D&D 5E New Monster Manual Cover

From IGN, the cover of the 2025 Monster Manual!

@Morrus

 

[dave2008]

the compendium did not, the later manual did, so I let that one slide

My emphasis. By the time the manual came around I stopped getting 2e books.

 

[OB1]

I think having a Beholder front and center on the MM is a far better choice than a dragon. It's one of the most unique monsters in the D&D menagerie, and one that a brand new player isn't likely to have seen before, selling the idea that the MM is chock full of new things.

 

[Ruin Explorer]

They got a major art budget upgrade, apparently.

I'm very supportive of this as you know.

Right from the get-go with 5E the apparent lack of art budget was a major complaint for me. It seems to be one thing that is very conclusively on the "FIXED" list for 2024.

And yeah this looks great despite me having a very low tolerance for a certain dumbass Ranger*. Also the back is fantastic and cute.

* = Like all famous D&D Rangers he never shows any signs whatsoever of being a Ranger. This definitely doesn't indicate any kind of fundamental weakness with the whole idea of Rangers!

 

[Warpiglet-7]

I think having a Beholder front and center on the MM is a far better choice than a dragon. It's one of the most unique monsters in the D&D menagerie, and one that a brand new player isn't likely to have seen before, selling the idea that the MM is chock full of new things.

I was thinking the same about a beholder. It is uniquely D&D and not a mythical archetype or anything.

It unique to the brand.

 

[EzekielRaiden]

Don't like it. WAY too busy.

 

[Riley]

Don't like it. WAY too busy.

I'm surprised by your reaction - I don't think you are wrong, but your reaction is exactly opposite my own, which is that (most of) this image is so clean and uncluttered.

For whatever reason, my mind automatically focuses on the center and upper-2/3rds of the painting, and dismisses all the details in the yellow lower foreground as a single, simple design element... unless/until I intentionally focus on the details within it.

Possibly helps explain why I love this illustration - far more than the other two - while others (quite reasonably) disagree.

 

[Hatmatter]

I'm surprised by your reaction - I don't think you are wrong, but your reaction is exactly opposite my own, which is that (most of) this image is so clean and uncluttered.

For whatever reason, my mind automatically focuses on the center and upper-2/3rds of the painting, and dismisses all the details in the yellow lower foreground as a single, simple design element... unless/until I intentionally focus on the details within it.

Possibly helps explain why I love this illustration - far more than the other two - while others (quite reasonably) disagree.

I agree with you, Riley. Upon first seeing the image, it struck me that the point of the painting is precisely to be "way too busy"; to be over-the-top bonkers in fact, as if to suggest, "Yo, there are a sh*t ton of wacky monsters in here." The image on the back cover of the new book reinforces that.

If someone watches Fury Road or Army of Darkness and responds, "too much over-the-top action," how does one respond? The filmmakers were going for that. To each their own and move on, I suppose...on to the next thing to criticize.

I often like to read some of the one sentence criticisms of people on these boards and apply them to the (nearly) universally-revered covers of old, such as the first AD&D book covers. If there was a world wide web back then, can you imagine how the cover of the first Monster Manual would have been slagged?

 

[Azzy]

People posting MM (and MC) covers just reinforces that this is the best MM/MC cover out of any edition. Albeit that's a very low hurdle to jump.

 

[Superchunk77]

What’s wrong with it for you?

The style is too blurry and washed out. Same complaint for the other two covers. Also the characters are always in some weird pose facing in an odd direction instead of facing their enemy. IMO the Pathfinder covers blow these out of the water both in their art style and composition.

 

[Riley]

If there was a world wide web back then, can you imagine how the cover of the first Monster Manual would have been slagged?

The 1e MM cover is absolutely terrible - even though I love it.

I still feel the 1e PHB cover is a magnificent representation of the AD&D game (for me, back then), but not the other two.