“My friend Mordenkainen constantly fights monsters and makes notes about them. I love notes as much as the next wizard but fighting gets old. Why not sit down and have a drink with the monster? I’ve learned the most delicious secrets from my monstrous drinking companions. The other monsters? I disintegrated them.” 

– Tasha

Since it’s release in 2014, 5th Edition Dungeons and Dragons has seen the arrival of 32 different Sourcebooks, from official gameplay guides to pre-written campaigns. It’s fair to say that over those 8 years a lot of information has flooded the game table and at times it can be difficult to wade through the oceans of stat blocks and lore. Monsters of the Multiverse strives to remedy this.

Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse is a compendium of creatures from all across 5th Edition. This latest Sourcebook brings 30 different playable races and 260 monsters into one practical encyclopedia. It should be noted that none of these races or creatures are new additions to the D&D canon (except for one) but trust me when I say that this book is hardly just a best-hits compilation.

Monsters of the Multiverse seeks to revise each creature and race it describes, bringing more balanced and easy-to-use stat blocks. Updated formats make monsters more efficient to run for the veteran Dungeon Master and easy to pick up for the new. Plus, all races have been carefully balanced to be more compatible with your table, no matter the story you’re telling.

See if you should add Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse to your D&D Bookshelf!

D&D Monsters of the Multiverse Book

Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

$60
  • Sparkling with the musings of the wizard Mordenkainen, this tome compiles and updates monsters that originally appeared in Volo’s Guide to Monsters and Mordenkainen’s Tome of Foes.

Races

The races in Monsters of the Multiverse come from a handful of different books across the D&D canon, from sourcebooks to campaign guides.

While none of the races are modified drastically, subtle changes have been implemented for ease of use and effectiveness.

Ability Score Increase

To start with, no race has an Ability Score Increase anymore, though this has often been supplemented with an additional Trait, such as with the Duergar who, while loosing their +1 to Strength, gain Psionic Fortitude, giving them advantage on Saving Throws against being Charmed or Stunned. To me, this reads as an attempt to give the races more ‘flavour’ and to enrich the unique concepts behind each one, without diminishing their effectiveness.

Creature Types

There is also now an emphasis on Creature Type, with each race having a clearly defined type, such as Human or Goblinoid (or both for some, such as a Hobgoblin). As someone who loves to play obscure races, I have certainly been caught up in debates as to how my character’s race would be classified. When spells strictly do or don’t work on different types of creatures, having this information clearly laid out is going to make combat run a lot smoother.

Balancing

While many Race Traits were previously limited by your character’s Level (such as the Necrotic Shroud of a Fallen Aasimar), many have now been swapped for the character’s Proficiency Bonus instead. Characters are often rather ‘squishy’ at lower levels and then accelerate to God-like power in later campaign stages. This modifier shift, among other changes seeking to balance character builds, will hopefully give lower-level characters the little extra oomph needed to keep them on their feet, without draining strength from their future 20th-level selves.

 

I want to note that balancing seems to be one of the primary goals of this book. Subtle tweaks here and there indicate that time was put into play-testing these races to ensure they are the best they could be. Having balanced races is essential for a thriving story; players should be able to choose a race for their mechanics and story-telling capabilities, not because one overpowers the rest. Balanced mechanics leave the path open to write great stories.

Minor Adjustments

A few other things here and there have also been changed, which, while perhaps not impacting games dramatically, shows an improved insight into the workings of the average table. Set languages have been removed, which is nice as an acknowledgement that the obvious probably doesn’t need to be spelt out for us (we can assume most races will speak common) but also that language is indictive of the character’s experience and background, not necessarily their race. 

In a similar vein, alignment has been removed (for races at least). As with language, acknowledging that a concept such as alignment is dependent on personal history and not biology is a respectable move, plus, it alligns with the changing mindsets held at modern tables, that our characters tend to be more grey than a nine-point chart can categorise. 

And then is the removal of maturity age and naming conventions. This sourcebook is all about being concise, and when it comes down to it, maturity and common names are often something determined at the table, and aren’t as weighted as say, speed, when choosing what vital information should appear on the character creation page. Perhaps I’m biased on the name front though. I do love a good noun for a name, to which my characters Fishbone, Sahara, and Ichor can attest.

