List of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd edition monsters

The second edition of the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons game features both a higher number of books of monsters—"many tied to their growing stable of campaign worlds"—and more extensive monster descriptions than both earlier and later editions, with usually one page in length. Next to a description, monster entries in this edition contained standardized sections covering combat, their habit and society, and their role in the eco-system. While later editions gave the various creatures all the attributes which player characters had, 2nd edition only listed intelligence, The 2nd edition also uses a unique format in the form of Monstrous Compendiums of loose sheets that could be collected in a folder, allowing for a combination of monster books together with individual monster pages from boxed sets. In parallel with this change, the 2nd edition introduced colored images for each monster, which became standard in later editions of the game. Referencing Wizards of the Coast art director Dawn Murin, GameSpy author Allan Rausch found that until the 2nd edition the artwork depicting monsters was influenced by the popular culture of the late 1970s. As a result, creatures that were fearsome by description were not taken seriously due to ill-suited visuals. Likewise, humanoid monsters too closely resembled humans to be compelling. In the view of Rausch as well as Backstab reviewer Michaël Croitoriu, the Planescape setting marked a turning point for these shortcomings, which also had a significant impact on the presentation of the 3rd edition. The second edition's monsters were based on original inventions, fantasy literature, and mythologies from various cultures. ==TSR 2102 – MC1 – Monstrous Compendium Volume One (1989)==

This was the initial volume in the Monstrous Compendium series, for the second edition of the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons game, published in 1989. Most of the monsters for Volume One were taken from previous first edition AD&D books; the monster entries were greatly expanded and in most cases each monster now filled an entire page and had an all-new illustration. The Monstrous Compendium series consisted of a pack of 5-hole-punched loose-leaf pages rather than an actual book, designed to be arranged to the player's preference. Volume One of the Monstrous Compendium was packaged in a box, which contained the pack of monster sheets as well as a binder intended to store the sheets for Volumes One, Two, and Three. The pack consisted of 144 pages, unnumbered, and included a "How To Use This Book" page, with an alphabetical index to Volume One on the back, four pages of monster summoning and random encounter charts, and a blank monster sheet to be photocopied, with the remainder consisting of the monster descriptions. Also included were eight full-page illustrations on heavier card stock. • Note: All monsters from MC1 appeared in the Monstrous Manual (1993), though some had slightly altered headings. ==TSR 2103 – MC2 – Monstrous Compendium Volume Two (1989)==

This was the second volume in the Monstrous Compendium series, for the second edition of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, published in 1989. As with Volume One, most of the monsters for Volume Two were taken from previous first edition AD&D books, with greatly expanded entries that now filled an entire page and had an all-new illustration. Volume Two was packaged in a wraparound cover, and the pages were designed to fit in the binder that came with Volume One of the Monstrous Compendium. The pack consisted of 144 pages, unnumbered, and included a 2-page alphabetical index to Volume One and Volume Two, 10 pages of monster summoning and random encounter charts, and a blank monster sheet to be photocopied with a sheet of instructions for the blank monster form, with the remainder consisting of the monster descriptions. Also included were 8 full-page illustrations on heavier card stock. • Note: All monsters from MC2 appeared in the Monstrous Manual (1993), though some had slightly altered headings. ==TSR 2104 – MC3 – Monstrous Compendium – Forgotten Realms Appendix (1989)==

This appendix to the Monstrous Compendium series was designed for use with the Forgotten Realms campaign setting for the second edition of the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons game. The pack consisted of 64 5-hole-punched unnumbered loose-leaf pages. ==TSR 2105 – MC4 – Monstrous Compendium – Dragonlance Appendix (1990)==

This appendix to the Monstrous Compendium series was designed for use with the Dragonlance campaign setting for the second edition of the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons game. The pack consisted of 96 5-hole-punched loose-leaf pages, unnumbered, and included a "How To Use This Book" page, a page with alphabetical index, 4 pages of random encounter charts, and 2 pages with the compiled game statistics, with the remainder consisting of the descriptions of the fictional monsters. Also included were 4 full-page illustrations on heavier card stock. ==TSR 2107 – MC5 – Monstrous Compendium – Greyhawk Appendix (1990)==

