List of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd edition monsters

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Compendium series consisted of a pack of 5-hole punched loose-leaf pages rather than an actual book, designed to be arranged to the player's preference. Volume One of the Monstrous Compendium was packaged in a box, which contained the pack of monster sheets as well as a binder intended to store the sheets for Volumes One, Two, and Three. The pack consisted of 144 pages, unnumbered, and included a "How To Use This Book" page, with an alphabetical index to Volume One on the back, four pages of monster summoning and random encounter charts, and a blank monster sheet to be photocopied, with the remainder consisting of the monster descriptions. Also included were eight full-page illustrations on heavier card stock.

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entire page and had an all-new illustration. Volume Two was packaged in a wraparound cover, and the pages were designed to fit in the binder that came with Volume One of the Monstrous Compendium. The pack consisted of 144 pages, unnumbered, and included a 2-page alphabetical index to Volume One and Volume Two, 10 pages of monster summoning and random encounter charts, and a blank monster sheet to be photocopied with a sheet of instructions for the blank monster form, with the remainder consisting of the monster descriptions. Also included were 8 full-page illustrations on heavier card stock.

16417:, called the shambling umpleby "without a shadow of a doubt" the star of the book: "Effectively a Bigfoot whose wooly hair generates shocking levels of static electricity, these hulking eccentric simpletons will test any parties patience and ability to save against cuteness." Webb also added that even without the umpleby the book "would be a necessary resource for all mainstream refs. With the shaggy-haired one, though, it rapidly approaches the essential." 367:

by the power of its magical eyes". A terrible beast, but depicted as "a cuddly rosy ball with too many eyes". Designed to counter magic-using characters while being a formidable opponent for a whole party due to its versatility. Considered one of "the game's signature monsters" by Philip J. Clements. A "classic" "iconic", as well as "one of the most feared and fearsome monsters of the game", present through all editions.

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encounters, and a 1-page section updating the tables for calculation of experience points awarded for defeating any given creature. The remainder of the set consisted of the descriptions of specific fictional monsters and personalities in the Ravenloft campaign setting. Also included were 4 full-page illustrations on heavier card stock. The contents were republished in 1996 in paperback format within the

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reputation, the Githyanki have an important role to play in protecting the Prime Material Plane. The Githyanki despise Mind Flayers and their armies might be the only thing holding them back. The trailer for Baldur's Gate 3 shows just how scary a single Mind Flayer ship can be, and that could happen a thousand times over if the Githyanki aren't around."

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negatives". It notes that "n exchange for learning how to control your condition, you gain Damage Reduction, +2 to your Wisdom stat, the Scent ability, Low-Light Vision, a new Hit Dice, the Iron Will feat, and the ability to transform into a more powerful form". An illustration in one edition of the Monster Manual implied that the beast in Disney's

6474:(1982)", reviewer Mark Theurer considered them an "old personal favorite". With their additional limbs and specialized chatkcha and gythka weapons, thri-kreen were infamous as player characters optimized to do extreme amounts of damage. J.R. Zambrano found them "an interesting race" and preferred their "2nd Edition aesthetic" to others. 1981:: "a classic monster", interesting due to shapechanging because "players can never be entirely sure whether that surly villager might indeed be the great black wolf who attacked their characters out in the forest." The presence of lycanthropes in the gaming system is one of the elements that has led Christian fundamentalists to condemn 3196:, commented of the yuan-ti purebloods that "Yuan-ti have had hundreds of generations to live and adapt on their own, so they'll have the same self-preservation instinct as any evolved species." TheGamer.com in April 2021 listed the yuan-ti pureblood as #2 on their list of "10 Most Underrated Races That Are Better Than You Think". 32606:

Monster Manual II (1983), Practical Planetology (1991), Monstrous Compendium Annual Volume One (1994), Monster Manual (2000, 2003), Savage Species (2003), D&D Miniatures: Harbinger set #32 (2003) ("Azer Raider"), D&D Miniatures: War of the Dragon Queen set #19 (2006) ("Azer Fighter"), Monster

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Lost Tamoachan (1979), Hidden Shrine of Tamoachan (1979), Monster Manual II (1983), Dragon No. 160 "The Ecology of the Gibbering Mouther" (1990), Assassin Mountain (1993), Monstrous Compendium Annual Volume One (1994), Monster Manual (2000, 2003), D&D Miniatures: Aberrations set #50 (2004), Lords

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The Monstrous Manual was printed after the completion of the loose-leaf Monstrous Compendium series, in 1993. This book was "created in response to the many requests to gather monsters into a single, durable volume which would be convenient to carry." The Monstrous Manual compiled all of the monsters

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of the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons game. The pack consisted of 64 5-hole punched loose-leaf pages, unnumbered, and included a "How To Use This Book" page with an alphabetical index and 4 pages of random encounter charts, with the remainder consisting of the descriptions of the fictional monsters.

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Large armored tick-like monster which devours metals. An original invention for the game and its artificial underground world, the appearance of the rust monster was inspired by a plastic toy from Hong Kong. It was ranked among the most memorable as well as obnoxious creatures in the game, terrifying

1991:

has described the operation of lycanthropy in the game as an aspect that "makes no sense" because it is often a positive development for a character. "It is possible for a character to be infected with lycanthropy in Dungeons & Dragons and it comes highly recommended, as the benefits outweigh the

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Muscular humanoids somewhat taller than humans with reddish skin and canine teeth. Koalinth are an undersea variation. Reviewer Declan Lowthian included them among the "15 Best Monsters For Coastal D&D Adventures", because the provide a more organized and tactical opponent than most other coastal

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having its own subspecies of genie: djinn for air, dao for earth, efreet for fire. The djinn and efreet have namesakes from Arabic folklore also associated with air and fire, respectively. The dao were newly invented for the game altogether to fill the gap for the remaining element. A depiction of an

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counted the tabaxi as # 4 on the list of "10 Powerful Monster Species That You Should Play As", stating that "a Tabaxi monk with Boots of Speed and a few other speed buffs can in theory cover anywhere between 320ft per round to 253,440ft per round. Your ability to do this and break the sound barrier

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of the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons game. The book also contains an introduction page, a 2-page "How to Use This Book" section, an updated table for the calculation of experience points awarded for new or modified creatures, and a single page listing of creatures from other sources appropriate to

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Descendants of a union between a human and a demon or devil; popular as player characters, as they allow for "identity tourism" of a racial outsider. Johnny L. Wilson called tieflings "the paranoid, loner obverse" of halflings, who "believe that life is out to get them". In the game they are "suited

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Designed by Charles Stross, these humanoids are the ancient and fervent enemies of mind flayers, to whom they were formerly enslaved, and the githyanki; they are based on the plane of Limbo. A playable species in the Planescape campaign setting, reviewer Johnny L. Wilson found them a new take on the

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This was the second volume in the Monstrous Compendium series, for the second edition of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, published in 1989. As with Volume One, most of the monsters for Volume Two were taken from previous first edition AD&D books, with greatly expanded entries that now filled an

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counted the minotaur as one of the "7 Underused Monster Races in Dungeons & Dragons", stating that "far from just brutal monsters. Many are lawful by nature, which means, surprisingly, Minotaurs make for some good Paladins. They also, obviously, make for some good Barbarians, Monks and Fighters.

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counted the lizardfolk as # 1 on the list of "10 Powerful Monster Species That You Should Play As", stating that "Along with the ability to manufacture their own weapons from the natural environment around them, they provide an excellent role-playing experience and have some pretty awesome tricks up

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alarm clock, the Demi-lich seems to possess no tactical advantages of any kind. It just kind of floats around, waiting for a party of heroes to smack it out of the air like a pinata. We suppose it could try to bite you, but the illustration above kind of makes it look like the jaw is fused in place.

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himself stated that although Dunsany's "gnole" is close", he came up with the name as "a cross between a gnome and a troll", and the description was his original creation. He wanted to create a humanoid opponent in the game to fit in between the hobgoblin and bugbear in power. Gnolls were considered

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A large orb protected by chitinous plates, dominated by a central eye and a large toothy maw, with 10 smaller eyes on stalks sprouting from the top of the orb; the large eye negates all magic and the smaller eyes cause a variety of magical effects. A "creature that looks at you and is destroying you

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of the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons game, published in 1989. Most of the monsters for Volume One were taken from previous first edition AD&D books; the monster entries were greatly expanded and in most cases each monster now filled an entire page and had an all-new illustration. The Monstrous

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Lost Tamoachan (1979), Hidden Shrine of Tamoachan (1979), Monster Manual II (1983), Dragon No. 160 "The Ecology of the Gibbering Mouther" (1990), Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting (1993), Monstrous Compendium Annual Volume One (1994), Monster Manual (2000, 2003), D&D Miniatures: Aberrations set

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of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons game with a new foreword. It also includes a two-page "How to use this book" section, revised rules for calculating experience points and two pages about encounters in Ravenloft. Appendix I consists of the descriptions of the fictional monsters. Appendix II varies

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counted them as one of the "7 Underused Monster Races in Dungeons & Dragons", stating that "Firbolgs are a blend of strength and magic, making them useful for classes that blend the two. Firbolgs work well as Clerics and Druids, but they can also make for a good Ranger. Your harmony with nature

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Dungeons & Dragons set (1974), Monster Manual (1977), D&D Basic Set (1981, 1983), D&D Companion Rules (1984), Dungeons & Dragons Rules Cyclopedia (1991), Monster Manual (2000), Monster Manual v.3.5 (2003), D&D Miniatures: Deathknell set #38 (2005), D&D Icons: Gargantuan Blue

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Dungeons & Dragons set (1974), D&D Basic Set (1977, 1981, 1983), Monster Manual (1977), D&D Companion Rules (1984), Dungeons & Dragons Rules Cyclopedia (1991), Monster Manual (2000), Monster Manual v.3.5 (2003), D&D Miniatures: Dragoneye set #44 (2004), D&D Icons: Gargantuan

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of loose sheets that could be collected in a folder, and allowed the combination of monster books together with individual monster pages from boxed sets. This "unruly" format was abandoned again in 1993 in favor of bound books. In parallel with this change, the 2nd edition introduced colored images

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of the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons game. The pack consisted of 64 5-hole punched loose-leaf pages, unnumbered, and included a "How To Use This Book" page with an alphabetical index, 4 pages of random encounter charts, with the remainder consisting of the descriptions of the fictional monsters.

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portrayed in J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-Earth. Considered one of the "five main "humanoid" races" in AD&D by Paul Karczag and Lawrence Schick. Presented as "evil" and "predisposed towards a society of brutal regimes where the strongest rule" in the game. Suitable opponent for characters of lowest

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Dragon No. 110 (1986), Waterdeep and the North (1987), Monstrous Compendium Volume Three: Forgotten Realms Appendix (1989), 1991 Trading Cards #251, Monstrous Manual (1993), 1993 Trading Cards #387, Cult of the Dragon (1998), Draconomicon (2003), Dragon #344 "The Ecology of the Dracolich" (2006),

4868:'s list of "The most underrated monsters of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons", because ingesting the moss can transfer the memories, an "interesting" concept which lends itself to "Christopher Nolan-esque adventures that will be both universally applauded and terribly confusing at the same time.". 4167:

Immortal wicked and ugly powerful females with magical abilities for deception. Based on the pervasive figure from folklore, with "different interpretations of the monster around the world" being worked into different variants in the game, allowing each "a little more personality". In the view of

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novels, these dark elves from the game influenced subsequent works of fantasy. Drow have a gender-based caste system that says "a great deal about attitudes towards gender roles in the real world". A drider is a "monster that looks like a centaur only with the bottom half of a spider instead of a

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compiled a list of the game's "10 Most Powerful (And 10 Weakest) Monsters, Ranked" in 2018, calling this one of the weakest, saying "The mudmen are magically bound to their pool of mud, which means that the only way they can defeat an enemy is if they walk right into the middle of a dirty puddle.

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Based on the creature from classical sources but translated into species of monsters originated from "humans seeking eternal youth". Reviewer Allan Rausch found their portrayal as "a woman with snakes for hair" up to 2nd edition less compelling than their less human-like depiction in 3rd edition.

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of the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons game. The pack consisted of 32 5-hole punched loose-leaf pages, unnumbered, and included a 1-page "How To Use This Book" section, a 1-page set of tables for Ravenloft random encounters, and a 2-page section on developing and describing encounters to fit the

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A large orb dominated by a central eye and a large toothy maw, with 10 smaller eyes on tops sprouting from the top of the orb; the large eye negates all magic and the smaller eyes cause a variety of magical effects. A "creature that looks at you and is destroying you by the power of its magical

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of the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons game. The pack consisted of 96 5-hole punched loose-leaf pages, unnumbered, and included a 4-page "How To Use This Book" section with random encounter charts, with the remainder consisting of the descriptions of the fictional monsters. Also included were 4

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of the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons game. The pack consisted of 32 5-hole punched unnumbered loose-leaf pages, and 4 full-page illustrations on heavier card stock. It included a single-page table of contents but did not incorporate the usual "How to Use this Book" section or random encounter

2379:" movie. In the artificial dungeon environment of the game, they function as a "clean up crew". The gelatinous cube, "a living mound of gelatinous jelly", was considered especially suited for that role, as it fit exactly in the standard grid for tactical combat. Considered an "iconic monster". 30034:

Dragon No. 90 (1984), D&D Master Rules (1985) (Werebat), Monstrous Compendium Ravenloft Appendix (1991) (Werebat), Dungeons & Dragons Rules Cyclopedia (1991) (Werebat), Monstrous Compendium Forgotten Realms Appendix (1991), 1991 Trading Cards Set No. 383 (Werebat), Night Howlers (1992)

866:

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This 96-page soft-bound book contains creatures appearing in various TSR publications (magazines, game accessories, etc.). Unlike the previous annuals, the included monsters are not primarily drawn from the previous year's publications, but span a wide variety of years, possibly because TSR's

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s "Fiend Factory" column. Shannon Applecline considered the githyanki one of the game's especially notable monsters. Scott Baird of the website TheGamer commented on the nature of the relationship of the githyanki to the mind flayers, to whom they were formerly enslaved: "Despite their wicked

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of the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons game. It contains a page with a table of content, a 2-pages "How To Use This Book" section and 3 pages of random encounter charts, with the remainder consisting of the descriptions of the fictional monsters. Some entries also contain the descriptions of

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of the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons game. The pack consisted of 96 5-hole punched loose-leaf pages, unnumbered, and included a "How To Use This Book" page, a page with alphabetical index, 4 pages of random encounter charts, and 2 pages with the compiled game statistics, with the remainder

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of the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons game. The pack consisted of 32 5-hole punched loose-leaf pages, unnumbered, and included a 2-page "How To Use This Book" section, a 1-page description of the purpose of the "Children of the Night" supplement, a 1-page set of tables for Ravenloft random

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Monstrous Manual (1993) (Ankylosaurus, Deinonychus, Diplodocus, Elasmosaurus, Lambeosaurus, Pteranodon, Stegosaurus, Triceratops and Tyrannosaurus rex), Monstrous Compendium Annual Volume Two (1995) (Allosaurus, Brontosaurus, Ceratosaurus, Compsognathus, Dimetrodon, Euparkeria, Gorgosaurus,

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reviewer Daniel Colohan counted the abyssal lords among "the most feared enemies to encounter in any campaign". Among them, as an exception to the rule, Graz'zt appears humanoid rather than monstrous, and was ranked by Colohan number six among the "Top 10 Demon Lords Your Party Will Fear".

