Kobold Press’ “Tome of Beasts 1” Now Available on D&D Beyond

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Originally published back in 2016, Kobold Press’ Tome of Beasts introduced a slew of new monsters for use in Dungeons & Dragons 5th edition campaigns, featuring a ton of new statblocks and gorgeous accompanying artwork. The book eventually spawned two best-selling sequels and helped put Kobold Press on the map as a major 5e publisher.

Now, a new D&D Beyond version of Tome of Beasts 1 has just been released. It’s a surprising move given that the relationship between Wizards of the Coast and Kobold Press hasn’t exactly been a great one in the wake of the OGL scandal.

So just what new creature features can we expect to find in this rerelease? Below we break out all the details.

What is Tome of Beasts 1?

Tome of Beasts 1 is a collection of over 400 monsters published by Kobold Press. The original book includes creatures for a wide range of environments and covers Challenge Ratings from CR 1/8 all the way to CR 27.

Each monster includes statblocks, lore and accompanying art, and is really meant to expand upon the early list of creatures featured in the 2014 Monster Manual for DnD 5e. This includes some unique takes on classic monsters like skeletons, oozes and vampires, among other types.

In addition, the book also offers a variety of creature stats for potential companions and familiars that can bond with and accompany player characters on their adventures.

The book also focuses on unique monster types, offering a variety of entries, including:

• Fey Folk and Nobility: This includes 7 stat blocks representing the nobility of the fey lands, ranging from the CR 12 Bear King to the CR 21 Queen of Night and Magic. There are also a variety of new lower CR fey creatures, such as the duskthorn and blood hag.
• Drakes and Dragons: The book offers dozens of new dragons, including Cave Dragons, Mithral Dragons, Sea Dragons, Void Dragons and Wind Dragons. A number of lower CR drakes are also included, such as the lantern dragonette, alehouse drake and more deadly elder shadow drake.
• Demons Lords and Devils: Tome of Beasts 1 also features a variety of creatures from the Abyss and the darkest depths of the cosmos. This includes lesser fiends and horrors, as well as multiverse-threatening creatures like the Demon Lord Qorgeth.

What’s included in the D&D Beyond version of Tome of Beasts I?

The D&D Beyond version of the Tome of Beasts 1 is really a port of the original 434 page book (which was first published in 2016 and updated by Kobold Press back in 2023). The book integrates fully with D&D Beyond’s character builder and other platform features and includes:

• 400+ monsters for use with the D&D Beyond Encounters
• Updated errata, new game mechanics and new monster art from the original Tome of Beasts.
• Interactive tables in D&D Beyond that organize creatures by challenge rating, creature type, and terrain.
• New monster tokens that can be imported into the D&D Maps VTT

How Much is Tome of Beasts I on D&D Beyond?

Currently, the D&D Beyond version of Tome of Beasts 1 is retailing for $39.99 USD. Notably on the Kobold Press website the smaller softcover “pocket edition” and PDF bundle retails for $39.99 USD and the PDF alone is $29.99, On Amazon the hardcover version retails for around $58 USD, so the price point of the D&D digital version is comparable.

That being aid, if you’ve already snagged a physical or digital copy of Tome of Beasts I, you’re not really missing out any new content, although if you are a D&D Beyond subscriber, one key advantage is being able to port over official Wizards of the Coast materials, including characters and the latest rules set. Being able to use the D&D Beyond Encounters and Maps VTT is also a bonus (although the latter tool is still fairly rough and remains in Beta testing).

Why is the Book’s Release on D&D Beyond Such a Big Deal?

This marks the fourth major third-party DnD content to be released on D&D Beyond, following Critical Role’s Tal’Dorei Campaign Setting, The Dungeon Dude’s Dungeons of Drakkenheim and Hit Point Press’ Humblewood Campaign. It’s particularly noteworthy, however, because in many ways Kobold Press is a direct rival to Wizards of the Coast, particularly given their recent release of their own competing game system Tales of the Valiant. Kobold Press was also fairly critical of WotC during the OGL scandal.

The release of Tome of Beasts 1 on D&D Beyond is therefore doubly important since it marks an attempt for Wizards of the Coast to bury the proverbial hatchet with Kobold Press and also continue a trend in promoting third-party DnD content via their massive online platform.

Final Thoughts

It’s amazing to see more third-party content appear on D&D Beyond, especially a book as influential as Tome of Beasts (which incidentally also made it onto our list as one of the best DnD monster books ever made). It’s also great to see that WotC isn’t afraid to work with major publishers like Kobold Press, who might otherwise be considered a threat to their bottom line. All of it is an encouraging sign for the growth of the hobby and the health of DnD as a whole.

You can order your copy of Tome of Beasts 1 now on D&D Beyond. Below is an also a video from the official D&D Beyond YouTube channel, which provides more information on the book and interview with Kobold Press’ CEO Wolfgang Baur.

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