-->It is with a certain measure of pride that we at TSR bring you this second part of the new DUNGEONS &
-->DRAGONS releases, the long-awaited MONSTER MANUAL for ADVANCED D & D. We are doubly proud of the format
-->of this book -i.e., its special hard cover, a “first” in the gaming world and another step in our continuing quest for
-->top quality products.

As time goes on, the D & D phenomenon shows no sign of subsiding -indeed, the popularity of DUNGEONS &
-->DRAGONS continues to grow and grow. This trend is very gratifying to us at TSR, and encourages us to devote even
-->more time and attention to D & D (witness this series of ADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONS) and related materials
-->-playing aids, accessories, etc. Our aim is to provide a top-quality family of products for use with the DUNGEONS &
DRAGONS game system, items that we hope you will find useful, innovative, and enjoyable.

With the outstanding growth of DUNGEONS & DRAGONS has come the growth of TSR Hobbies, since it is no
secret that the fantastic response to D& D has allowed TSR to expand and explore many new directions in the gaming
hobby. Therefore, we owe our thanks to you -the many devoted gamers -who have supported TSR through your
enthusiasm, your encouragement, and finally, your purchases. Our livelihood depends upon your continued support,
and we intend to keep earning it by continuing to bring you innovative products in the future. We appreciate the
widespread audience that our games (and especially D & D) have achieved, and we look forward to increasing the
exposure of our games and rules. Without such an enthusiastic and loyal following, this would not be possible. So,
we thank you!

The success of DUNGEONS & DRAGONS has spawned a considerable number of imitations and spin-off products,
-->perhaps inevitably. Some of these have merit; many, however, do not -and although we may concede their right to
-->exist (however dependent they may be on D & D’s audience), we would caution the prospective buyer to consider
-->their true value and not to be confused with those items which bear the DUNGEONS & DRAGONS or ADVANCED
-->DUNGEONS & DRAGONS name and constitute the official D & D family of products. As for value, let the others be
-->measured against the standard of quality we have striven for -a hardbound encyclopedia of monsters, for instance,
-->as opposed to a low quality collection which is poorly assembled and bound. (cf. UA, ea?

-->This present work, as will be apparent from its sheer bulk alone, is the result of a considerable amount of work
-->and preparation by many persons. All this has been undertaken with an eye toward providing a final result which
-->can be regarded as the definitive collection of monsters for ADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONS-an encyclopedic
-->collection of information certain to be of invaluable use to players and Dungeon Masters alike, complete with game
-->specifications, background details and, in many cases, with an illustration in addition! Of course, no work can be
-->truly definitive, for as long as players possess an active imagination, many new and fascinating monsters will
-->continue to arise- and this is only as it should be. <link

-->One final note: as valuable as this volume is with its wealth of information, some DMs may wisely wish to forbid
-->their players from referring to the MANUAL in the midst of an encounter, since it will be considerably more
-->challenging to confront a monster without an instant rundown of its strengths and weaknesses -and besides, a
-->D & D player’s true mettle (and knowledge) will be put to the test. And as even the most casual D & D player knows,
-->that’s what this fascinating game is all about. . . 52.62, 49.80, 79.60

Read on, and enjoy!

Mike Carr
27 September 1977