Editing Monster Manual II

{{Short description|1983 rulebooks by Gary Gygax}}
{{Infobox book
| name          = Monster Manual II
| image         = MonsterManual2Cover.jpg
| caption       = First edition ''Monster Manual II''
| author        = [[Gary Gygax]]
| genre         = [[Role-playing game]]
| publisher     = [[TSR, Inc.|TSR]]
| release_date  = 1983
| media_type    = Print ([[Hardback]])
| pages         =
| isbn          = 
| dewey= 
| congress= 
| oclc= 
}}

'''''Monster Manual II''''' is the title shared by two [[hardback]] rulebooks published for different [[Editions of Dungeons & Dragons|versions]] of the ''[[Dungeons & Dragons]]'' (''D&D'') [[fantasy]] [[roleplaying game]].

==''Advanced Dungeons & Dragons''==
''Monster Manual II'' was a 160-page hardcover book published in 1983, credited solely to [[Gary Gygax]], which featured cover art by Jeff Easley.<ref name="HW">{{cite book|last=Schick |first=Lawrence|author-link=Lawrence Schick|title=Heroic Worlds: A History and Guide to Role-Playing Games|publisher=Prometheus Books |year=1991|isbn=0-87975-653-5 |pages=107}}</ref> The book was a supplement describing over 250 monsters, most with illustrations. Many of the monsters were drawn from scenario modules,<ref name="HW"/> in particular from ''[[Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth|S4: Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth]]''.{{citation needed|date=October 2017}} The book included random encounter tables for dungeon and wilderness settings built from the ''[[Monster Manual]]'', ''[[Fiend Folio]]'', and ''Monster Manual II'',<ref name="HW"/> and a dozen new devils that had been first published in the pages of ''Dragon'' magazine. Like the ''Fiend Folio'' before it, the monsters in ''Monster Manual II'' listed the experience point value for each monster within the entry.  The ''Monster Manual II'' along with the First Edition ''[[Unearthed Arcana]]'' book featured quite a number of monsters, races, and places from Gary Gygax's [[World of Greyhawk|Greyhawk]] Campaign world. The book featured interior illustrations by [[Jim Holloway (artist)|Jim Holloway]], Harry Quinn, [[David C. Sutherland III|Dave Sutherland]], and [[Larry Elmore]].

In 1999, a [[paperback]] reprint of the first edition was released.<ref name="Fogens">{{cite magazine|title=Classic ''AD&D'' books are back|last=Fogens|first=M.|issue=52|magazine=[[InQuest Gamer]]|page=20|publisher=[[Wizard Entertainment]]|date=August 1999}}</ref>

===Reception===
''Monster Manual II'' garnered positive reviews, receiving a score of 7 out of 10 in a review in ''[[White Dwarf (magazine)|White Dwarf]]'' magazine.<ref name="WD49">{{cite journal| last =Evans  | first =Megan C| title =Open Box: Dungeon Modules | type = review| journal =[[White Dwarf (magazine)|White Dwarf]]| issue = 49| pages =14| publisher =[[Games Workshop]]|date=January 1984| issn =0265-8712}}</ref> The reviewer praised the book's standard of clear presentation, and felt that the artwork was of a higher quality than that in the previous monster books.  However, the reviewer felt that there were too many high level and overly deadly monsters, and that most of the monsters in the book were inimical to adventures. The reviewer did make note of the fact that there were "many interesting ideas and several well-developed tribes and hierarchies", and felt that, overall, the book is "a good, well presented addition to the ''AD&D'' series, with some very useful creatures".  The reviewer recommended the book to anyone who likes a wide range of monsters in the game.<ref name="WD49"/>

