldur’s Gateheroes, like Astarion and Minsc.
The quotes are one of the few negatives of the Monster Manual, as they feel like page-filler in a book that really doesn’t need any. I’d rather have more mechanical info or adventure ideas than hearing what Bigby thinks of Formion giants.
Artwork and quotes aside, the overall presentation and layout of the Monster Manual is on point. An effort has been made to make everything accessible and easy for DMs to find, which is the ultimate purpose of the tome.
Is The New Monster Manual Worth It?
Now comes the million-dollar question: is the new Monster Manual worth it if you own the 2014 version of the book?
The answer to that depends on whether you’ve bought any D&D products since then. If you have the 2014 Player’s Handbook and stick to it exclusively, then there’s no need to upgrade.
However, if you want to use the official material released since then, especially everything after Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything, and especially the 2024 Player’s Handbook, then the new Monster Manual is vital.
This is because D&D has undergone a significant power creep throughout 5e,with new subclasses, spells, and Feats drastically upping the damage and capabilities of player characters.
These changes aren’t necessarily a bad thing, as certain options from the 2014 Player Handbook badly needed tweaking, but it means that any DM using the old Monster Manual is going to see their group breeze through most monsters.
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What better way to compare the power creep than by bringing up the Strahd comparison again? In Curse of Strahd, the titular vampire has a Challenge Rating of 15, the same as the Vampire Umbral Lord from the new Monster Manual.
In a straight-up fight, the Umbral Lord has more hit points, better Legendary Actions, immunities (compared to Strahd’s resistances), Blindsight (compared to Darkvision), teleports upon death (instead of turning to mist), a stronger melee attack, a built-in ranged attack, and a powerful Bonus Action attack.
The only advantages are that Strahd can shapeshift into animals (which are way weaker than him), and he has access to lots of spells, which is a result of his backstory rather than a game mechanics choice.
A generic enemy from the new Monster Manual is packing more power than D&D’s most iconic villain, which says it all.
The updated foes in the Monster Manual are the result of a decade of playtesting during D&D’s most popular edition. The kinks have long been worked out, making these new iterations the most improved versions to throw at the party.
The 2024 Monster Manual will be released on June 10, 2025.
Closing Comments
The 2024 Monster Manual is an essential purchase for any group wanting to use the updated D&D 5e rules. The book presents the vital information better, especially for DMs caught in the heat of a game, and has buffed the monsters to let them keep up with a decade’s worth of player-focused upgrades.
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