D&D 5E Check Out The Full Monsters of the Multiverse Cover Art

The wraparound cover art for January's Monsters of the Multiverse -- an updated compilation of existing D&D monsters -- has been revealed. The cover features an astral dreadnaught, the same monsters which adorned AD&D's Manual of the Planes in 1987.

The front cover had been revealed previously, but this is the clearest picture yet of the full art piece by Greg Rutkowski. Mordenkainen Presents Monsters of the Multiverse is part of the 3-book gift set which also includes Xanathar's Guide to Everything and Tasha's Cauldron of Everything, all together in a slipcase.

"The Future of D&D" (New Core Books in 2024!)

The online D&D Celebration event, which has been running all weekend, comes to a close with The Future of D&D, a panel featuring WotC's Ray Winninger, Liz Schuh, Chris Perkins, and Jeremy Crawford, hosted by Elle Osili-Wood. D&D is exploring the multiverse Revisiting classic settings. 1st of...

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Monsters of the Multiverse is "a treasure trove of creature related material from previous products compiled into one book and updated." Improvements are based on feedback, rebalancing monsters with new and old art.

The book contains over 250 monsters, and 30 playable races, including all of the setting agnostic races that have been published outside the Player's Handbook.

Some content from Witchlight, Fizban's, and Strixhaven was influenced by Monsters of the Multiverse.

The books is available first in the gift set, but will also be available separately later in the year.

 

[Enevhar Aldarion]

Between the Kobold Press Tome of Beasts, This Gift Set, and the Monster Manual Expanded 1-3 from Nixlord, I think I'm good with monsters.

Now what are the odds, with the updating and changing of how monsters are done for 5E, how many of these 3PP companies take the opening here and publish new versions of their books to match?

 

[Remathilis]

This is partially speculation, but I'm beginning to think MMoM isn't just going to be VGoM + MToF, but stuff from the various modules and setting books as well. There was a tweet not too long ago where WotC made the Centaur for Disease Control joke referring to a centaur cleric, and the only centaur race published so far has been in Ravnica/Theros, which were both MTG crossover books. Now, I don't expect much in the way of MTG monsters and races in this book, but I wouldn't be shocked if a few other races (like minotaur or tortle) and monsters from modules (like tree blights or Xithaliliccalalala.. uh. devil mantra ray thingies) don't appear as well.

 

[MonsterEnvy]

I won’t be getting the box set, but I do plan to get Monsters of the Multiverse when it’s available alone.

 

[Demetrios1453]

Now what are the odds, with the updating and changing of how monsters are done for 5E, how many of these 3PP companies take the opening here and publish new versions of their books to match?

Nixlord is doing that with the MME series. He's already revised the MME3 form the old style to the new - thankfully the new stat block change over occurred between the PDF release and the POD release. He has already been releasing new artwork here that will be in the revised MME1 and MME2.

 

[Demetrios1453]

This is partially speculation, but I'm beginning to think MMoM isn't just going to be VGoM + MToF, but stuff from the various modules and setting books as well. There was a tweet not too long ago where WotC made the Centaur for Disease Control joke referring to a centaur cleric, and the only centaur race published so far has been in Ravnica/Theros, which were both MTG crossover books. Now, I don't expect much in the way of MTG monsters and races in this book, but I wouldn't be shocked if a few other races (like minotaur or tortle) and monsters from modules (like tree blights or Xithaliliccalalala.. uh. devil mantra ray thingies) don't appear as well.

There are going to be 250+ stat blocks in MMoM, and VGtM and MToF don't quite add up to that amount (I think it's 236 or so). So we're going to see at least a few stat blocks from other places - and like you, I'm guessing the Ixitxachitl are very likely to make the leap...

 

[Levistus's_Leviathan]

There are going to be 250+ stat blocks in MMoM, and VGtM and MToF don't quite add up to that amount (I think it's 236 or so). So we're going to see at least a few stat blocks from other places - and like you, I'm guessing the Ixitxachitl are very likely to make the leap...

I'm guessing the Nymphs from MOoT will get reprinted. They're setting-agnostic enough to appear as a generic fantasy creature in most D&D worlds, just like Dryads, Satyrs, and Centaurs.

 

[Demetrios1453]

I'm guessing the Nymphs from MOoT will get reprinted. They're setting-agnostic enough to appear as a generic fantasy creature in most D&D worlds, just like Dryads, Satyrs, and Centaurs.

ToA had a lot of classic monsters with pedigrees going back to 1e, so I'm also expecting some of those to get into this book...

 

[Alby87]

As I think, this is a "update older books to 5.5 book". So, if you have a 5.0 Curse of Strahd, here are the updates for barovian witches. So you have to add any monster from Volo, Mordy and all the unique monsters in the modules to obtain the 250+ of MMoF. The only statblocks that will not be updated this way will be the named one (Strahd von Zarovich). Those will be errated with new version (just watch the Storm King Thunder latest errata) if the old ones needs badly an update.

 

[Azzy]

While I would normally be excited to see 30 player races and 250 monsters in 1 book, I already own the books they are being pulled from (Volo's, Mordenkainen's, and Tasha's), so I don't see any real reason to buy this book (much less the gift set with the reprinted books w/new covers).

S'okay, this isn't meant for everyone. I'm certainly not going to buy the gift set, but depending on what's included in the monster book and what kind of changes we'll be seeing, I may pick up MMotM when it becomes available individually.

 

[SkidAce]

Not Tasha's, just the other two and from lots of other books where the races are scattered around. Plus with the updates/changes being made to them all, the original versions of the monsters and classes will be basically useless for all the people buying the core books from 2022 and on.
...

How will they be useless?