Doug Cowie reviewed ''Monster Manual II'' quite favorably for ''[[Imagine (AD&D magazine)|Imagine]]'' magazine.<ref name="Imagine12">{{cite journal | last = Cowie|first = Doug| title =Game Reviews | type = review | journal = [[Imagine (AD&D magazine)|Imagine]] | issue = 12| pages =14 | publisher = TSR Hobbies (UK), Ltd. |date=March 1984}}</ref> He noted that the cover was good, and contrasted it with the first edition ''Monster Manual'', whose cover was "universally held to be appalling" and whose "childish style" may have "seriously hampered the development of RPGs as adult games".<ref name="Imagine12"/> As for ''Monster Manual II'', Cowie suggested: "If you like the AD&D game, go and buy it immediately."<ref name="Imagine12"/> Although he found some monsters "to be just plain silly", they are all "well presented, properly thought out and adequately described".<ref name="Imagine12"/>

Adam Benowitz reviewed ''Monster Manual II'' for ''[[Different Worlds]]'' magazine and stated that "Aside from the dragon shortage [...] ''MM II'' is excellent. It triumphs over old problems without creating new ones."<ref name="dw33">{{cite journal | last = Benowitz |first = Adam | title = Game Reviews | journal = [[Different Worlds]] | issue = 33 | pages =32–33 |date=March–April 1984}}</ref>

Lawrence Schick also commented on the ''Monster Manual II'' in ''Heroic Worlds'', stating "Some of the monsters are less than inspired, and some are quite silly; this author's favorites are the stegocentipede, a giant arthropod notable for its twin row of back plates (wow!), and the stench kow, a monstrous bison that smells ''real bad''."<ref name="HW"/>

Scott Taylor for ''[[Black Gate (magazine)|Black Gate]]'' in 2014 listed ''Monster Manual II'' by [[Jeff Easley]] as #3 in The Top 10 TSR Cover Paintings of All Time.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.blackgate.com/2014/09/17/art-of-the-genre-the-top-10-tsr-cover-paintings-of-all-time/ | title=Art of the Genre: The Top 10 TSR Cover Paintings of All Time – Black Gate | date=17 September 2014 }}</ref>

Scott Taylor of ''[[Black Gate (magazine)|Black Gate]]'' listed the ''Monster Manual II'' as #1 on the list of "Top 10 'Orange Spine' ''AD&D'' Hardcovers By Jeff Easley, saying "Jeff's first 'Orange Spine' and first hardcover ''AD&D'' work, and it absolutely takes it to church. If you haven't sat around wondering A: if this [is] a hill giant or and ogre lord and B: if this poor bastard fighter is going to live, then you aren't a ''D&D'' player. Truly, one of the greatest masterworks to ever grace a gaming product."<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.blackgate.com/2016/09/14/art-of-the-genre-top-10-orange-spine-add-hardcovers-by-jeff-easley/ | title=Art of the Genre: Top 10 'Orange Spine' AD&D Hardcovers by Jeff Easley – Black Gate | date=14 September 2016 }}</ref>

==''Dungeons & Dragons'' 3rd edition==
{{Infobox book
| name          = Monster Manual II
| image         = Monster Manual II coverthumb.jpg
| caption = 
| author        = [[Ed Bonny]], [[Jeff Grubb]], [[Rich Redman]], [[Skip Williams]], and [[Steve Winter]]
| genre         = [[Role-playing game]]
| publisher     = Wizards of the Coast
| release_date  = September 2002<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wizards.com/catalog/product.asp?88268 |title=WotC Product Library: Monster Manual II |publisher=wizards.com |date= |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020604062404/http://www.wizards.com/catalog/product.asp?88268 |archive-date=June 4, 2002 }}</ref>
| media_type    = Print ([[Hardcover]])
| pages         = 
| isbn          = 
}}

