Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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169 of 171 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Let the games begin!, October 14, 2000
The third of the core rulebooks is finally out, and DMs can at last fill their D&D campaigns with critters and start gaming in earnest. Reviewing the Monster Manual is a bit of a moot point, if you plan on DMing for 3rd edition you simply need to own this book. Like all previous monster books, it reads like an encyclopedia - but there are some aspects of the new Monster Manual that are significant departures from the old way of doing things. First off, the rulebook is thin. Surprisingly thin. "500 fearsome foes" it boasts on the back cover yet it's a third thinner than the Monstrous Compendium of 2nd edition. The alphabetical listing of monsters in the front only has 384 entries... Wha..? Here's what's going on - each monster doesn't get their own page, they are jammed in this book with a shoehorn. In addition to the usual sub-grouping of monsters (the monstrous spider has only one entry in the front listing, yet the entry lists stats for seven types of nasty arachnid - so it's really eight monsters), there are Monster Templates. Templates are to monsters what prestige classes are to characters, additional abilities and powers that can be grafted onto any existing monster, allowing the DM to multiply their options in monster selection. The existing templates are Celestial Creature, Fiendish Creature, Ghost, Half-Celestial, Half-Dragon, Half-Fiend, Lich, Lycanthrope, and Vampire. Templates can be sprinkled liberally into a campaign to ensure that player characters never take any monster for granted. Ghostly goblins...vampiric trolls...now nothing is certain, and no character is safe. The rules on lycanthropy are downright inspiring. In the old rules lycanthropy was something that affected a player once, and they immediately went to a cleric to get the cure. Now the cure is much less certain, and opportunities for role-playing abound. Want to surrender and become a shape-changer? You can, but as soon as you do, your alignment becomes that of whatever were-creature infected you, oops. Great stuff. This new manual also categorizes all monsters into one of 30-odd types and sub-types. Beasts, for example, are non-magical creatures whose abilities stem from physical attributes (like a dinosaur). Outsiders (great name!) are non-elementals from another dimension...etc. This allows DMs to use consistent, unambiguous terms to apply rules to groups of creatures, which is good. ("This sword is +1 vs all outsiders....hmmm the Shadow Mastiff is an outsider so, yes I get the bonus" etc.). --Here's the downside, looking at the entry for Naga in the new Monster Manual, you cannot find language that tells you whether or not the Naga has the ability of darkvision. It does, because the Naga is an "aberration," (as it says under the creature's entry on page 138) and on page 5 (flip, flip, flip) you can read that "Unless noted otherwise, aberrations have darkvision with a range of 60 feet." For a DM looking to create an encounter, one-stop shopping is ideal. You look up the monster, copy the key stats and abilities, and roll some hit points. Now you have to pay attention to what type of creature your copying and check to see what other abilities that type of critter has. To be fair, this has always been an issue with monster descriptions. Shorthand phrases like "this ability is treated like the magic-user's spell lightning bolt, cast at 12th level of ability" have been annoying DMs since 1st edition. They haven't gone away in this edition either. The alternative is to ask WoTC to reprint the same ability and spell descriptions dozens of times, fattening the book and increasing the cost, so I suppose I should count my blessings. They have done a marvelous job with the monster abilities-giving DMs both a central listing of powers, as well as shorthand with each monster description-so the end result is certainly a very usable product. I am curious why the lich was the only category of undead that was created as a template. One would think that zombie-ogres and ettin-ghouls would be sensible additions. Next up, the critters themselves. The same cast of characters have returned, although the revamped abilities will no doubt surprise PCs the first time they run into something like an Old Red Dragon, (Be afraid, folks, be afraid...) The folks at WoTC have sensibly pointed out that the critter statistics are baseline figures and that tougher versions of each can and do exist. So anyone out there who thinks that his or her favorite critter should be meaner already has the framework to do so. Some new critters are in, some old are back - and the Tanar'ri and Baatezu are now filed under Demon and Devil again (I wish they'd make up their minds...). There are easily enough beasties to keep your players challenged and/or terrified. Finally, the art. The art has taken a major leap forward from the cartoonish junk that populated the Monstrous Compendium (the "Giant" illustrations from the MC just make me ill). Todd Lockwood has redeemed himself in the Monster Manual, making up for those laughable depictions of female character races he did in the new PH. Several of the new artists have done some really great work as well (The frost worm looked particularly cool) and since gaming truly starts with imagination - good art is a good thing. Hey, face it. If you're a DM and you're running 3rd edition, you'll end up buying this book. Fuss and procrastinate all you want. It's less than twenty bucks, and it's nothing short of essential. No DM wants to be without a good list of things that go bump in the night. Enough of this, already...I gotta find some dice... Go nuts, folks - and happy gaming.
