GeekDad: Explore Monstrous Worldbuilding With Two New ‘D&D’ Books

October is a time for monsters and, in my house, that also means it’s a time for D&D. Even when our family gaming group isn’t involved in an ongoing campaign, I still like to at least convene once in October for a Halloween-themed one-shot.

This year, I arrived at the gaming table with a brand new (and seasonally appropriate) arrow in my Dungeon Master’s quiver, The Düngeonmeister Random Monster Generator. Subtitled A Mix-and-Match RPG Flipbook, the RMG isn’t strictly random but rather a component toolset that worldbuilders can use to make—either via the included creation table or their individual preferences—brand new baddies for their players to battle. It boasts 50 horrifying foes, from the galloping Equivirtar to the spellcasting Gharleezard, across beautiful two-page spreads complete with gorgeous artwork by Sara Richard, helpful stat blocks, and interesting abilities.

The catch is that these pages are split into three separate segments—head, torso, and legs—that can be flipped independently. This allows DMs and aspiring Dr. Frankensteins to mix and match unique monsters by chimerically blending body parts for an astounding 125,000 possible creature combinations.

Doing so produces a fearsome foe that’s an amalgamation of names, stats, and abilities from its disparate component monsters thanks to the book’s innovative triptych design. The head segment provides Intelligence and Wisdom scores as well as their save bonuses, abilities relating to vision/sensory input, and skills relating to perception. The torso segment encompasses Constitution and Strength scores/bonuses, as well as Armor Class, notable physical abilities, and the creature’s standard manner of attack. Lastly, the leg segment represents Dexterity and Charisma stats and bonuses, movement speed, and movement-related abilities. Each segment also includes Hit Points, which are added to determine the beast’s overall HP.

Astute gamers will notice the lack of a traditional Challenge Rating—a hallmark of fifth-edition gameplay that, more or less, seeks to relay a creature’s difficulty against a four-player party. Authors Jef Aldrich and Jon Taylor address this in the book’s introduction, stating that the randomized monsters are designed to stay between CR 2 and CR 4, with the bulk falling squarely into CR 3 territory.

The Düngeonmeister Random Monster Generator makes for an unlikely but immensely satisfying tome that’s perfect for one-shots like my Halloween shindig, but it can also serve as fodder for a truly madcap homegrown campaign wherein your heroes encounter progressively stranger creatures birthed from cross-dimensional chicanery or nefarious magical dabbling. Most importantly, though, it’s a fun and engaging tool sure to get the creative juices flowing.

The only thing I can really nitpick about this one is the naming system, which follows the same three-part composition as the creature’s stats and abilities. I mean, “Kyutragnos” doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue, but, that said, a giant ice bear torso with an arcane obelisk for a head and spider legs is certain to make an impression on your adventuring party no matter what you call it.

On the opposite end of the D&D resource spectrum is Dungeons & Dragons — Worlds & Realms: Adventures from Greyhawk to Faerûn and Beyond, a lengthy title for an equally expansive retrospective celebrating the iconic settings that have played host to D&D since its inception in 1974.

Couched as an interplanar tour guided by none other than the Lord Mage of Greyhawk, Mordenkainen, its 368 pages compile 50 years of storytelling, worldbuilding, and eye-catching art into a coffee table book sure to please D&D players and fantasy fanatics alike. From the Material Planes of Dragonlance, Faerûn, and Eberron to the Inner Planes of the Feywild, the Shadowfull, and beyond, Worlds & Realms is a love letter to the fantastical fabric of Dungeons & Dragons itself.

But just as Mordenkainen muses on Greyhawk greats like Vecna and Tasha, as he relates the folly of the wars of Eberron and that world’s phoenix-like rise from the ashes of the apocalypse, so too do other voices join in to recount tales of daily life in these disparate realms. Critical Role’s Jasmine Bhullar, New York Times best-seller Jody Houser, and Forgotten Realms scribe Jaleigh Johnson each bring their own unique voices and perspectives to this masterfully assembled volume.

Still, beyond that, beside each lush illustration from well-known to nigh-forgotten, and beneath the florid prose of Mordenkainen himself is author Adam Lee. Former Creative Lead and Storyteller for Dungeons & Dragons and Magic: The Gathering, Lee’s credentials with Wizards of the Coast speak for themselves, and he’s the true beating heart behind this book.

I have spent hours poring over his treatise on the Nine Hells alone, and seemingly, the deeper you dig into Dungeons & Dragons — Worlds & Realms, the more stunning his contributions become. His is an informed and enlightened approach to D&D, from its earliest stirrings to all its contemporary glory. And in the absence of the late Gary Gygax, his is a hand truly worthy to wield Mordenkainen’s (most certainly enchanted) pen.

Add to this a detailed list of all the art credits and an expansive index for quick reference, and Dungeons & Dragons — Worlds & Realms: Adventures from Greyhawk to Faerûn and Beyond is clearly the definitive resource for lovers of tabletop role-playing. Not because it concerns itself with timelines or publication dates or world-shaking play sessions but because it captures all the joy and whimsy and abiding devotion that are the true bricks with which the hobby was built.

Worlds & Realms: Adventures from Greyhawk to Faerûn and Beyond isn’t a sourcebook. It isn’t a hot new expansion or flashy campaign guide. Instead, it is a literal distillation of all the magic that makes Dungeons & Dragons great—the primeval force of imagination.

The Düngeonmeister Random Monster Generator: A Mix-and-Match RPG Flipbook was provided by Adams Media and Dungeons & Dragons — Worlds & Realms: Adventures from Greyhawk to Faerûn and Beyond was provided by Ten Speed Press for the purposes of this review. This post contains affiliate links. Words alone cannot come close to describing the agonies of the Abyss!

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