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:

 

[Jensaarai]

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

I kinda think there's a bit of a "it's new so it sucks" feeling going on...

 

[Reynard]

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.

I don't know about red flags. i just don't like that style in my D&D art.

 

[Levistus's_Leviathan]

They have clearly shown many different styles in the MM art.

And the video mentioned how this was an intentional choice. They are adding a diversity of styles corresponding to each type of monster. So Fiendish art will look more metal, Fey art will look more whimsical, Undead art will look more horrific, Celestial art will look more heavenly, etc. The art is supposed to evoke the themes of the monsters and give inspiration for how you include them in your campaigns.

Which I’ve been saying for a while now, ever since those idiotic discussions about how 5e art was all “twee/cute” now because of Strixhaven and Witchlight. The intention is to represent the diversity in types of adventures and monsters.

 

[Chaltab]

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.

Aside from personal preference I don't understand why starting from a 3D render is a red flag to begin with, as long as the render work was not stolen.

 

[Levistus's_Leviathan]

Aside from personal preference I don't understand why starting from a 3D render is a red flag to begin with, as long as the render work was not stolen.

Yeah. That bearded devil art is easily my least favorite piece of the previewed art precisely because it looks like a 3D digital render, but I don’t see how that’s in any way a “red flag” WotC missed. I just don’t think it looks good.

 

[ezo]

I'm halfway interested what you think the "social pressure" is here.

Good thing you are only halfway... because I am not at all interested in telling you. I think we all know by now.

the visually it's just off for me.
it's too cartoon-ish, to pastel-ish in style, low detail

Yep. Myself, as well.

lazy

I don't know if I would go that far. The art is art, certainly, and I am sure was done with devotion to the craft--just not to my tastes.

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

I don't think we're there yet... In some ways, I wish we were more so, but art direction isn't one of them for myself.

not like I'm watching art after 7 beers.

someone use the blur and smudge function in photoshop

This is what it pretty much all looks like to me. Obviously some appreciate the more "abstract" appeal, just not my thing. FWIW, this is true for me in any art, not just this stuff. I don't mind it looking a little blurry or hazy, but this stuff...

 

[Sacrosanct]

Yeah. That bearded devil art is easily my least favorite piece of the previewed art precisely because it looks like a 3D digital render, but I don’t see how that’s in any way a “red flag” WotC missed. I just don’t think it looks good.

I'm just an amateur artist myself, and I'm my own AD for my own projects so take it with a grain of salt. But this is a red flag to me. If I'm hiring an artist and see they just did a quick paint/smudge job over a DAZ3d render*, I'm immediately on alert. Why? For a couple reasons, but the biggest is because in physical media like a book, 3d rendered art styles are not looked upon favorably. Secondary reasons include that typically 3D rendered art costs a lot less than manual art because you can whip out an entire figure in 5 minutes compared to the hours of work an artists does, so if an artist is charging the same by using obvious shortcuts and passing it off as more traditional art, it seems off to me. Hard to explain. Maybe it's my bias as an artist myself. I.e., why is this person getting paid the same for cranked out art that the rest of us artists are getting paid but we are doing 10x the actual hours we put in?

Edit: specific issues include super sharp and detailed areas on a few things, then smudgy muddy detail-free areas in others. The light source of the devil seems top down, but on the staff coming from the right. Pixalated areas showing around parts of areas like the staff that you can't blame on an overall low res image because other areas are sharp with detail. Tentacles that seem photobashed on the face. These are all things I'd expect an AD to pick up on. I'm not saying it should be rejected or whatever, but I'd hope they'd at least have the conversation before signing off on it. Maybe they did? Point is, is that they seem like red flags to me.

*I'm not accusing this artist of doing this, but speaking of hypotheticals

 

[mamba]

the style is just too colorful and not sharp enough with detail.

don’t forget that these are screenshots from a video

 

[Jensaarai]

Good thing you are only halfway... because I am not at all interested in telling you. I think we all know by now.

Mmm, I just thought it interesting when someone talks about new art being influenced by a "social pressure", but they aren't actually willing to say what that pressure is, only giving sly winks.

Makes one wonder what it is you have a problem with, y'know?

 

[Umbran]

Good thing you are only halfway... because I am not at all interested in telling you. I think we all know by now.

Mod Note:
Of course you aren't interested in telling, because telling would get you dinged in accordance with the site's inclusivity policy.

But, being vague to try to dodge that doesn't help much when folk scan still tell what you are talking about. Put away the dog whistle, please and thanks.