D&D (2024) Check Out The 2025 Monster Manual Alternate Cover!

Originally previewed on Dexterto, here is the alternative cover for 2025's new Monster Manual, featuring a mind flayer! The alternate cover for the Dungeon Master's Guide featured the super goddess Lolth, and the Player's Handbook was a gold dragon drinking tea with an adventuring party.

The alternate covers were made by artists Wylie Beckert and Olena Richards.

 

[Stormonu]

And then here's me coming and saying how I don't care about the art, I just get the alt covers for the perceived higher scarcity level compared to the regular covers. If I'm going to collect the dang things, might as well collect the collectible ones

After having the 2E PHB on my shelves for years, it's clear the cover doesn't prevent me from getting a book. Though it's nice to have choices.

 

[Dion D Ritter]

I just hope the inside content is well edited and highly scrutinized to match the high quality that these alternate covers provide. It would be a shame to to read a bunch of crap then have to learn to like it. Gives me nightmares just thinking about it.

 

[Sonofapreacherman]

Alternative cover only. This is what 'finished' (rather than concept) art is supposed to look like.

 

[Doctor Futurity]

A little too cartoonish for my taste.

 

[Argyle King]

Out of the alternate covers, I think the PHB is my favorite.

After that, it's a tough call. I think the Lolth picture is pretty cool, and I prefer that over Bauer Edition's normal DMG, but I'm still not sure that either one really embodies what comes to mind for a DMG. I suppose the DM is weaving stories like a spider, so that kinda makes sense.

I think Bauer Edition's alternate Monster Manual artwork is pretty cool. However, the normal version of the MM was my favorite of the non-alternate covers, and I like the menagerie of stuff on the back of the other MM.

I might give the slight edge to the alternate DMG.

So, if I had to break it down:

I like the alternate PHB the most; DMG is #2 for me; then the MM.

For the non-alternate covers, I feel that the MM is the best by far; PHB is #2; DMG is #3.

 

[Charlaquin]

I don't quite understand what's going on. Is it holding an illithid tadpole baby in its tentacles?

It’s holding the tadpole in its hand (well… telekinetically floating it just above its hand, anyway).

 

[PyroArrow]

The cover artworks reminds me of something your great grandmother would buy at her favorite boutique. It's like they belong on greeting cards with sappy sayings inside, even. Not on something that is a procedural dungeon crawl with role-play elements during encounters and a lot of unexpected danger, action and exploring.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

The cover artworks reminds me of something your great grandmother would buy at her favorite boutique. It's like they belong on greeting cards with sappy sayings inside, even.

Your great-grandmother likes some pretty metal greeting cards.

 

[SteveC]

This is the first one that doesn't click for me. The other two, I think, are great, but don't say D&D to me (but I'd play the heck out of the game they look like they're for).

This is a D&D cover. No doubt, But this is just meh. Obviously, it's just my opinion.

 

[Cadence]

Do we have confirmation that the barcode is just a sticker and not actually a permanent ugly square on the back cover?