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Dungeons & Dragons set (1974), D&D Basic Set (1977, 1981, 1983), Monster Manual (1977), D&D Companion Rules (1984), Dragon No. 134 "The Ecology of the Red Dragon" (1988), Dungeons & Dragons Rules Cyclopedia (1991), Monster Manual (2000), Monster Manual v.3.5 (2003), D&D

76:

game featured both a higher number of books of monsters - "many tied to their growing stable of campaign worlds" - and more extensive monster descriptions than both earlier and later editions, with usually one page in length. Next to a description, monster entries in this edition contained

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Reviewer Kaneda called the gamorm a curiosity not to be disturbed under any circumstances, a "pretty little worm" that lives in the Astral plane and feeds on the spirit of living beings it meets; a horror all the more dangerous because it can use the powers of the people it has devoured.

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top list at No. 5 on " Dungeons & Dragons: The 20 Most Powerful Creatures, Ranked", and Scott Baird highlighted that "The tarrasque is currently the most powerful creature in the 5th edition of Dungeons & Dragons, where it is matched only by Tiamat in terms of its combat prowess."

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ranked the man-sized shrieker among the weakest monsters in the game, at "the bottom of the mushroom monster food chain": They "can be used as cheap alarm systems for Underdark societies, but they possess no combat abilities of their own. The only thing a shrieker can do is shriek".

3182:. The publication history, digital and print, of yuan-ti falls into this pattern as they serve as uncomplicated antagonists in "exotic" settings. Graeme Barber, a game designer noted for his critique of racism in Dungeons & Dragons, used yuan-ti in his contribution to the book 882:

Dungeons & Dragons set (1974), Monster Manual (1977), D&D Basic Set (1981, 1983), D&D Companion Rules (1984), Dungeons & Dragons Rules Cyclopedia (1991), Monster Manual (2000), Monster Manual v.3.5 (2003). D&D Miniatures: War of the Dragon Queen set #38 (2005)

16157:#13 (June/July 1979) under the names of fire imp, molten imp, smoke imp and steam imp, respectively (not including ice and mist mephits), originally submitted by M. Stollery. These "imps" were voted among the top ten monsters from the magazine's "Fiend Factory" column in 1980. 14852:

of the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons game. The pack consisted of 64 5-hole punched loose-leaf pages, unnumbered, and included a "How To Use This Book" page with an alphabetical index, a one-page index of appropriate monsters for the Al-Qadim setting from other books of the

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Monster Manual II (1983), Dragon No. 126 "The Ecology of the Shade" (1987), Dragon No. 213 (1995), Monstrous Compendium Annual Volume Four (1998), Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting (2001), Races of Faerûn (2003), Dragon No. 307 (2003), Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide (2008)

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Halls of the High King (1990), Monstrous Compendium Annual Volume One (1994), Priest's Spell Compendium, Volume Three (2000), Monsters of Faerûn (2001), Dragon No. 302 (2002), Lost Empires of Faerûn (2005), D&D Miniatures: Underdark set #37 (2005), Monster Manual (2008)

22900:" section, which includes an updated table for the calculation of experience points awarded for defeating various creatures. The final 8 pages of the book contain an index of the creatures presented in the Monstrous Manual and the first three Monstrous Compendium Annuals. 2234:

There's a lot of potential with Minotaurs. People hate and fear them, but you might be able to play that to your advantage...or fight against the stereotypes." The minotaur was among the monsters featured as trading cards on the back of Amurol Products candy figure boxes.

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Dragon No. 89 (1984), Anauroch (1991), Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting (1993), Monstrous Manual (1993), Dragon No. 261 "The Ecology of the Dark Naga: Fool Me Twice" (1999), Monster Manual (2000, 2003), D&D Miniatures: Underdark set #33 (2005), Monster Manual (2008)

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of the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons game. The 128-page soft-bound book contains a two-pages content list, a 4-pages "How To Use This Book" section and 5 pages of random encounter charts, with the remainder consisting of the descriptions of the fictional monsters.

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of the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons game. The pack consisted of 64 5-hole punched loose-leaf pages, unnumbered, providing the descriptions of the fictional monsters, and a single-page index of the creatures in the Spelljammer campaign setting (including sources).

10257:. The pack consisted of 96 double-sided, 5-hole-punched loose-leaf pages, unnumbered, providing the descriptions of the fictional monsters, as well as a 2-page "How to use this book" section, and a 4-page section providing background information on the Outer Planes. 34655:

Erdlu: large flightless scaled bird kept for meat and eggs; inix: 16-feet carnivorous lizard used for riding and transport; kank: 8-feet-long black insects kept as mounts and for honey; mekillot: 30-feet-long moundshaped foul-tempered lizards used as caravan beasts

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5444:, Gary Gygax portrayed the troglodyte in the game as more monstrous, with chaotic and evil behaviour, offensive smell and lizard-like characteristics. The troglodyte was among the monsters featured as trading cards on the back of Amurol Products candy figure boxes. 33980:

It is difficult to tell whether the braxat are of mammalian or reptilian stock. Their backs are covered with shells and their heads have a lizard-like shape. But, they walk upright, can speak with a human-like voice, have opposable thumbs, and are warm-blooded.

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Centaur-like creature, a player character race in the Planescape setting, where reviewer Johnny L. Wilson found they fill a similar niche than dwarves. They are "fierce fighters and congenial sojourners - as long as you don't serve meat or befriend any giants".

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Dragon No. 89 (1984), Anauroch (1991), Monstrous Compendium Forgotten Realms Appendix (1991), Dragon No. 261 "The Ecology of the Dark Naga: Fool Me Twice" (1999), Monster Manual (2000, 2003), D&D Miniatures: Underdark set #33 (2005), Monster Manual (2008)

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Typical example of a demon, belonging to the "standard repertoire of "Monsters"" and one of those contributing to the moral panic; also an instance of the sexist tropes the game draws on which presented female sexuality as inherently dangerous. Rob Bricken of

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Reviewer Alex Lucard considered the various giant space hamsters "the most infamous race of creatures TSR ever put out" and "enough to make the curious pick this up". He found the concept of a tyrannohamsterus rex laughable – until one had to fight one.

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Intelligent insectoid creatures, xixchil are a variant of thri-kreen for the Spelljammer setting. "They are spacefarers and innovaters and masterful surgeons" willing to "upgrade" individuals by modification of body-parts. For J.R. Zambrano they have a

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Intelligent stealthy jelly creature. Either evolved from simpler relatives, or persons magically transfigured "by hags and liches into a blobby puddle of remains" motivated by revenge. Reviewer Zack Furniss saw the monster on the "more horrific side of

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ranked the tiny skeleton one of the weakest D&D creatures, saying " go all the way down to Tiny-sized creatures, which means that it is possible for your party of adventurers to fight a group of skeletons that are the same size as action figures."

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Ruins of Undermountain (1991) (Hunting as "Spider, Flying", Watch), Monstrous Manual (1993), City of Splendors (1994) (Watch), Monsters of Faerûn (2001) (Hairy, Sword), Faiths and Pantheons (2002) (Hairy), City of Splendors: Waterdeep (2005) (Watch)

1490:' famed method of slaying it adapted into a vulnerability against fire, but not with the less well-known venomous bite, showing how the game mostly focusses on the well-known traits of mythological creatures. Present in the game since its inception. 13146:

Dragon No. 90 (1984), D&D Master Rules (1985) (Werebat), Monstrous Compendium Ravenloft Appendix (1991) (Werebat), Dungeons & Dragons Rules Cyclopedia (1991) (Werebat), Drow of the Underdark (1991), 1991 Trading Cards Set No. 383 (Werebat),

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contributor Lisa Granshaw counted oozes among "The 9 Scariest, Most Unforgettable Monsters From Dungeons & Dragons" and found them "extremely disturbing because everything may seem fine one minute and then the next you're on the way to death."

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Queen of the Demonweb Pits (1980), Monster Manual II (1983), Planescape Monstrous Compendium Appendix II (1995), Villains' Lorebook (1998), Dungeon No. 84 (2001), Monsters of Faerûn (2001), Fiendish Codex I (2006), Demon Queen's Enclave (2008)

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financial woes resulted in very few products being produced in 1997. Also in a departure from the first three annuals, Volume Four includes a reference to the original appearance of the creature on each page. The Annual also contains a 3-page "

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The second edition's monsters were based on original inventions, fantasy literature, and mythologies from various cultures. Many monsters were updated from earlier editions, but the 2nd edition also introduced a great number of new creatures.

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that drains the intelligence of its victims, possibly turning them into "zombies" under the plant's control. Ben Woodard found it an expression of the "seemingly endless morphology of fungal creep and toxicological capacity" within the game.

14857:-series, 2 pages of random encounter charts, and a sheet with the compiled game statistics, with the remainder consisting of the descriptions of the fictional monsters. Also included were 4 full-page illustrations on heavier card stock. 9436:

of the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons game. The pack consisted of 64 5-hole punched loose-leaf pages, unnumbered, providing the descriptions of the fictional monsters. Also included were 4 full-page illustrations on heavier card stock.

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magazine commentator Saladin Ahmed rated them as "ultimate badass monsters". He found a depiction sitting with pipe and smoking-jacket fitting on second thought, as the creature is so powerful it has no need to prove its dangerousness.

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and their ecology, a 3-page appendix about animal-like creatures there, a 3-page index with all second edition monsters suitable for the Planescape setting, with the remainder consisting of the descriptions of the fictional monsters.

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Malenti are actually sahuaghin but through a mutation "born with the appearance of a Sea-Elf", their "ancient enemies"; while despised by their kin, they are "raised by the clan's leadership to serve as spies inside Sea-Elf society."

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from Monstrous Compendium Volumes One and Two, as well as many creatures from subsequent volumes and other sources, and revised, updated, and in some cases condensed the entries; these are not duplicated here. The book is 384 pages.

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An original creation for the game's artificial underground environment, this monster was designed as a trap for unwary player characters; the trapper camouflages as a piece of floor, engulfing a victim stepping on it. Rob Bricken of

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Reviewer Mark Theurer remarked about Linnorm dragons that these giant "dragon-like beings that might best be described as feral dragons" really piqued his interest, and characterized the Corpse Tearer as "old, smart, and vicious".

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Scorpions have the distinction of having been the very first combat encounter in the first playtest, run by Gary Gygax, of the original version of the game. Giant: Scorpion the size of a horse, its stinger carries a deadly poison.

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are misrepresented in these files, they are presented here as given. The monstrous compendium contains a table of contents, an introduction with explanations of the monster statistics and special rules and considerations for the

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Large, powerful humanoid creatures, with slightly below average intelligence. Typical bad guys in the game, who can be used to teach "players about fighting big, powerful, stupid monsters, which is an iconic D&D experience".

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s "10 Most Powerful (And 10 Weakest) Monsters, Ranked", saying "You might think that a floating skull would be easy to smash to pieces, but you would be wrong, as demiliches are some of the most resilient creatures in the game."

12418:, with the remainder of the set consisting of the descriptions of the fictional monsters. Also included were 4 full-page illustrations on heavier card stock. The contents were republished in 1996 in paperback format within the 19292:(1987), Rules Cyclopedia (Planar Spider, Rhagodessa) (1991), Wrath of the Immortals (Ploppéd) (1992), Champions of Mystara: Heroes of the Princess Ark (Aranea) (1993), Red Steel (Aranea) (1994), Monster Manual (Aranea) (2003) 33089:

found that the "once-silly Modrons" from 1st edition AD&D were "given a new background and purpose that makes a lot more sense" in 2nd edition Planescape. Philippe Tessier praised the modrons as charming little critters.

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Monstrous Compendium Forgotten Realms Appendix (1991), Monstrous Manual (1993), Monsters of Faerûn (2001), D&D Miniatures: Underdark set #52 (2005), Drow of the Underdark (2007), Draconomicon (2008) (as "Purple Dragon")

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will leave you definitely wanting to have a nature focus, but you'll also stand out in a crowd. As a naturally shy race, be sure to consider that when playing your character. Typically speaking, Firbolgs aren't aggressive."

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typically standing from six to seven feet tall. A player character race in some settings. Reviewer Chris Gigoux described them by saying "Lizard Men aren't bad, they're just a simple folks, struggling to survive." In 2020,

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having its own subspecies of genie. Marids were largely changed from their mythological namesakes to fit to the element of water. Keith Ammann assumes the game's creators were inspired by the syllable mar- meaning "sea" in

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Fiend Folio (1981), Monstrous Compendium Fiend Folio Appendix (1992), Monstrous Manual (1993), Dragon No. 265 (1999), Monsters of Faerûn (2001), D&D Miniatures: War Drums set #57 (2006), Drow of the Underdark (2007)

11090:

author Allan Rausch described the slaadi as "remorseless reptilian killing machines", but "For many years, slaad were a joke -- because of their artwork", which showed them as "six-foot tall carnivorous frogs". With the

8165:"humanoid tree-frogs" forming "a society of "uncommonly intelligent" humanoid amphibians who were quick to adapt and acquire new skills"; J.R. Zambrano thought of them as a good choice to create a player character race. 5086:

An original creation for the game's artificial underground environment, this monster was designed as a trap for unwary player characters: living in corpses, they infect those who disturb these dead searching for riches.

