Giants have emerged from their strongholds to threaten civilization as never before. Hill giants are stealing all the grain and livestock they can while stone giants have been scouring settlements that have been around forever. Fire giants are press-ganging the smallfolk into the desert, while frost giant longships have been pillaging along the Sword Coast. Even the elusive cloud giants have been witnessed, their wondrous floating cities appearing above Waterdeep and Baldur’s Gate. Where is the storm giant King Hekaton, who is tasked with keeping order among the giants?

The humans, dwarves, elves, and other small folk of the Sword Coast will be crushed underfoot from the onslaught of these giant foes. The only chance at survival is for the small folk to work together to investigate this invasion and harness the power of rune magic, the giants’ weapon against their ancient enemy the dragons. The only way the people of Faerun can restore order is to use the giants’ own power against them.

THE STORY SO FAR…

Hill giants are stealing all the grain and livestock they can while stone giants have been scouring settlements that have been around forever. Fire giants are press-ganging the smallfolk into the desert, while frost giant longships have been pillaging along the Sword Coast. Even the elusive cloud giants have been witnessed, their wondrous floating cities appearing above Waterdeep and Baldur’s Gate. Where is the storm giant King Hekaton, who is tasked with keeping order among the giants?

The humans, dwarves, elves, and other small folk of the Sword Coast will be crushed underfoot from the onslaught of these giant foes. The only chance at survival is for the small folk to work together to investigate this invasion and harness the power of rune magic, the giants’ weapon against their ancient enemy the dragons. The only way the people of Faerun can restore order is to use the giants’ own power against them.

RUNE MAGIC

Ancient and Powerful Rune magic is an ancient practice that allows giants, and anyone else who masters the runes of power, to grant magical properties to an object by scribing a rune on to it. People who use runes are called runecasters

Runes are at their strongest when scribed into objects that difficult or dangerous to acquire. Exotic, rare, and expensive objects can channel greater magic from a rune, but to truly empower a rune, a runecaster must seek the bones of powerful monsters, rare and valuable treasures, and materials found only in deadly dungeons or the outer planes to produce the rune’s most powerful effects.

But there is danger in working with runes. The giants have cataloged some of the interactions between runes and various objects, but many more remain undiscovered, and unexpected results have been known to produce catastrophic effects.

Volo’s Guide to Monsters provides something exciting for players and Dungeon Masters everywhere.

- Dive deep into the story behind D&D’s most popular and iconic monsters, including beholders, mind flayers, and the yuan-ti, as well as classics like orcs, gnolls, and kobolds.
- Gain access to rules and story for dozens of monsters new to fifth edition Dungeons & Dragons, such as the froghemoth, the neogi, and the vargouille.
- Open up new race options, including the goblin, the orc, and the firbolg.

The esteemed loremaster Volothamp Geddarm is back and he’s written a fantastical dissertation, covering some of the most iconic monsters in the Forgotten Realms. Unfortunately, the Sage of Shadowdale himself, Elminster, doesn’t believe Volo gets some of the important details quite right. Don’t miss out as Volo and Elminster square off (academically speaking of course) to illuminate the uninitiated on creatures both common and obscure. Uncover the machinations of the mysterious Kraken Society, what is the origin of the bizarre froghemoth, or how to avoid participating in the ghastly reproductive cycle of the grotesque vargouille. Dungeon Masters and players will get some much-needed guidance as you plan your next venture, traipsing about some dusty old ruin in search of treasure, lore, and let’s not forget ... dangerous creatures whose horns, claws, fangs, heads, or even hides might comfortably adorn the walls of your trophy room. If you survive.

Volo's Guide to Monster also comes in a limited edition format, exclusive to core hobby stores, featuring an alternative-art cover, beautifully illustrated by Hydro74. This version of the book will only have a single printing. Use the store locator to find a hobby store near you.

Assault of the Giants is a new Dungeons & Dragons board game designed by Andrew Parks. Designed for 2-6 players, Assault of the Giants challenges players to command one of the six types of giants and claim the right to rule over all giantkind. Command giants and assault settlements to score points and secure important resources, including food, treasure, ore, and runes. Contents include 14 Giants miniatures, measuring from approximately 4” to over 5 ½” in height. Assault of the Giants is scheduled to release in Spring 2017.