Dungeons and Dragons‘ revised rules have gone over well so far, but the new books aren’t out of the woods yet. The new Monster Manual is set to release in early 2025, and this new era of D&D needs it to stick the landing.
Wizards of the Coast is slowly rolling out new editions of D&D‘s three core rulebooks, all of which have a place in D&D 2024‘s revised rules. At the time of writing, both the remastered Player’s Handbook and Dungeon Master’s Guide have been released—encompassing both sides of the screen. This just leaves the revised Monster Manual, which will finish the set and add another tool to the DM’s toolkit.
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The Monster Manual Needs To Get CR Right
D&D‘s Monster Manual is an incredibly important book, regardless of edition. Most versions of D&D are especially geared towards combat and, though many DMs prefer to make their own monsters or draw from third-party sources, iterations of the Monster Manual have always been there to provide the right challenge. Moreover, D&D‘s original monsters (as well as those taken from real-world mythology) not only serve as a deep well of inspiration for players and DMs but play an important role as D&D‘s most recognizable material. D&D‘s Mimics, Owlbears, Mind-Flayers, and Beholders are arguably more iconic than any location or NPC.
However, D&D 5e‘s Monster Manual was not without its flaws, most notably that many high CR monsters were pushovers against high-level players. Furthermore, lower-level play is often far too deadly in the fifth edition, something many new fans experienced in starter modules like The Lost Mine of Phandelver. Many of these issues came down to how Challenge Rating, the difficulty-based means of categorizing monsters, is a flawed system in 5e. If WOTC wants to satisfy old fans and entice new players, it needs to get CR right in 2025’s Monster Manual.
D&D 2024’s Dungeon Master’s Guide Can Give Fans Insight
Prior to the release of the 2024 Dungeon Master’s Guide, it was revealed in YouTube interviews about the book that the CR calculation method in the 2014 DMG did not match internal WOTC protocol. While the new edition doesn’t feature much robust advice on creating monsters, it does include a greatly simplified rubric for encounter balance—making CR far more usable. Rather than CR being a complicated system that involves a great deal of math, the new DMG removes some bloat (such as assumptions about party members being at different levels) and turns encounter creation into only a few steps.
A consistency between DMG and internal WOTC encounter design in D&D 2024 going forwards will have a big impact, limiting confusion and making things easier for everyone at the table. This streamlined equation requires only a single table, a decision on difficulty, and, naturally, some monsters. It lends far more credence to the concept behind CR, that it should be a building block that allows monsters to click together for balanced combat encounters.
Monster Reveals For 2025 Have Been A Good Sign
Of course, this system relies on how Challenge Rating applies to the monsters themselves. Many high-CR monsters in D&D 5e overweigh defensive abilities, leading to incredibly weak offensive faculties. This means that many powerful monsters don’t actually meet the requirements of their CR, something helpfully outlined by Mike Shea’s book Forge of Foes.
Luckily, some of the 2025 Monster Manual stat blocks have already been released. Revealed via Gencon, the new 2024-edition Ancient Green Dragon has been given quite the damage buff—dealing 38 more damage per round, hitting its CR target. The dragon also maintains much of its defensive ability, making it tougher overall.
Dungeons and Dragons
Created by Gary Gygax, Dungeons & Dragons is a tabletop game in which players craft their own worlds and band together to take on adventures through mysterious realms outlined in companion materials. One of the best role-playing games ever made, it has been adapted into a variety of video games and other media.
- Franchise
- Dungeons & Dragons
- Original Release Date
- 1974-00-00
- Designer
- E. Gary Gygax , Dave Arneson