103:. As a result, creatures that were fearsome by description were not taken seriously due to ill-suited visuals. Likewise, humanoid monsters too closely resembled humans to be compelling. In the view of Rausch as well as 30564:

Dragon No. 134 (1988), Monstrous Compendium Annual Volume One (1994), Monsters of Faerûn (2001), Draconomicon (2003), D&D Miniatures: War of the Dragon Queen set #48 (2006), Draconomicon (2008) (as "Gray Dragon")

3157:

A species of "cult-like snake people" and among "D&D's most popular and iconic monsters". The original yuan-ti castes were the abominations, the halfbreeds, and the purebloods, which first appeared in the module

9006:

Appears to be an oriental female human with long fox tail. These are magically enchanted, evil women with spell-abilities and an endless hunger for human life energy. They are type vampire capable of shapeshifting.

4290:

listed it among the "15 Most Idiotic Monsters In Dungeons & Dragons History". He did not think " it would pose much of a threat" "and was intended to be one of the good guys", but found the depiction "douchey".

2151:

Human variants. The game aims to present humans with the same diversity found in the real world and more, but in most cases they are statistically comparatively homogeneous, and depictions have often suffered from

820:

Greyhawk set (1974), Monster Manual (1977), D&D Basic Set (1997), Monster Manual (2000), Monster Manual v.3.5 (2003), D&D Miniatures: Dragoneye set #14 (2004), D&D Miniatures: Unhallowed set #19 (2007)

16209:

Fiend Folio (1981), Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting (1993), Monstrous Manual (1993), Dragon No. 265 (1999), Monsters of Faerûn (2001), D&D Miniatures: War Drums set #57 (2006), Drow of the Underdark (2007)

2195:

Also known as illithids, these "Squid-headed humanoids" were considered one of "the game's signature monsters" by Philip J. Clements. Reviewer Julien Blondel described them as vile brain-eating creatures full of

29090:

from various sources not explicitly dedicated to presenting monsters. Primarily, these are the separate sourcebooks and expansions for the Forgotten Realms, Al-Qadim and other campaign settings produced by TSR.

9754:, Armor-Plated, Yellow Musk, Ethereal, Carnivorous Flying, Two-Headed Lernaean Bombardier, Fire-Breathing Phase Doppelganger, Great Horned, Abominable, Tyrannohamsterus Rex, and Giant Space Hamster of Ill-Omen 6774:

A "dragon-like humanoid species", born from embryos of good dragons corrupted by evil magic, are "cast as beings of pure horror", and "abominations"; "added to further support the world's foundational themes."

9572:

1993 Trading Card No. 222, Monstrous Compendium Annual Volume Four (1998), Monster Manual II (2002) (Adamantine, Electrum, Gold, Platinum), Dragon No. 350 "The Ecology of the Clockwork Horror" (2006) (Copper)

35446:

would have us believe." He adds: "Buddy, you've got a mouth lined with thousands of razor-sharp teeth and huge terrifying crab claws for hands. You do not need to try to jab people with a sharpened stick."

26888:

the Monstrous Compendium format to describe individuals of already published monster races and includes a two-page introduction with a list of monsters from other sources suitable for the Ravenloft setting.

1155:

Overlarge powerful humanoids with a self-involved social focus, usually presented as the "bad guys". Based on mythological figures and Tolkien, their stone-throwing ability indicates their creative roots in

15402:#9 (October/November 1978), submitted by Roger Musson. Already suggested to be used humorously by editor Don Turnbull then, it was voted as the worst of monsters from the magazine's "Fiend Factory" column. 3309:

counted the aarakocra as # 9 on the list of "10 Powerful Monster Species That You Should Play As", stating that "As long as they're not wearing heavy or medium armor you have a flying sniper, essentially."

17134:

in 2018 called it one of "The 9 Scariest, Most Unforgettable Monsters From Dungeons & Dragons", saying that "The idea of having your brain consumed and just becoming an evil puppet is truly terrible."

2156:. As the players are humans, in the game humans are the standard against which other playable races are compared, and often promoted "as the best or most versatile characters". Berserkers are based on the 28811:, descriptions of the fictional monsters which included tips for their use in a roleplaying campaign, two roleplaying adventures and a 4-page appendix listing monsters from other sources fitting into the 14772:"The tohr-kreen are larger, more cultured, civilized version of the thri-kreen", they are also "more intelligent and deadly" and "have a taste for the finer things in live". They "make excellent allies". 8242:

magazine, considered the hook horror as one of the creatures with "strange appearances and little else; there is no depth to their listings" and that it was one of the creatures which "seem incomplete".

19538:(Red Worm) (1989), HWA1: Nightwail (Great Annelid) (1990), HWA2: Nightrage (Great Annelid) (1990), D&D Rules Cyclopedia (Caecilia) (1991), Creature Catalog (yrsnaca, Great Annelid, Red Worm) (1993) 17505:

of the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons game. The 128-page soft-bound book contains a two pages of explanation about the various entries and a page with a list of monsters from this and other sources by

1602:"hort subterranean lizard-men", considered one of the "five main "humanoid" races" in AD&D by Paul Karczag and Lawrence Schick, and ranked among the weakest monsters in the game by Scott Baird from 11323:

Has a composite appearance, broad and strong-looking, with a head like a goat-horned dog, pincers instead of hands, and human arms protruding from its chest. Called type III demon in earlier editions.

3164:(1981), In the adventure, the characters are hired to find an object taken to a lost oriental-style city, which has been taken over by a cult of snake-worshipers, the yuan-ti, and their servants, the 770:

Powerful and intelligent, usually winged reptiles with magical abilities and breath weapon. The different subraces, distinguished by their colouring, vary in power. The dragon has been referred to as

17171:

Created by a powerful wizard, a living wall is built from living beings, which are absorbed into the surface of the wall itself, helping to enhance its collective powers. The living wall appeared on

17113:, Bumblebee, Cave cricket, Ear seeker, Firefriend (giant firefly), Giant bluebottle fly, Giant horsefly, Gargantuan praying mantis, Giant harvester termite (king, queen, soldier, worker), Giant tick 13248:

Drow of the Underdark (1991), Monstrous Manual (1993), Monsters of Faerûn (2001), D&D Miniatures: Underdark set #52 (2005), Drow of the Underdark (2007), Draconomicon (2008) (as "Purple Dragon")

19335:(Jade, Ooze, Silver, Steel) (1986), Creature Catalogue (Jade, Ooze, Silver, Steel) (1986), D&D Rules Cyclopedia (Crystal, Iron, Rock) (1991), Creature Catalog (Jade, Ooze, Silver, Steel) (1993) 5882:

Iguanodon, Monoclonius, Plateosaurus, Struthiomimus, Tanystropheus, Teratosaurus, Trachodon; under Dinosaur, Aquatic: Archelon, Dinichthys, Mosasaurus, Nothosaurus, Plesiosaurus, Temnodontosaurus)

2460:, an example of the diverse cultures amalgamated into D&D. Part of the game from its very beginning, a pegasus was already depicted in the playtest material from 1973 for the original edition. 26300:

magazine, the reviewer described hollyphants as "mutant killer elephants with wings" and felt that they were introduced to "ensure that the planes maintain their very necessary bizarre flavour".

4330:

used a story in which he received a letter asking how many eggs a Hippogriff could lay as an example of the encyclopedic knowledge which fans expected him to have over every detail of gameplay.

851:

Greyhawk set (1974), Monster Manual (1977), Monster Manual (2000), Monster Manual v.3.5 (2003), D&D Miniatures: Angelfire set #21 (2005), D&D Miniatures: Desert of Desolation #23 (2007)

38201: 30282:

praised the tabaxi as an interesting player character choice, calling that they "view money as a mere tool to be used in finding the real treasure—a good story" a "great character trait, while

10786:, and ancient enemies of the githzerai, githyanki are considered to "boast some excellent twists" as non-player characters, but "little more than dextrous, not to mention ugly, egg layers" as 5827:

ranked the crawling claw among the 10 weakest monsters in 2018: "At best, you can use a bunch of them to act as a distraction or as a screen while another villain prepares a spell or trap."

4701:

Reviewer Philippe Tessier described the rabbit, when made available as a familiar, as little and "doesn't look like much", but valued it as cute, interesting and useful for detecting traps.

3662:. Often depicted as "short, stout, and fond of ale", "bearded masters of metalworking" and "predisposed towards a "good" moral alignment", "tend to embody an extreme vision of masculinity". 3178:

as "a human-eating snake, or human-snake hybrid eater of humans and snakes, or other human-snake hybrids." Snakes and snake-worship used in fiction have been criticized as characteristic of

22399:"A flumph looks like a large jellyfish that propels itself through the air by sucking air into its body and expelling it." Ranked among the weakest monsters in the game by Scott Baird from 13207:

Monstrous Compendium Annual Volume One (1994), Dragon No. 223 "The Ecology of the Chitine" (1995), Monsters of Faerûn (2001), Underdark (2003), D&D Miniatures: Dragoneye set #47 (2004)

3190:, according to Barber, altered his depiction of yuan-ti. Summarizing his critique of the simplistic portrayal, Barber wrote, "Yuan-ti are evil because evil." Keith Ammann, in his 2019 book 37792: 18497:(1984) (Mud Golem), Creature Catalogue (1986) (Iron Gargoyle), D&D Rules Cyclopedia (1991)(Mud Golem), Creature Catalog (1993) (Iron Gargoyle), Monster Manual III (2004) (Mud Golem) 3519:, author Keith Ammann called bulettes "brutes tailor-made to give your players jump scares" and found its preferences and aversions for the meat of different humanoid races "ludicrous". 1274:, seen in e.g. being empowered by electricity, as well as Gothic fiction more generally; a typical denizen of the Ravenloft setting, and "classic" monster of the game. The influence of 2953:

They are a type of humanoid insect. They have long mandible arms with powerful claws. Anyone looking into their eyes can be driven mad. Present in the game since the earliest edition.

41632: 11114:

in response to moral panic, many were based on figures from Christian demonology. Considered among the "standard repertoire of "Monsters"" by Fabian Perlini-Pfister. In a review of

3124:

Dragon-like in overall appearance, the wyvern features a serpentine head, wings, scales, but only two legs and no breath weapon. Its tail is equipped with a poisonous tail stinger.

2410:

in J.R.R. Tolkien's works. Considered one of the "five main "humanoid" races" in AD&D by Paul Karczag and Lawrence Schick. Presented as "evil" and "savage raiders" in the game.

21588:

Dragon No. 40 (1980), Van Richten's Guide to Werebeasts (1993), Van Richten's Monster Hunter's Compendium, Volume One (1999), Denizens of Darkness (2002), Denizens of Dread (2004)

10215:

top list at No. 13 on " Dungeons & Dragons: The 20 Most Powerful Creatures, Ranked", and Scott Baird highlighted that "One of the most mysterious and powerful creatures in the

2759:, Ravenloft Monstrous Compendium Appendix III: Creatures of Darkness (1994), Monster Manual (2000), Monster Manual (2003), Libris Mortis: The Book of Undead, Monster Manual (2008) 692:

A magical creature resembling a puma with a tentacle growing from each shoulder, it hates all forms of life, and always appears 3 feet from its actual position. Based on the alien

11095:

setting they "were reinterpreted artistically to be less frog-like and much more fearsome". Shannon Applecline considered the slaad one of the game's especially notable monsters.

8515:'s list of "The Dumbest Dungeons & Dragons Monsters Ever (And How To Use Them)". Cameron Kunzelmann found it an inventive and "super weird" monster beyond the game's staples. 5842:

An original creation for the game's artificial underground environment, this monster was designed as a trap for unwary player characters; it looks like a living cloak with teeth.

1214:

Player character race "often stereotyped as buffoons, illusionists, mad inventors, and many characters play them as intentionally "wacky" or anachronistic"; often conforms to the

39940: 38773: 22405:: It only attacks with a stinking liquid, and helpless when turned on its back. Shannon Applecline considered "the much-satirized flumph" one of the silly monsters introduced in 18960:

Creature Catalogue (1986), Dawn of the Emperors (1989), PC2: Top Ballista (1991), M2: Vengeance of Alphaks (1991), Creature Catalog (1993), Monstrous Compendium Annual V3 (1996)

4733:

An original creation for the game's artificial underground environment, this "iconic monster" looks like a treasure chest and is designed as a trap for unwary player characters.

4178:

in 2018 called it one of "The 9 Scariest, Most Unforgettable Monsters From Dungeons & Dragons", saying that "There are endless horrific possibilities when it comes to hags."

35326: 2317:

Based on the nymph from Greek mythology, also an instance of the sexist tropes the game draws on which presented female sexuality as inherently dangerous. Appeared in the movie

18512:

Creature Catalogue (1986) (Rock, Silver Golem), Monstrous Compendium Dark Sun Appendix: Terrors of the Desert (1992), (Rock Golem) Creature Catalog (1993) (Rock, Silver Golem)

10464:

Among lowest of fiends, these "living piles of rotting flesh that look like puddles of pink skin" are one initial incarnation of evil souls when arriving at the lower planes.

35619:

game. It functioned as "a creative safe haven for a diverse stable of talents – creators, amateur and professional alike – to" among other things "envision exotic monsters".

25804:

of the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons game. The 128-page soft-bound book contains a two-page "How to use this book" section, two pages of encounter tables for the different

19517: 19390: 19326: 19308: 19283: 19253: 19031: 19013: 18888: 18731: 18607: 18494: 18470: 18452: 18360: 17756: 6070:

Considered among the "standard repertoire of "Monsters"", and among the 12 most underrated monsters, "a creature as large and fearsome as a dragon but without all the hype".

