Menu
News
All News
Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
Pathfinder
Starfinder
Warhammer
2d20 System
Year Zero Engine
Industry News
Reviews
Dragon Reflections
Columns
Weekly Digests
Weekly News Digest
Freebies, Sales & Bundles
RPG Print News
RPG Crowdfunding News
Game Content
ENterplanetary DimENsions
Mythological Figures
Opinion
Worlds of Design
Peregrine's Next
RPG Evolution
Other Columns
From the Freelancing Frontline
Monster ENcyclopedia
WotC/TSR Alumni Look Back
4 Hours w/RSD (Ryan Dancey)
The Road to 3E (Jonathan Tweet)
Greenwood's Realms (Ed Greenwood)
Drawmij's TSR (Jim Ward)
Community
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Resources
Wiki
Pages
Latest activity
Media
New media
New comments
Search media
Downloads
Latest reviews
Search resources
EN Publishing
Store
EN5ider
Adventures in ZEITGEIST
Awfully Cheerful Engine
What's OLD is NEW
Judge Dredd & The Worlds Of 2000AD
War of the Burning Sky
Level Up: Advanced 5E
Events & Releases
Upcoming Events
Private Events
Featured Events
Socials!
Twitch
YouTube
Facebook (EN Publishing)
Facebook (EN World)
Twitter
Instagram
TikTok
Podcast
Features
Top 5 RPGs Compiled Charts 2004-Present
Adventure Game Industry Market Research Summary (RPGs) V1.0
Ryan Dancey: Acquiring TSR
Q&A With Gary Gygax
D&D Rules FAQs
TSR, WotC, & Paizo: A Comparative History
D&D Pronunciation Guide
Million Dollar TTRPG Kickstarters
Tabletop RPG Podcast Hall of Fame
Eric Noah's Unofficial D&D 3rd Edition News
D&D in the Mainstream
D&D & RPG History
About Morrus
Log in
Register
What's new
Search
Search
Search titles only
By:
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Menu
Log in
Register
Install the app
Install
The
VOIDRUNNER'S CODEX
is LIVE! Explore new worlds, fight oppressive empires, fend off fearsome aliens, and wield deadly psionics with this comprehensive boxed set expansion for 5E and A5E!
Community
General Tabletop Discussion
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
Let's Read...Everything D&D!
JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an
alternative browser
.
Reply to thread
Message
<blockquote data-quote="KirayaTiDrekan" data-source="post: 6324047" data-attributes="member: 6755061"><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><strong>Advanced Dungeons & Dragons (1st Edition) Monster Manual</strong></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><strong></strong></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><strong></strong><span style="font-size: 10px">Originally published December, 1977</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 10px"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 10px">Version being read and reviewed: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Edition-Premium-Monster-Dungeons-Dragons/dp/B00BXU4HS2/ref=pd_sim_b_37?ie=UTF8&refRID=022NS73P7NG2SV493MNY" target="_blank">Monster Manual 1st Edition Premium Reprint</a> (July, 2012)</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 10px"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 10px">Bestiaries and Monster Manuals and such are always a bit of a beast (pun intended) to read so I'm going to touch on the highlights of the critters included here-in rather than analyze each and every monster entry.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 10px"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 10px">The full title of this book is...</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 10px"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 10px">Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Special Reference Work: Monster Manual - AN ALPHABETICAL COMPENDIUM OF ALL OF THE MONSTERS FOUND IN ADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, INCLUDING ATTACKS, DAMAGE, SPECIAL ABILITIES, AND DESCRIPTIONS. By Gary Gygax.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 10px"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 10px">(Caps are theirs, not mine.)</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 10px"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 10px">Interesting side note - the Premium Reprint includes the printing/edition note for the 4th edition (as in, 4th revision of this specific book, not 4E D&D), originally printed in August, 1979.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 10px"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 10px">The foreword (spelled it right this time), by Mike Carr, starts off with the more usual "thank you fans" one tends to see in forewords, rather than the odd potpourri of topics in the original edition booklets. The fourth paragraph deviates from the positive tone, however, cautioning against straying from official D&D products into the murky waters of imitators. Do I sense the beginnings of TSR's negative attitude toward third party publishers? The foreword rounds out with a DM advisory to not let players reference this book during play.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 10px"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 10px">We then have a preface by Gary Gygax, acknowledging the contributions of others, particularly his wife, who apparently did most of the typing. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 10px"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 10px">Explanatory Notes are up next. Nothing terribly exciting here except the definition of monster (any being encountered, human, demi-human, or otherwise, is considered a monster during an encounter) and magic resistance, which has a base value that varies based on the level of the spellcaster attempting to overcome. The base value assumes an 11th level magic-user and goes up 5% per level below 11th and down 5% per level above 11. Nice and confusing. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 10px"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 10px">And, finally, the critters.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 10px"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 10px">One thing that strikes me off the top is that many creatures have notes in their descriptions about market value, either of the creature itself, its eggs or young, or body parts like pelts. I remember similar values being present in BECMI but have rarely seen that aspect of creatures explored in modern editions (3.0 and later). </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 10px"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 10px">Some creatures seem to be specifically designed to be "gotcha" monsters that punish players for using specific abilities. Brain moles, for example, feed on psionic energy, and are relatively harmless to non-psionic characters. Cerebral parasites are another anti-psionic critter...I wonder if Gary had something against the inclusion of psionics in the game? Thought eater - ethereal skeletal platypus that feeds on psionic energy - what in the name of Gygax inspired this monstrosity?</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 10px"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 10px">There's also a few creatures that I don't recall seeing again in later editions, like the Brownie. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 10px"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 10px">One element I like is the small details about lairs and what sort of more powerful creatures may be encountered depending on numbers. This generally applies to humanoids, as with the bugbear, which has notes on leaders, chiefs, and sub-chiefs. Unfortunately, female humanoids are generally noted as less effective or entirely non-combatant. From a pseudo-realism standpoint, I can see where that might be the case for certain humanoid cultures, but not all of them. However, this book is a product of its time (1977) so it gets a pass (mostly).