For me, these modifications attempt to enrich the unique concepts of each race as well as to streamline their usage. Additional features, such as Fey Ancestry on Bugbears, strive to build each race up to be distinct as possible. And in areas such as the description of Changelings, steps have been taken to focus on the characteristics of the creature itself rather than their community’s history, allowing these builds to better fit into Homebrew settings and thrive as whatever unique character you want to create.  

Balancing to accommodate lower-level characters will also be greatly beneficial to any new players jumping right in at the very vulnerable Level 1. I’m hoping the release of the new Starter Kit later this year is a prediction of an incoming wave of new players, and that this balancing is a kind rolling out of the safety net. If you’re looking to get friends into D&D, now seems to be the perfect time, or if you’re just looking to kickstart a new campaign, hopefully these patched races will keep your new character safe from any rogue Thunderwaves (a poor move on part during my very first session which instantly killed another PC).

“I once pulled a whole bottle of fine strawberry liquor from the belly of a Maw Demon. No clue where it might’ve devoured such a find but I’m not complaining.” 

– Tasha

Monsters

Now on to the bulk of the book. Taking up 245 pages of this tome are a refined compilation of every great creature from Volo’s Guide to Monsters and Mordenkainen’s Tome of Foes (with a few exceptions to be discussed later).

Formating

Emphasis in this section is put on concision and approachability with the primary changes being in stat block configuration. Creature Abilities are now more effectively organised into Actions and Bonus Actions with distinctive titles for quicker identification in the heat of battle. On top of this, spell layouts have been changed slightly for creatures with spellcasting abilities. Such creatures now only have non-damage spells in their list and often have a single attack spell (usually a bespoke or slightly modified one) singled out and formatted like a weapon attack. This new layout will improve the efficiency of running combat for experienced DMs and make the blocks easier to understand for new ones.

Balancing

As with races, the monsters have also had a thorough adjusting of their abilities, most often, making them stronger.

A good portion have received a reasonable boost to their HP though others have had changes to their abilities themselves. The Flail Snail, for example, who previously, when hit by a spell attack, could roll a die to potentially reflect some of the damage back, now does so automatically without the required roll.

Magic and Weapons

A good few creatures have also been stripped of their weapons. While this may seem like a disadvantage, I believe it adds to the streamlining of each monster; you’re hardly going to drop a Blue Abishai onto the field, a Fiend known for its lighting magic, just for it to bop someone with its quarterstaff. Instead of cluttering the stat block with unnecessary weapons, we get to focus on the abilities quintessential to the creatures. Also, many monster’s attacks are also no longer counted as magical. A fair removal in my opinion. Nothing sucks more than finally weathering the storm of lycanthropy only to have those resistances discounted by every second creature you encounter. I’d prefer to be killed by an Ability with a little more flavour. 

Language and Changes

One thing that stood out to me, and that I appreciate greatly, are some of the subtle word changes, primarily around Alignments and ‘Madness’. You’ll notice that now rather than listing each monster’s Alignment, such as the Chaotic Evil Annis Hag, most creatures are now ‘typically [insert alignment here]’. While sure, most Annis Hags you come across are going to be horrendous, this isn’t a hard and fast rule, and especially for new DMs who mightn’t yet grasp the flexibility of the rules, highlighting that these labels are simply ‘typical’ and can have exceptions, allows space for exemption and more dynamic stories to arise. This being said, there are still a few definite ones, mostly when it comes to Deities, such as Jubilex (still very Chaotic Evil). While there might be many Fiends and therefore room for exceptions, there’s only one Jubilex and he is verifiably very bad.

As well as this, terms such as ‘Madness’ and ‘Insanity’ have often been changed to ‘Confusion’, a change I’m quite happy to see. While mental health and trauma are certainly issues that can, and (considering the danger and horrors encountered in fantasy worlds) likely will arise, doing so flippantly through a Monster Trait feels disrespectful to the actual impact of traumatic experience. Facing a horrific creature should impact how your character feels, but something so complex should be explored through role play, rather than a minimizing, blanket label. This change feels like a respectful step in the right direction. Plus, these terms and abilities aren’t just removed, leaving a gaping hole where a trait or piece of lore used to be. For Deities and larger creatures that often had ‘Madness’ effects, there are now sections detailing the cultists that follow such creatures, detailing actions taken in the name of such monsters rather than an emotional reaction that should be specific to the personality and experience of an individual character.