23944:: In its eldest version it "represents the ultimate challenge for any party of adventurers, though it would easily dispose of all but the most insanely overleveled groups." 8373:

Undead consisting of a humanoid skull and giant snake vertebrae, "looks like the skeleton of a Guardian Naga", with venomous bite and mesmerizing powers; first published in

826:

Benevolent and talkative good-aligned desert-dwelling dragons that can breathe sleep gas or fear-causing gas. An example of content misrepresented by the game's detractors.

38726: 20429:(1993), Monstrous Compendium Annual Volume One (1994), Van Richten's Monster Hunter's Compendium, Volume Two (1999), Ravenloft Dungeon Master's Guide (2003) (as "Psilich") 2004:. Present in the game since its inception, an image of a werewolf's face by Gygax' childhood friend Tom Keogh was "lmost certainly the oldest piece of art" in the original 361:

Supplement I: Greyhawk (1975), Monster Manual (1977), Spelljammer: AD&D Adventures In Space (1989), Monster Manual (2000), Monster Manual (2003), Monster Manual (2008)

32538:

Strategic Review No. 3 (1975), Monster Manual (1977), Monster Cards, Set 4 (1982), Monstrous Compendium Annual Volume One (1994) (under Elemental), Tome of Horrors (2002)

22528:

A "group of strange, nomadic people with great mystical power, especially in the areas of curses and prophecy" from the Ravenloft setting, matching harmful stereotypes of

40747: 10837:

contributor Christian Hoffer considered "the conflict between the otherworldly githzerai and githyanki" one "of the great conflicts that make up the D&D multiverse".

25808:

of the game and a one-page alphabetical for all monsters entries published for the setting, with the remainder consisting of the descriptions of the fictional monsters.

40660: 21063:

game in 1993, fictional monsters of the same year from magazines affiliated with the game, as well as creatures from earlier sources. The book also contains a two-page

10752:; thus an example how "game authors and designers transform and adapt references from various sources, not hesitating to articulate or even merge them into new forms." 5236:" and observed: "even once they've found their vengeance, they're still a nasty blob and often go insane because they can't find satiation or communicate. Grim stuff." 22005:" section, and a 1-page section updating the calculation of experience points awarded for defeating various creatures (including tables updating those in the AD&D 12052:

listed the grell among the "15 Most Idiotic Monsters In Dungeons & Dragons History" and found that it's movement by floating contributed to it looking ridiculous.

8132:

listed the grell among the "15 Most Idiotic Monsters In Dungeons & Dragons History" and found that it's movement by floating contributed to it looking ridiculous.

30359:

Monstrous Compendium Annual Volume Three (1996), The Illithiad (1998), Monsters of Faerûn (2001), Lords of Madness (2005), D&D Miniatures: Night Below #38 (2007)

10860:

contributor Christian Hoffer counted "the conflict between the otherworldly githzerai and githyanki" among "the great conflicts that make up the D&D multiverse".

9116:-headed humanoids that wielded weapons in their tentacles. Reviewer Michael Mullen described the krakentua as "a really nasty new monster" in its first appearance in 9051:

Primitive, cone-headed humanoids. Cave kala could inject paralyzing venom by biting enemies and Earth kala could infect creatures with diseases through their breath.

5312:

Flying and blood-sucking bird-like creatures. "esky" because while small they are dangerous to characters as a swarm. Present in the game since its earliest edition.

2938:

rather than from their mythological or Tolkienesque counterparts. Considered one of the "five main "humanoid" races" in AD&D by Paul Karczag and Lawrence Schick.

29812:(1996), Monstrous Compendium Annual Volume Three (1996), Monsters of Faerûn (2001), Anauroch: The Empire of the Shade (2007), Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide (2008) 13151:(1992) (Werebat), Monstrous Manual (1993), Ravenloft Monstrous Compendium Appendices I & II (1996) (Werebat), Monsters of Faerûn (2001) (Night Hunter, Sinister) 10999:

referred to the night hag as "splendid" and notes that the illustration of the night hag is the best drawing in the book. It has been described as comparable to the

33085:

boxed set, Gene Alloway mentioned the modrons as an example of "the old, tired and previously foolish" which the set "breathes new life and meaning into". Reviewer

25842:

reviewer Nick Wanserski found them an interesting player character race "for the chance to be unequivocally good in a way that's difficult to embody in real life".

3611:

Lion-headed dragon-like creature, it was "Originally described as 'a weird cross between a brass dragon and a giant lion'". Present "in every edition of the game",

22896:

This 128-page soft-bound book contains creatures appearing in various TSR publications (magazines, game accessories, etc.) in the year 1995. It contains a 3-page "

22001:

This 128-page soft-bound book contains creatures appearing in various TSR publications (magazines, game accessories, etc.) in the year 1994. It contains a 2-page "

2708:'s turn undead ability. Turnbull commented, "I used to enjoy seeing clerics vainly trying to turn what wouldn't turn, when Shadows were first met". Rob Bricken of 39768: 27280:

Aurochs, Bear, Bee, Dolphin, Dragon, Eagle, Griffon, Horse, Lion, Phoenix, Ram, Rooster, Sea Horse, Sea Lion, Stag, Black Swan, Talbot, Tyger, Unicorn and Wyvern

19060:(1981), Creature Catalogue (1986), Champions of Mystara: Heroes of the Princess Ark (1993), Creature Catalog (1993), Rage of the Rakasta (1993), Red Steel (1994) 15594: 9736:

Critically described by Aaron Trammell as "a simian race of humanoids reminiscent of old minstrel shows", subject of criticism when translated into 5th edition.

3689:

contributor Christian Hoffer considered the struggle of the duergar with their dwarven cousins one "of the great conflicts that make up the D&D multiverse".

30650:

Monstrous Compendium Annual Volume One (1994), Monster Manual II (2002), Serpent Kingdoms (2004), D&D Miniatures: Unhallowed set #34, Monster Manual (2008)

17759:

rules, and as a result many of the entries below originated in the D&D Basic, Expert, Companion or Masters rulebooks, and the modules associated with them.

17937:(1981), Creature Catalogue (1986), Creature Catalog (1993), Monstrous Compendium Annual Volume Four (1998), Epic Level Handbook (2002), Dungeon No. 144 (2007) 16451:#7 (June/July 1978), originally submitted by Jonathan Jones. The volt was voted among the top ten monsters from the magazine's "Fiend Factory" column in 1980. 3860:

Author Ben Woodard called D&D's fungi horrific in their variety, not only due to their poisonous nature but their creepy ability to move. Scott Baird from

30035:(Werebat), Monstrous Manual (1993), Ravenloft Monstrous Compendium Appendices I & II (1996) (Werebat), Monsters of Faerûn (2001) (Night Hunter, Sinister) 28163:

A giant skeleton that is holding a small figure prisoner in their ribcage, this creature is highlighted by reviewer Kaneda for characters to steer away from.

19298:

Aranea not to be confused with similar creature defined in Monstrous Compendium Annual Volume Three (1996), Savage Coast Monstrous Compendium Appendix (1996)

30979:

Haunted Halls of Evening Star (1992), Monstrous Compendium Annual Volume One (1994), Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting (2001), Lost Empires of Faerûn (2005)

39976: 30907:

Dragon No. 139 (1988), Haunted Halls of Evening Star (1992), Monstrous Compendium Annual Volume One (1994), Priest's Spell Compendium, Volume Three (2000)

20493:(1993), Mystara Monstrous Compendium Appendix (1994), Monstrous Compendium Annual Volume One (1994), Denizens of Darkness (2002), Denizens of Dread (2004) 19915:(1993), Monstrous Compendium Annual Volume One (1994), Dragon No. 292 (2002), Denizens of Darkness (2002), Denizens of Dread (2004), Dragon No. 339 (2006) 16609:

included the idea among the "15 Most Idiotic Monsters In Dungeons & Dragons History", humorously commenting: "just kick it over, who's going to know?"

30777:

Shadowdale (1989), Ruins of Undermountain (1991), Monstrous Compendium Annual Volume One (1994), Monsters of Faerûn (2001), Lost Empires of Faerûn (2005)

30364:

Undead mind flayer. Even more powerful than other illithids because it has developed "powerful sorcery to augment their already fearsome psionic powers".

489:

described it as "an overweight buffalo with stumpy legs, a giraffe-like neck, and a warthog's head". An "old personal favorite" of reviewer Mark Theurer,

77:

standardized sections covering combat, their habit and society, and their role in the eco-system. While later editions gave the various creatures all the

31703:

Human-like aquatic race that reproduces with humans. Accanta are wild and aggressive versions of the children of the sea that possess additional powers.

28807:

of the setting's world. It contained a table of contents, a 10-page introduction with an explanation of the monster statistics and special rules for the

7603: 5472:#9 (October/November 1978), submitted by Nick Louth. It was voted among the top ten monsters from the magazine's "Fiend Factory" column and reprinted in 33076:

Monodrone, Duodrone, Tridrone, Quadron, Pentadrone, Decaton, Nonaton, Octon, Septon, Hexton, Quinton, Quarton, Tertian, Secundus, Primus and Rogue Unit

30807:

Dwarves Deep (1990), Monstrous Manual (1993), Pool of Radiance: Attack on Myth Drannor (2000), Monsters of Faerûn (2001), Lost Empires of Faerûn (2005)

18755:(1984) (Chamelon Man), Creature Catalogue (1986) (Chamelon Man, Gator Man, Sis'thik), DA4: Duchy of Ten (1987) (Gator Man), D&D Expert Module B1-9 " 16040:

reviewer Scott Baird ranked them among the weakest monsters in the game, which have a scary description, but lack the stats to back up this impression.

42626: 38894: 35681: 34009:

A race of dimwitted humanoids with bony, wedge-like heads, small ears, and beady eyes covered by clear membranes to prevent sand from scratching them.

28014:

in the game. The 128-page soft-bound book contains a two-page "How to use this book" section, ten pages about the fictional principles governing those

19462:(1985), Creature Catalogue (1986), Creature Catalog (1993), Red Steel (1994), Savage Coast Monstrous Compendium Appendix (1996), Dragon No. 315 (2004) 6993:

A "tiny, dirty, unorganized folk", but having heart; known for their limited ability to count. Gully dwarves could be used as player characters in the

2928:

Tall green-skinned evil gaunt humanoids. A characteristic denizen of AD&D worlds. Their appearance and powerful regenerative ability is taken from

485:

A bizarre creature that inhabits swamps, the large bloodshot eyes of its unusually heavy head emanate a ray that causes other creatures to simply die.

40993: 32254:

Monster Manual (1977) (Ear Seeker), Fiend Folio (1981) (Goldbug), Monstrous Manual (1993) (Ear Seeker), Monstrous Compendium Annual Volume One (1994)

29753:

Monstrous Manual (1993), Black Spine (1994), I, Tyrant (1996), Monsters of Faerûn (2001), Lords of Madness (2005), Dragon Compendium, Volume 1 (2005)

20105:

Intangible undead spirit of a person that died traumatically. Inspired by Gothic fiction, a fitting monster for the nightmarish domains of Ravenloft.

4809:

A "race of sentient fungus creatures", "some of which pack a mean punch", and which have the "ability to spray poisons that can disable their foes".

42409: 17952:

Creature Catalogue (1986), GAZ1: Grand Duchy of Karameikos (1987), GAZ5: Elves of Alfheim (1988), PC4: Night Howlers (1992), Creature Catalog (1993)

14291:

living on desert islands; 25ft-tall giant raising herds on islands with scrub plains terrain; beasthead: 20ft-tall hostile giant with an animal head

5030:

Dungeons & Dragons set (1974), Monster Manual (1977), Monster Manual (2000), Monster Manual (2003), Monster Manual (2008), Monster Manual (2014)

608:

Dungeons & Dragons set (1974), Monster Manual (1977), Monster Manual (2000), Monster Manual (2003), Monster Manual (2008), Monster Manual (2014)

35438:

identified the anguillian as one of the "15 Most Idiotic Monsters In Dungeons & Dragons History", commenting that "Judging by the spear and the

34705:

with an animal head; desert: 25ft-tall giants living on desert islands; plains: 25ft-tall giants raising herds on islands with scrub plains terrain

34043:

with an animal head; desert: 25ft-tall giants living on desert islands; plains: 25ft-tall giants raising herds on islands with scrub plains terrain

21037:

collected and updated monsters published in a variety of sources. Creatures listed under the heading of earlier publications are not repeated here.

18307:

D&D Expert Rules (1981, 1983), D&D Rules Cyclopedia (1991), Planescape – Monstrous Compendium Appendix III (1998), Monster Manual II (2002)

2490:"a miniature dragon that also has a tail stinger" Reviewer Philippe Tessier found it "very nice" and interesting when made available as a familiar. 39296: 6997:

game. They were by design weaker than other character options, and so only appealing to few players who "enjoy the underdog status" they provided.

6204: 8214:

A bipedal, subterranean monster that looks like a vulture-like humanoid with bony hooks in place of hands. The hook horror was first published in

4319:

universe": An artistic representation drawing inspiration from real eagles and horses was used for the cover of the third booklet of the original

35578:

Worm-like creature 10 feet (3.0 m) in diameter and 100 feet (30 m) long with four long tentacles protruding from the lamprey-like maw.

34602: 18759:" (1987) (Chamelon Man), Creature Catalog (1993) (Chamelon Man, Gator Man, Sis'thik), Savage Coast Monstrous Compendium Appendix (1996) (Cayman) 16034:

Humanoid "hairy screaming monsters that attack in large groups and seek to devour everything in their path", "little more than mindless beasts".

8400:#6 (April 1978), submitted by Trevor Graver. It was voted among the top ten monsters from the magazine's "Fiend Factory" column and reprinted in 3092:

A reverse of a werewolf, that transforms from a wolf to either a humanoid or an humanoid-wolf hybrid instead of from a human to a humanoid wolf.

136:'s advocacy group Bothered About Dungeons and Dragons (BADD). These were later reintroduced, sometimes with different names to avoid complaints. 30878:

Fiend Folio (1981), Monstrous Compendium Fiend Folio Appendix (1992), Monstrous Manual (1993), Dragon No. 265 (1999), Monsters of Faerûn (2001)

19820:

The Created (1993), Monstrous Compendium Annual Volume One (1994), Denizens of Darkness (2002), Denizens of Dread (2004), Dragon No. 339 (2006)

38440: 38202:"Saladin's Sundrarium: Five Iconic 1st Edition AD&D Illustrations Proving David A. Trampier Is One of the Best Fantasy Artists of All Time" 23753:" section, which includes updated tables for the calculation of experience points awarded for defeating various creatures, and a 2-page index. 22428:

Reviewer Cameron Kunzelmann found the froghemoth, a large amphibious predator, a straightforward monster without need for detailed background.

