D&D (2024) Monster Manual Organisation

[Parmandur]

The organization doesn't really make sense (grouping some things and not others)

Not to pick on you on particular, just riffing off of this particularly pithy statement of the issue.

I do see the logic at play here: they have grouped together Monsters when they will either be in a group encounter (various Goblins) or you would want one that is CR appropriate for the party (different Tiers of Fungus), rather than world building groupings (Vrocks being under D for Demon).

I am fairly agnostic on the issue, but I do see the logic at play, and how it will work in prep.

 

[Reynard]

The only way to accommodate the lore of every D&D setting at once is to give no lore at all.

Unfortunately, there is no way they are going to let their worlds exist independently.

 

[Stormonu]

In the end, there's no perfect way to sort the monsters, just pick a method and stick with it - and try to be as consistant as you can.

When I first saw the 2014 MM, I thought it was silly that the animals were in a separate section from the rest of the monsters, the same with the NPCs. Why didn't they bother to do the other creatures by Type then? Why were the Giant versions of animals under "G" instead of a subset under the normal version?

On the other hand, I remember having a devil of a time to find the Tarrasque in the 4E Monster Vault, until I discovered it was under "Abomination" instead of under "T".

So personally I'd rather go back to the old method myself. Dragons, Devils and Demons all under D. Giants all under G. Giant versions of animals under the main animal's entry, and not pushed to the back of the book. Maybe put the NPCs in the back if they are templates that can be tweaked via racial traits.

 

[Distracted DM]

Does anyone with the physical copy have a screenshot of the table of contents?

 

[Sacrosanct]

Does anyone with the physical copy have a screenshot of the table of contents?

Sorry for the poor quality, but it gets the point across

 

[Voadam]

Are giants split up?

What about Ghoul, Ghast, Lacedon?

 

[Reynard]

Sorry for the poor quality, but it gets the point across
View attachment 395663

Is there an additional index that does them by type so you can find different demons easier, for example?

 

[Voadam]

OK, I see giants are split up and ghasts are separate from ghouls but lacedons are with ghouls.

 

[TravDoc42]

Is there an additional index that does them by type so you can find different demons easier, for example?

Yes, the back index has the monsters by creature type, and sub categories for devils, demons, yugoloths, titans, angels, etc.

 

[Reynard]

Yes, the back index has the monsters by creature type, and sub categories for devils, demons, yugoloths, titans, angels, etc.

Nice.