The Dungeons and Dragons Monster Manual 2025 is set to be released on February 18th - here's everything you need to knowTech10:40, 15 Jan 2025Updated 10:41, 15 Jan 2025Dungeons and Dragons fans are in for a treat as the game undergoes a major revamp, that kicked off with the release of the Players Handbook in September 2024. The Dungeon Master's Guide followed suit in November 2024, but the collection is still awaiting its final piece - the Monster Manual, set to hit shelves on 18 February 2025.With the release date just around the corner, Wizards of the Coast have teased what gamers can expect from the new Monster Manual. Responding to the question - "What's exciting about the new Monster Manual? ", they revealed it's their largest yet, boasting over 500 monsters.Among these are more than 85 brand new creatures, including fresh variants of fan-favourites that include the Primeval Owlbear, and Vampire Nightbringer. They've also addressed previous gaps in high-level play, ensuring challenges across the board.The Monster Manual Cover features a very angry looking beholder(Image: Wizards of the Coast)The alt cover contains a nod to BG3, with a mind flayer and parasite on the cover(Image: Wizards of the Coast)Each creature has been revisited to maximise its potential for challenging and fun gameplay for both players and DM.S. The book itself spans over 300 pages and is divided into four sections - an introduction on how to use a monster, an A-Z list of all the monsters, and two Appendices - Appendix A, featuring animals, and Appendix B, categorising monsters by factors such as type, habitat, family, group, etc.Appendix A: Animals is a comprehensive list that includes not only common creatures such as cats and crocodiles, but also supernatural beings like giant apes. These are entities that may not necessarily be categorised as "monsters", yet they could potentially cross paths with your players - whether in the wilderness or within urban settings, reports the Mirror.The accompanying artwork depicts these creatures in their natural behaviours, engaging in activities such as hunting, prowling, or battling. This approach aims to ignite the Dungeon Master's imagination and provide players with a more realistic understanding of the creature's nature.Each creature now comes with a brief descriptor under their names. For instance, the Gelatinous Cube is labelled as a "Dungeon-Scouring Block of Ooze".The Brass Dragon is seen doing what it does best - burning mummies.(Image: Wizards of the Coast)The book further provides information on their habitats, potential treasures they might possess and drop, along with a narrative section detailing the creature's characteristics.Beneath all that and above the stat block, there's a fresh table packed with narrative enhancements and variations. You can roll a dice to randomise the creature, or use the table as inspiration - maybe the Gelatinous Cube is holding a tablet with peculiar writing, or perhaps a gargoyle appears naturally formed rather than carved by human hands.These tables not only offer the potential to add variation between each encounter and breathe life into individual creatures, but they also hold the promise of an entire adventure in themselves.Everything is now listed alphabetically, as Wizards of the Coast have opted for a scheme that caters to the majority of Dungeon Masters (DMs). Sorting it by type or Challenge Rating (CR) requires you to know what type or CR a creature is when you're searching for it, which might not be the easiest for novice DM.S. However, Appendix B supplements this by allowing users to browse monsters listed by specific characteristics.A host of older monsters have been revived, along with elements of existing ones that have been reworked. High CR dragons now have the ability to cast spells, and a lot of their non-damaging abilities are no longer on a recharge.This gives the new monsters the ability to surprise even the most seasoned players, especially given the variation among all the different types of monsters.Dragons, once universally feared, have evolved in their roles - Gold Dragons, for instance, now banish players rather than instilling fear. Each dragon species has its unique way of controlling the battlefield, a philosophy that seems to be applied across all creatures in the new Monster Manual.Lair Actions have been slightly modified, primarily to simplify gameplay for Dungeon Masters (DMs). These actions are now included within the stat block itself, eliminating the need to search elsewhere.The Elemental Cataclysm is a manifestation of sheer elemental force(Image: Wizards of the Coast)Some abilities can still be used outside a creature's lair, albeit with reduced power or fewer daily charges. Legendary Actions have also been streamlined - instead of having a "cost", each monster is allotted a certain number of legendary actions from which the DM can choose.While some can only be used once per round, the selection process is now quicker and easier for DM.S. The book's design revealed a lack of high-level "apex threats" among many creature types. The new Monster Manual addresses this by introducing a plethora of new high-level creatures for each type.Elementals now possess the Elemental Cataclysm, a power that can trigger elemental disasters during combat. Oozes, on the other hand, have been given a Blob of Annihilation - an ooze containing the skull of a deceased god.This ooze continues to absorb anything it touches, but instead of trapping them inside, it shifts them to another plane. If you manage to defeat the Blob of Annihilation while your friends are inside, they'll be stuck in the Astral Sea forever.This artwork shows two Azers, including the new Azer Pyromancer in the background(Image: Wizards of the Coast)Merfolk are just one archetype that's received a new entry - the Wavebender(Image: Wizards of the Coast)The Undead category now includes a Haunting Revenant, essentially a haunted house possessed by a Revenant. While they typically inhabit corpses, the new Monster Manual introduces a fresh perspective - Revenants may now possess objects!Animal Lords, CR20 manifestations of demi-gods, come with a table to inspire or generate potential animal lords.They fall into three categories with unique abilities - Sage, Hunters, and Foragers. Azers exemplify a common trend in this book - taking a 2014 creature and introducing some new variants. In the 2025 Monster Manual for example, there are now two Azers, including the new Azer Pyromancer.The Tarrasque still remains the book's apex predator however with the highest CR, and it's now the most terrifying version in the game's history. It even has ranged attacks.Tarrasques level whole cities, and are still the highest CR creature in the whole book(Image: Wizards of the Coast)Fan favourites are getting a makeover with a slew of new variants. Cultists are now more diverse than ever, with Aberrant and Elemental Cultists joining the fray, while Pirate numbers have swelled enough to man an entire armada across various CRs and tiers.The adorable "Bullete Pup" is making hearts melt, and Merfolk enthusiasts can revel in the addition of a Merfolk Wavebender.In the wake of BG3, it's impossible to overlook the mind flayers, which now boast a Mind Flayer Arcanist. Previously just a sidebar variant, this formidable foe now has its own full-fledged stat block a trend you'll notice throughout the new book, with the poltergeist being another example.The Mind Flayer artwork features a Nautiloid, as well as an ArcanistAnimal Lords are demi-gods in the form of an animal - will they help or hinder?(Image: Wizards of the Coast)Alignments have seen a fundamental change too - Gone are the days of the 2014 Monster Manual's tentative "Typically" before each alignment.The new edition cuts straight to the chase, simply stating the alignment but clarifying in the introduction that these are mere suggestions, leaving Dungeon Masters free to choose what fits best.For humanoid creatures, there's a notable shift towards "Neutral" a term that once implied indifference but now serves as a blank canvas for DMs, as highlighted in the 2025 Monster Manual. Wizards of the Coast have fully embraced this concept, encouraging DMs to steer their characters' moral compasses as they see fit.Article continues belowThis is a flumph. You should always trust a flumph.(Image: Wizards of the Coast)The Monster Manual will also feature Day 1 integration with D&D Beyond - which, incidentally, has seen a whopping 3.6 million characters created using the 2024 core ruleset. If you're a Master or Hero Tier member, you can get early access to it (4 February 2025 for Master Tier, 11 February 2025 for Hero Tier).For those who prefer a physical copy, they'll be available globally from 18 February 2025.RECOMMENDED