6618:

Dragon No. 116 (1986), Tales of the Lance (1992) Monstrous Compendium Annual Volume Four (1998) (as Anemone, Giant Sea), Dungeon No. 79 (2000)

2440:

Newly created for the game early on inspired by a Hong Kong–made plastic toy, the owlbear was well-received as a useful and memorable monster.

4864:

A black moss that steals memories and forms a tiny version of the robbed person which can use the memories to fight. The obliviax appeared on

2771:

Skeleton of a deceased creature animated as an undead. The skeleton was ranked second among the ten best low-level monsters by the authors of

42105: 41956: 38137: 24456: 19160:(Polymar) (1982), D&D Master Rules (Adaptor, Metamorph) (1985), Creature Catalogue (Polymar, Randara) (1986), D&D Basic Module B1-9 " 918:

Greyhawk set (1974), Monster Manual (1977), Monster Manual (2000), Monster Manual v.3.5 (2003), D&D Miniatures: Archfiends set #5 (2004)

571:

A woodland being with the upper half of a human and the lower body of a large powerful horse, it is a sociable tribal creature. Based on the

39445: 30836:

Fiend Folio (1981), Monstrous Compendium Fiend Folio Appendix (1992), Monstrous Compendium Annual Volume One (1994), Tome of Horrors (2002)

24315:

A decomposed species of mermaid, reviewer Philippe Tessier counted the Ravenloft siren among those critters which never stopped moving him.

22064:

Ruins of Undermountain (1991) (Scaladar), Ruins of Undermountain 2 (1994) Enhanced Scaladar) City of Splendors: Waterdeep (2005) (Scaladar)

21669:

Monster Manual II (1983), Dragon Mountain (1993), Fiend Folio (2003), Serpent Kingdoms (2004), D&D Miniatures: Angelfire set #57 (2005)

5199:

Plant-like creature resembling a heap of rotting vegetation. Ben Woodard considered its ability to move "the base creepiness of the creep".

1035:, "quick but fragile", with senses surpassing a human's, often depicted as "effeminate" and "predisposed towards a "good" moral alignment". 836:

Greyhawk set (1974), Monster Manual (1977), Monster Manual (2000), Monster Manual v.3.5 (2003), D&D Miniatures: War Drums set #7 (2006)

39017: 21779:

Dragon No. 163 (1990), Monster Manual II (2002), Dragon No. 338 "The Ecology of the Spell Weaver" (2005), Dragon: Monster Ecologies (2007)

41376: 34557:

9-foot-long (2.7 m) moderately intelligent insectoid creatures with four legs and two clawed arms, primitive relatives to thri-kreen

1133: 42944: 39725: 5104:

to certain characters and their players not due to their ability to fight but to destroy their items. Chris Sims of the on-line magazine

3979: 2744: 1741: 39948: 38783: 34881:

box were a set of cardsheets, separate from the books. Beyond rules summaries and handy charts, several unique monsters were presented.

16029:

Fiend Folio (1981), Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting (1993), Monstrous Manual (1993), Dragon No. 265 (1999), Monsters of Faerûn (2001)

5751: 41233: 37467:Švelch, Jaroslav (2013). "Monsters by the numbers: Controlling monstrosity in video games". In Levina, Marina; T. Bui, Diem-My (eds.). 32524:

White Dwarf No. 10 (1978), Fiend Folio (1981), Monstrous Compendium Annual Volume One (1994) (under Elemental), Tome of Horrors (2002)

30936:

Halls of the High King (1990), Monstrous Compendium Annual Volume One (1994), Monsters of Faerûn (2001), Lost Empires of Faerûn (2005)

41: 38059: 36926: 25895:

Gargantuan creature with a single black eye, gaping maw, muscular forearms, which end in pincer-like claws and serpentine lower body.

17230:

Vaguely humanoid creature bound to and formed from a puddle of mud. Ranked among the weakest monsters in the game by Scott Baird from

16305:

Monstrous Compendium Annual Volume One (1994) (under Faerie, Petty), Savage Coast Monstrous Compendium Appendix (1996) (under Na‰ruk)

554:

A large insectoid with characteristics of a spider and lobster, it catches foes with its sticky filament by firing it from a distance

99:

author Allan Rausch found that until the 2nd edition the artwork depicting monsters was influenced by the popular culture of the late

38618: 2042:

Part of the game from its very beginning, a medusa was already depicted in the playtest material from 1973 for the original edition.

1859: 899:

Miniatures: Dragoneye set #55 (2004), D&D Miniatures: Giants of Legend set #71 (2004), D&D Icons: Colossal Red Dragon (2006)

41183: 41026: 40185: 39392:

Fantasy Freaks and Gaming Geeks: An Epic Quest for Reality Among Role Players, Online Gamers, and Other Dwellers of Imaginary Realms

37297: 36725: 32594:

Monster Manual II (1983), Monstrous Compendium Annual Volume One (1994), Psionics Handbook (2001), Expanded Psionics Handbook (2004)

23848:

An "aggressive, mobile fungus", reviewer Philippe Tessier counted the carapace among those critters which never stopped moving him.

21067:

section, a revised table for calculating experience points, and two pages of tips on how to use monsters in the game in the section

15986:

Fiend Folio (1981), Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting (1993), Monstrous Compendium Annual Volume One (1994), Tome of Horrors (2002)

8379:#7 (June/July 1978), submitted by Simon Tilbrook. In 1980 it was voted the best monster from the magazine's "Fiend Factory" column. 712:, describing displacer beasts as looking like "pumas with thorn-covered tentacles growing out of their shoulders". Rob Bricken from 41612: 39100: 33965:

Belgoi appear human, but with long claws, toothless mouths, and webbed feet. They have a taste for the flesh of intelligent races.

30276:

in-game entirely depends on how much time and leniency the DM grants you though." Again referring to the 5th edition presentation,

29106: 21697:

Jungles of Chult (1993), Villains' Lorebook (1998), Monsters of Faerûn (2001) (from here on as pterafolk), Serpent Kingdoms (2004)

20135:

More powerful version of the Monstrous Manual flesh golem. Inspired by Gothic fiction, a typical denizen of the Ravenloft setting.

6847: 2200:. He found them delightful creatures for a sadistic Dungeon Master to use, and a useful bridge between classic game worlds and the 113:

setting marked a turning point for these shortcomings, which also had a significant impact on the presentation of the 3rd edition.

41099: 40606: 40458: 21019:

Castles Forlorn (1993), Monstrous Compendium Annual Volume One (1994), Ravenloft Gazetteer: Volume I (2002), Libris Mortis (2004)

10854:

niche usually occupied by elves. Shannon Applecline considered the githzerai one of the game's especially notable monsters, while

10223:

appearance, they had the maximum Strength score that was allowed in the game and they were immune to almost all forms of damage."

1262:

of Medieval Jewish folklore, though changed from "a cherished defender to an unthinking hulk" while the flesh golem is related to

43193: 43020: 42898: 42722: 42336: 41919: 41552: 38734: 37554: 24960:

In the post-apocalyptic setting of Athas, elves are nomadic desert runners rather than the more common image of forest-dwellers.

20462:

An especially powerful version of a werewolf. The werewolf was considered a typical monster for the horror-setting of Ravenloft.

4953: 4243:#8 (August/September 1978) that the breath weapon of the "much-feared" hell hound had been altered from its previous appearance. 3615:

stated it was "probably the oldest manifestation in the game of the idea of a half-dragon". Renamed to liondrake in 5th edition.

3515: 3192: 1326: 95:

for each monster, which became standard in later editions of the game. Referencing Wizards of the Coast art director Dawn Murin,

39862:"Clerics, Magic Users, Fighters and Thieves: Theoretical Approaches to Rules Questions on the Role-Playing Games Stack Exchange" 39507: 38348: 34674: 34272: 34115:

Snake-like reptiles that inhabit mudflats, ten feet long and two to three feet in diameter. They can swallow a grown man whole.

27475:

Monstrous Compendium – Fiend Folio Appendix (1992) (Stwinger), Monstrous Compendium Annual Volume One (1994) (as Faerie, Petty)

9372: 4286:

Based on medieval bestiaries. "Depicted as the front half of a horse and the rear half of a fish or sea-serpent." Tyler Linn of

2024:

Based on its mythological counterpart, including the barbed tail, the manticore appeared in the game from its earliest edition.

42905: 42805: 41622: 40755: 39322: 31494:

Tribal creatures consisting of stalk-like tendrils that spend their lives dormant, re-experiencing the lives of dead warriors.

25686:

9-foot-long (2.7 m) moderately intelligent insectoid creatures with four legs and two clawed arms, primitive relatives to

3983: 2748: 1937: 1783: 1747: 1337:. Later the game began using the name "halfling" as an alternative to "hobbit" for legal reasons. The "halfling" appeared as a 34072:

About four feet tall, the jozhal is a small, two-legged reptile with a skinny tail, a long flexible neck, and a narrow snout.

33012:

Rats modified by mind flayers which show a "glowing brain". Ranked among the weakest monsters in the game by Scott Baird from

6894: 6877: 6588:

consisting of the descriptions of the fictional monsters. Also included were 4 full-page illustrations on heavier card stock.

3068:

in the works of J.R.R. Tolkien; the name was changed for legal reasons, while both the word and concept ultimately go back to

43010: 42912: 42798: 42636: 40278: 39663: 39580: 39419: 38528: 38270: 37480: 37451: 37368: 37220: 37128: 36894: 36701: 35919: 35443: 34975: 26968:

Not to be confused with similar creature defined in Monstrous Compendium – Mystara Appendix (1994), D&D Expert Module X1

25836:

Humanoids "descended from ethereal beings" from the Outer Planes, "charming creatures protecting the universe against evil".

19156: 10741: 10162: 8511:

Shannon Applecline considered the flail snail one of the "silly monsters" of the game. CJ Miozzi included the flail snail on

6306:

Male version of the medusa, a consequence of turning the singular monster from classic mythology into a species in the game.

2857: 2286:

noted that the mummy was revised from its previous statistics, and could now cause paralysis on sight (as a result of fear).

1097: 468:

A worm-like cephalopod that scavenges subterranean areas, feeding primarily upon carrion, whose tentacles paralyze creatures

426:

that is difficult to surprise, and can blend into its surroundings. The brownie was written up as a player character race in

36881:

Marshall, C. W. (2019). "Classical Reception and the Half-Elf Cleric". In Rogers, Brett M.; Stevens, Benjamin Eldon (eds.).

35307: 35288: 35262: 35204: 19286:(Rhagodessa) (1981, 1983), D&D Master Rules (Planar Spider),(1985), Creature Catalogue (1986), D&D Master Module M5 2863:

Phase spider: Arachnid as big as a medium-large dog that can shift between dimensions and bite with fangs of deadly poison.

41285: 39646:

Trammell, Aaron (2018), Taylor, Nicholas; Voorhees, Gerald (eds.), "Militarism and Masculinity in Dungeons & Dragons",

39223: 38806: 34978:, champions of evil), he is the regent of The Gorgon's Crown in North Anuire. A terribly powerful antagonist of humankind. 30763:

Monstrous Compendium Fiend Folio Appendix (1992), Monstrous Compendium Annual Volume One (1994), Monsters of Faerûn (2001)

27629: 27589: 27406: 26976: 20490: 19522: 19278: 19215: 19056: 19008: 18835: 18776: 18489: 17933: 17886:

Creature Catalogue (Magpie, Piranha Bird) (1986), Creature Catalog (Magpie, Piranha Bird) (1993), D&D Expert Module B5

15682: 4019:

One-eyed giants based on Greek mythology. Ranked tenth among the ten best mid-level 4th Edition monsters by the authors of

3987: 2994: 2752: 1757: 39197: 27301:

that has mage spells, reviewer Philippe Tessier counted this monster among those critters which never stopped moving him.

21390:

Dragon No. 197 (1993), Lost Empires of Faerûn (2004), D&D Miniatures: War Drums set #29 (2006), Monster Manual (2008)

18455:(as Amber and Bone Golem) (1981, 1983), D&D Rules Cyclopedia (1991), D&D Game (1991), Classic D&D Game (1994) 10438:: "they are all pretty strong and compare not unfavourably in this respect with the Demons we already know". Renamed from 1093: 687:

Supplement I: Greyhawk (1975), Monster Manual (1977), Monster Manual (2000), Monster Manual (2003), Monster Manual (2008)

463:

Supplement I: Greyhawk (1975), Monster Manual (1977), Monster Manual (2000), Monster Manual (2003), Monster Manual (2008)

444:

Supplement I: Greyhawk (1975), Monster Manual (1977), Monster Manual (2000), Monster Manual (2003), Monster Manual (2008)

43198: 42784: 42133: 41617: 41597: 29781:

Monstrous Compendium Annual Volume Three (1996), Priest's Spell Compendium, Volume One (1999), Monsters of Faerûn (2001)

28791:

of the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons game. The Birthright product line was suspended in 1998 before its completion, so

18667:

Creature Catalogue (1986)(Wood Imp), PC1: Tall Tales of the Wee Folk (1991)(Wood Imp), Creature Catalog (1993)(Wood Imp)

17339: 4782:

magazine reviewer Cameron Kunzelmann found the morkoth an inventive and "super weird" monster beyond the game's staples.

480:

Strategic Review v2 #2 (1976), Supplement III: Eldritch Wizardry (1976), Monster Manual (1977), Monster Manual II (2002)

85:

had, 2nd edition only listed intelligence as a characteristic important for creating challenging encounters in the game.

