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A Nevermind Gnome Inventor, a Thanoi Hunter and a Traag Draconian. Three of the new creatures found in the D&D Monstrous Compendium Dragonlance game material.

New Dragonlance D&D Monstrous Compendium Released

Wizards of the Coast recently released a new digital volume of its Monstrous Compendium series, offering a variety of new foes for DMs to tap into and players to battle. This release is specific to the Dragonlance setting and comes hot on the heels of the launch of the new Shadow of the Dragon Queen campaign.

This marks the second online volume of the D&D Monstrous Compendium , following a similar release of materials that occurred shortly before the launch of the campaign book Spelljammer: Adventures in Space. Like the first volume, this second volume of the Monstrous Compendium is free for a limited time to all D&D Beyond subscribers.

The release also continues a trend we’ve been seeing lately, with Wizards of the Coast using D&D Beyond as a primary source for news and digital material. That in and of itself isn’t too surprising given that Wizards purchased D&D Beyond in early 2022 for over $140 million, gaining direct access to the platform’s tools and millions of existing users.

You can check out all the Monstrous Compendium: Volume 2 details and download it for yourself here. In the meantime, below we take a closer look at what you can expect with this new supplementary digital material.

What new monsters are included in the Monstrous Compendium?

This update includes 11 new monsters in total. And while all are exclusive to the Dragonlance setting, DMs could easily port most of these creatures over to just about any 5th edition campaign setting.

The Dream Eater from the new D&D Monstrous Compendium Dragonlance update.

Dream Eaters

Originating from the dream-warped elven realm of the Silvanesti Elves, dream eaters are violent manifestations of nightmares and subconscious terrors. The true appearance of a dream eater is obscured, as the dream eater twists its hazy form into surreal illusions of its foes’ greatest fears. However, all dream eaters share one thing: a gaping, always-smiling mouth, which it reveals before engulfing its prey in a phantasmagorical nightmare.

Ember the Chromatic Red Dragon from the new D&D Monstrous Compendium Dragonlance update.

Ember (Adult Chromatic Dragon)

Also known as Pyros, Ember is an imperious and ruthless red dragon who serves the Dragon Queen Takhisis. In his service to the Dragon Queen, Ember has taken on many roles at her behest,including that of a black-robed human member of the Mages of High Sorcery. Empowered by Takhisis herself, Ember’s innate fire can sear those nearby, and his breath weapon is a molten storm of ash and flame. In combat, Ember wears a set of magic plate armor that bolsters his already-impressive might, allowing him to annihilate entire cohorts with terrifying ease.

Forest Master, a powerful unicorn from the new D&D Monstrous Compendium Dragonlance update.

Forest Master

Said to be older than the trees themselves, the Forest Master is a wise and powerful unicorn who rules over the creatures of Darken Wood in Krynn. The ancient being’s body is wreathed in protective briars, and moonlight dances around the unicorn’s horn. Those who threaten the Forest Master’s lands find themselves beguiled by magical mist and nigh-impregnable thorny thickets, but those who gain the Forest Master’s favor are blessed with healing and protected as they traverse the woods.

A Foresworn, a glowing blue spirit from the new D&D Monstrous Compendium Dragonlance update.

Foresworn

Foresworn are the spirits of fallen Solamnic knights who attend to their duty long after death. Armed with spectral armor and weaponry, a foresworn maintains the martial prowess it had in life and can call on magic and its fallen brethren for aid. Like revenants, foresworn fixate on a singular purpose, and they refuse to abandon their undead state until the duty they had in life is fulfilled. For example, a foresworn might be pledged to protect a family’s bloodline from harm or guard a dangerous artifact against thieves. If a foresworn is destroyed before it can complete its duty, it returns within a few days, its strength and purpose renewed.

An Irda Seeker, a blue skinned humanoid creature from the new D&D Monstrous Compendium Dragonlance update.

Irda Seeker

The Dragon Queen created the irda long ago. While most irda embraced their wicked creator’s teachings, some of them adopted the philosophies of other deities. Those irda who don’t serve the Dragon Queen live in hidden communities across Krynn, avoiding the eyes of their creator and her minions. Distantly related to oni, ogres and other giant folk, irda have shimmering skin that ranges through shades of indigo and sea green. Their innate magic provides them with limited shape-shifting abilities and the power to create illusions.

Irda seekers are skilled spies who use their magic to disguise themselves and gather intelligence for their allies. In combat, irda seekers can momentarily cloak themselves as they dart around the battlefield.

