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The Monsters Know What They're Doing: Combat Tactics for Dungeon Masters (The Monsters Know What They’re Doing Book 1) Kindle Edition

by Keith Ammann (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.8 4.8 out of 5 stars 4,085 ratings
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From the creator of the popular blog The Monsters Know What They’re Doing comes a compilation of villainous battle plans for Dungeon Masters.

In the course of a Dungeons & Dragons game, a Dungeon Master has to make one decision after another in response to player behavior—and the better the players, the more unpredictable their behavior! It’s easy for even an experienced DM to get bogged down in on-the-spot decision-making or to let combat devolve into a boring slugfest, with enemies running directly at the player characters and biting, bashing, and slashing away.

In The Monsters Know What They’re Doing, Keith Ammann lightens the DM’s burden by helping you understand your monsters’ abilities and develop battle plans before your fifth edition D&D game session begins. Just as soldiers don’t whip out their field manuals for the first time when they’re already under fire, a DM shouldn’t wait until the PCs have just encountered a dozen bullywugs to figure out how they advance, fight, and retreat.

Easy to read and apply, The Monsters Know What They're Doing is essential reading for every DM.
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  1. Book 1 of 4
    The Monsters Know What They’re Doing
  2. Print length
    559 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publisher
    Gallery Books
  5. Publication date
    October 29, 2019
  6. File size
    38023 KB
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“I’ve always said, the Dungeon Master is the whole world except for his players and as a result, I spend countless hours prepping for my home group. What Keith gets is that the monsters are the DM’s characters and his work has been super helpful in adding logic, flavor, and fun in my quest to slaughter my players’ characters and laugh out the window as they cry in their cars afterward.” —Joe Manganiello, award-winning actor/producer, author of Evolution, founder/creative director of Death Saves streetwear, and consultant/contributor to Dungeons & Dragons

“This book almost instantly made me a better Dungeon Master. If you’re running games, it is a must-have enhancement. I gave copies to the two others in our group who share in the Dungeon Mastering, and both of them came back the next time grinning rather slyly. Keith is a diabolical genius, and I say that with the utmost respect!” —R. A. Salvatore, #1 New York Times bestselling author of more than sixty-five books, including the Drizzt novels The Crystal Shard, Timeless, and Boundless

“The best movie villains are the ones you fall in love with. Keith’s book grounds villains in specificity, motivation, and tactics--so much so that players will love to hate ‘em. This book will enrich your game immeasurably!” —Matthew Lillard, award-winning actor, director, producer, and co-founder of Beadle and Grimm’s Pandemonium Warehouse

“I have to send this book to my DM!” —Hugo award finalist Max Gladstone, author of This is How You Lose the Time War

“I hope my DM doesn't read this book.” —Hugo award-winner Elizabeth Bear, author of Ancestral Night

“Every great DM needs a copy of this book like a player needs a D20 that rolls a lot of critical hits. It won't make the other side happy, but it will make the game more exciting.” —Two-time Campbell award finalist Stina Leicht, author of Cold Iron

"Is a conniving creature with a rational sense of self-preservation really going to take one last swipe at the fighter while on death’s door, or would it run away to fight another day? Depending on the monster, this book has the answer." —SYFY Wire

“One of the most interesting, thoughtful, smart RPG sourcebooks I've ever read. . . . The Monsters Know What They're Doing is a hoot just to read, and transported me back to my days of poring over the Monster Manual and the Fiend Folio."—Cory Doctorow, co-editor of boingboing.net and New York Times bestselling author of Little Brother and Homeland

“As a dungeon master, I am overcome with the sheer usefulness of Keith Ammann’s The Monsters Know What They’re Doing. This book is brilliant. It’s completely rewriting the way I think about encounters, and making me want to sick a pack of goblins on my players straight away. Highly recommended for any DM of any level of experience. And I fear it will become required reading when Live to Tell the Tale comes out this summer and our players all get smarter with their tactics too!” —Lou Anders, Hugo award winning author of Once Upon a Unicorn, Star Wars: Pirate’s Price, and the Thrones & Bones trilogy

“This book is ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL for any D&D DM, whether you’re running monsters straight from the book or not. This should sit prominently on every game shelf and should be pulled out for every session.” –Dice Monkey

About the Author

Keith Ammann has been a Dungeons & Dragons player and DM for more than thirty years. He has been writing his fifth edition D&D–focused blog The Monsters Know What They’re Doing since 2016. He lives in Chicago.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B07P5F89LJ
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Gallery Books (October 29, 2019)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ October 29, 2019
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 38023 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 559 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.8 4.8 out of 5 stars 4,085 ratings

About the author

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Keith Ammann

Keith Ammann

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Keith Ammann has been a Dungeons & Dragons player and DM for more than thirty years. He has been writing the fifth edition D&D–focused blog The Monsters Know What They’re Doing since 2016. He lives in Chicago.

