For enthusiasts of Dungeons & Dragons, Volo’s Guide to Monsters once stood as a prized compendium, packed with lore and monster insights beyond the core Monster Manual. However, with the release of Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse (MotM), questions have arisen about the continued relevance of Volo’s Guide. Is Volo’s Guide to Monsters obsolete? While officially superseded, the answer is nuanced, and understanding the changes reveals why Volo’s Guide still holds value for many D&D players and Dungeon Masters.
The declaration of obsolescence stems from a desire to streamline and update certain aspects of D&D 5th Edition. Examining the key revisions highlights the design philosophy shift that led to the diminished official status of Volo’s Guide to Monsters.
One significant change involves the reworking and unification of player races. Older materials, including Volo’s Guide, presented racial traits that sometimes led to gameplay issues. A prime example is the Kobold’s Pack Tactics, a potent ability that, in certain campaign settings, proved disproportionately powerful. The modern approach, exemplified in Monsters of the Multiverse, allows for more flexible ability score assignments, moving away from rigid racial stereotypes. This evolution is further explained in Wizards of the Coast’s statements on creature evolutions, emphasizing a move towards customization and away from potentially unbalanced racial abilities.
Another key adjustment lies in the weakening of alignment strictures. Volo’s Guide to Monsters, in line with earlier D&D design, often rigidly assigned alignments to creatures and races. This prescriptive approach has been softened in Monsters of the Multiverse. Creatures, like the Bodak, are now described with qualifiers such as “Typically Chaotic Evil” instead of a definitive “Chaotic Evil.” This shift, as detailed in Wizards of the Coast’s guidance on book updates, aims to reduce stereotyping and allow for more nuanced interpretations of monster morality and behavior, enriching storytelling possibilities.
Furthermore, monster spellcasting has been simplified in Monsters of the Multiverse. Volo’s Guide to Monsters, mirroring the Monster Manual, often presented monsters with full spell lists, mirroring player character spellcasting. The newer design philosophy favors streamlined stat blocks for ease of Dungeon Master operation. Monsters now frequently feature a curated selection of spells, often presented as “at-will” or limited-use abilities. This change acknowledges the fast-paced nature of combat encounters, where Dungeon Masters often utilize only a fraction of a monster’s spell list. While some DMs may prefer the depth of full spell lists, the simplification caters to smoother gameplay.
Finally, the commercial aspect cannot be ignored. Deprecating older sourcebooks like Volo’s Guide to Monsters naturally encourages players and DMs to purchase the updated Monsters of the Multiverse. While the content is substantially similar in many respects, the revisions and unified approach offer a compelling reason for players to invest in the newer publication.
However, despite these revisions and its official obsolescence, Volo’s Guide to Monsters retains significant value, particularly for Dungeon Masters. The original Monster Manual monsters remain largely unchanged and compatible with 5th Edition. Moreover, Volo’s Guide, alongside Mordenkainen’s Tome of Foes, offers a wealth of lore and societal details about monsters that is significantly reduced in Monsters of the Multiverse. For DMs seeking to enrich their campaigns with deep monster backgrounds, motivations, and societal structures, Volo’s Guide to Monsters remains an invaluable resource. This deep lore can significantly enhance role-playing encounters and world-building, adding layers of depth beyond mere combat statistics.
In conclusion, while Monsters of the Multiverse represents the current official monster resource for D&D 5th Edition, declaring Volo’s Guide to Monsters truly obsolete overlooks its enduring strengths. For players focused purely on the latest mechanical updates for organized play, MotM is essential. However, for home games and DMs seeking rich monster lore to fuel their campaigns, Volo’s Guide to Monsters remains a valuable and insightful compendium, offering a depth of monster knowledge that Monsters of the Multiverse, in its pursuit of streamlined mechanics, has inevitably trimmed down.
