D&D General Fiends & Foes is a D&D lore book of beasts, villains, and monstrosities from across the planes

Coming on November 24th 2026 is a new art and lore book by Erin M. Evans which explores all manner of creatures from various D&D worlds. The book provides information and statistics for iconic villains such as Vecna, Tiamat, and Lolth, contains hundreds of illustrations, and presents it all through the eyes of Farideh, a tiefling tasked to deliver a letter by Glasya, a Princess of the Nine Hells. The 320-page hardcover book is being published by Ten Speed Press, under license from WotC.

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An officially licensed, in-world exploration of the art and lore of Dungeons & Dragons’s iconic villains, anti-heroes, and morally ambiguous characters.

“I am Glasya, Lord of the Sixth, Archduchess of Malbolge, and Princess of the Nine Hells. I would like a letter conveyed to someone who doesn’t want to be found. Beyond that, I wish to give you a good story, and so we will set off on this quest, villain to villain, and we will see what happens, and who survives.”

Fiends & Foes guides readers on a dangerous journey through the realms, framed as a quest to deliver a letter to an unknown and extremely powerful character. Each chapter presents art and fascinating lore about D&D’s best-known villains, with quick information about each category of foe, deeper spotlights on significant characters, and an immersive encounter with a legendary evil. Starting with a request from Glasya, this path leads to Tiamat, Vecna, Strahd, Halaster Blackcloak, Lolth, Xanathar, Demogorgon, and many more sinister figures from the D&D multiverse.

With original, never-before-seen chapter opener illustrations and captivating artwork from official D&D adventures, Dungeons & Dragons Fiends & Foes is an immersive, story-driven exploration of the malevolent forces that plague the D&D multiverse.

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[mamba]

is it just me or is "Justice" an unusually over-represented name among WotC employees?

I mean, one is already stretching it with the representation…

 

[Dire Bare]

I mean, one is already stretching it with the representation…

Huh? Representation?

Is there a problem with one person having the name "Justice"? Or two? Or more?

Are we complaining about "diversity hires" at WotC? I hope not, that would be gross.

 

[Dire Bare]

I was literally originally going to post something like "I feel the artist for the MTG bane art said some out of pocket things about his earlier depiction being racist" but couldn't find it; of course they walked back their statements and couldn't stand by their own opinions. Nothing about the character of Bane has anything to do with Black people, blackness or anyone with origins in Africa. Aesthetically, Bane has always drawn from European fascism.

EDIT: Also, is it just me or is "Justice" an unusually over-represented name among WotC employees?

Thanks for downplaying artist and publisher concerns over racism in D&D art. /sarcasm

We've discussed it ad nauseum on these boards, but in case you weren't a part of those discussions . . .

There is rarely a one-to-one correspondance between characters or even fantasy species/races and real world people or cultures. And very few have actually made that claim. Your complaint, perhaps unintentionally, is a straw-man.

But there is a documented issue with monstrosity being described using the same language bigots use to dehumanize other people. The drow and orc races are the most clear example, but even they aren't direct 1-to-1 with people from Africa or any other part of the world. But the language used to describe the classically evil drow and orcs in game is the same language used by Europeans to describe indigenous peoples all across the world.

If you are interested in learning more, here's a good book on the subject:

Race and Monstrosity in Dungeons & Dragons - Christopher LeCluyse

 

[mamba]

Huh? Representation?

percentage of persons with that name vs other names.

Is there a problem with one person having the name "Justice"? Or two? Or more?

no, it’s just not that common a name

Are we complaining about "diversity hires" at WotC? I hope not, that would be gross.

I definitely am not. I am also not aware that hiring someone with that name is considered some form of DEI. Would be a weird criteria, seems to be mostly indicative of young and white

 

[Misanthrope Prime]

Thanks for downplaying artist and publisher concerns over racism in D&D art. /sarcasm

We've discussed it ad nauseum on these boards, but in case you weren't a part of those discussions . . .

