2025 DnD Monster Manual Breathes New Life into Undead

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The undead have long been a major staple of Dungeons & Dragons, with the game featuring everything from familiar foes like vampires and zombies to iconic creatures like the lich and death knight. For both players and Dungeon Masters alike, these otherworldly beings offer a dash of horror to go with the traditional fantasy vibe of D&D. They’ve also heavily influenced the lore of the game, thanks in large part to reanimated antagonists like Vecna, Strahd, Acererak and Lord Soth.

Now, the undead are getting a new lease on life in the pages of the new 2025 Monster Manual, which is available for order now on D&D Beyond and Amazon. The book has made some significant changes to existing creatures, while also introducing a handful of new foes from beyond the grave.

So just what new terrors are about to shamble out of the upcoming Monster Manual? Below, dig up all the details.

What’s changed with undead in the 2025 Monster Manual?

Below are a few of the key changes to the undead in the new book.

Expanded Vampire Variants

The 2025 Monster Manual introduces a range of vampires across a variety of Challenge Ratings. This includes new additions like the Vampire Familiar (which has a relatively low CR), the Vampire Nightbringer (which has a mid-tier CR) and the Vampire Umbral Lord (which has a much higher CR than the traditional D&D Vampire). Each variant also has unique mechanics, opening up new options for combat and challenging players who might think they know what to expect from those bloodsuckers.

In addition, the new vampires include updated lore and narrative potential. For example, the Vampire Familiar is a living humanoid servant on the path to vampirism while the Vampire Umbral Lord is a legendary creature with the potential to wreak havoc to an entire world.

Expanded Ghast Family

In addition to some mechanical tweaks to the Ghast, the new 2025 Monster Manual will also introduce a number of new variants. This includes the addition of the new Ghast Gravecaller, which acts as a kind of bridge between regular Ghasts and Liches (with the creatures being the result of failed or partial transformations in lichdom). It’s a mid-tier option that offers a taste of undead magic without overwhelming lower-level parties.

This expansion of the Ghast also ties in thematically to the larger lore of Liches, which have been a D&D staple for years, but haven’t really been explored in terms of the various stages that occur during their full transformation.

New Revenants Types and Mechanics

The Revenant family of monsters also features several new variants. This includes the new Graveyard Revenant, a horrifying amalgamation of corpses moving as a single entity (essentially an undead horde). In addition, there’s the new the Haunting Revenant, which occurs when a vengeful spirit inhabits a structure (such as a house or ship), turning it into a deadly, animated threat.

These additions are designed to provide fresh ways to incorporate vengeance from beyond the grave into campaigns, with the Revenant arguably offfering some of the more unique narrative options when it comes to the undead in D&D.

New Swarm of Crawling Claws

For years the Crawling Claw has been a low level undead that can be fairly easily destroyed by even Tier I player characters. That’s about to change, however, with the 2025 Monster Manual introducing a new Swarm of Crawling Claws, which can potentially overwhelm players with sheer numbers and creep factor.

It’s part of a larger theme the Wizards of the Coast design team has been focused on in the new rules, by reimagining or tweaking familiar monsters to make them more unique and challenging for players.

New Death Knight Variant

Like vampires, The Death Knight has also been updated in the new 2025 Monster Manual and now features a lower-level variant in the form of the new Death Knight Aspirant. This essentially serves as a lower CR minion which follow in the wake of more powerful Death Knight commanders.

Again, the goal is to offer creatures that range in challenge and offer more unique narrative potential. Players for example, might have take on a band of Death Knight Aspirants before the final show down with their undead master.

The Return of the Flaming Skeleton

The Flaming Skeleton was a creature that was last seen in 4th edition of Dungeons & Dragons. It’s now been reintroduced in the new 2025 Monster Manual and comes equipped with several new abilities, including ranged and melee attacks, and a new mechanic where the creature explodes after its destroyed.

It’s both a nod to a classic D&D monster, while also offering a fresh take on Skeletons, which have traditionally served as undead cannon fodder in almost every edition of the game.

Dracolich Rework

The Dracolich has also be reimagined in the new Monster Manual and is no longer just an undead template slapped onto a dragon’s stat block. Instead, it’s now a fully realized creature with unique abilities and more thought out mechanics.

As a high CR creature, there is also a ton of new narrative potential with the Dracolich, making them ideal as a campaign’s BBEG or as a potential world shattering enemy that higher level characters will need to deal with.

Enhanced Ghost Mechanics and Behavior

The Ghost has also undergone some significant updates in the 2025 Monster Manual and now boasts new abilities that align better with their role as spectral terrors. These enhancements include increased damage and the ability to phase unpredictably through walls and strike from unexpected angles.

In addition to these mechanical updates, the Ghost now includes some new narrative options. This includes a new table of “Tragic Origins,” which provides Dungeon Masters with inspiration for a ghost’s backstory, tying its appearance to past tragedies or unfulfilled vengeance. These types of a tables are a first for a Monster Manual, pushing the idea that monsters are more than just stats are more fully realized beings within the larger world around them.

Expanded Banshee Mechanics and Narrative Tables

The Banshee has also has been revitalized with new mechanics and narrative tools. While its signature Wail attack remains, there have been some minor rules adjustments which allow them to pack more of a punch in combat.

In addition, the Banshee now incorporates expanded lore and behaviors through a new random table which can be used to develop a Banshee’s backstory on the fly and add more unique personality traits and physical characteristics.

Final Thoughts

The undead remain one of the most popular creature types in Dungeons & Dragons, so it’s great to see Wizards of the Coast take the time to really expand their unholy presence, both from a mechanical and narrative standpoint. The inclusion of new CR variants and unique twists on classic monsters is something that really was missing from the previous 2014 Monster Manual, and opens up new avenues in terms of storytelling and combat encounters. It remains to be seen, however, if these updates will breathe new life into the undead or end up DOA at the table.

For a complete look at all the changes to the undead, you can pick up the new Monster Manual now on D&D Beyond and Amazon.

Below is also a recent video from Wizards of the Coast on the official Dungeons & Dragons YouTube channel, breaking out some of the biggest changes to these shambling horrors.

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