[RPG] What monsters are depicted on the 2008 D&D 4e DM Screen

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I have the DM Screen included with the DM Kit. It depicts an underdark scene, and I can recognize:

  • a gargoyle
  • a beholder
  • some zombies
  • a mind flayer
  • an umber hulk
  • a black dragon
  • a bugbear
  • two drow
  • a drider
  • a fire giant or titan?
  • a roper

But what are the other monsters? One looks like a vampire, there's a female humanoid whose arm is dissolving into bugs, lots of bats, an orc? next to the bugbear, two stony-looking monsters, two hell hounds? held by the giant, and bats made of fire.

I'm just curious, is all. I can't find the rest of them in the DM Book.

Best Answer

This DM screen was released in August 2008, a couple of months after the first PHB, MM, and DMG were released (June 2008). MM2 and PHB2 weren't out until 2009 so this likely features exclusively MM1 monsters. It was illustrated by the late Francis Tsai, whose signature can be found in the lava in the bottom right.

Left half

Characters in the image are numbered from left to right. The indistinct background characters have been left out. Click to zoom in on the image.

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  1. Either a Gargoyle (MM p115) or a War Devil (MM p67, depicted p66)

  2. (Not identified. Broad-built pale-skinned brooding dudes standing around holding hand-scythes aren't prominently illustrated anywhere in MM1 or DMG1.)

  3. A Beholder, found on MM p32

  4. A Lamia, found on MM p174, also depicted turning into beetles. Turning into a swarm is one of her abilities. (Identified by Jadasc)

  5. A Mind Flayer, found on MM pp188–189

  6. An Umber Hulk, found on MM p256

  7. A Black Dragon, found on MM pp75–76, illustrated on p77

  8. Looks like a Bugbear, MM p135, given it looks like it's fuzzy right down to its brow.

  9. Looks like a very buff Goblin or Hobgoblin (MM pp136–141) or an Orc (pp203–205). Illustrations on all three of these varied a bunch between artists. If it's a hobgoblin they changed its colors, but they did that as well for the troglodytes next on this list.

  10. Very likely Troglodytes, found on MM pp252–253. The anatomy's almost identical, but here they're depicted brown instead of blue. (identified by Adriano Varoli Piazza)

Right half

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  1. A Drow, female, found on MM pp94–95

  2. Also a Drow, male

  3. A Drider, found on MM p93

  4. Might be Hell Hounds, MM p160 (identified by Jason)

  5. A Fire Giant, found on MM p123

  6. Fire Bats, found on MM p27 (identified by Jason)

  7. A Roper, MM p222

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