Volo’s Guide to Monsters is considered by some to be outdated, especially following clarifications and updates within the Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition (D&D 5e) ruleset. As detailed in official D&D forums and sage advice, newer materials often take precedence. However, the question remains: what exactly led to this perception of obsolescence, and is Volo’s Guide truly without merit today?
Fundamentally, the content within Volo’s Guide to Monsters remains valuable and usable in your D&D games. Many players and Dungeon Masters (DMs) find it perfectly suitable for their campaigns, experiencing little to no conflict with core rules. The shift in perspective isn’t about inherent flaws in Volo’s Guide, but rather reflects a few key evolutions in D&D 5e’s design philosophy.
Reasons for the Shift in Perspective on Volo’s Guide to Monsters
Several factors contribute to the perceived obsolescence of resources like Volo’s Guide to Monsters. These are primarily related to updates and refinements in how Wizards of the Coast (WotC) approaches creature design and player character options.
Reworked Player Races and Ability Scores
One significant change involves the rework and unification of player races. Older racial traits, such as the Kobold’s Pack Tactics, which some considered problematic for gameplay balance, have been revised. The original Kobold race, as presented in Volo’s Guide, possessed this trait, leading to specific tactical advantages. Now, to move away from potentially stereotypical racial traits and enhance player customization, the current design allows all races to freely assign their ability score increases. This change, among others in the treatment of player character races – including reclassifying some races from humanoid to fey and making languages more setting-dependent – is explained in detail by WotC’s official statements on creature evolutions.
Alignment Flexibility and Monster Stereotypes
Another key shift is the weakening of alignment strictures. Volo’s Guide to Monsters, in line with older D&D conventions, often presented races and monsters with quite rigid alignment designations. For instance, creatures like the Bodak were initially defined as “Chaotic Evil.” To move away from alignment-based stereotyping, newer materials, like Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse, adjust these descriptions. The Bodak, for example, is now described as “Typically Chaotic Evil,” as noted by community member @Jack, indicating a less prescriptive approach to morality and behavior based on creature type alone.
Simplified Monster Spellcasting
Monster and NPC spellcasting has also undergone simplification since Volo’s Guide to Monsters was published. Instead of providing full spell lists for monsters, newer design principles favor giving them a selection of at-will spells or spells usable a limited number of times per day. This change aims to make monsters easier for DMs to manage during encounters. The rationale is that, given the fast-paced nature of typical combat encounters (often lasting around 3 rounds), DMs would usually only utilize a few spells anyway. Offensive spell capabilities are now frequently integrated directly into monster actions or bonus actions for quicker gameplay. While this simplification is intended to aid DMs, some, including myself, find the older, more detailed approach to monster spellcasting more engaging and flavorful.
Commercial Considerations
Finally, it’s important to acknowledge the commercial aspect. Deprecating older sourcebooks like Volo’s Guide to Monsters naturally encourages players and DMs to purchase newer publications, even if the core content is largely similar. This is a common practice in publishing and game development, ensuring continued revenue streams and engagement with new product releases.
Volo’s Guide to Monsters: Still Valuable for Your Games
Despite these changes and the release of newer materials like Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse (MP:MotM), you generally don’t need to be concerned about balance issues when using Volo’s Guide to Monsters. Many monsters from the original Monster Manual remain unrevised and fully playable. If there is any trend in newer D&D editions, it’s arguably towards making player characters even more powerful relative to monsters. In many opinions, PCs were already quite strong after reaching tier 1 in their campaigns, and Volo’s Guide primarily focuses on monsters suitable for higher-level play.
For your personal games, you can confidently continue to use Volo’s Guide to Monsters without issue. The shift in official rulings primarily impacts organized play, such as the Adventurers League (AL), which mandates the use of the most current official versions of rules and creature statistics.
Furthermore, books like Mordenkainen’s Tome of Foes and Volo’s Guide to Monsters contain a wealth of lore about the monsters they describe, including details about their societies and behaviors. This rich background information is often absent in more mechanically focused publications like MP:MotM. This lore can be invaluable for DMs looking to enrich their campaigns and for players interested in roleplaying encounters with these creatures in a more nuanced and informed way. Therefore, even if mechanics evolve, the narrative and world-building value of Volo’s Guide to Monsters endures.
