When it comes to D&D, players’ eyes are never bigger than their stomachs. They always welcome new options with open arms. Volo’s Guide to Monsters is no exception. As a whole, it supplements both Dungeon Masters and players, but leans far more heavily into the Dungeon Master’s side of things. Regardless, is its flavor, crunch, and portions worthy to add to a game?

Volo’s Guide to Monsters has a unique flavor when compared with its predecessors. This isn’t entirely due to the detailed lore on the monsters, such as how horrific the mind flayer life cycle is or how the various giants interact with one another or how it is far better for a hag to owe you a favor than for you to owe a hag a favor. No, as the title suggests, it is implied that Volothamp Geddarm has actually written the book and includes notes written by him in the margins and other places. Though he isn’t alone. Another key figure from the Forgotten Realms, named Elminster, also leaves notes throughout the book, usually in a backhanded manor befitting someone who has had to deal with Volo before. Their occasional back and forth makes for amusing icing on this sizeable cake of monster lore.

On the opposite end of things, how crunchy is Volo’s Guide to Monsters? What mechanics are included to really sink our teeth into? Quite a few, actually. There aren’t new rules, precisely, but new monsters and monster variations to supplement the Monster Manual. These additions follow the rules just like any other, but bring their unique functions to the game. Yuan-ti, for example, are evil snake cultists. They used to be people, but became obsessed with transforming themselves into snake-like beings. The Monster Manual has the three basic forms, but Volo’s Guide to Monsters includes several others. At the bottom are the dull-witted Brood Guards, which are poor souls transformed into devoted lizard-men servants. There’s even a sidebar on how this happens, which can be used against a party of adventurers. At the top are the hydra-like Yuan-ti Abominations that outrank even the traditional top of their hierarchy, but are rarely seen because of how brutal they are, even among their own kind. They can induce fear in onlookers, use a limited form of mind control, claw, bite with six heads (consolidated into one attack with high damage for convenience), and constrict. A force to be reckoned with indeed and a fun challenge. On the player’s side, a number of new races, including monstrous ones, are allowed. The standouts being angelic aasimar, burly goliaths, and oceanic tritons. The aasimar can select one of three types to be, a durable zealous form, a serene wise form, and a villainous fallen form. The goliaths can shrug off an otherwise devastating attack. Tritons are aquatic and can speak with ocean life to a limited degree. All make for simple, but vastly different heroes from the typical elf, dwarf, and human, enabling a novel play experience. With crunch this good, one might mistake Volo’s Guide to Monsters for peanut brittle!

With the flavor and crunch verified, all that remains is to count up the portions. Just how much is here? There are about 124 entirely new monsters, with extensive lore for most categories, 13 new races, some of which even have subraces to tinker with, and their own lore, all of which rounds out the book nicely. A full plate and then some.

All together, Volo’s Guide to Monsters is a fascinating read, even if one isn’t a player of Dungeons and Dragons. It sparks the imagination, takes play to new heights (literally with some new giants), and adds just enough player content to help keep anything from the Player’s Handbook from getting too stale. I highly recommend Volo’s Guide to Monsters to anyone. A-.

-The_Clark_Side