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The Monsters & Creatures Compendium (Dungeons & Dragons)

A Young Adventurer's Guide

Part of Dungeons & Dragons Young Adventurer's Guides

Author Jim Zub, Official Dungeons & Dragons Licensed

with Stacy King, Andrew Wheeler

Hardcover

$24.99 US

Clarkson Potter/Ten Speed | Ten Speed Press

7.25"W x 9.3"H x 0.88"D | 31 oz | 16 per carton

On sale Aug 22, 2023 | 256 Pages | 978-1-9848-6247-1

Age 8-12 years | Grades 3-7

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Discover the terrifying monsters and fascinating beasts of Dungeons & Dragons with this A-to-Z illustrated guide to all the creatures you might encounter during your adventures.

In this single-volume collection of all the creature profiles from the first six books in the Young Adventurer's Guide series, you’ll find the wild and wondrous creatures that populate the world of Dungeons & Dragons. Pore over profiles of dragons (from chromatic to metallic), owlbears, unicorns, and more, each accompanied by vivid illustrations. Narrative encounters and storytelling prompts help you strategize so you can make sure to best these beasts in your own campaigns.

With beautiful illustrations and advice on what to do should you come across these magical and terrifying creatures, The Monsters & Creatures Compendium provides the perfect guide for young fans and new players traversing the worlds of D&D.

Jim Zub View titles by Jim Zub

Dungeons & Dragons launched the great tradition of roleplaying games in 1974 with an unprecedented mix of adventure and strategy, dice-rolling, and storytelling. Wizards of the Coast continues to honor that tradition, bringing to market a diverse range of D&D game and entertainment experiences and influencing numerous writers, directors, and game designers by tapping into an innate human need to gather with friends and tell an exciting story together. View titles by Official Dungeons & Dragons Licensed

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!

Copyright © 2023 by Jim Zub with Stacy King and Andrew Wheeler. Official Dungeons & Dragons Licensed Product. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.