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Described as an "essential" part of Dungeons & Dragons, the game's monsters have become notable in their own right, influencing fields such as video games and fiction, as well as popular culture. Since the game's first edition in 1974, a bestiary was included along other game manuals, first called Monsters & Treasure and now commonly called the Monster Manual. In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, "monsters" are generally the antagonists which players must fight and defeat to progress in the game.
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