2025 Monster Manual Will Contain Over 85 New Monsters

Next year's new Monster Manual will include over 85 new monsters, a sizable increase over what was previously believed. In a D&D Beyond post made to celebrate the year end, Wizards of the Coast confirmed that the 2025 Monster Manual would contain 85 "brand new monsters." Considering that the new Monster Manual includes approximately 500 monsters, it's not a surprise that there are a significant amount of new monster statblocks, but this is further confirmation that nearly 20% of the statblocks will be brand new. A description of the Monster Manual also confirms that there will be over 300 new images in the book.

Many of these new statblocks will be to add either high CR or low CR variants of existing popular monsters, so that they can be used in a wider variety of scenarios. For instance, vampires will have several low CR variants (representing freshly turned vampires) along with a high CR vampire nightbringer. Also present in the game are arch-hags and a blob of annihilation, which are classified as titan-level creatures representing different kinds of monster types.

The new Monster Manual will be released on February 18th, 2025.

 

[sevenbastard]

are arch-hags

Much needed. I used the Mummy Lord stat block reskined when I needed a higher level hag. With some small changes it ain't half bad.

 

[ezo]

Must... resist... temptation...

 

[JohnnyZemo]

Forever DM here. I hope they made all the monsters 50% tougher. I'm currently running the Vecna adventure, and I swear no one at Wizards has any idea how to challenge a high-level party. All the fights are much too easy for high-level characters. Obviously, I can do things on my own to make them harder, but it would be great if the monsters as written were tougher.

 

[dave2008]

Must... resist... temptation...

But you do get this: "...new statblocks will be to add either high CR or low CR variants of existing popular monsters, so that they can be used in a wider variety of scenarios. For instance, vampires will have several low CR variants (representing freshly turned vampires) along..."

 

[SlyFlourish]

Forever DM here. I hope they made all the monsters 50% tougher. I'm currently running the Vecna adventure, and I swear no one at Wizards has any idea how to challenge a high-level party. All the fights are much too easy for high-level characters. Obviously, I can do things on my own to make them harder, but it would be great if the monsters as written were tougher.

The answer isn't to make monsters 50% harder but make the encounter building guidelines 50% higher. High CR monsters, however, could use pretty big buffs.

Alternatively, check out the Black Flag / Tales of the Valiant monsters – they hit plenty hard.

https://koboldpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Black-Flag-Roleplaying.pdf

 

[dave2008]

Forever DM here. I hope they made all the monsters 50% tougher. I'm currently running the Vecna adventure, and I swear no one at Wizards has any idea how to challenge a high-level party. All the fights are much too easy for high-level characters. Obviously, I can do things on my own to make them harder, but it would be great if the monsters as written were tougher.

They have already said about CR 10+ the are indeed tougher. This has been confirmed be the Stone Golem and Ancient Green Dragon previews.

Also, if you are looking for tougher villains for Vecna adventure, I made a PDF of buffed major NPCs and posted on these forums: Apostles of Ruin (link to thread with links to download the PDF)

 

[dave2008]

The answer isn't to make monsters 50% harder but make the encounter building guidelines 50% higher. High CR monsters, however, could use pretty big buffs.

Alternatively, check out the Black Flag / Tales of the Valiant monsters – they hit plenty hard.

https://koboldpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Black-Flag-Roleplaying.pdf

They are moving both those needles in the 2024 books. The encounter guidelines are tougher and the higher CR monsters are tougher. Add those two together and you might get close to 50% tougher encounters at higher level

 

[ezo]

or low CR variants

Why would I want that?!? I don't need that. Monsters are already low CR. Vampire spawn ARE the low CR vampire variant. Do you need even weaker vampires? CR 5 is about right IMO for the low CR vampire.

What monster do you need a low CR variant for? I mean, maybe a baby Bullette or something would be fun to throw in, but honestly I'm not expecting much from this concept. We'll see, they might surprise me.

I'll be more interested in the new monsters CR 15 and under.

Also, my post more more in response to the artwork on the cover. I've never realized with had gargantuan Beholders? Must be new.

 

[dave2008]

Alternatively, check out the Black Flag / Tales of the Valiant monsters – they hit plenty hard.

https://koboldpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Black-Flag-Roleplaying.pdf

Sly, can you help me on this thought?

I just checked the PDF out (really quickly) and the dragons are about the same or weaker than the 2014 dragons. They are modestly more interesting, perhaps slightly more damage, but much fewer HP. The 2024 ancient green preview is significantly more threatening (and interesting) than what I am seeing in this black flag document.

Dragons are a bit of an outlier in the 2014 book (hitting above their CR), so perhaps not the best example. However, that is why I was surprised by the green preview (and I care about dragon designs more than other monsters).