So Much Art From the 2025 Monster Manual

Here's some preview art from the 2025 Monster Manual, courtesy of Wizards of the Coast's "Everything You Need to Know Video" on the new book.

A classic Faceless Stalker:

A demon of some kind:

Arch-Hags:

Some kobolds:

A Nalfeshnee, perhaps?

A revenant:

Blue dracolich:

Death Knight:

Death tyrant:

Chimera:

Githyanki (with the central warrior recreating a classic pose):

A mummy lord:

A marrow:

A balrog balor:

Mimics:

While I'm tempted to say a tressym, this actually might be a new sphinx design:

Bone fiend:

Sladd:

Rust monster:

Platinum(?) dragon:

Bronze dragon:

Hezrou, perhaps?

Fire giant, not Karlach:

Cloud giants:

Zombies:

Red dragon:

Hags (including a male hag):

Dryads (including a male dryad):

Horned devil:

Incubus and succubus:

Vampires:

Vampire:

Colossus:

Spirit naga:

Copper dragon:

White dragon:

Blue dragon:

Gold dragon:

Black dragon:

 

[dave2008]

I'm with you. I know this has been a "love-fest" thread, but you aren't alone.

The art is too washed out for my tastes, and although I get the social-pressure direction the art has to take, I'm not a fan of it. But, I won't be buying any of these books so I won't be looking at it.

I guess the point is the art works for the people who want to use it (the 2024 materials)?


That is a good point about the washed-out feel I'm seeing here. IRL the colours might be much more dynamic.

I am not sure which art you are talking about. They have clearly shown many different styles in the MM art. So which style don't you like, or do you reject all the styles?

Personally I am not a fan of all the styles, but I still think it is looking to be the best art in a D&D product I have ever seen. Can't be sure until I have the book though.

 

[Belen]

I am just not a fan of the 5.5 style of art. It all look digital or tweeny.

 

[dave2008]

the visually it's just off for me.
it's too cartoon-ish, to pastel-ish in style, low detail, lazy, like someone got 2 days before printing and said: we need 200 arts for the book to 3 artists.
Now get to work!

like the whole game is marketed towards 9 year old kids.

I am not sure which art you are talking about. They have clearly shown many different styles in the MM art. So which style don't you like, or do you reject all the styles? It is definitely not all cartoony. Heck, in the video they even mentioned they used different styles for different types of monsters. So do you dislike some of the art, and that taints your view of all of the art, or do you truly dislike all of the art.

 

[dave2008]

I am just not a fan of the 5.5 style of art. It all look digital or tweeny.

Then you haven't looked closely enough. There is some of that (though I don't know what tweeny mean), but there a many different styles, themes, and moods represented in 2024 art.

 

[Horwath]

I am not sure which art you are talking about. They have clearly shown many different styles in the MM art. So which style don't you like, or do you reject all the styles? It is definitely not all cartoony. Heck, in the video they even mentioned they used different styles for different types of monsters. So do you dislike some of the art, and that taints your view of all of the art, or do you truly dislike all of the art.

revenant and blue dragon are kind of OK, rest look like villain rejects from Captain Planet or He-man(80s cartoon)

 

[dave2008]

I'm glad that MM2024 art follows PHB2024, as in, it sucks completely.

Should those undead/demons/devils be scary of just be laughed at?

So curious, so which if these images from the 2024 MM look cute and are to be laughed at to you:

 

[dave2008]

revenant and blue dragon are kind of OK, rest look like villain rejects from Captain Planet or He-man(80s cartoon)

see at my next response (post right above this one), do you think all of those images look like captain planet or he-man?!

 

[Horwath]

So curious, so which if these images from the 2024 MM look cute and are to be laughed at to you:
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nearly all:
the style is just too colorful and not sharp enough with detail.

demon on the 2nd picture would be good if it were more dark and sharper detail and not like I'm watching art after 7 beers.
we can make very precise art now it does not need to imitate brush movements.
I like pencil sharpness.

dwarf lady fighting for her life is somewhat good, again if not for art style.

and the surprised undead? that is hilarious.
OMG! An adventurer here?
In those heels?
How dare you?!

 

[Upper_Krust]

I have no idea what this means. I assume you are talking about the 2014 versions?

Yes. He has been pitting various monsters against each other, with the Balor having to run away against the Pit Fiend for the majority of the fight.

 

[Sacrosanct]

That looks like a video game render. I kind of hate it.

That was my first thought too. That definitely looks like a 3D render that has someone use the blur and smudge function in photoshop later.

Between this and the AI art shenanigans a while back, does the AD at WoTC have a working proficiency in digital art software (Photoshop, GIMP, Affinity, etc) to recognize red flags? They should.