An Irda Veil Keeper, a blue skinned humanoid creature from the new D&D Monstrous Compendium Dragonlance update.

Irda Veil Keeper

Masters of their innate illusory powers, Irda Veil Keepers protect their companions by weaving magical mirages that disorient foes. Rumors say that the most skilled Irda Veil Keepers can keep entire enclaves hidden, guarding a community’s inhabitants from the outside world for centuries.

A female Nevermind Gnome Inventor from the new D&D Monstrous Compendium Dragonlance update.

Nevermind Gnome Inventor

Brimming with innovative ideas and reckless enthusiasm, the inventors of Mount Nevermind love any chance to showcase their creations. These talented inventors use their cleverness and technological know-how to outwit foes.

A male Nevermind Gnome Inventor from the new D&D Monstrous Compendium Dragonlance update.

Nevermind Gnome Mastermind

The gnome masterminds of Mount Nevermind temper their creativity with years of experience. While they still create wild inventions on a whim, these masterminds also wield at least one more stable clockwork invention—typically something that affords the mastermind more movement, extends their reach with extra appendages, or both.

A Thanoi Hunter, a walrus-like humanoid creature from the new D&D Monstrous Compendium Dragonlance update.

Thanoi Hunter

Thanoi are walrus-like beings who dwell in the frozen wastelands of Krynn. They sport thick, ivory tusks, which they use both to defend themselves and to poke breathing holes in sea ice as they swim. Often at odds with the monstrous creatures that live in the frozen wastes, thanoi are adept hunters. In addition to their tusks, they use harpoons on long ropes that they can quickly reel back. Groups of thanoi hunters work together to take down monsters far larger than themselves, including remorhazes and white dragons.

A Traag Draconian, a dragon humanoid creature from the new D&D Monstrous Compendium Dragonlance update.

Traag Draconian

In their experimentation with corrupting dragon eggs, the Dragon Armies created traag draconians, the precursor to what would become baaz draconian foot soldiers. Unlike their draconian brethren, traag draconians are little more than bloodthirsty engines of carnage. Few commanders have successfully used a traag draconian’s reckless violence to their advantage in battle; for most, a traag draconian is as much of a danger to its allies as it is to its enemies. Even magic cannot tame a traag draconian’s thirst for violence.

A traag draconian’s vestigial wings lack the strength to support its hulking body in true flight, and they only minimally help to slow a falling traag’s descent. Its metallic scales are coated in a sickly patina. In battle, the draconian can charge its body with vicious fire, burning all in its wake. When a traag draconian dies, its body explodes in a thick, disgusting sludge.

Dragon Highlord Verminaard from the new D&D Monstrous Compendium Dragonlance update.

Dragon Highlord Verminaard

Dragon Highlord Verminaard leads the Red Dragon Army—the largest and most powerful of the Dragon Queen’s forces—with fanatic zeal and ruthless might. Though prophesied to banish evil forces from the lands of Krynn, Verminaard was tempted by Takhisis and her promises of glory. Corrupted by the Dragon Queen, Verminaard rose to become one of her champions, claiming command of the fiercest among the Dragon Armies.

Verminaard’s extreme devotion to Takhisis allows him to channel her unholy power on the battlefield, bolstering those under his command while raining cursed fire on his foes. His towering silhouette is often wreathed in the fire of Ember, his red dragon companion and adviser.

Final Thoughts

It’s great to see that Wizards of the Coast is both supporting a new product and using D&D Beyond to communicate with players. Considering the new Dragonlance Monstrous Compendium material is completely free, you also can’t beat the price.

Below, you can check out a recent video from D&D with more information on the creatures found in the update. You can also access the full materials via D&D Beyond here.

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For more from the world of Wizards of the Coast, visit our D&D News page.

A photo of Dungeons & Dragons Fanatics Managing Editor, Cameron Nichols.
Cameron Nichols is a Senior Editor who lives in Boston, Massechustes, and has been playing D&D since the early 90s, when he was introduced by his older brother and cut his teeth on AD&D 2nd Edition. Since then he’s played virtually every RPG he could get his nerdy little mitts on (including a weird Goth phase in the early 2000s when he rocked Vampire: The Masquerade pretty hard). His favorite D&D campaign setting is the Forgotten Realms and his favorite character to play was a Half-Orc Barbarian named Grug (who was unfortunately devoured by a gelatinous cube).

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