So looking at the MM on the site, you can buy the whole book for $30 or simply buy all the monsters included in the book for $20. What is the point to getting the whole book? Is there more included beyond monster stats that you only get with the full book? If so, is it worth the extra $10?
At a quick glance, there are a few creatures missing from the Ala Carte option, and also the templates and guides on how to combine creature options without doing anything horribly game breaking. The Book has some insight on special monster traits and the like, which is useful if one uses that insight as a modular template. There are probably some other bits and pieces scrubbed out as well.
Is it worth the expense to you? I don't know. You're the only judge of that. The whole book has served me well over the years, and has been used in its entirety.
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“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime.” - Mark Twain - Innocents Abroad
When you buy the Monster Manual you are essentially getting a digital copy of the entire book as well as all the monster stat blocks in D&D Beyond format. The stat blocks allow you to use the monsters in things like the combat tracker as well as the digital monster listings on the site.
If you buy the entire manual you also get all the extra written content that is in the book. This includes the opening section on rules for monsters, what all the stat blocks mean, etc.
Another way to look at it is if you are using the D&D Beyond mobile app, if you just buy the monsters, they will show up in the "listings" section of the app. But the monster manual will not show up in your library as the digital form of the book.
The Monster Manual has some detailed lore/fluff for some of the monsters. I don't think that would be present in the stat blocks alone. If you really like that kind of thing, and it helps spark your imagination for adventures, then it might be worth it to you. If you like to make up your own lore and don't need inspiration, then it's probably not.
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So looking at the MM on the site, you can buy the whole book for $30 or simply buy all the monsters included in the book for $20. What is the point to getting the whole book? Is there more included beyond monster stats that you only get with the full book? If so, is it worth the extra $10?
At a quick glance, there are a few creatures missing from the Ala Carte option, and also the templates and guides on how to combine creature options without doing anything horribly game breaking. The Book has some insight on special monster traits and the like, which is useful if one uses that insight as a modular template. There are probably some other bits and pieces scrubbed out as well.
Is it worth the expense to you? I don't know. You're the only judge of that. The whole book has served me well over the years, and has been used in its entirety.
“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime.” - Mark Twain - Innocents Abroad
When you buy the Monster Manual you are essentially getting a digital copy of the entire book as well as all the monster stat blocks in D&D Beyond format. The stat blocks allow you to use the monsters in things like the combat tracker as well as the digital monster listings on the site.
If you buy the entire manual you also get all the extra written content that is in the book. This includes the opening section on rules for monsters, what all the stat blocks mean, etc.
Another way to look at it is if you are using the D&D Beyond mobile app, if you just buy the monsters, they will show up in the "listings" section of the app. But the monster manual will not show up in your library as the digital form of the book.
The Monster Manual has some detailed lore/fluff for some of the monsters. I don't think that would be present in the stat blocks alone. If you really like that kind of thing, and it helps spark your imagination for adventures, then it might be worth it to you. If you like to make up your own lore and don't need inspiration, then it's probably not.