40965: 24839:

troops of Dregoth; kalin mount: 12-foot-long (3.7 m) aggressive insectoid creatures used as mounts by kalin riders

19559:(1986), Creature Catalogue (Greater) (1986), GAZ5: Elves of Alfheim (Greater) (1988), Creature Catalog (Greater) (1993) 18737:

Draco Lizard, Footpad (giant), Gecko (giant), Horned Chameleon, Lava Lizard, Rockhome Lizard, Tuatara (giant) and Xytar

15696:"in Islamic poetry, a yellow hare with a single black horn on its head." Counted among the saddest, lamest creatures in 6282:

Dragon No. 94 (1985), 1991 Trading Card #686, Sword of the Dales (1995), Monstrous Compendium Annual Volume Four (1998)

1896:, while "the bloodied bodies of lizard men" overcome by a group of adventurers featured on the cover of the 1st edition 1674:

identified the demi-lich as one of "15 Idiotic Dungeons and Dragons Monsters" in 2009, stating: "Besides looking like a

42791: 41678: 41627: 40365: 39844: 39776: 39485: 38293:

Waldron, David (2005). "Role-Playing Games and the Christian Right: Community Formation in Response to a Moral Panic".

37961: 37748: 37567: 37401: 22009:). The final 10 pages of the book provide tables for generating random encounters, summoned creatures and NPC parties. 20426: 19398:

Cross between ghoul, troll and hobgoblin. Originally conceived by Gary Gygax, he thought it "a fun and nasty beastie".

6090: 6089:

A dragon made even more powerful by transforming into an undead version of itself, which can only be destroyed if "its

5696:

Dragon No. 89 (1984), 1991 Trading Card #622, Monstrous Compendium Annual Volume Four (1998), Monster Manual II (2002)

4297: 4219: 4100:"iron plated bull", based on early modern bestiaries, with only the name being derived from the Classical counterpart. 1969:

Afflicted shapechangers, whose condition could be transmitted like a disease; some available as player character races.

474: 40422: 38260: 37244: 7222: 42877: 42526: 42349: 42344: 42052: 42045: 42039: 41653: 41648: 41602: 40340: 39895: 39623: 39399: 38866: 38420: 38387: 37394:

Playing at the World: A History of Simulating Wars, People and Fantastic Adventures, from Chess to Role-Playing Games

36619: 36560: 36478: 36447: 36281: 36231: 36184: 36148: 36102: 36046: 35837: 35673: 35489: 35399: 35214: 34970: 34732: 34623: 34525: 34388: 34163: 33917: 33657: 33433: 33171: 32942: 32911:

Symbiotic creature that looks like a turban and draws hit points while enhancing magical abilities of a spellcaster.

32792: 32769:

Herald serpent: intelligent, good-aligned messengers of serpent lords. Teak serpent: a 30-ft long constrictor snake.

32717: 32569: 32395: 32111: 32022: 31828: 31762: 31670: 31524: 31430: 31306: 31014: 30722: 30467: 30332: 30202: 30007: 29906: 29708: 29615: 29514: 29340: 29131: 27992: 26865: 25786: 24555: 23741: 22889: 21994: 21048: 19612: 19164:" (Polymar) (1987), D&D Rules Cyclopedia (Adaptor, Metamorph) (1991), Creature Catalog (Polymar, Randara) (1993) 17734: 17487: 17084: 16878: 16543: 15585: 14830: 13828: 13518:

Monstrous Compendium Annual Volume One (1994), Monster Manual II (2002), Savage Species (2003), Shining South (2004)

13060: 12395: 11640: 10242: 9417: 8661: 7771: 6569: 5639: 5364: 3873: 3250: 2970: 2272:

and appearances in more contemporary entertainment, a typical denizen of the Ravenloft setting. In his review of the

1548: 1279: 668: 214: 152: 32: 34318:

Dark Sun Monstrous Compendium Appendix II: Terrors Beyond Tyr (1995), Monstrous Compendium Annual Volume Two (1995)

30822:

D&D Miniatures: War of the Dragon Queen set #31 (2006), Dragon: Monster Ecologies (2007), Monster Manual (2008)

11417:

reviewer Michaël Croitoriu thought them truly interesting for powergamers when made available as player characters.

8119:

Monstrous Compendium – Spelljammer Appendix (1991) (as Soldier/Worker), Monstrous Manual (1993) (as Soldier/Worker)

7063: 42777: 42534: 42394: 42291: 41688: 40233: 37611: 35523: 34678: 34432: 34276: 34217: 29168: 17013: 16906: 16480: 15626:

Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting (1993), Monstrous Compendium Annual Volume One (1994), Monsters of Faerûn (2001)

15601:

published in 1981. It contained 64 unnumbered loose leaf pages and 4 pages of illustrations on heavier card stock.

11304:

Featuring a highly-muscled man-like body and bat wings, whip and jagged sword, it is based on and renamed from the

7114: 5875: 4059: 3975: 3850: 3680: 2718: 2210: 2197: 1964: 1667: 1307: 1177:

Vicious humanoids with hyena-like heads. Richard W. Forest assumed them to be inspired from but not resembling the

355: 38675: 34347: 32749:

Humanoid with the head and tail of a crocodile and the ability to assume human form; servants of the evil goddess

25901:

considered these monsters to "populate their periphery with true terror". Originally called ethereal dreadnought.

25177: 24562:

This 128-page soft-bound book is the second appendix to the Monstrous Compendium series designed for use with the

18345:(1984), Creature Catalogue (1986), Creature Catalog (1993), Planescape – Monstrous Compendium Appendix III (1998) 18326:(1984), Creature Catalogue (1986), Creature Catalog (1993), Planescape – Monstrous Compendium Appendix III (1998) 17510:, with the remainder consisting of the descriptions of the fictional monsters. Many of them were republished from 8476:

Mordenkainen's Fantastic Adventure (1984), Monstrous Compendium Annual Volume Four (1998), Dungeon No. 112 (2004)

5657:

of the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons game. The pack consisted of 64 5-hole punched unnumbered loose-leaf pages.

43065: 43058: 42770: 42644: 42616: 42539: 42399: 42379: 42369: 41263: 35594: 26145: 22967: 21338: 20120:

Spirit of an animal turned to a malevolent undead. A characteristic monster for the horror-setting of Ravenloft.

13600: 12457:

Also called a nightmare or a dream stalker, but not identical to either of the other creatures with those names.

11492: 10812: 10020:

Reviewer Alex Lucard liked the rastipede and considered it awesome that it later became a player character race.

4030: 3668: 3503: 2982: 2740: 1956: 1933: 1735: 602: 31046:

The curst had the distinction of being the first piece of publication with references to the immensely detailed

11413:, as they "stand above giants and possess even more power in terms of their physical and magical capabilities". 5582:

The "dread purple worm" attacks with both ends, maw and stinger. This "iconic monster" and original creation of

42968: 42689: 42599: 42564: 42549: 42425: 42404: 42384: 42359: 42321: 41754: 41673: 41668: 41658: 39048: 37775: 34682: 34671: 34474: 34371: 34343: 34298: 34280: 34269: 34251: 34195: 32875: 32840: 31605: 31569: 30736: 25887: 25200: 25173: 24832: 19633:

Luis Javier Flores Arvizu named the continuous presence of supernatural beings as one of the factors that made

16568:

Luis Javier Flores Arvizu named the continuous presence of supernatural beings as one of the factors that made

16530: 12424:

Luis Javier Flores Arvizu named the continuous presence of supernatural beings as one of the factors that made

11122:

magazine, the reviewer cites the culture of the tanar'ri as helping "give the Planes a solid base of peoples".

7951: 3206: 3160: 2705: 2342: 2146: 2122: 1777: 1592: 1586:

An intelligent jackal with the ability to assume human and jackal-human-hybrid form and a sleep-inducing gaze.

1224: 760: 450: 218: 78: 72: 40009: 39611: 16677:

Inspired by Gothic fiction, cursed creatures are a typical example for the denizens of the Ravenloft setting.

662:

Supplement III: Eldritch Wizardry (1976), Monster Manual (1977), Monster Manual (2000), Monster Manual (2003)

640:

Supplement III: Eldritch Wizardry (1976), Monster Manual (1977), Monster Manual (2000), Monster Manual (2003)

43093: 42611: 42579: 42559: 42544: 42389: 42364: 42306: 42286: 42269: 42223: 42171: 42160: 41928: 41779: 41719: 40872: 39603: 39140: 38252: 37925: 36955: 35556: 35392:, detailing the sahuagin in the Monstrous Arcana series, contained two pages detailing new aquatic monsters. 35266: 34702: 34324:

12-foot-long (3.7 m) aggressive insectoid creatures used as mounts by kalin riders. Kalin riders: Elite

34301: 34235:

1-foot-long (0.30 m) horned beetle living in groups with a poison dangerous to drakes, dragons and dray

34199: 34040: 33204: 33033: 32878: 32134: 30508:

Monstrous Compendium Annual Volume One (1994), Cormanthyr: Empire of Elves (1998), Monsters of Faerûn (2001)

29665: 29647: 28781: 28015: 25805: 24237:

Requiem: The Grim Harvest (1996), Dragon #238 (1997), Dragon #300 (2002), Dragon Compendium, Volume 1 (2005)

21133: 19116: 19002: 18047: 17507: 17064: 16491: 14288: 13390: 11129: 9071: 7810: 6967: 4722: 3783: 3643: 2917: 2258: 2130: 2001: 1641: 1535: 1531: 1245: 1166: 1144: 810:

Evil lawful-aligned dragons that discharge a bolt of lightning. They have a distinctive horn on their snout.

405:

A worm that inhabits libraries and eats books, it can change its normal gray color to match its surroundings

321: 39261: 36552:

Dangerous Games: What the Moral Panic over Role-Playing Games Says about Play, Religion, and Imagined Worlds

31697:

Monstrous Compendium Annual Volume Four (1998), Bestiary of Krynn (2004), Bestiary of Krynn, Revised (2007)

29989: 26872:

This 128-page soft-bound book is a reprint of the loose-leaf Monstrous Compendium appendices MC10 and MC15 (

11075:

Monstrous Manual (1993) (Gray and Death by reference only), Planescape Monstrous Compendium Appendix (1994)

2585:

Example of a monster posing little threat to the characters in the game, suitable for play at lowest level.

1670:: Evolved beyond status as a lich. Creature of enormous powers, where only the skull remains. Tyler Linn of 794:

Evil chaotic-aligned dragons that spit acid. They have horns projecting forward, a long body and thin tail.

43128: 42762: 42574: 42435: 42374: 42354: 42082: 41057: 40574: 40554: 40486: 40097: 40060: 39912: 39096: 38654: 38512: 38023: 36131: 30536:

Monstrous Manual (1993) (referenced only), Black Spine (1994), I, Tyrant (1996), Monsters of Faerûn (2001)

29993: 21762: 18931:

D&D Master Rules (1985), D&D Rules Cyclopedia (1991), Monster Manual (2000), Monster Manual (2003)

18418:

D&D Master Rules (1985), D&D Rules Cyclopedia (1991), Monster Manual (2000), Monster Manual (2003)

13815: 10996: 10429: 6517:

Dragon No. 89 (1984), Monstrous Compendium Annual Volume Four (1998) (as Fish, Vurgens (Giant Gulper Eel))

5334: 4914: 4320: 4234: 3955: 3074: 2930: 2724: 2701: 2354: 2329: 2283: 2216: 1921: 1634: 1330: 1301:

Inspired by Gothic fiction, a typical denizen of the Ravenloft setting, and "classic" monster of the game.

1080: 40876: 37704: 30792:

Halls of the High King (1990), Monstrous Compendium Annual Volume Three (1996), Monsters of Faerûn (2001)

30725:(2nd edition) boxed set included 8 unnumbered 5-hole punched loose-leaf pages of creature descriptions in 22641:

Bull (Wild Ox), Caribou, Giant Goat, Hippopotamus, Llama, Giant Ram, Rhinoceros, Wild Stag and Giant Stag

17290:

Author and gardener Charles Elliott considered D&D's plant species numerous but "not-very-ingenious".

16145:

Monstrous Manual (1993) (as Imp, Mephit), Planescape Monstrous Compendium Appendix (1994) (Lava as Magma)

15702:

by artist Sean McCarthy, a hybrid creature with physiology resulting from maladaptation rather than evil.

14481:

Author and gardener Charles Elliott considered D&D's plant species numerous but "not-very-ingenious".

13645:

Author and gardener Charles Elliott considered D&D's plant species numerous but "not-very-ingenious".

8419:

Author and gardener Charles Elliott considered D&D's plant species numerous but "not-very-ingenious".

6219: 4987:

Author and gardener Charles Elliott considered D&D's plant species numerous but "not-very-ingenious".

856:

Good and chaotic-aligned dragons that breathe a discharge of acid or a cloud of gas that slows creatures.

43086: 43072: 42430: 42274: 41714: 41545: 38545: 38408: 38170: 37818: 37022: 34877: 33081: 32928: 32346: 29287: 28915:

Fairy creatures were considered among the "standard repertoire of "Monsters"" by Fabian Perlini-Pfister.

28804: 23825: 23219:

Fairy creatures were considered among the "standard repertoire of "Monsters"" by Fabian Perlini-Pfister.

23204:

Fairy creatures were considered among the "standard repertoire of "Monsters"" by Fabian Perlini-Pfister.

22819:

Fairy creatures were considered among the "standard repertoire of "Monsters"" by Fabian Perlini-Pfister.

22420: 22174: 19599: 19366: 18913: 18897:(1983), D&D Companion Rules (1984), D&D Rules Cyclopedia (1991), Rokugan Campaign Setting (2001) 17868: 14972: 14838: 13258: 10988: 8992:

Ape-like creatures naturally peaceful outside of "war-season", during which they become more aggressive.

8748: 6678: 5482: 4968: 4568:

identified the lurker and the trapper as two of "The 12 Most Obnoxious Dungeons & Dragons Monsters".

3959: 3612: 2392: 1871: 1381:

creatures of the game, and also could be negotiated with rather than providing purely combat encounters.

1016: 560: 40661:"The Top Ten Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Second Edition Releases I'd Like To See on DNDClassics.com" 40294:

Robertson, Benjamin J. (2017). "From Fantasy to Franchise: DRAGONLANCE and the Privatization of Genre".

40148: 38329: 37676: 21341:(1998), Pool of Radiance: Attack on Myth Drannor (2000), Monsters of Faerûn (2001), Draconomicon (2003) 8704: 4326:

edition and became one of "the game's earlies ambassadors" through use of that cover in advertisements.