The Old and the New

Now, in terms of what creatures there actually are, A total of 267 monsters appear in Volo’s and Mordenkainen’s combined, and Monsters of the Multiverse has 260, so naturally we’ve lost a few (or appear to have).

Sacred Statue – While the Sacred Statue no longer appears on the contents page, it is still in the book. It appears next to the Eidolon. As the two are linked, the Sacred Statue isn’t likely to show up without its counterpart

Rothe – Rothe appear on the contents page in Volo’s but don’t actually have their own stat block, appearing as more of a description amongst a group of different types of cattle. So, while Rothe haven’t technically been lost as there wasn’t anything to remove, Monsters of the Multiverse still has a few different types of cows to cover its ‘removal’.

Orcs – Five different types of Orcs have been removed from the list. While I can’t say for certain, I assume this removal is due to shifting perceptions around Orcs in recent years, as Orcs and Half-Orcs have become very popular Character Races, and the blanket labeling of them as evil creatures has widely been overturned. The types that were originally detailed in Volo’s are as follows; Orc Blade of Ilneval, Orc Claw of Luthic, Orc hand of Yurtrus, Orc Nurtured One of Yurtus, and Orc Red Fang of Shargaas.

Mind-Flayer Lich – The Mind Flayer Lich was a variant of the Alhoon that appeared in Volo’s. While in the guide itself they seem to be distinct races, Alhoon’s are also commonly referred to as Mind-Flayer Liches, which likely lead to this removal.

Cow – Apparently Cow’s aren’t interesting enough to be listed alongside the other fantasy cattle anymore :’(

Abyssal Wretch – The Abyssal Wretch is the result that befalls any Adventurer unfortunate enough to be infected by a Rutterkin. That’s how Mordenkainen’s details it at least. In Monsters of the Multiverse, the victim of a Ruttkin instead turns into a ‘Manes Demon’, as shown in the Monster Manual. And so, the Abyssal Wretch doesn’t appear in this book.

Now, most importantly, onto the newest to the roster. I can’t say that the new editions are particularly exciting this time round, but they’re worth mentioning.

Firstly, is the Deep Rothe, which like the standard Rothe was first mentioned in Volo’s, but unlike the original, it now receives an official stat block, joining its cattle counterparts; the Aurochs, Ox, and Stench Kow.

Next is the Shadow Mastiff Alpha. This Alpha Pup had a mention alongside its original (the standard Shadow Mastiff) but now has its own stat block and place on the contents page. (The original Shadow Mastiff still appears in Monsters of the Multiverse, just so you know).

And finally, the single new creature to grace the latest release in the world of Dungeons and Dragons; The Dolphin Delighter. While I’m sure some might be mad that this Compendium of Colossal Creatures didn’t receive some mighty, awe-inspiring addition, I can’t help loving this cute little guy. Someone at Wizards of the Coast had fun slipping this friend into the book. The Dolphin Delighter, while being both tougher (11HP vs. 27HP) and more charismatic (7 CHA vs. 16 CHA) than your standard dolphin, also boasts the wonders of the Feywild, teleporting as they swim alongside seafaring Adventurers. Oh, and they also telepathically sing sea shanties. Just delightful.

It should be noted that while it may at first appear that other creatures have gone missing, they likely haven’t. A few have had slight name shifts, such as the Bronze Scout, Iron Cobra, Oaken Bolter, and Stone Defender, which now all have the ‘Clockwork’ pre-fix. And groups of creatures, such as Eladrin now appear together on the contents page, with their descriptors (e.g. Winter) appearing after their primary title. See also ‘Cranium Rats, Swarm of’, ‘Elemental Myrmidon, Air’, and ‘Kruthik, Adult’.

Overall, some of these changes may seem superficial, but I think they provide good insight into the thinking going on behind the books, and the kind of direction we could be headed with new releases. Over my years of playing, I’ve heard many a complaint about poor formatting and book layouts. As a DM I certainly understand the frustration of having to flip back and forth through a campaign book, trying to see maps and stat blocks at once. These changes tell me that we’ve been heard. An emphasis on making these stat blocks as easy to navigate as possible will help streamline your sessions but also show that someone up top is thinking about how you as a DM and player will use this book, not just as a stack of information, but as a tool for facilitating storytelling. Respectful consideration of word choice, removal of unnecessary fluff, and understanding of homebrew integration. It seems that a lot of thought has been put into how these blocks are actively being used by the average player, and not only will that help you now through this efficient encyclopedia of entities, but in future releases too, where new content will be built with your table in mind.