''Monster Manual II'' was a new monster-specific rulebook that contained mostly updated monsters from the sourcebooks of earlier editions, though some monsters have almost no overlap with those of their first edition namesakes. ''Monster Manual II'' also included a discussion of monster design.<ref name="Pyramid_MM2-3E">{{cite web| url = http://www.sjgames.com/pyramid/sample.html?id=3691 | title = Monster Manual II | access-date = 2007-12-24 | date = 2002-10-02 | last = Kohler | first = Alan D. | work = [[Pyramid (magazine)|Pyramid]] (originally published in the magazine d20 Weekly) | publisher = Steve Jackson Games}}</ref> ''Monster Manual II'' was designed by [[Ed Bonny]], [[Jeff Grubb]], [[Rich Redman]], [[Skip Williams]], and [[Steve Winter]]. Cover art was by [[Henry Higginbotham]], with interior art by [[Glen Angus]], [[Daren Bader]], [[Thomas Baxa]], [[Matt Cavotta]], [[Dennis Cramer]], [[David Day (artist)|David Day]], [[Brian Despain]], [[Tony DiTerlizzi]], [[Michael Dutton]], [[Jeff Easley]], [[Emily Fiegenschuh]], [[Donato Giancola]], [[Lars Grant-West]], [[Rebecca Guay]], [[Quinton Hoover]], [[Jeremy Jarvis]], [[Alton Lawson]], [[Todd Lockwood]], [[Raven Mimura]], [[Matthew Mitchell (artist)|Matthew Mitchell]], [[Vinod Rams]], [[Wayne Reynolds]], [[David Roach (comics)|David Roach]], [[Scott Roller]], [[Richard Sardinha]], [[Marc Sasso]], [[Brian Snoddy]], [[Anthony S. Waters|Anthony Waters]], and [[Sam Wood (artist)|Sam Wood]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://rpggeek.com/rpgitem/47199/monster-manual-ii|title=Monster Manual II}}</ref>

According to Jeff Grubb for ''Monster Manual II'', "The original plan was about 50 percent completely new, about 50 percent revisions of classic beasts that were not in the first ''Monster Manual''. Right now, it's hard to tell because a lot of "classics" have been stripped down to their core concepts and names and rebuilt from the ground up."<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ps/20020809a| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040917190856/http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ps/20020809a| url-status=dead| archive-date=September 17, 2004| title=Product Spotlight: Monster Manual II | date=August 9, 2002| publisher=[[Wizards of the Coast]]| access-date=August 10, 2013| last=Ryan| first=Michael}}</ref> There was no new version of ''Monster Manual II'' for the 3.5 edition of ''D&D'', although update errata was made available for download from the publisher's website.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/dnd/20030718a |title=D&D v.3.5 Accessory Update Booklet |website=www.wizards.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030811174402/http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/dnd/20030718a |archive-date=2003-08-11}} </ref>

===Reception===
Alan D. Kohler, a reviewer from ''[[Pyramid (magazine)|Pyramid]]'', commented: "The third edition of the game moved forward the "art" of monsters, providing them with more detailed statistics and methods for advancing creatures. It is in these footsteps that the ''Monster Manual II'' must follow."<ref name="Pyramid_MM2-3E"/>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
* Reviews for first edition ''Monster Manual II'':
** ''[[Fantasy Gamer]]'' #6 (1984)<ref>{{cite web | url=https://archive.org/details/fantasy-gamer-05/Fantasy%20Gamer%2006/page/n41/mode/2up | title=Fantasy Gamer Magazine Collection | date=1983 }}</ref>
* Review for the third edition ''Monster Manual II'':
**{{cite magazine |last1=Theurer |first1=Mark |title=D20 Product Review: Monster Manual II |magazine=Fictional Reality |issue=10 |date=December 2002 |url=http://www.fictionalreality.org/archives/issues/fr10.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070813123040/http://www.fictionalreality.org/archives/issues/fr10.pdf |archive-date=August 13, 2007 |access-date=September 3, 2020 |url-status=usurped |page=52}}

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{{D&D books}}

[[Category:Books by Gary Gygax]]
[[Category:Dungeons & Dragons sourcebooks]]
[[Category:Role-playing game supplements introduced in 1983]]