985:

Powerful creatures in the game; a characteristic of the air elemental is the ability of rapid movement.

290:

Monster Manual (1977) (Black, brown, cave bear), Monster Manual II (1983) (Polar bear as Northern bear)

43121: 42989: 42516: 41724: 39836: 39043: 37852:

Stang, Sarah; Trammel, Aaron (2019). "The Ludic Bestiary: Misogynistic Tropes of Female Monstrosity in

37212: 36611: 35648:

The duckbunny is the result of a magical crossbreeding experiment. CJ Miozzi included the duckbunny on

34717: 32008: 24029:

Alternity Player's Handbook (1998), Alien Compendium: Creatures of the Verge (1998), d20 Future (2004)

18559: 17966:

GAZ6: Dwarves of Rockholm(1988), Creature Catalog (1993), Monster Manual (2000), Monster Manual (2003)

17820: 11338:

Looks like a gross toad with human arms in place of forelegs. Called type II demon in earlier editions

6815:

Barton and Stacks described this draconian as the "ever-popular bozak whose bones explode upon death".

4958: 3633: 2319: 1789: 566:

Dungeons & Dragons set (1974), Monster Manual (1977), Monster Manual (2000), Monster Manual (2003)

19219:(as Sun Brother) (1981), Creature Catalogue (1986), DA4: Duchy of Ten (1987), Creature Catalog (1993) 17426:

Tall gaunt humanoids with powerful regenerative ability. A characteristic denizen of AD&D worlds.

16503:. It was voted among the top ten monsters from the magazine's "Fiend Factory" column and reprinted in 8224:. It was voted among the top ten monsters from the magazine's "Fiend Factory" column and reprinted in 7412:

A death knight is a "powerful undead warrior", Shannon Applecline considered this creature created by

628:, "stronger than a centaur but weaker than a sphinx". Present in the game since the earliest edition. 42738: 42684: 41886: 41592: 39535: 30965:

Polyhedron No. 67 (1992), Monstrous Compendium Annual Volume One (1994), Monster Manual (2000, 2003)

30452: 29809: 23968: 12038:

Monstrous Compendium – Greyhawk Appendix (1990) (Soldier/Worker), Monstrous Manual (1993) (as Grell)

9118: 8828:

Axe-wielding spirits that hunt evil ghosts. They have the appearance of a man cut perfectly in half.

4604:

The minimal (a contraction of "miniature animal") is a magically reduced version of a normal animal.

3999: 3913: 1763: 1263: 1088: 41259: 39323:"Candlekeep Mysteries Author Accuses D&D Publisher Of Adding "Colonialist Language" To His Work" 35359:

Highly intelligent being composed of the essence of time and appearing as a sphere of silver light.

30636:

Dragon No. 139 (1988), Monstrous Compendium Annual Volume One (1994), Lost Empires of Faerûn (2005)

30431:

Dragon No. 40 (1980), Wizard's Spell Compendium, Volume Four (1998), Secrets of the Magister (2000)

30388:

Dragon No. 197 (1993), Monstrous Compendium Annual Volume One (1994), Lost Empires of Faerûn (2005)

29158:

Monstrous Manual (1993) (as Arcane), Planescape Monstrous Compendium Appendix II (1995) (as Arcane)

16489:#9 (October/November 1978) under the name of "svart", submitted by Cricky Hitchcock and "taken from 6093:

is taken to another dimension". Ranked among the strongest monsters in the game by Scott Baird from

2775:: "introduces players to the special advantages and weaknesses of undead monsters". They also thank 42828: 42659: 42451: 41683: 36583: 35588:

Dragon Annual No. 1 (1996), Monstrous Compendium Annual Volume Four (1998) (as Bulette, Gohlbrorn)

35199: 28900:

creatures were considered among the "standard repertoire of "Monsters"" by Fabian Perlini-Pfister.

28796: 26152:

magazine cites the culture of the guardinals as helping "give the Planes a solid base of peoples".

23888: 23189:

creatures were considered among the "standard repertoire of "Monsters"" by Fabian Perlini-Pfister.

22804:

creatures were considered among the "standard repertoire of "Monsters"" by Fabian Perlini-Pfister.

22251: 21378:

creatures were considered among the "standard repertoire of "Monsters"" by Fabian Perlini-Pfister.

19526:(Slime Worm) (1981), Creature Catalogue (Fyrsnaca, Red Worm) (1986), D&D Expert Adventure XS2: 19485: 18176: 18136:

Not to be confused with the Jade Dragon detailed in Monstrous Compendium Annual Volume One (1994).

8742:

Fey connected to a tree that can transform into flying insects, such as honey bees or fruit flies.

7397:

considered kender "lovable" characters "added to further support the world's foundational themes."

5384:

named the tarrasque as the 10th most memorable D&D monster. The tarrasque appeared on the 2018

1997: 1973: 1829: 1271: 1086:

edition, another "enormous, devilish red" one was the main feature of the cover of the 1st edition

39172: 36975: 36799: 35906:

Perlini-Pfister, Fabian (2011). "Philosophers with Clubs: Negotiating Cosmology and Worldviews in

31736:-like race closely linked to the sea with the ability to shapechange into a specific sea creature 24542: 1892:

their sleeve." An image of a lizard man by Greg Bell functioned as the logo in the early phase of

1538:. Reviewer Philippe Tessier found the quasit "very nice" and interesting when made available as a 41478: 40611: 40296: 36077: 36031:

Witwer, Michael; Newman, Kyle; Peterson, Jonathan; Witwer, Sam; Manganiello, Joe (October 2018).

35649: 35057: 31204: 23905:

The Gates of Firestorm Peak (1996), A Guide to the Ethereal Plane (1998), Planar Handbook (2004)

19372: 17213: 17195: 15646: 11486:

Monstrous Manual (1993) (as Yugoloth, Guardian), Planescape Monstrous Compendium Appendix (1994)

8512: 6764: 5127: 4276: 38583: 23321:

Anurien (Knight), Brecht (Tradesman), Khinasi (Soldier), Rjurik (Berserker) and Vos (Mercenary)

19393:(1981, 1983), D&D Rules Cyclopedia (1991), D&D Game (1991), Classic D&D Game (1993) 17905:

Magpie (common and giant), Piranha Bird (lesser and greater), and Sprackle (lesser and greater)

17275:" movie. In the artificial dungeon environment of the game, they function as a "clean up crew". 11348:

Monster Manual (1977), Monstrous Manual (1993), Planescape Monstrous Compendium Appendix (1994)

11299:

Monster Manual (1977), Monstrous Manual (1993), Planescape Monstrous Compendium Appendix (1994)

341:

monster which can move quickly and climb thanks to its dozen legs; it can discharge a stroke of

42937: 41850: 41538: 41384: 41335: 41062: 41042: 40905: 40633:

Mullen, Michael (January 1988). "Ah, So Desu Ka? – Oriental Adventures for the AD&D Game".

40579: 40559: 40491: 40200: 40126: 40102: 40065: 38659: 38118: 38090: 38028: 37439: 36949: 36859: 36647: 36642: 35788:

Forest, Richard W. (2014). "Dungeons & Dragons, Monsters in". In Weinstock, Jeffrey (ed.).

32652:

reviewer Megan C. Evans referred to the grues as "a collection of terrifying beasties from the

31608:

Kagonesti with the ability to manipulate cold and a hunger for the warmth of living creatures.

29693: 27665: 24439: 24374: 24128: 23792: 21612:

identified the house hunter as one of "The 12 Most Obnoxious Dungeons & Dragons Monsters".

19555: 19541:

Great Annelid, Caecilia, Fyrsnaca, Desert Leviathan, Marine Leviathan, Red Worm and Slime Worm

19438: 19331: 19161: 18756: 18058: 18001: 17899: 17800: 17324: 16538:

TSR 2139 – MC15 – Monstrous Compendium – Ravenloft Appendix II: Children of the Night (1993) –

16485: 16447: 16153: 15398: 13047: 10992: 10796: 8865: 8396: 8375: 8216: 7691: 5468: 5410: 4239: 2696: 2278: 746: 549:

In the Dungeons of the Slave Lords (1981), Monster Manual II (1983), Dragon No. 355 (May 2007)

428: 273: 268: 39694: 39349: 37986: 37765: 36586:(February 9, 1990). "The Games Wizards: Angry Mothers From Heck (And what we do about them)". 36550: 21055:

This 128-page unnumbered soft-bound book primarily contains monster descriptions published in

42856: 42849: 42842: 42264: 41855: 41835: 41562: 41413: 41408: 41100:"From Singing Mushrooms To The Feywild, D&D's Latest Adventure Is Some Real Dark Fantasy" 40881: 40850: 40795: 40205: 39917: 39477: 38379: 37472: 36984: 36338:

Croitoriu, Michaël (July–August 1998). "Aide au Maître de Donjon: Campagnes de haut niveau".

36076: 33474:

Monstrous Compendium – Outer Planes Appendix (1991) (Lantern, Hound, Warden, Sword and Tome)

30284: 27485:

creature considered among the "standard repertoire of "Monsters"" by Fabian Perlini-Pfister.

26931: 26271: 26212: 26007:

Celestials from the Outer Planes, "charming creatures protecting the universe against evil".

21758: 19528: 18787: 16314:

creature considered among the "standard repertoire of "Monsters"" by Fabian Perlini-Pfister.

10286:

Celestials from the Outer Planes, "charming creatures protecting the universe against evil".

6900: 6326: 4404: 3963: 3024: 2252:

They will then have to score numerous hits in order to prevent the enemy from running away."

1795: 1717: 672: 491: 41237: 41152: 34911:

A dragon variant unique to this setting, with a breath weapon of a stream of burning venom.

32185:

Monstrous Compendium Annual Volume One (1994), Priest's Spell Compendium, Volume One (1999)

31092:"D&D's large variety of monstrous oozes and slimes took their original inspiration from 30456:

boxed set included 8 unnumbered 5-hole punched loose-leaf pages of creature descriptions in

29697:

boxed set included 8 unnumbered 5-hole punched loose-leaf pages of creature descriptions in

28767: 23031:

A "dragon that lingers after its death because it has such a deep attachment to its hoard".

18107:

Powerful and intelligent, usually winged reptiles with magical abilities and breath weapon.

17265:"D&D's large variety of monstrous oozes and slimes took their original inspiration from 16531:

TSR 2139 – MC15 – Monstrous Compendium – Ravenloft Appendix II: Children of the Night (1993)

13642:

Retch Plant, Snapper-Saw, Thornslinger, Viper Vine, Whip-Weed, Wither-Weed and Black Willow

10782:

Xenophobic humanoids with gaunt stature, leathery yellow skin and fangs. Inhabitants of the

9335:

A race of sentient, intelligent octopus. The name comes from the Japanese word for octopus.

7961:

Powerful and intelligent, usually winged reptiles with magical abilities and breath weapon.

6857:

Powerful and intelligent, usually winged reptiles with magical abilities and breath weapon.

3631:

Based on the dryad from classical sources. The dryad appears as a player character class in

2531:"D&D's large variety of monstrous oozes and slimes took their original inspiration from 2369:"D&D's large variety of monstrous oozes and slimes took their original inspiration from 43142: 43100: 43044: 42891: 42731: 42311: 42035: 41830: 41483: 41162: 39104: 38588: 38175: 36417: 36223: 36090: 34722: 33208: 32707: 30271: 30225: 30188: 29887: 28073: 28052: 26919: 26267: 26250: 26233: 26229: 26208: 26191: 26162: 25883: 24357: 24204: 24071:

Dragon No. 209 (1994), Monster Manual II (2002), D&D Miniatures: Night Below #2 (2007)

16511:

considered xvarts to be redundant creatures with no unique or interesting characteristics.

13823:

TSR 2405 – MC12 – Monstrous Compendium – Dark Sun Appendix: Terrors of the Desert (1992) –

12915:

Powerful and subtle undead sustained by drinking blood or draining life force. Inspired by

11407:

from Greek mythology. Ranked among the strongest creatures in the game by Scott Baird from

10955: 10748:

as servants, warriors, patrollers or guards", not only by the fictionalized version of the

10443: 8020:

Reviewer Philippe Tessier found the shadow dragon a very dangerous foe in frontal assault.

7379: 5626: 4047: 3995: 3659: 3305: 3200:

listed the yuan-ti pure blood as #5 on their list of "Top 10 Playable Species In D&D".

3187: 3183: 2756: 2268:

Powerful undead usually from desert areas, wrapped in bandages. Based on the creature from

2229: 1898: 1887: 1343: 923:

Good and lawful-aligned dragons that breathe a cone of frost or a cloud of paralyzing gas.

841:

Good and lawful-aligned dragons that breathe a bolt of lightning or a repulsion gas cloud.

750:

reviewer Jamie Thomson commented on the death dog, which is "rumored to be a descendant of

90: 52: 38374:(2018). "When unicorns walked the earth: A brief history of the unicorn and its fellows". 37335:

Babb, Ruth (2014). "Dragons in Contemporary Fantasy Novels". In Weinstock, Jeffrey (ed.).

31794:

9-foot-tall (2.7 m) grotesque semi-intelligent humanoid predator that can spit acid.

31003:

boxed set included unnumbered 5-hole punched loose-leaf pages of creature descriptions in

25793:

This was the second appendix to the Monstrous Compendium series designed for use with the

16602: 15593:

This appendix to the Monstrous Compendium series updated and reprinted creatures from the

10806:(1981) and featured on its cover. The name was borrowed the name from a fictional race in 5681:

Dragon No. 89 (1984), Monstrous Compendium Annual Volume Four (1998) (as Fish, Ascallion)

8: 42951: 42511: 42028: 41881: 41521: 41441: 41187: 39420:"'Fizban's Treasury of Dragons' adds ghost dragons, liondrakes, and much more to D&D" 38482:[Norse mythology in Dungeons & Dragons - Between reception and stereotypes]. 38479: 37499:

Dant; Feldman; Lutters (1990). "Dungeons for Science: Mapping Belief Places and Spaces".

