The Monsters & Creatures Compendium (Dungeons & Dragons)

Introduction

Monsters! For as long as people have told stories to entertain each other, we’ve had myths about monsters. Alarming or adorable, scary or serene, monsters help make our tales exciting and dangerous.

Within this bold bestiary, we’ve assembled the most famous and frightening beasts ever found in the many fantasy worlds of Dungeons & Dragons. Each entry contains critical information on their traits, powers, and lairs. If you study carefully, you’ll learn how to fight these weird and wonderful creatures or, if you’re in over your head, when you should flee. You’ll also read about encounters in progress and can decide what might happen to the adventurers on their quests.

This isn’t the kind of book where you have to start at the beginning and read page by page. Flip through to find artwork that grabs your attention and start your journey there, learning more about that particular monster. If that creature inspires you to start creating a story, on your own or with friends and family, fantastic! If not, keep reading until one of them sparks your imagination. The more you read, the more you’ll discover. The more you discover, the easier it will be to create heroic tales as you explore forbidden lands, forgotten realms, and magical worlds.

Will these monsters be a catalyst for courage, inspiring great deeds worthy of song and celebration, or will they bring an early and ignoble end to your character’s quest? In the end, that’s up to you. Dungeons & Dragons is all about creating unique campaigns, and yours is about to begin.

Go forth and find your fate!