There is rarely a one-to-one correspondance between characters or even fantasy species/races and real world people or cultures. And very few have actually made that claim. Your complaint, perhaps unintentionally, is a straw-man.

But there is a documented issue with monstrosity being described using the same language bigots use to dehumanize other people. The drow and orc races are the most clear example, but even they aren't direct 1-to-1 with people from Africa or any other part of the world. But the language used to describe the classically evil drow and orcs in game is the same language used by Europeans to describe indigenous peoples all across the world.

If you are interested in learning more, here's a good book on the subject:

Race and Monstrosity in Dungeons & Dragons - Christopher LeCluyse

There are legitimate criticisms of racism in d&d. I'm usually the first one to pull out Gygax's disgusting "nits make lice" comment here; but Bane has always been associated more with white coded or white characters in D&D. Much of the post is decrying "savagery" and immediately equating it to blackness, it speaks far more to the art directors biases than that of the original creators. There is nothing equating the evil of Bane or the Zhentarim to blackness and it conspicuously assumes that white people cannot be savages. Nothing about what the Zhentarim or Bainites do in D&D is at all dissimilar to how the Romans depicted the Germans or Celts. Just because someone is being othered doesn't necessarily mean they're being racialized.

 

[Dire Bare]

percentage of persons with that name vs other names.


no, it’s just not that common a name


I definitely am not. I am also not aware that hiring someone with that name is considered some form of DEI. Would be a weird criteria, seems to be mostly indicative of young and white

Both Justice Geddes and Justice Arman are minorities, Geddes is queer, Arman is of Iranian descent. It wasn't clear that your "representation" comment simply focused on their first names, rather than how they identify.

Justice isn't a common name (at least in the US), although a pretty cool one. I still find your comment odd (and @Misanthrope Prime's comment you were responding too). I apologize that I assumed both comments were bigoted.

 

[Dire Bare]

There are legitimate criticisms of racism in d&d. I'm usually the first one to pull out Gygax's disgusting "nits make lice" comment here; but Bane has always been associated more with white coded or white characters in D&D. Much of the post is decrying "savagery" and immediately equating it to blackness, it speaks far more to the art directors biases than that of the original creators. There is nothing equating the evil of Bane or the Zhentarim to blackness and it conspicuously assumes that white people cannot be savages. Nothing about what the Zhentarim or Bainites do in D&D is at all dissimilar to how the Romans depicted the Germans or Celts. Just because someone is being othered doesn't necessarily mean they're being racialized.

We could certainly have a reasonable conversation/debate about whether past descriptions and art of Bane (and his followers) were racist. Your comment responding to @plecostomus' information didn't come across that way, it came across as dismissive and hostile to the idea and to Geddes themself due to their art choices (and reasoning behind it).

While it's reasonable to not see things the same way Geddes did, in the twitter thread @plecostomus linked to, Geddes is pretty clear and detailed about how they feel Bane, his son Iyactu Xvim, and Bane's followers have at times in D&D's long history been depicted in a racist manner. And personally, I feel Geddes makes a good case. I'm completely supportive of their decision to skip past the more monstrous depictions of Bane and base his art on some of the earlier written depictions.

 

[Chaltab]

Bane and which other evil gods? I don't see the trend.

Vecna. His lich form is still a bit monstrous (but still very attractive compared to the decrepit skeleton he appeared as in 2e-4e.)

But also in his original mortal form was turned into a hot elf guy alongside hot vampire Kas.

 

[Dire Bare]

Vecna. His lich form is still a bit monstrous (but still very attractive compared to the decrepit skeleton he appeared as in 2e-4e.)

But also in his original mortal form was turned into a hot elf guy alongside hot vampire Kas.

The 5E art of Vecna is "Hot Boi"?!?!

We have different ideas of male attractiveness!

Even if I concede on Vecna . . . that's two.

 

[Chaltab]

Modern Vecna

Compared to older depictions?

Yeah.