Customer Reviews

Monstrous Compendium Appendix (AD&D/Forgotten Realms MC11)

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I have been DMing with the same group for almost five years now and while some of the PCs are new, they seem to have all the basic monsters and rules memorized. They're also high level, ranging from 9th to 12th.

Problem is: I have to change the appearances of most monsters and appearances to fool the group.

What I love about this item is: it's got a ton of powerful creatures in it with new pictures that the PCs can't distinguish from . . . and, moreover, they don't know the special powers of these creatures and it works very well against high level PCs.

About half of this book encompasses the Yugoloth, devils and demons. All worthy foes.

The pictures are fantastic, for the most part, and you can cover up the other page and show the picture to the PCs to give them a visual.

You do not need to be running a PLANESCAPE campaign to use these creatures. Besides, most of these creatures were from the AD&D first edition.

Would recommend but only if you are running or planning to run for players with a median average of at least 7th or 8th level.

The first monstrous compendium to come out of the planescape setting is a success. The terrific illustrations by DiTerlizzi and the well organised & detailled notes on the different monsters listed inside breath new life into some old favorite from the planes. demons & devils have never looked so good, and I can finally make sense of the hierarchy of the Aasimon (archon) & Yugoloth (daevil).There is a great continuity in this work and you get the feeling that every monster included in this book belongs here. A short table at the end of the book helps you by sorting out the monster by planes, making it easier to create your own encounter tables. The only importants omissions of this book are the modron (included in the Planescape boxed set) and the demon & devil lord (sadly, they seems to have been forgotten in the planescape campaign...). In short this book is the most usefull of the 3 monster compendiums made for the planescape setting, and the only one most people will ever need. Easily adaptable to any other campaign setting, smartly written and with great illustrations to look at, this supplement is an excellent purchase.

If a person is running a low-powered, prime material campaign, then they canusually get by on nothing more than the monstrous manual and their own made-up monsters. As the PC's inevitably progress higher and higher in level while their characters are still young and unwilling to retire... books like this one are very handy. The artwork is very nice (though I must agree that some of the baatezu/tanar'ri don't look so terrible; and the pit fiend looks downright silly) and the text is useful in describing thier combat abilities. Any DM who can't make up just enough ecology for the players to buy it should buy the appropriate supplement (for Baatezu, the Guide to hell, etc.) For example, when the PC's stumble across a baatezu or tanar'ri it should be one of the weaker types. If, on the other hand, you decide that their home plane just became the newest battleground in the Blood War, and they're spending all their time going after Pit Fiends and Balor, then this book is not only useful but essential. The toned-down XP values are much closer to reasonable than the exaggerated numbers given in the MM. A warning, however- some of these beasties really are insanely powerful. The Solar, for example, is worth about 10,000 XP too little, the Marut is a roaming machine of death, and the average Maralith is a minor goddess of war with seven solid attacks per round and lots of HP. Use these sparingly until your PC's are all around level 12+.

Its a great Book, full of planar monster, perfect for setting up a campaign in planescape or in a prime material plane. This book is full with demons,devils,yugoloths and imps. Hours of fun. Recomended

this book is great, but in my opinion not deserving of the five star masterpeice rating, this book is DiTerlizzi's greatest display of his absolutely amazing skills... but the text on some things is not very clear, and can be confusing, but this is an all around must... in my opinion it is great, and truly essential, i recommend this highly if you are a planescape player, or want to get into it (also the planescapes: box set)...

Planescape has always been my personal favorite D&D campaign setting. The crazy, far off locales, a reality that's constantly shifting, abstract ideals given form and flesh, it's all the best stuff TSR ever came out with. The Monstrous Compendium Appendix is a must have if you are planning on running a Planescape campaign. Besides just giving the dungeon master some cannon fodder to throw at the players, there is a wealth of additional Planescape material presented. The hierarchy of the Aasimon, Baatezu, and Tanar'ri are all clearly explained, along with the background history and normal behaviors of the major races common to Planescape - such as the Githzerai and Bariaur. After having played the Wizards of the Coast (3rd Edition) D&D, and then going back and seeing all the old AD&D Planescape material, you'll be quite supprised by how much things have changed. The Slaad and Tanar'ri creatures look completely different between the two additions. Also, check out the descriptions of the "Marut" creature in this book versus the Marut (listed as in "Inevitable") in the 3rd Edition Monster Manual. While they have retained the same basic look, they are completely different creatures all together.

The artwork here is superb! DiTerlizzi has a style all his own that you don't really see done elsewhere, and it definetely fits the mood of the Planescape campaign. Every creature has it's own individual picture, and it's clear a good deal of effort was put forth to ensure each monster looks exactly as it should. The best part of any Planescape accesory is the commentary, and it abounds here. Every few pages a little quote is given, along with the name and title of the quoter. The little details they give really flesh out the setting as a whole. My favorite here is on the listing for the "Maelephant" creature (a quite large elephant type creature that stands on two legs). Two quotes sit side by side here, both of which say the same thing "You know, a herd of maelephants might be just the thing we need...", what makes the quotes funny is when you see who said them. The first is Factol Haskar of the guvners, pondering how best to institute law and order in the city of Sigil. The second quote is a snippet of conversation heard between two anarchists in a tavern.

My only complaints would have to be that the book seems kind of short, and that it's a flimsy paperback, instead of a longer lasting hardcover (and since this book is no longer in print, you'll have to get a used one - which will probably be quite battered and worn). To be fair, there are quite a few creatures presented and with lots of extra details, but this supplement seems much smaller than the standard "Monster Manuals". Overall an excellent addition to the Planescape world. You should get your hands on it if you can.

This, the first of the three Planescape Monstrous Compendium Appendix manuals, is rather essential to role-playing when traversing the planes. Even though you could think up some of the beings in this book, it is impossible to come up with them all, and in here, they are all so nicely lined up, just for grabs by any DM. I could have wished for better illustrations of the beings within the book, since some of the baatezu and tanar'ri don't look as frightening as they do when I imagine them in my mind.

More or less designed as you would expect from any Monstrous Compendium, it lacks originality in design, but in fantasy facts and lore, it lacks nothing.

This book will no doubt inspire any DM to create even more exciting adventures incorporating the monsters and beings in this well-made compendium.

Five stars does not mean I rate five from all aspects. The MC1 is the most essential book for Role-playing in Planescape campaign setting (rated 5 stars for necessity). The text parts are truly 'powerplaying'. Ecologies and Habitat/Societies are incredibly insufficient; like a computer game handbook. The authors are surely unaware of the powers they gave the creatures - I may say 'gods' with those powers - (rated 3 stars for the texts). The book is DiTerlizzi's masterpiece. The art in this book outshines any of his art in MC2 and Magic the Gathering. If you buy this book think weather you will use it or you will hang the pages on your walls (rated 7 out of five for artwork). Average of these make five stars.

This is one of those books you just can't live without. It is one of the most useful guides to monsters and mayhem there is. It is another one of the many fine TSR products that has made role-playing games like Advanced Dungeons & Dragons alive and kicking all the way into the new millenium.