No matter which edition you prefer of Dungeons & Dragons, there have always been three core books: the Player’s Handbook, the Dungeon Master’s Guide, and the Monster Manual. However, since the Monster Manual is often a compendium of monsters, each edition tends to contain several versions of the same book.
Either as updates or direct sequels, the Monster Manual is re-edited and continued throughout the life-cycle of each edition. Here, we will explore how many Monster Manuals there have ever been in total and per edition, and which is the best to use today.
How Many Monster Manuals Are There?
In total, there have been 13 Monster Manuals across all editions, but not all of them have completely new monsters. In cases where the rules are updated without transitioning to a new edition, the Monster Manual of that era is re-released under the new rules.
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Edition |
Monster Manual |
|---|---|
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Advanced D&D |
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Third Edition |
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3.5 Edition |
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Fourth Edition |
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Fifth Edition |
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As you can see, whenever the new Monster Manual follows the same rules, a number is added to the title, signaling it contains completely new monsters. When the Monster Manual shares the name on the same edition, it is an updated version of the old book with plenty of repeated (and upgraded) creatures.
Which Monster Manual Is The Best?
There are currently two books that share the name Monster Manual for the fifth edition, one released in 2014 and another one in 2025. The latest book is an updated version of the 2014 one that uses the updated rules from 2024, and as such, it is the superior book.
The creatures in it are greatly improved, with more complex mechanics that better represent them and help diversify each type of monster. Not only that, there are also over 70 new creatures in the book, expanding almost every single monster group to have more entries to choose from.
Next
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