Final Thoughts

With the rise of beloved Actual Play Shows and Podcasts such as Critical Role, Dimension 20, and The Adventure Zone, many tables have shifted away from the strict canon of worlds like the Forgotten Realms and Dragonlance, realising the broad potential in building an original world. Dungeons and Dragons has nearly 50 years of lore under its belt, so this step in respecting a shift towards homebrew says a lot. Of course, there will always be space at the table for such settings, Spelljammer is being released later in the year after all, but knowing that the importance of homebrew is recognised higher up, bodes well for the growing number of creative players and DMs out there.

Overall, Monsters of the Multiverse feels kind of like a patch. They’ve compiled the best of the best to help new players navigate the vast mass of Sourcebooks out there and tidied it up for all the DMs drowning in a sea of papers behind their screens every session. It’s a straightening of the cloak before heading out with newfound confidence into the next adventure. And with some seeing this shift in mindset as the laying of a path before the arrival of the 6th Edition, the next adventure will certainly be something to be excited for.

Now, practically, what do I recommend to go along with this book? For DMs this one is a great step towards finding new and exciting creatures and saves you from buying every single other book ever released, and for players, it opens up a huge range of new race possibilities. So, if you’re a player looking for some cool races, feel free to grab this one once you have had a look at the Players Handbook, and for DMs, this one will be great to build upon what you’ve already learnt in the Players Handbook, Monster Manuel, and Dungeon Masters Guide.

If you’re interested in learning more about any D&D lore around any of the races (as they’ve been made more general in this book), there is a list below of all the races mentioned in Monsters of the Multiverse and which book they originally appeared in. I’ll note though that while the flavour text has been changed a reasonable amount for most races, the majority of the monster’s descriptions are similar if not the same. If you are interested in checking any of those out for yourself though, to see how much they’ve changed or if you think the old builds will better suit your table, all the monsters in this source book originally appear in either Volo’s Guide to Monsters or Mordenkainen’s Tome of Foes, lists for which can be found in the following links:

Monsters in Volo’s: https://www.dndbeyond.com/sources/vgtm

Monsters in Mordenkainen’s: https://www.dndbeyond.com/sources/mtof

Good Journey, Adventurer!

Alyshia


Playable Race Original Sources

Aarakocra – Elemental Evil Player’s Companion (a supplemental guide designed to accompany Princes of the Apocalypse)

Aasimar – Volo’s Guide to Monsters

Bugbear – Volo’s Guide to Monsters

Centaur- Mythic Odysseys of Theros

Changeling – Eberron: Rising from the Last War

Deep Gnome – Mordenkainen’s Tome of Foes

Duergar – Mordenkainen’s Tome of Foes

Eladrin – Mordenkainen’s Tome of Foes

Fairy – Wild Beyond the Witchlight

Firbolg – Volo’s Guide to Monsters

Genasi – Princes of the Apocalypse

Githyanki – Mordenkainen’s Tome of Foes

Githzerai – Mordenkainen’s Tome of Foes

Goblin – Volo’s Guide to Monsters

Goliath – Volo’s Guide to Monsters

Harengon – Wild Beyond the Witchlight

Hobgoblin – Volo’s Guide to Monsters

Kenku – Volo’s Guide to Monsters

Kobold – Volo’s Guide to Monsters

Lizardfolk – Volo’s Guide to Monsters

Minotaur – Mythic Odysseys of Theros

Orc – Volo’s Guide to Monsters

Satyr – Mythic Odysseys of Theros

Sea Elf – Mordenkainen’s Tome of Foes

Shadar-Kai- Mordenkainen’s Tome of Foes

Shifter – Eberron – Rising from the Last War

Tabaxi – Volo’s Guide to Monsters

Tortle – The Tortle Package (a supplemental guide designed to accompany Tomb of Annihilation)

Triton – Volo’s Guide to Monsters or Mythic Odysseys of Theros

Yuan-Ti – Volo’s Guide to Monsters

“Keep your chins up, my dearest ones. The multiverse is filled with horrors, many of which are detailed in this book. Marshal your laughter and a few good spells. If we’re going to be devoured, better to face the darkness with a smile.”

– Tasha