Monster Manual
First hardcover D&D book; core bestiary for Advanced Dungeons & Dragons.
The *Monster Manual* serves as the main collection of monsters for *Dungeons & Dragons*, debuting in 1977 from TSR. It was the first hardcover book produced for D&D, drawing creatures from myth, folklore, and original creations for the game. Alongside the *Player’s Handbook* and *Dungeon Master’s Guide*, it forms one of the three core rulebooks in most D&D editions, with new versions released for each edition. The 1977 release was noted for its detailed illustrations and descriptions, setting a new standard for wargame books, and later editions compiled monsters from various sources.
In early D&D, the original boxed set lacked a separate *Monster Manual*; monsters appeared in Book 2: *Monsters and Treasure*. When the game split into basic and advanced versions, basic sets included monsters in their rulebooks, later collected in the *Rules Cyclopedia* and *Creature Catalogue*.
Games scholar Jaroslav Švelch compared the *Monster Manual* to medieval bestiaries, but with precise statistics. Where bestiaries tried to fit unknown creatures into nature, D&D created its own simulated ecosystems with artificial rules.
For *Advanced Dungeons & Dragons*, the first *Monster Manual* was written by Gary Gygax and released in 1977 as a 108-page hardcover—the first hardcover for any D&D game and the first core AD&D manual. It compiled over 350 monsters, some new, others revised from earlier sources like *Monsters and Treasure*, *Greyhawk*, *Blackmoor*, *Eldritch Wizardry*, *The Strategic Review*, and *Dragon* magazine. Entries were alphabetical, with full descriptions, game statistics, and often illustrations. The cover was by David C. Sutherland III. A softcover version appeared in the UK via Games Workshop in 1978. A 1985 reprint had new cover art by Jeff Easley. The book saw fifteen printings through 1989, with minor changes like a cover update for a new logo and corrections in 1978. The first edition included topless depictions of some female monsters (succubus, Type V demons, lamia, sylph) and introduced the mimic. A paperback reprint came in 1999, and a facsimile reprint in 2012.
Reviewer Don Turnbull praised the *Monster Manual* as essential for D&D enthusiasts, calling the explanatory text clear and comprehensive, despite minor printing errors and uneven drawings. He concluded it was the best product TSR had made.
Quick Facts
- Author
- Gary Gygax
- Publisher
- TSR
- Release Date
- December 1977
- Genre
- Role-playing game
- Media Type
- Print (Hardback)
- Isbn
- 0-935696-00-8
- Pages
- 112
- Congress
- GV1469.D8G93 1979
- Dewey
- 794
- Isbn Note
- (4th printing)
- Followed By
- Monster Manual II
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The first publication bearing the title Monster Manual was written by Gary Gygax and published in 1977 as a 108-page book. It was the first hardcover book for any D&D game and the first of the core manuals published for the new Advanced Dungeons & Dragons (AD&D) version of the game. The book compiles over 350 monsters, some new and others revised from older sources such as Monsters and Treasure, Greyhawk, Blackmoor, Eldritch Wizardry, The Strategic Review and Dragon magazine. Each monster was listed alphabetically with a full description and game statistics, and many featured an illustration. The cover of the original printing was illustrated by David C. Sutherland III. A softcover version was printed in the United Kingdom by Games Workshop in 1978. When the book was reprinted in 1985 it featured new cover art by Jeff Easley. The book remained relatively unchanged throughout its fifteen printings up to 1989. The first edition Monster Manual included topless portrayals of some female monsters, such as the succubus, Type V demons, lamia, and sylph, and was also the first appearance of the mimic.
Reader's Guide
The Monster Manual set the mold for future bestiary sourcebooks in role-playing games. Games scholar Jaroslav Švelch saw it modeled after medieval bestiaries, but with more precise figures, creating simulated natures populated by creatures following artificial laws. The book was cited as a pivotal example of a new style of wargame books due to its level of detail and illustration. Reception was highly positive: Don Turnbull praised it as 'the most comprehensive listing of D&D monsters you will find' and 'the best thing that TSR have produced so far.' Lawrence Schick noted that 'as nothing is easier to design than new monsters, it has spawned a host of imitations.' Games journalist David M. Ewalt commented that the Monster Manual 'succeeded not just as a game supplement but by elevating the D&D rule book to fetish object.' RPG historian Stu Horvath called the interior illustrations groundbreaking, noting that the images became canonical representations for an entire generation. The Monster Manual was later superseded in AD&D 2nd edition by the Monstrous Compendium binder format, which was eventually compiled into the Monstrous Manual hardcover in 1993.
Did You Know?
- The Monster Manual was the first hardcover book for any Dungeons & Dragons game.
- The mimic made its first appearance in the first edition Monster Manual.
- A softcover version of the Monster Manual was printed in the United Kingdom by Games Workshop in 1978.
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