D&D 5E New Monster Manual Cover

From IGN, the cover of the 2025 Monster Manual!

@Morrus

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Taking a crack at listing all the monsters shown.

So for the front cover, we seem to have a Demilich (?), a Kraken, a Gelatinous Cube, a Beholder, an Ogre, a Displacer Beast, a Mimic, some bats that could be shapechanged Vampires (?), and some Hobgoblins.

On the back cover we have a Nothic, a Harpy, two smaller Beholders or Beholder-Kin (?), a Green Hag, a Gnoll, a Kobold, a Modron, a Goblin, a Zombie, a few Myconids, an Intellect Devourer, a Mind Flayer, an Owlbear, a Balor (?), the Tentacles could be another smaller Kraken (?), and if I were a betting gal I'd say the big eye in the middle is from a Green Dragon.

Overall I really like this cover and the variety of well known monsters displayed.

WotC really wanting to make nothics a thing in 5E is such an interesting choice.

They're not bad monsters -- I've liked them since they first appeared, as I recall, in the 3E Miniatures Handbook -- but they really seem to be C-tier, like cloakers, and not worthy of being on a Monster Manual cover or being the first big deadly monster player characters run into in Lost Mines of Phandelver.

I wonder if one of the two game leads is a big fan of them.

 

[ilgatto]

Is it just me or aren't things going to end very well for Dynaheir, Jaheira, Minsc, Boo, Vajra Safahr, these people?

 

[Shardstone]

All three together

View attachment 366071View attachment 366072View attachment 366073

I hate venegers design.

 

[TheSword]

I hate venegers design.

Why?

 

[aco175]

Are these covers trying to be easter eggs for upcoming adventures like the original 5e ones were?

Is Venger the next BBEG after Vecna?

Is Zarak going to become a full orc assassin? Is he still evil? Does he still have the Battle-Matic stabbing action?

 

[Shardstone]

Why?

Doesnt really spark interest in me. Dont like his horns, colors, of pose. All subjective, just not my tastes.

 

[GarrettKP]

Are these covers trying to be easter eggs for upcoming adventures like the original 5e ones were?

Is Venger the next BBEG after Vecna?

Is Zarak going to become a full orc assassin? Is he still evil? Does he still have the Battle-Matic stabbing action?

View attachment 366169

He was given a stat block in Wild Beyond the Witchlight along with other members of the League of Malevolence and Valor's Call.

 

[overgeeked]

Anyone posted a Twitter link to the artist and the clean art yet?

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Are these covers trying to be easter eggs for upcoming adventures like the original 5e ones were?

I don't think those were Easter eggs so much as what WotC was interested in at the time.

But they're definitely interested in doing something with their best known characters. I strongly suspect they're trying to make a Vox Machina or Dragon Prince style animated show happen.

 

[Clint_L]

This is my favourite of the three covers for the standard editions, though I eagerly await the alt-cover, given how good those have been.