This appendix to the Monstrous Compendium series was designed for use with the Greyhawk campaign setting for the second edition of the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons game. The pack consisted of 64 5-hole-punched loose-leaf pages, unnumbered, and included a "How To Use This Book" page with an alphabetical index, 4 pages of random encounter charts, with the remainder consisting of the descriptions of the fictional monsters. Also included were 4 full-page illustrations on heavier card stock. == TSR 2116 – MC6 – Monstrous Compendium – Kara-Tur Appendix (1990)==

This appendix to the Monstrous Compendium series was designed for use with the Oriental Adventures campaign setting called Kara-Tur for the second edition of the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons game. The pack consisted of 64 5-hole-punched loose-leaf pages, unnumbered, and included a "How To Use This Book" page with an alphabetical index and 4 pages of random encounter charts, with the remainder consisting of the descriptions of the fictional monsters. Also included were 4 full-page illustrations on heavier card stock. ==TSR 2109 – MC7 – Monstrous Compendium – Spelljammer Appendix (1990)==

This appendix to the Monstrous Compendium series was designed for use with the Spelljammer campaign setting for the second edition of the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons game. The pack consisted of 64 5-hole-punched loose-leaf pages, unnumbered, providing the descriptions of the fictional monsters. Also included were 4 full-page illustrations on heavier card stock. ==TSR 2118 – MC8 – Monstrous Compendium – Outer Planes Appendix (1991)==

This appendix to the Monstrous Compendium series for the second edition of the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons game added additional creatures from the Outer Planes. The pack consisted of 96 double-sided, 5-hole-punched loose-leaf pages, unnumbered, providing the descriptions of the fictional monsters, as well as a 2-page "How to use this book" section, and a 4-page section providing background information on the Outer Planes. ==TSR 2119 – MC9 – Monstrous Compendium – Spelljammer Appendix (1991)==

This appendix to the Monstrous Compendium series was designed for use with the Spelljammer campaign setting for the second edition of the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons game. The pack consisted of 64 5-hole-punched loose-leaf pages, unnumbered, providing the descriptions of the fictional monsters, and a single-page index of the creatures in the Spelljammer campaign setting (including sources). ==TSR 2122 – MC10 – Monstrous Compendium – Ravenloft Appendix (1991)==

This appendix to the Monstrous Compendium series was designed for use with the Ravenloft campaign setting for the second edition of the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons game. The pack consisted of 32 5-hole-punched loose-leaf pages, unnumbered, and included a 1-page "How To Use This Book" section, a 1-page set of tables for Ravenloft random encounters, and a 2-page section on developing and describing encounters to fit the Ravenloft genre, with the remainder of the set consisting of the descriptions of the fictional monsters. Also included were 4 full-page illustrations on heavier card stock. The contents were republished in 1996 in paperback format within the Ravenloft Monstrous Compendium Appendices I & II. Luis Javier Flores Arvizu named the continuous presence of supernatural beings as one of the factors that made Ravenloft a very well received role-playing game setting during the 33 years of its existence. ==TSR 2125 – MC11 – Monstrous Compendium – Forgotten Realms Appendix II (1991)==

This appendix to the Monstrous Compendium series was designed for use with the Forgotten Realms campaign setting for the second edition of the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons game. The pack consisted of 32 5-hole-punched unnumbered loose-leaf pages, and 4 full-page illustrations on heavier card stock. It included a single-page table of contents but did not incorporate the usual "How to Use this Book" section or random encounter charts. ==TSR 2405 – MC12 – Monstrous Compendium – Dark Sun Appendix: Terrors of the Desert (1992)==

This appendix to the Monstrous Compendium series was designed for use with the Dark Sun campaign setting for the second edition of the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons game. The pack consisted of 96 5-hole-punched loose-leaf pages, unnumbered, and included a 4-page "How To Use This Book" section with random encounter charts, with the remainder consisting of the descriptions of the fictional monsters. Also included were 4 full-page illustrations on heavier card stock. ==TSR 2129 – MC13 – Monstrous Compendium – Al-Qadim Appendix (1992)==

