The Monster Manual is a 320-page sourcebook for Dungeons & Dragons 3.5 released in July 2003. It is one of three core rulebooks for the edition. It presents rules and game statistics for monsters, and is intended primarily for use by the Dungeon Master.
It is officially referred to as the Monster Manual v.3.5. It superseded the third edition Monster Manual (2000), which was retroactively and unofficially termed by the community Monster Manual 3.0.
Official synopsis[]
Fearsome and formidable foes lurk within.
Encounter a horde of monsters armed and ready to battle your boldest heroes or fight alongside them. The fully illustrated pages of this book are overrun with all the creatures, statistics, spells, and strategies you need to challenge the heroic characters of any Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game.
Over 200 creeps, critters, and creatures keep players on their toes. From aboleths to zombies, the revised Monster Manual holds a diverse cast of enemies and allies essential for any Dungeons & Dragons campaign. There are hundreds of monsters ready for action, including many new creatures never seen before.
The revised Monster Manual now contains an adjusted layout that makes monster statistics easier to understand and use. It has 31 new illustrations and a new index, and contains expanded information on monster classes and playing monsters as heroes, along with information on how to take full advantage of the tie-in D&D miniatures line.
Content[]
Development and release[]
Development[]
The book was written by Peter Adkison, Richard Baker, Jason Carl and Jennifer Clarke-Wilkes. Art was provided by Dana Andrews, Glen Michael Angus, Carlo Arellano and Daren Bader.
Release[]
The Monster Manual was released by Wizards of the Coast in July 2003 for $29.95 US, or $41.95 Canadian.
In October 2006, a leatherbound Monster Manual v.3.5 was released, known as the Special Edition Monster Manual. It sold for $75.00 US or $100.00 Canadian, having an item code of 953907200 and an ISBN of 0-7869-3943-5.[2]
On October 2, 2012, Wizards of the Coast released a new edition of the Monster Manual v.3.5 (ISBN 0-7869-6244-5). The new reprint incorporated the latest errata and was intended to continue support for D&D 3.5 players, following the commercial failure of 2008's D&D 4th edition.
On May 05, 2015, it was re-released in digital format, based on the 2012 reprint. It is currently available on DriveThruRPG and Dungeon Masters Guild for $9.99.
Reception and influence[]
Critical reception[]
As of 2023, the Monster Manual reached the rank of Mithral seller on DriveThruRPG.
Influence on other works[]
External links[]
- Monster Manual (3.5) on DriveThruRPG
- Monster Manual (3.5) on Dungeon Masters Guild
- Product page at Wizards.com
- Monster Manual v.3.5 Art Gallery at Wizards.com (2003)
- Monster Manual v.3.5 Web Enhancement at Wizards.com (2003)
- (Half)-Fiendish Variety, Part 1 (web enhancement) at Wizards.com (2006)
- (Half)-Fiendish Variety, Part 2 (web enhancement) at Wizards.com (2006)
- (Half)-Fiendish Variety, Part 3 (web enhancement) at Wizards.com (2006)
References[]
| Dungeons & Dragons Monster Manuals |
|---|
| Monster Manual (1e) • Monster Manual II (1e) Monstrous Compendium Volume One (2e) • Monstrous Compendium Volume Two (2e) • Monstrous Manual (2e) Monster Manual (3.0) • Monster Manual II (3.0) Monster Manual (3.5) • Monster Manual III (3.5) • Monster Manual IV (3.5) • Monster Manual V (3.5) Monster Manual (4e) • Monster Manual 2 (4e) • Monster Manual 3 (4e) • Monster Vault (4e) Monster Manual (5e) • Monster Manual (5e revised) |