Customer reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars
4,085 global ratings

Customers say

Customers find the information in the book great and easy to use. They say it helps them build better encounters with monsters and makes combat feel more meaningful. Readers also appreciate the pacing and content on monsters.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

Select to learn more
Information qualityPacingMonster contentEase of use
104 customers mention "Information quality"104 positive0 negative

Customers find the information in the book great. They say it helps them understand the fundamental strategies of D&D worlds' baddies, and it's full of cool analyses of enemies. Readers also appreciate the author's good study of the strengths and weaknesses of each monster. They mention the book provides great advice and makes them think and strategize.

"...Covering most of the basic D&D monsters, there is a treasure trove of ideas too take your encounters with monsters and BBEGs to the next level...." Read more

"...this book contains a breakdown of every monster in D&D 5e, containing battle tactics, breakdown of moves in combat, ideal ability combos, and..." Read more

"...It’s full of interesting theory, ideas, and concepts from base 5e monsters that expand deeply into the concepts of using them in a campaign..." Read more

"...It makes combat more interesting and gives me encounters outside of combat...." Read more

23 customers mention "Pacing"23 positive0 negative

Customers find the pacing of the book good. They say it helps them build better encounters with monsters in 5E. Readers also mention the tactics immediately make combat feel more meaningful and add a lot to the session. They say it's great at varying up how your encounters go based on the monsters involved.

"...of every monster in D&D 5e, containing battle tactics, breakdown of moves in combat, ideal ability combos, and additional information sourced from..." Read more

"...It makes combat more interesting and gives me encounters outside of combat...." Read more

"...The fights become much more enjoyable; much more than a hack & slash." Read more

"...After reading this book my encounters have improved dramatically and I now have the tools to run monsters in a way that is unique and tailored to..." Read more

11 customers mention "Monster content"11 positive0 negative

Customers find the book full of information on monsters. They appreciate the honest examination of monsters' goals and abilities. Readers also say it augments the Monster Manual beautifully. They mention it makes monsters such as goblins and other weaker enemies tougher in battle.

"...just in the information it provides but the fact that it augments the Monster Manual (MM) so beautifully...." Read more

"...So thank you. I also love the humor in this book a lot! It makes monsters such as goblins and other weaker enemies a lot tougher in battle, And..." Read more

"...It gives very in depth tactics, motives, movements, and turns for all of the monster manual (I believe, haven’t checked 100%)...." Read more

"I liked the earnest examination of monsters' goals and abilities, along with differences based on intelligence, alignment, and nature...." Read more

10 customers mention "Ease of use"10 positive0 negative

Customers find the book easy to follow and logical. They say it's less technical than the Monster Manual and more useful. Readers also mention the references are short and concise.

"This is a very useful book to make your encounters more interesting, logical and story based...." Read more

"...Greatly enjoyed all the information. Well organized and easy to use. This greatly helped adding a realistic dimension to our gaming." Read more

"...Combat is much more interesting—and difficult! It’s also well written...." Read more

"The info presented on each creature is clear and concise. Just reading one monster I had put my players up against and was blown away...." Read more

Entertaining and useful book for Gamemasters everywhere
4 out of 5 stars
Entertaining and useful book for Gamemasters everywhere
This book is a collection of the best of Keith Ammann's blog on how to better gamemaster combat by "monsters."I recommend this book for those starting their journeys as gamemasters who want to increase the joy of the game for their players.In the early days of role-playing, many gamemasters (GMs) would read through musty tomes of military history and books on strategy and tactics to create more imaginative battles for their players. Somewhere along the line, role-playing became mainstream, and some of the intense study that went into it as niche hobby went away.Enter Keith Ammann who revived some of the art in conducting melee encounters.Keith has literally hundreds of descriptions of potential monster tactics divided into 14 categories: humanoids, humans, monstrosities, dragons, giants, undead, aberrations, fiends, celestials, fey, elementals, constructs, oozes, and beasts. (The hardcover version weighs in at almost 550 pages.)In each case, Keith looks at the description of the monster and uses both basic characteristics as well as special abilities to divine out an interesting and suitable strategy. He looks at alignment (to determine goals and disposition), strength, agility, and constitution to determine base fighting style, and then, special abilities help determine the fine points of tactics.All in all, this is a fabulous book for the aspiring GM that wants to up his or her game and make the game more challenging and fun for the players.I'm not sure if Keith and I have met, but his philosophy is a good one. Actions by the monsters should have some level of predictability, and it should make sense in light of the monsters' goals and objectives.If you are a very experienced GM then you probably already have a well established way of bringing your creations to life.
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Top reviews from the United States