This appendix to the Monstrous Compendium series was designed for use with the Arabian Nights-themed Al-Qadim campaign setting for the second edition of the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons game. The pack consisted of 64 5-hole-punched loose-leaf pages, unnumbered, and included a "How To Use This Book" page with an alphabetical index, a one-page index of appropriate monsters for the Al-Qadim setting from other books of the Monstrous Compendium-series, 2 pages of random encounter charts, and a sheet with the compiled game statistics, with the remainder consisting of the descriptions of the fictional monsters. Also included were 4 full-page illustrations on heavier card stock. Referring to their adaptation in the video game ''Al-Qadim: The Genie's Curse, White Wolf'' reviewer James V. Trunzo called the setting's monsters "delightfully horrible creatures" which "aren't just old concepts given new names". ==TSR 2132 – MC14 – Monstrous Compendium – Fiend Folio Appendix (1992)==

This appendix to the Monstrous Compendium series updated and reprinted creatures from the first edition Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Fiend Folio published in 1981. It contained 64 unnumbered loose leaf pages and 4 pages of illustrations on heavier card stock. ==TSR 2139 – MC15 – Monstrous Compendium – Ravenloft Appendix II: Children of the Night (1993)==

This appendix to the Monstrous Compendium series was designed for use with the Ravenloft campaign setting for the second edition of the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons game. The pack consisted of 32 5-hole-punched loose-leaf pages, unnumbered, and included a 2-page "How To Use This Book" section, a 1-page description of the purpose of the "Children of the Night" supplement, a 1-page set of tables for Ravenloft random encounters, and a 1-page section updating the tables for calculation of experience points awarded for defeating any given creature. The remainder of the set consisted of the descriptions of specific fictional monsters and personalities in the Ravenloft campaign setting. Also included were 4 full-page illustrations on heavier card stock. The contents were republished in 1996 in paperback format within the Ravenloft Monstrous Compendium Appendices I & II. Luis Javier Flores Arvizu named the continuous presence of supernatural beings as one of the factors that made Ravenloft a very well received role-playing game setting during the 33 years of its existence. ==TSR 2140 – Monstrous Manual (1993)==

The Monstrous Manual was printed after the completion of the loose-leaf Monstrous Compendium series, in 1993. This book was "created in response to the many requests to gather monsters into a single, durable volume which would be convenient to carry." The Monstrous Manual compiled all of the monsters from Monstrous Compendium Volumes One and Two, as well as many creatures from subsequent volumes and other sources, and revised, updated, and in some cases condensed the entries; these are not duplicated here. The book is 384 pages. ==TSR 2602 – Planescape Monstrous Compendium Appendix (1994)==

This appendix to the Monstrous Compendium series was designed for use with the Planescape campaign setting for the second edition of the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons game. The 128-page soft-bound book contains a two pages of explanation about the various entries and a page with a list of monsters from this and other sources by plane, with the remainder consisting of the descriptions of the fictional monsters. Many of them were republished from Monstrous Compendium – Outer Planes Appendix and other sources and are not repeated here. ==TSR 2501 – Monstrous Compendium – Mystara Appendix (1994)==

This appendix to the Monstrous Compendium series was designed for use with the Mystara campaign setting for the second edition of the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons game. The 128-page soft-bound book contains a two-pages content list, a 4-pages "How To Use This Book" section and 5 pages of random encounter charts, with the remainder consisting of the descriptions of the fictional monsters. ==TSR 2153 – Monstrous Compendium – Ravenloft Appendix III: Creatures of Darkness (1994)==

This 126-page soft-bound book contains additional creatures for the Ravenloft campaign setting for the second edition of the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons game. The book also contains an introduction page, a 2-page "How to Use This Book" section, an updated table for the calculation of experience points awarded for new or modified creatures, and a single page listing of creatures from other sources appropriate to the Ravenloft setting. Luis Javier Flores Arvizu named the continuous presence of supernatural beings as one of the factors that made Ravenloft a very well received role-playing game setting during the 33 years of its existence. ==Monstrous Compendium Annuals==