37120: 36886: 29087: 28788: 28007: 27253:

Aelder (lesser), Glassine Horror (lesser), Red (greater) and Hulean Juggernaut (greater)

26915: 26884: 26852: 25801: 24570: 21060: 19627: 19607:

TSR 2153 – Monstrous Compendium – Ravenloft Appendix III: Creatures of Darkness (1994) –

19076: 18751: 18400: 18384:(1983), Creature Catalogue (1986), DA3: City of the Gods (1987), Creature Catalog (1993) 17996: 17749: 17512: 17502: 17079:

Inspired by Gothic fiction, a typical denizen of the Ravenloft setting. The influence of

16558: 15823: 14849: 13843: 13075: 12697: 12410: 11655: 10807: 10740:

but expanded from their cultural background to mean "any humanoid spirit employed by the

10250: 9433: 8680: 8669: 7786: 7463: 6584: 6159: 5654: 5605: 3038: 2712:

identified the shadow as one of "The 12 Most Obnoxious Dungeons & Dragons Monsters".

2292: 1881: 1649: 615: 293: 160: 40787: 39977:"Volo's Guide to Monsters is the new, awesome Monster Manual for Dungeons & Dragons" 39650:, Palgrave Games in Context, Cham: Springer International Publishing, pp. 129–147, 39297:"Candlekeep Mysteries Writer Wants To Remove Name After 'Content Significantly Changed'" 39108: 38980: 38835:"Farewell to the Dungeon Master: How D&D creator Gary Gygax changed geekdom forever" 34711: 26907:

This monstrous compendium was released as a fully online product as part of the revised

24227:

In the artificial dungeon environment of the game, molds function as a "clean up crew".

22700:

In the artificial dungeon environment of the game, molds function as a "clean up crew".

13816:

TSR 2405 – MC12 – Monstrous Compendium – Dark Sun Appendix: Terrors of the Desert (1992)

11233:

Monster Manual II (1983, as alu-demon), Planescape Monstrous Compendium Appendix (1994)

8978:

Race of sentient shapeshifting animals able to adopt humanoid, beast, and hybrid forms.

4750:

In the artificial dungeon environment of the game, molds function as a "clean up crew".

4045:

found the firbolg one "of the more distinctive race options in the D&D multiverse".

3926:

from Middle Eastern culture, genies in the game are powerful elemental spirits from the

3032:

identified the wight as one of "The 12 Most Obnoxious Dungeons & Dragons Monsters".

1070:

from Middle Eastern culture, genies in the game are powerful elemental spirits from the

43107: 43030: 42649: 42594: 42461: 41516: 41436: 40041: 39239: 38949: 38206: 37873: 37643: 37500: 37340: 37317: 36463: 35793: 33895: 31970: 31733: 28799:-file and made freely available here. The supplement focused mainly on monsters of the 27587:

Monstrous Compendium – Mystara Appendix (1994) (Amber Lotus), D&D Expert Module X2

24501:

The Gates of Firestorm Peak (1996), Speaker in Dreams (2001), Monster Manual II (2002)

24340: 22715:

Based on the creature from Gothic fiction, a typical denizen of the Ravenloft setting.

19534: 19181: 18841: 18786:(1985), Creature Catalogue (1986), PC4: Night Howlers (1992), Creature Catalog (1993), 18434: 18089:

D&D Immortals Set (1986), Wrath of the Immortals (1992), Terrors from Above (1998)

17888: 15572: 15396:

Monster that appears like only one half (left or right) of a human; first published in

11469: 11308:

from J.R.R. Tolkien's legendarium due to copyright reasons, also called type VI demon.

10229: 7304: 6737: 5273: 5041: 4399: 4258: 3693:

reviewer Michaël Croitoriu found the duergar interesting as a player character option.

2565: 2407: 2227:

from Greek mythology, but translated from a singular creature into a species. In 2021,

1971:

Depiction of the werewolf is related to those in 1930s and 1940s Hollywood movies like

1904: 1835: 1267: 1235: 1032: 667:

A 12-foot-long (3.7 m) feathered serpent native to jungle regions, of lawful good

411: 39370: 30594:

Dragon No. 89 (1989) (as "Calygraunt"), Monstrous Compendium Annual Volume One (1994)

30094:

Fiend Folio (1981), Monstrous Manual (1993), Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting (2001)

29817:

Also named blackclaws, fhaorn'quessir, shiftshades, simmershadows, or skulkingdeaths.

24835:

humanoids created from humans by Dregoth, the Undead Dragon King; kalin riders: elite

22627:

Badger, Beaver, Boar, Hyena (Hyenadon), Porcupine, Otter, Skunk, Weasel and Wolverine

19600:

TSR 2153 – Monstrous Compendium – Ravenloft Appendix III: Creatures of Darkness (1994)

11627: 11388:

Resembles a cross between human and vulture. Called type I demon in earlier editions.

9404: 6556: 5276:

and Classical mythology, an example of the diverse cultures amalgamated into D&D.

2704:

noted his disappointment that the shadow is of the undead class and thus subject to a

1807: 43079: 42976: 42471: 41876: 41511: 41083: 40998: 40841: 40536: 40500: 40404: 40361: 40336: 40313: 40274: 39891: 39887: 39861: 39840: 39803: 39659: 39619: 39576: 39481: 39450: 39395: 39271: 39243: 39063: 38753: 38524: 38520: 38416: 38383: 38266: 38138:"Top 10 D&D Modules I Found in Storage This Weekend #4 (GeekDad Wayback Machine)" 38113: 37957: 37877: 37771: 37744: 37714: 37563: 37476: 37447: 37397: 37374: 37364: 37216: 37124: 36890: 36751: 36697: 36615: 36556: 36510: 36474: 36443: 36439: 36277: 36227: 36180: 36144: 36098: 36052: 36042: 35915: 35833: 35656: 35652:'s list of "The Dumbest Dungeons & Dragons Monsters Ever (And How To Use Them)". 35611: 35485: 35395: 35339: 35210: 34728: 34619: 34521: 34159: 33913: 33653: 33429: 33167: 32938: 32788: 32713: 32565: 32461: 32391: 32366:

Air (Duster), Earth (Crawler), Fire (Flameling) and Water (Spitter) Elemental Vermin

32304: 32107: 32018: 31824: 31758: 31666: 31520: 31462:

Immense sentient flower whose nectar reveals images of the past, present and future.

31426: 31302: 31269: 31207:'s list of "The Dumbest Dungeons & Dragons Monsters Ever (And How To Use Them)". 31010: 30999: 30732: 30463: 30328: 30198: 30003: 29902: 29704: 29611: 29510: 29336: 29127: 28203:

Monsters crazy enough to gradually destroy the borders between the different planes.

27988: 26861: 25897: 25782: 24551: 23737: 22885: 21990: 21044: 19637:

a very well received role-playing game setting during the 33 years of its existence.

19608: 19479: 19376:(1985), Creature Catalogue (1986), PC2: Top Ballista (1989), Creature Catalog (1993) 18917:(1985), Creature Catalogue (1986), PC2: Top Ballista (1989), Creature Catalog (1993) 18717:(1981), Creature Catalogue (1986), Creature Catalog (1993), Monster Manual II (2002) 17730: 17483: 17216:'s list of "The Dumbest Dungeons & Dragons Monsters Ever (And How To Use Them)". 17198:'s list of "The Dumbest Dungeons & Dragons Monsters Ever (And How To Use Them)". 16874: 16572:

a very well received role-playing game setting during the 33 years of its existence.

16539: 15649:'s list of "The Dumbest Dungeons & Dragons Monsters Ever (And How To Use Them)". 15581: 14826: 13824: 13056: 12428:

a very well received role-playing game setting during the 33 years of its existence.

12391: 12382: 11636: 11404: 10238: 10138:

Reviewer Alex Lucard considered the infinity vine one of the "cool monsters" in MC7.

9683:

Reviewer Alex Lucard considered the furnace golem one of the "cool monsters" in MC7.

9413: 8657: 8238: 7767: 6565: 6351: 6332:

Monstrous Compendium Annual Volume Two (1995) (White Rhinoceros as Wooly Rhinoceros)

6065: 5635: 5302: 4594: 4308: 4262: 4117: 3991: 3971: 3967: 3931: 3485: 3481: 3477: 3246: 2869: 2736: 2732: 1929: 1847: 1841: 1645: 1075: 656: 495:

editor Howard Andrew Jones remarked on their presence throughout the game's history.

325: 148: 37: 41431: 38480:"La mythologie nordique dans Donjons & Dragons - Entre réception et stéréotypes" 37321: 36319:. The 16th International Conference on the Foundations of Digital Games (FDG) 2021. 34023:

A psionic horror, though physically it appears as a reptilian beetle six feet long.

30114:

Queen of the Demonweb Pits (1980), Monster Manual II (1983), Tome of Horrors (2002)

30079:

Queen of the Demonweb Pits (1980), Monster Manual II (1983), Tome of Horrors (2002)

18946:

D&D Master Rules (1985), D&D Rules Cyclopedia (1991), Dragon No. 343 (2006)

14817: 8882: 5178:

Monster Manual (1977), Monster Manual (2000) and Monster Manual (2003) (as Sea cat)

596:

Giant centipedes are "low-level monsters", one-foot long red many-legged creatures.

55:, not licensed or unlicensed third-party products such as video games or unlicensed 43114: 42995: 42919: 41977: 41935: 41104: 40966:"Dungeons & Dragons: 10 Facts You Need To Know About The Fish People, Sahuagin" 40431: 40394: 40305: 39738: 39651: 39266: 39235: 38953: 38941: 38839: 38310: 38302: 38142: 37998: 37865: 37309: 36500: 36320: 36136: 35167: 35062: 35052: 34954:

A subterranean race of miners and warriors that inhabit Cerilia's mountain ranges.

34605: 34511: 34149: 34101:

A despicable, furless, tawny-colored beast covered with loose folds of scaly hide.

31623: 31288: 31265: 30995: 30448: 30313: 30180: 29795:

Monstrous Compendium Annual Volume Two (1995), City of Splendors: Waterdeep (2005)

29689: 29113: 28784: 28003: 27562:

Inheritor Lice, Powder Moth, Jibarœ Pest, Lupin Plague, Cardinal Tick and Vermilia

26923: 26911: 26880: 25797: 24566: 22273: 21110: 19623: 17745: 17498: 16554: 15826:. Reviewer Mark Theurer remarked that "They have some interesting breath weapons". 14845: 13839: 13071: 13068: 12406: 11651: 10787: 9429: 9268: 9096: 8672: 8648: 7782: 7758: 7175: 6580: 6103: 6100: 5949: 5650: 5647: 5548: 4950: 4874: 4778: 4007: 3513:

Also called land shark, inspired by a plastic toy from Hong Kong. In his 2019 book

2171: 1823: 1338: 1323: 997: 133: 82: 34590:

Thri-kreen warrior caste enhanced for combat from normal members of their species

33018:. Only in higher numbers do they become more intelligent, psionic, and dangerous. 32054:

Polyp colony with a mass mind, forming vaguely humanoid bodies from coral pieces.

30243:. This appearance differs significantly from the descriptions in both 3rd edition 29181:

eyes". A terrible beast, but depicted as "a cuddly rosy ball with too many eyes".

24550:

TSR 2433 – Dark Sun Monstrous Compendium Appendix II: Terrors Beyond Tyr (1995) –

18216:(1983), Creature Catalogue (1986), Creature Catalog (1993), Dragon No. 339 (2006) 10432:

considered the devils the most prominent among the new monsters introduced in the

43135: 42554: 42491: 41759: 41136:

Tessier, Philippe (March–April 1999). "Monstrous compendium annual Volume four".

40687: 40665: 40635: 39884:

Dungeons and Dragons and Philosophy: Read and Gain Advantage on All Wisdom Checks

39446:"Exclusive new pages from D&D's next sourcebook, Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes" 39350:"Dungeons & Dragons: 10 Most Underrated Races That Are Better Than You Think" 36431: 36038: 36033: 32654: 31962: 31386: 30250: 29669: 28894:

Seelie Faerie, Faerie Queen, Deceiver, Innocent, Helper, Protector and Trickster

27979: 26174: 24529: 23873:

Dragon No. 116 (1986) (Brain Coral), Nehwon (1990) (Death Coral and Giant Coral)

19912: 19288: 19248: 18982: 18893: 18790:(1994), Savage Coast Monstrous Compendium Appendix (1996), Dragon No. 325 (2004) 18577:

Creature Catalogue (1986), DA3: City of the Gods (1987), Creature Catalog (1993)

18380: 18212: 10822: 10737: 8221: 6467: 5188: 5024: 4686: 4270:

Undead created from divine or oathbound creatures who have failed in their vows.

3756: 2776: 2560: 2457: 2363: 2167: 1440: 1195: 733: 697: 681: 576: 39655: 36297:

Collin, Olivier (November–December 1997). "La Bestiaire Monstrueux Planescape".

32082:

Up to 20-foot-tall (6.1 m) humanoid with crab-like head, arms and pincers.

27999:

The third appendix to the Monstrous Compendium series designed for use with the

25773: 21478:

Copper, Tin, Bronze, Iron, Steel, Silver, Electrum, Gold and Platinum Metagolem

10253:

of the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons game added additional creatures from the

9535:

Reviewer Alex Lucard counted the beholder-kin among the "cool monsters" in MC7.

4374:

Crow-like humanoids with a tendency for thievery, loosely based on the Japanese

3002:; a typical denizen of the Ravenloft setting and "classic" monster of the game. 43159: 42745: 42476: 41789: 41663: 41067: 40496: 39599: 38929: 38778: 38248: 38095: 38085: 38033: 37083: 36694:

Of Dice and Men: The Story of Dungeons & Dragons and the People Who Play It

36689: 36501:"Magic & Memories: The Complete History of Dungeons & Dragons - Part V" 36218: 36209: 36172: 35531: 34458: 34436: 34325: 32003: 31477: 31093: 30317: 26894: 26170: 26166: 25654: 25543: 24836: 24543:

TSR 2433 – Dark Sun Monstrous Compendium Appendix II: Terrors Beyond Tyr (1995)

24392: 17872:(1985), Creature Catalogue (1986), Creature Catalog (1993), Fiend Folio (2003) 17741: