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I got my copy of Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes a tad early, and as a DM, I couldn't be happier. This book is a look at extraplanar existence in 5E, focusing on many great places (such as the Nine Hells) and interesting races (like the Gith and Eladrin) to add flavor to different places in a lot of campaigns. That said, this book might not be for everyone (particularly players), so I've decided to supply a rundown of what this book is and what it isn't.
So, without further ado:
WHAT THE BOOK IS:
1 - A Tome of Terrifying Foes: Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes is a treasure trove of high CR monsters, providing loads of new, tier 3-4 monsters as well as republishing some particularly juicy enemies, such as Demogorgon from the Out of the Abyss module. Many of these creatures do not call the Material Plane their home, and are plentiful on other planes. The Feywild's Eladrin have received their own statblocks. The Shadowfell has become less sparsely populated with the introduction of creatures based on negative emotions. Zariel the Archdevil makes an appearance. Strange creatures known as Star Spawn, beings oft associated with Elder Evils or Great Old Ones, are also present, and many others are to be found. Any DMs who are running or intend to run high level campaigns, one shots, or content in places other than the Material Plane will definitely love the creatures this book provides. Even those who prefer lower level experiences can find some new and engaging stat blocks.
2 - A Tome of Lore: Mordenkainen's also expands upon lore elements present within 5E, such as the origins of elves, the inscrutable Raven Queen, the Blood War between Fiends, and other noteworthy pieces of D&D lore. These bits of information and mythology can easily serve as the basis for new campaigns, ways to add flavors to Devils, Fey and other creatures, and even grant perspective into elements previously established in other 5E supplements.
WHAT THE BOOK IS NOT:
1 - A Player Resource: While the Tome of Foes grants so many tools and plot devices for DMs, it provides exceedingly little for players. In fact, the only new content designed with the players specifically in mind in this book are the new races/subraces. There are no new classes or archetypes, no new feats, spells or variant rules that players might want to use. There are wonderful bonds and background ideas for many types of adventurers (such as drow and duergar), but in my experience, many players will often gloss over written suggestions in favor of their own, though your own mileage with these new ideas will vary. While the new races/subraces are cool and interesting, if you are a player hoping to use this in a way similar to Xanathar's Guide to Everything, you will almost certainly be disappointed.
2 - A Focused Book: Covering topics that span a multitude of planes, times, and histories, Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes does seem a little... all over the place. It may be an excellent foundation for extraplanar adventures, but there is no broad story to be told, no specific species expanded upon in the way that Volo's Guide to Monsters expanded on Beholders, Giants and so on. It expands more on racial and planar history rather than creature personalities, which some might find disappointing.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
As a DM myself in the midst of creating my own homebrew world, I love this book. It adds a lot of interesting lore to already interesting races/places, and expands upon a few that haven't really gotten much limelight in 5E. If I had been a person not interested in DMing, however? The five star rating I gave this book would have probably dropped to a 3. There just isn't much here for players, something that previous supplements all had. This is probably the first book since the Dungeon Master's Guide that is very, very heavily tailored to one side of the D&D player spectrum (the DMs, in this case). If you're a DM looking for a new expansion on lore and high CR creatures, I recommend this book wholeheartedly. If you're a player, you'll probably want to skip over this one. The races/subraces aren't enough to justify a $30-$50 price tag.
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From the Publisher
Pages from the Greatest of Mages
This tome is built on the writings of the renowned wizards from the world of Greyhawk, gathered over a lifetime of research and scholarship. In his travels to other worlds and other planes of existence, he has made many friends, and has risked his life an equal number of times, to amass the knowledge contained herein.
Inside Mordenkainen’s Tome of Foes
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Rich Material for DMsThe first five chapters present material for a Dungeon Master to add depth to a campaign that involves the characters in one or more of the ongoing conflicts described there. Like Mordenkainen’s account of the history of elves and how their many races, their many lifestyles, and the unflagging hatred between the drow and the elves of the Material Plane, all go back to a single historical tragedy. |
Over 150 MonstersIn addition to Mordenkainen’s musings on the endless wars of the multiverse, the book contains game statistics for dozens of monsters. Get rules for demons and devils, several varieties of elves and duergar, and a vast array of creatures from throughout the planes of existence. |
More Options for Character CreationWith Mordenkainen’s Tome of Foes, races and subraces like gith, duergar, and more become playable as characters for the first time in fifth edition D&D. The book is also full of material to flesh out your characters with rich lore on classic races like elves and dwarves. |
An innovator in providing fantasy entertainment, Dungeons & Dragons is the wellspring for the entire modern game industry, digital as well as tabletop. Fifth edition D&D draws from every prior edition to create a universally compelling play experience, and exemplifies the true spirit of a game that holds captive the hearts and minds of millions of players worldwide. The core rulebook series consists of three books: the Player’s Handbook, the Monster Manual, and the Dungeon Master’s Guide.
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| Mordenkainen’s Tome of Foes | Xanathar’s Guide to Everything | Volo’s Guide to Monsters | |
| Get this to: | Craft inspired adventures with new and expanded monster lore, introduce new monsters to your campaign, and open new character race options | Explore a wealth of new rules options and create a wider world for your players to explore | Immerse your players in monster lore for a deeper roleplaying experience |
| Audience: | Dungeon Masters, experienced players | Dungeon Masters, experienced players | Dungeon Masters, experienced players |
| Contents: | Over 150 monsters with stats and illustrations / More options for character creation with new races / Expanded monster lore for Dungeon Masters to add depth to a campaign | Dozens of new spells / Over 25 new subclasses / New Racial Feats / Random encounter tables for quick combat setup / Rules for Downtime Revisited / Tools like improved traps, magic items, and more for Dungeon Masters to add to their adventures | 7 new playable races plus 6 monstrous races / In-depth monster lore including new variants of existing monsters, encounter tables, lair details, history, and more / Dozens of monsters new to fifth edition D&D for players to conquer |
Customer reviews
Top reviews from the United States
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Reviewed in the United States on May 29, 2018
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Reviewed in the United States on June 21, 2018
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Reviewed in the United States on July 9, 2018
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Reviewed in the United States on December 13, 2018
Now you could, like I, solely use apps like Fantasy Grounds (Steam client) and or free PDFs, But nothing replaces the feeling and ease of use of having physical copies of each guide in hand. Plus as a fun bonus they looks stunning in my bookshelf. Make you look even more professional as a DM in person. Lastly, all six together give you an extreme launching pad for designing, running and modifying premade or homemade campaigns!
For 20 a pop, what is normally a $300 purchase turns into a $120 steal, never will you ever get a better deal on these books brand new.
My only regret was getting the one book I did have before this sale but ce n'est pas grave.
Now onto the book itself, it accounts several of the biggest wars ever recorded in the Fantasy Realms from the perspective of someone recording lost hidden history. Adds many variants to Teiflings which come with as you’d imagine, all have unique abilities to match! Then there is more background knowledge and generators for Halflings, plus, new foes and a few new items as well. Very centered on devils, species and lore wise. Pretty solid book, I’d put it right after Volo but right before Xanthar.
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Down right the best price of entry I’ve ever seen!
By Albert Lamm on December 13, 2018
All six books, all three core, all three bad game supplements are on sale right now for about 20 bucks each on amazon this month, absolutely worth the price of admission!By Albert Lamm on December 13, 2018
Now you could, like I, solely use apps like Fantasy Grounds (Steam client) and or free PDFs, But nothing replaces the feeling and ease of use of having physical copies of each guide in hand. Plus as a fun bonus they looks stunning in my bookshelf. Make you look even more professional as a DM in person. Lastly, all six together give you an extreme launching pad for designing, running and modifying premade or homemade campaigns!
For 20 a pop, what is normally a $300 purchase turns into a $120 steal, never will you ever get a better deal on these books brand new.
My only regret was getting the one book I did have before this sale but ce n'est pas grave.
Now onto the book itself, it accounts several of the biggest wars ever recorded in the Fantasy Realms from the perspective of someone recording lost hidden history. Adds many variants to Teiflings which come with as you’d imagine, all have unique abilities to match! Then there is more background knowledge and generators for Halflings, plus, new foes and a few new items as well. Very centered on devils, species and lore wise. Pretty solid book, I’d put it right after Volo but right before Xanthar.
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Reviewed in the United States on June 4, 2018
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Reviewed in the United States on May 31, 2018
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Top reviews from other countries
Kai
So much more than a monster manual
Reviewed in Canada on August 2, 2018Verified Purchase
Tyson G.
Another Good but not Great entry into D&D canon
Reviewed in Canada on August 25, 2018Verified Purchase
Yari
Interessante e Unico
Reviewed in Italy on June 23, 2018Verified Purchase
Cliente Amazon
Excelente Suplemento de criaturas e raças
Reviewed in Brazil on August 13, 2018Verified Purchase
Stefano tagnin
ottimo compendio che affronta i piani
Reviewed in Italy on August 31, 2020Verified Purchase
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