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The 2025 variant of theDungeons & DragonsMonster Manualmakes some monumental changes to monsters , replacing several of its most iconic enemies with alternative versions . DnDhas made quite a few changesin the preceding year , beginning with the new mechanism and balance pinch in its update 2024 version of thePlayer ’s HandbookandDungeon Master ’s Guide . Next come a series of new subclasses viaUnearthed Arcana . The most late changes mostly fear itsMonster Manual , a resource full of statblocks for plan and executing enemy encounters .
In orderliness toupdate theMonster Manual , DnDis getting rid of a lot of its old statblocks . But instead of completely removing them , the 2025Monster Manualincludes a handy - peachy table of loose equivalents , in case the DM is struggling to find a quick replacement for a favourite bit of cannon fresh fish . Here ’s every suggest alternative monster in the 2025MM , what original 5e monster they were based on , and a fast summation of the abstract thought behind this determination .
Every D&D 2025 Monster Manual Conversion
D&D’s Defunct Monsters & Their Equivalents
The tabular array below containsevery monster statblock that was changed or removed in the 2025Monster Manual , and the suggested alternative consort to the book ’s own appendices . The advise option may be intimately identical to the 2014Monster Manualversion , or completely unrecognisable - it motley from case to case .
2014 Monster
2025 Equivalent
Aarakocra
Aarakocra Skirmisher
Acolyte
Priest Acolyte
Adult Blue Dracolich
Dracolich
Androsphinx
Sphinx of Valor
Azer
Custom Image by Lee D’Amato
Azer Sentinel
Bugbear
Bugbear Warrior
Bullywug
Bullywug Warrior
Centaur
Centaur Trooper
Cult Fanatic
Cultist Fanatic
water flea
Cyclops Sentry
Deep Gnome
Scout
Drow
Drow Elite Warrior
Gladiator
Drow Mage
Bandit Deceiver
Drow Priestess of Lolth
Fiend Cultist
Duergar
undercover agent
Duodrone
Modron Duodrone
Faerie Dragon ( fleeceable , low , indigo , or reddish blue )
Faerie Dragon Adult
Faerie Dragon ( red , orange , or yellow )
Faerie Dragon Youthe
Fire Snake
Salamander Fire Snake
Flying Sword
Animated Flying Sword
Gas Spore
Gas Spore Fungus
Giant Poisonous Snake
Giant Venomous Snake
Gnoll
Gnoll Warrior
Goblin
Goblin Warrior
Grick Alpha
Grick Ancient
Gynosphinx
Sphinx of Lore
Half - Ogre ( Ogrillon )
Ogrillon Ogre
Half - Red Dragon Veteran
Half - Dragon
Hobgoblin
Hobgoblin Warrior
Kobold
Kobold Warrior
Lizardfolk
Lizardfolk Shaman
Lizardfolk Geomancer
Lizard King / Queen
Lizard Sovereign
Merfolk
Merfolk Skirmisher
Minotaur
Minotaur of Baphomet
Monodrone
Modron Monodrone
Orc
knotty
Orc Eye of Gruumsh
Orc War Chief
Tough Boss
Orog
Berserker
Pentadrone
Modron Pentadrone
Poisonous Snake
Venomous Snake
Quadrone
Modron Quadrone
Quaggoth Spore Servant
Myconic Spore Servant
Quipper
predator
Rug of Smothering
Animated Rug of Smothring
Sahuagin
Sahuagin Warrior
Sahuagin Princess
Sahuagin Priest
Shrieker
Shrieker Fungus
drove of Poisonous serpent
cloud of Venomous Snakes
drove of Quippers
cloud of Piranhas
Thri - kreen
Thri - kreen Marauder
Thug
Tribal Warrior
Warrior Infantry
Tridrone
Modron Tridrone
Veteran
Warrior Veteran
Young Red Shadow Dragon
Shadow Dragon
kwai - titanium Pureblood
Mongol dynasty - Cordyline terminalis Infiltrator
Do note that , in every case listed above , the propose alternate colossus is of an tantamount challenge rating ( CR ) to the associated 2014 master copy . That way , the DM does n’t have to scrap or rebalance an entire encounterbecause their planned demon have been move out from the secret plan ; they can just swap in an appropriate choice from the table above .
D&D’s 2025 Monster Manual Replacements, Explained
Why 2025’s Monster Manual Is Different
There are many intellect why theMonster Manualhas hear change in 2025.Some of them are as wide-eyed as decline inaccuraciesin late versions : for example , the switch from " Poisonous Snake " to " Venomous Snake " is merely a matter of semantic truth . Others are for the rice beer of consistency , clarity , or simplicity , like the add-on of the Modron prefix to the various drone enemies in the mesa above . Others have to do with certain types of monsters get new , strong strain in the 2025 edition , hence the variety from Azer to Azer Sentinel , for example .
Screen Rant sat down with atomic number 82 designer Jeremy Crawford to discourse what ’s in D&D ’s 2025 Monster Manual and the upcoming slate of release .
Many of theseMMsubstitutions also stem fromDnD ’s effort to leave the concept of inherently malign coinage and cultures behind . That ’s apparent in the changes to monsters who come from playable race : Drow , for instance , is substituted with the more generic Priest Acolyte , which has a standard humanoid statblock and can be subbed in for a character of any backwash . Other monster name have been changed to transfer disconfirming associations with indigenous multitude , like the change from Orc War Chief to Tough Boss or Lizardfolk Shaman to Lizardfolk Geomancer .
Some changes were made to remove gendered language , replacing Lizard King / Queen with Lizardfolk Sovereign , or Androsphinx and Gynosphinx with Sphinx of Valor and Sphinx of Lore , respectively . But whether they were switch to remove a bias or increment truth , they all serve to make theMonster Manualmore adaptable . That makes it a much more useful resource to anyDungeons & Dragonscampaign .