michael Hamilton
5.0 out of 5 stars Add dimention to your bad guys!
Reviewed in the United States on July 19, 2024
Verified Purchase
This is a very useful book to make your encounters more interesting, logical and story based.
Covering most of the basic D&D monsters, there is a treasure trove of ideas too take your encounters with monsters and BBEGs to the next level.
Worth a read!
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Noah
5.0 out of 5 stars As a DM and player, I would highly recommend
Reviewed in the United States on February 20, 2024
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This book is phenomenal. I ordered it recently for a friend and decided to look at it a bit before I gave it to him, and I loved it so much that I ordered one for myself. The amount of content here is amazing. I don't know what's in the description here on Amazon, but this book contains a breakdown of every monster in D&D 5e, containing battle tactics, breakdown of moves in combat, ideal ability combos, and additional information sourced from logical conclusions upon reviewing the stat blocks and source text. It's crazy. 5 out of 5, 10 out of 10, 100 out of 100. Would recommend to anyone interested in D&D.
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Katie Reynolds
5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing ideas and detail
Reviewed in the United States on January 14, 2024
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Bought this book for my boyfriend and I who both run our own dnd campaigns, and let me say first and foremost that this book is brilliant. It’s full of interesting theory, ideas, and concepts from base 5e monsters that expand deeply into the concepts of using them in a campaign effectively. We were stunned with how addicting it was to read and have been passing it back and fourth since it came. I can’t wait to read other books from this author!
2 people found this helpful
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Parker Harding
5.0 out of 5 stars Incredible resource
Reviewed in the United States on April 12, 2023
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This book is amazing. I know the blog is online but there is something about having the physical copy. I feel good about spending money on this book rather than spending money on official D&D products because of, ya know, corporate greed.

This book helped me run orcs, vampires, mind flayers and more. It makes combat more interesting and gives me encounters outside of combat. The vampire section is particularly great and I used it to great effect.

If you are a DM looking to shake things up and make combat more than a hack-and-slash fest, you need this book.
2 people found this helpful
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Reasonable Reviewer
4.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining and useful book for Gamemasters everywhere
Reviewed in the United States on February 21, 2021
Verified Purchase
This book is a collection of the best of Keith Ammann's blog on how to better gamemaster combat by "monsters."

I recommend this book for those starting their journeys as gamemasters who want to increase the joy of the game for their players.

In the early days of role-playing, many gamemasters (GMs) would read through musty tomes of military history and books on strategy and tactics to create more imaginative battles for their players. Somewhere along the line, role-playing became mainstream, and some of the intense study that went into it as niche hobby went away.

Enter Keith Ammann who revived some of the art in conducting melee encounters.

Keith has literally hundreds of descriptions of potential monster tactics divided into 14 categories: humanoids, humans, monstrosities, dragons, giants, undead, aberrations, fiends, celestials, fey, elementals, constructs, oozes, and beasts. (The hardcover version weighs in at almost 550 pages.)

In each case, Keith looks at the description of the monster and uses both basic characteristics as well as special abilities to divine out an interesting and suitable strategy. He looks at alignment (to determine goals and disposition), strength, agility, and constitution to determine base fighting style, and then, special abilities help determine the fine points of tactics.

All in all, this is a fabulous book for the aspiring GM that wants to up his or her game and make the game more challenging and fun for the players.

I'm not sure if Keith and I have met, but his philosophy is a good one. Actions by the monsters should have some level of predictability, and it should make sense in light of the monsters' goals and objectives.

If you are a very experienced GM then you probably already have a well established way of bringing your creations to life.
Customer image
Reasonable Reviewer
4.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining and useful book for Gamemasters everywhere
Reviewed in the United States on February 21, 2021
This book is a collection of the best of Keith Ammann's blog on how to better gamemaster combat by "monsters."

I recommend this book for those starting their journeys as gamemasters who want to increase the joy of the game for their players.

In the early days of role-playing, many gamemasters (GMs) would read through musty tomes of military history and books on strategy and tactics to create more imaginative battles for their players. Somewhere along the line, role-playing became mainstream, and some of the intense study that went into it as niche hobby went away.

Enter Keith Ammann who revived some of the art in conducting melee encounters.