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28 of 31 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
And now, the core trilogy is complete!, November 30, 2000
Welcome to the outstanding 3rd Edition of the Monster Manual! Considering that all the way back in 1977, the MM was the first hardcover book ever printed for any RPG, being able to shine in that colossal shadow is an impressive thing. So what is it, exactly, that makes this tome a worthy predecessor to Gary Gygax's first groundbreaking book?By far the most beautiful and distracting them about this edition is that the entire thing is in full color. Virtually every page is graced with a glorious new illustration, which shows the classic monsters of the game in all their glory. A few have been drastically re-worked (such as the Displacer Beast, Stirge, Chimera, Troll, and Bulette), and may not be to everyone's taste. The tone of the artwork is very similar to that found in the 3rd Edition DMG and PHB, and, if you play Magic: The Gathering, will be undoubtedly familiar. Some people will probably be overly distracted by the hyper-stylized, dramatic new renditions; those who have played for decades will likely miss the abstract detail of David Trampier, or the idealized heroic glory of Larry Elmore. (But Elmore does provide a gorgeous illustration of the Nymph.) Most newer players, however, will be overjoyed. Finally, you'll have incomparable artwork that you'll be proud to show to your players in the midst of an encounter! The one caveat I personally have with the art is that many of the creatures are displayed in "composites" - for example, the Djinn and Efreeti are shown together, as are three of the Giants. This looks fabulous, but reveals a bit too much if you want to use the artwork as descriptive color. The best thing about the art? Each dragon has its own unique, distinctive look, and they all virtually seethe with ancient gracility and power. Nicely, nicely done. After you've digested all the eye candy (which could take a couple hours), you can analyze the book for its depth and quality. The book at first seems woefully short (224 pages), but they manage to cram over 500 monsters into the work, due to the total absence of the "1 page, 1 monster" mentality. This leaves some entries unnecessarily brief, but most have just the right level of detail, complete with brief notes on culture and behavior. In only a few cases (Shadow Mastiff, Wraith, etc.) did I feel I was looking at a heartless, empty pile of stats. Unlike previous edtions, the preliminary text to this book is absolutely essential. For the first time, monster abilities are compiled, quantified, and all displayed in the same place. Besides a nice, detailed summary of special attacks and defenses, this portion features rules for monster advancement. This allows you to create horrifically powerful NPCs (Orcish Warlords, etc.), or even turn monsters into PCs! Dangerous stuff in the hands of the unwise, but very interesting and useful nonetheless. Having varied monster power levels adds danger and excitement to the game for jaded players. Each monster description features the usual stats (Armor Class, Hit Dice, etc.), with a few noteworthy additions. Initiative is specifically given a numeric stat for each monster; Attack types are further formulated ("2 claws, 1 bite" as opposed to "#AT 3"); Facing and reach are given exact dimensions, if you prefer to use miniatures; Saving Throws are individualized per species; Attributes (yes, even Charisma!) are listed for ALL monster types; and even Skills and Feats are listed! The added detail seems cumbersome at first, but after 2 game sessions, I can easily say that the added detail, color, clarity, and excitement are easily worth the hour-long adjustment period. (Although 1st Edition AD&D veterans may well die of shock when they realize how different all the monsters "feel" with the added detail.) It worries me that many classic favorites are missing from this book; but of course, that just means that WotC/TSR will be continuing in their tradition of Monstrous Compendium releases. One look at the proud entries DEMON and DEVIL, and all was forgiven. ;)~ At the back are some very useful Appendices - A complete chapter on mundane animals, details on monstrous vermin (giant spiders, etc.), and most interestingly of all, monster templates! With these customization options, the DM can create Ghosts of any species, Half-Dragons, Celestials, Fiends, Liches, innumerable Lycanthrope and Vampire variants, and more. Purists may well be horrified, but I, as an old grognard DM, am 100% for surprising the players. This edition of the Monster Manual accomplishes many things - it formalizes monster entries with a unified, logical approach to attacks, powers and defenses; it re-envisions the entire multiverse of creatures with a coherent, dramatic look; it allows monsters to be played as PCs, or designed as NPCs of any power level; it encourages creativity in unique/surprise monster design; it elaborates all encounters with thoughtful details on skills and abilities; and it leaves novice DMs with very few tactical questions. The book could have been more detailed on monster lairs, culture, behavior, etc., and I would have dearly loved to see extensive wandering monster tables (I loved the Fiend Folio and MMII), but overall, I was tremendously impressed. It is true that WotC have gone against the grain to some degree, but virtually every change they made has been for the better. With every monster improved, re-thought, re-balanced, and given the flexible potential to grow in power along with experienced adventurers, we have here an indispensible work that will keep the players challenged, entertained, fascinated, and terrified for years. And, conventional tradition aside, isn't that what Dungeons & Dragons is all about?
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36 of 43 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
WOW---the wait was DEFINITELY worth it, October 14, 2000
By A Customer
It took quite a while to get all three third edition rulebooks, but now they're out. DMs and players alike will enjoy this new spin on the monster manual. It has many many many encounter charts and they have taken a whole new approach by giving PC stats on all of the creatures. I always thought that they should have done this long ago; it really helps when trying to decide, say, if an Ogrillon could bash through the locked door protecting our brave and intrepid heroes. Plus it lists standard feats and skills that certain creatures always have. This is a new move for the D&D game...it breaks down the barriers between "player" races and "monsters." Wanna be a Black Pudding fighter, go for it! But you'll really need this book to get all of the necessary information. Like the other two books, the illustrations are just great. They really help you visualize the creatures, and the artwork is a little more edgy than previous editions. Another thing that I was quite glad to see was the revival of the Demons and Devils. I mean obviously in second edition they just called them Baatezu and whatnot, but now they are back and unapologetic about it. In fact they go into quite a lot of detail as to the fauna of the lower planes, which should really make for some interesting adventures. They also have added some new spins to old creatures, the celestial hound for instance. Also a whole new subtype of creature: the dire animal. Since these are listed in the summoning tables in the Player's handbook, it is really essential that anyone playing a spellcaster get this book to find out the details....all I can say is you WON'T be disappointed.If you have purchased the other two books and, like me, have been frustrated with the lack of good monster descriptions in the DM guide, then you really MUST buy this book.
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by Skip Williams
