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Every core monster ever in D&D
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<blockquote data-quote="JEB" data-source="post: 9290648" data-attributes="member: 10148"><p>The final breakdown: the 5e Monster Manual.</p><p></p><p>378 core monsters in the list.</p><p></p><p>95 from the 4e Monster Vault</p><p>65 from the 4e Monster Manual (that weren't also in MV)</p><p>36 from the 4e MM 2</p><p>14 from the 4e MM 3</p><p>4 from MV: Threats to the Nentir Vale [ogrillon, peryton, saber-toothed tiger, twig blight]</p><p></p><p>4 from Open Grave [crawling claw, death tyrant, demilich, poltergeist]</p><p>4 from Adventurer's Vault [camel, elephant, giant lizard, rhinoceros]</p><p>3 from 4e's Manual of the Planes [chasme, barbed devil, shadow demon]</p><p>2 from Draconomicon: Chromatic Dragons [faerie dragon, shadow dragon]</p><p>2 from Draconomicon: Metallic Dragons [brass and bronze dragons]</p><p>1 from Demonomicon [manes]</p><p>1 from 4e's DMG2 [druid]</p><p>1 from the 4e DM Kit [giant frog]</p><p>1 from Underdark [quaggoth]</p><p>1 from the Dark Sun Creature Catalog [aarakocra]</p><p>1 from Heroes of the Elemental Chaos [invisible stalker]</p><p>1 from Fool's Grove [flumph]</p><p>9 from 4e Dragon</p><p>16 from 4e Dungeon</p><p></p><p>54 that had last been core in the 3.5 Monster Manual</p><p>26 that had last been core in the 2e Monstrous Manual</p><p>6 that had last been core in the 1e Monster Manual [axe beak, giant badger, giant boar, giant goat, giant hyena, allosaurus]</p><p>2 that had been core in the Basic D&D Rules Cyclopedia [deer, elk]</p><p>2 that had been core in the 1981 Basic Rulebook [acolyte, swarm of insects]</p><p></p><p>27 newly core monsters. Of these 18 were technically new to the game, though most of those weren't particularly novel ideas (various familiar-worthy animals, some NPC variations). The most notable exception is the needle blight, which appears to be original (although there have been similar monsters in the past, such as the needlefolk).</p><p></p><p>The 5e MM has nearly double the monster count of the 4e MV, and even manages to beat out the 4e MM (though that might catch up if every single variant was counted individually). However, there were still some cuts from MV, notably:</p><ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">PC species: For the first time in D&D, PC species were not represented with monster equivalents. You were instead expected to modify NPC statblocks with their traits.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Dire animals: 4e had already reduced their presence, but 5e tossed them aside almost entirely in favor of giant animals (which came back with a vengeance). Only the dire wolf, which had a long history in the game, remained in the core.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">4e's angels, archons, and titans: Angels and titans were replaced by their classic equivalents (the latter renamed to "empyreans"), but archons were just gone. (The classic archons finally returned way later, in 5e Planescape.)</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Drakes: As noted, 4e tried to give them a more central role, but 5e left them to secondary sources.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Lots of monster variants: The 5e MM was much more conservative about variants generally than 4e, although 5e loosened up in later books.</li> </ul></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="JEB, post: 9290648, member: 10148"] The final breakdown: the 5e Monster Manual. 378 core monsters in the list. 95 from the 4e Monster Vault 65 from the 4e Monster Manual (that weren't also in MV) 36 from the 4e MM 2 14 from the 4e MM 3 4 from MV: Threats to the Nentir Vale [ogrillon, peryton, saber-toothed tiger, twig blight] 4 from Open Grave [crawling claw, death tyrant, demilich, poltergeist] 4 from Adventurer's Vault [camel, elephant, giant lizard, rhinoceros] 3 from 4e's Manual of the Planes [chasme, barbed devil, shadow demon] 2 from Draconomicon: Chromatic Dragons [faerie dragon, shadow dragon] 2 from Draconomicon: Metallic Dragons [brass and bronze dragons] 1 from Demonomicon [manes] 1 from 4e's DMG2 [druid] 1 from the 4e DM Kit [giant frog] 1 from Underdark [quaggoth] 1 from the Dark Sun Creature Catalog [aarakocra] 1 from Heroes of the Elemental Chaos [invisible stalker] 1 from Fool's Grove [flumph] 9 from 4e Dragon 16 from 4e Dungeon 54 that had last been core in the 3.5 Monster Manual 26 that had last been core in the 2e Monstrous Manual 6 that had last been core in the 1e Monster Manual [axe beak, giant badger, giant boar, giant goat, giant hyena, allosaurus] 2 that had been core in the Basic D&D Rules Cyclopedia [deer, elk] 2 that had been core in the 1981 Basic Rulebook [acolyte, swarm of insects] 27 newly core monsters. Of these 18 were technically new to the game, though most of those weren't particularly novel ideas (various familiar-worthy animals, some NPC variations). The most notable exception is the needle blight, which appears to be original (although there have been similar monsters in the past, such as the needlefolk). The 5e MM has nearly double the monster count of the 4e MV, and even manages to beat out the 4e MM (though that might catch up if every single variant was counted individually). However, there were still some cuts from MV, notably: [LIST] [*]PC species: For the first time in D&D, PC species were not represented with monster equivalents. You were instead expected to modify NPC statblocks with their traits. [*]Dire animals: 4e had already reduced their presence, but 5e tossed them aside almost entirely in favor of giant animals (which came back with a vengeance). Only the dire wolf, which had a long history in the game, remained in the core. [*]4e's angels, archons, and titans: Angels and titans were replaced by their classic equivalents (the latter renamed to "empyreans"), but archons were just gone. (The classic archons finally returned way later, in 5e Planescape.) [*]Drakes: As noted, 4e tried to give them a more central role, but 5e left them to secondary sources. [*]Lots of monster variants: The 5e MM was much more conservative about variants generally than 4e, although 5e loosened up in later books. [/LIST] [/QUOTE]
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