Dungeons and Dragons has been on the rise for a while now, with its profile rising even higher in the past couple of years thanks to a few notable crossovers. Dungeons and Dragons has ventured into some unexpected territory with recent crossovers like Destiny 2 and Dead by Daylight. However, one of the most obvious candidates for crossover is still being left on the table.

Though it has often explored other genres and settings, Dungeons and Dragons is deeply steeped in the aesthetic of high fantasy. Mileage may vary for each player's unique experience with their own campaigns, but the general image of D&D is one of slaying monsters with the aid of swords and sorcery. If there's any series completely in line to receive an exciting crossover with D&D, it's Monster Hunter.

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It's High Time for Dungeons and Dragons and Monster Hunter to Crossover

Monster Hunter and D&D are a Match Made in Heaven

Monster Hunter has so much potential to crossover into D&D, it's almost inconceivable that it hasn't happened already. Monster Hunter is a rather self-explanatory series, with the titular activity being front and center at all times. Players go out into the wild to hunt monsters, then return to town after slaying them to use their parts for goods, and these goods will usually just help with hunting more monsters.

Monster Hunter has risen in popularity in recent times for similar reasons to D&D, chiefest among them being improved accessibility in recent years. With the comparable subject matter and growing popularity of both games, there's clear crossover potential. Just as players may want to gather around a table for a session of Dungeons and Dragons, those very same players could venture out on a hunt together.

Monster Hunter Fits Right in with D&D

Monster Hunter has more than enough material to provide Dungeons and Dragons. Dragons are half the title for the TTRPG giant, and Monster Hunter has more than a few to contribute. Of course, Monster Hunter's Rathalos would be likely to spearhead any crossover effort on behalf of the series, but there's no reason to stop at its draconic mascot; Monster Hunter has plenty more content to give.

Monster Hunter has hundreds of iconic monsters that Dungeons and Dragons could pull from. For example, the beautiful Mizutsune and bizarre Khezu seem like prime candidates to place in any Dungeon Master's toolkit.

The monsters in Monster Hunter are very varied; many would be appropriate for boss encounters, but there are plenty of smaller monsters to populate the game's setting. In fact, there's enough content in addition to the series' monsters to fill an entire module. The weapons and armor sets of Monster Hunter could easily find their way in. Likewise, it would be an absolute delight to gain access to Palicos as a companion in Dungeons and Dragons, just as they accompany the player in Monster Hunter.

D&D Has Plenty to Give Back to Monster Hunter

Just as Monster Hunter can lend material to Dungeons and Dragons, D&D is more than capable of lending inspiration back. The Monster Manual is one of the most important core rulebooks of Dungeons and Dragons, and it is full to the brim of creatures that could lend themselves well to Monster Hunter's gameplay.

The Beholder is one of the most iconic monsters in Dungeons and Dragons, but may seem a bit out of place in Monster Hunter. With that being said, plenty of Dungeons and Dragon's other most famous beasts would fit right in. The Displacer Beast is a great example, with its catlike appearance and illusion-based hunting tactics making it perfect for the setting. Of course, D&D's titular dragons could also find their way in, with named figures like Tiamat serving as particularly menacing foes.

Ultimately, Dungeons and Dragons shares quite a lot of overlap with Monster Hunter. This makes the two series ripe for crossing over, as both have plenty to provide the other in the form of monsters and more. Both games hold a host of fun for full parties of players, and one can only hope that upcoming updates for Dungeons and Dragons contain a couple nods to Monster Hunter.

Dungeons & Dragons

Created by

E. Gary Gygax , Dave Arneson

Movie

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves

Video Game(s)

Baldur's Gate , Baldur's Gate 2 , Baldur's Gate 3 , Icewind Dale , Neverwinter Nights , Neverwinter Nights 2 , Neverwinter , Dungeons & Dragons: Dragonshard , Dungeons and Dragons: Dark Alliance

Creation Year

1974

Summary

Tabletop RPG