Keith has literally hundreds of descriptions of potential monster tactics divided into 14 categories: humanoids, humans, monstrosities, dragons, giants, undead, aberrations, fiends, celestials, fey, elementals, constructs, oozes, and beasts. (The hardcover version weighs in at almost 550 pages.)

In each case, Keith looks at the description of the monster and uses both basic characteristics as well as special abilities to divine out an interesting and suitable strategy. He looks at alignment (to determine goals and disposition), strength, agility, and constitution to determine base fighting style, and then, special abilities help determine the fine points of tactics.

All in all, this is a fabulous book for the aspiring GM that wants to up his or her game and make the game more challenging and fun for the players.

I'm not sure if Keith and I have met, but his philosophy is a good one. Actions by the monsters should have some level of predictability, and it should make sense in light of the monsters' goals and objectives.

If you are a very experienced GM then you probably already have a well established way of bringing your creations to life.
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19 people found this helpful
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Brent
5.0 out of 5 stars I use this book every session.
Reviewed in the United States on September 12, 2023
Verified Purchase
As a DM, I use this book for every session's prep. It makes it much easier to know what the monsters are going to do in situations; not fight to the death all the time.
Using this book also challenges the players much more and makes them think and strategize on what to do. The fights become much more enjoyable; much more than a hack & slash.
2 people found this helpful
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book to Help Up Your DM Skills for 5th Edition D&D
Reviewed in the United States on February 12, 2021
Verified Purchase
Full disclosure I am only about half way through this book so this review is not a review of the entire book.

With that being said I am enjoy this book a lot. It has a lot of great info about how to effectively run different monsters for you D&D games. As a DM I sometime forget about social dynamics and planning for the monsters my players encounter. This book gives you advice on how to run your monsters more realistically and how they might act in certain situations. Since I have been reading this book my encounters have become more fun and both I and my players are enjoying the battles even more.

Its a great book for both beginners and seasoned DM's alike, it's also hard bound and packed full of useful information, so at $13.99 (USD as of the writing of this review) IT'S A FREAKING BARGIN! Hell the Digital version is more expensive than the hard back so you better grab it before Amazon realizes they have lost their minds.

Well worth the time and money. 10 out of 10 would recommend.
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Top reviews from other countries

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Shawn
5.0 out of 5 stars A must have!!
Reviewed in Canada on June 3, 2024
Verified Purchase
Absolutely love this book. If you are an old DM, or a novice one, looking to turn the corner on how to run fantastic encounters that turn simple goblins into a force to be feared... then this book is for you.
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Ricardo F.
5.0 out of 5 stars HUGE! And filled with great inspiration material
Reviewed in Mexico on June 17, 2021
Verified Purchase
Have you ever looked at a creature's stat block and been like: "Ok, but how am I meant to run a Banshee?" The flavor text gives you some hints as to what they are... but not who they are, or why they are. Well, this book is here for all of you who are, like me, trying to give a touch of personality to monsters in TTRPGs.

From cowardly creatures that gang up on adventurers, to mighty dragons who seek treasure for the sake of having more treasure, Keith Ammann hits the nail right on the head with this gorgeous, huge book.

I was expecting a flimsy bunch of pages barely held together, or lots of art to pad out the content... oh boy, was I not ready for this 300+ pages long book with barely any padding to it. I recommend giving it a quick once-over and then reading up on the kinds of monsters you will be running in your next session to have a better idea on how to make your games truly memorable.

Amazing book!
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Cliente Amazon
5.0 out of 5 stars Un must have!!!
Reviewed in Italy on August 10, 2023
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Talmente fatto bene e utile che dovrebbe essere incluso nel manuale dei mostri! ESSENZIALE.
Unica pecca che non ne esiste ancora una traduzione.
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Gannet
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book, not only for 5e
Reviewed in Germany on April 25, 2023
Verified Purchase
This book really helps you to get into the mindest of different monsters, and see them with completely different eyes. While it often gets into detailed mechanics that are specific to D&D 5th edition, the basic ideas are general enough that you can easily use it for other fantasy systems as well (older versions of D&D in my case). So I'd recommend it even if you don't play 5e. It's very durable and the cover is great. And it's a hardback that's actually affordable.
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Luis Cardoso
5.0 out of 5 stars Pleasently surprised.
Reviewed in Spain on April 29, 2022
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What a great find. If you're a D&D DM (or even a player), this is a great way to understand why the monsters do what they do.

(Did not know it was hardback. Great object.)
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Luis Cardoso
5.0 out of 5 stars Pleasently surprised.
Reviewed in Spain on April 29, 2022
What a great find. If you're a D&D DM (or even a player), this is a great way to understand why the monsters do what they do.

(Did not know it was hardback. Great object.)
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