</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 10px"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 10px">Demons! As noted in a previous review, I really like the demons' amulets idea and adapted it for my own campaigns. I can see why it was dropped in later editions, but I think it adds a nifty little touch of occultism to the game (and maybe that's why it was dropped given the Satanism scare associated with the game in the 80s). Among the demon superstars detailed in this tome are Demogorgon, Juiblex, Orcus, and Yeenoghu, along with the succubus, manes, and Types I through VI, who all get names now, in addition to the generic "types." Thus the Balor finally takes its place as demon, rather than a disembodied head. However, nifty little side note, Type IV, Type V, and Type VI are noted as being Nalfeshnee, etc; Marilith, etc; and Balor, etc; implying that these terms are proper names and that other names are possible for these demon types. Marilith (as a proper name) made an appearance in the original Final Fantasy video game with an appearance nearly identical to the demon, adding further credence to the idea that these are individual names. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 10px"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 10px">Devils! Devils have a similar item to the demons' amulets, in the form of talismans with similar properties. In addition to lesser and greater devils we have a few arch-devils: Baalzebul, Dispater, Geryon, and the "Overlord of all the dukes of Hell," Asmodeus. Erinyes make their debut as devils (as opposed to the crone-like beings in Gods, Demigods, & Heroes). </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 10px"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 10px">Dinosaurs! Quite a few of these terrible lizards running around in the MM, though their descriptions are quite brief. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 10px"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 10px">Dolphins are noted as being Very Intelligent (which, according to the Explanatory Notes, indicates a score of 11-12), an interesting nod toward dolphins being as intelligent as humans, a belief that hasn't gained much traction in the real world until recently. Its also worth noting that 3.0 made dolphins as stupid as other animals, with an Intelligence score of 2. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 10px"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 10px">Dragons! The classic five chromatic and five metallic dragons, plus Tiamat and Bahamut, can be found here in all their glory. Only 8 age categories at this point, I'm not sure when they graduated to 12. There's a fairly extensive section on subduing dragons and effectively enslaving them to be used as labor or to be sold on the open market. Tiamat has moved to the Nine Hells from her old abode underground in the original edition. Bahamut, meanwhile, dwells "behind the east wind" which is noted as being an unknown planar location. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 10px"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 10px">Skipping ahead a bit, I find hobgoblins particularly interesting as they provide a fairly good reason why an intelligent, Lawful Evil humanoid culture would not dominate the other races - in-fighting between tribes. Something else of note, hobgoblins here have a dwarven-esque suite of detection abilities related to mining that they lost in later editions. Seems an unfortunate loss of character for this race, which has always been one of my favorite "bad guy" races.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 10px"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 10px">Speaking of favorites, the Ixitxachitl (good luck pronouncing that) is another long time favorite of mine. I always found it intriguing that they can have class levels (specifically cleric) despite being non-humanoid. The vampiric variant also tickled my fancy.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 10px"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 10px">Kobolds! Dogs or dragon-ling reptiles? The description indicates neither, while the illustration clearly lends itself to the dog-like appearance. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 10px"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 10px">Larvae are an odd critter - soul-currency of the lower planes. Another semi-forgotten idea that I think has a lot of traction and would like to have seen carried forward in later editions. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 10px"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 10px">Leprechauns provide us an amusing fourth-wall break as the illustration has one of them sitting on their entry's name and another apparently stealing the reference indicator at the top of the page (Leucrotta, which the little guy has tilted diagonally). Like the brownie, however, these little fey were largely left behind in later editions. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 10px"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 10px">Men! Humans of various sorts as monsters. One of the more useful, in my opinion, entries in the book, with everything from bandits to pilgrims. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 10px"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 10px">Mummies are quite unusual in this edition compared to later editions in that they are connected to the positive material plane. One wonders if that was a typo of some sort since they otherwise conform to their undead status and have their usual debilitating powers, including the dreaded mummy rot disease. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 10px"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 10px">Allow me to get back on the gender issue for just a moment with the nymph - there may be some mythological precedent for this creature's powers, but it still annoys me a bit that the exclusively female nymph's special power is her beauty and that she kills anyone who sees her nude. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 10px"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 10px">Orcs are Lawful Evil here. Interesting. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 10px"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 10px">I remember reading a Forgotten Realms novel where the author was describing the native flora of various sorts, including a Spanish something or other. Bam! Immersion in the story ruined. Why would a plant on a fantasy non-Earth world be named for an Earth culture? Same thing applies to the Portugese Man-O-War in this book. I know (from looking it up on Wikipedia just now) that this thing isn't technically a jellyfish, but, from a game mechanics standpoint, they are pretty much the same thing. So, why not just call it a giant jellyfish? (Mini and somewhat pointless realism rant done, we now return you to your regularly scheduled review.)</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 10px"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 10px">Its interesting that sahuagin get a special "History and Legend" section when no other creature in the book does. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 10px"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 10px">The book ends with an Appendix/table for treasure types and, wonder of wonders, an index.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 10px"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 10px">Despite this being the first book for Advanced D&D, the monster entries here seem fairly compatible with original D&D. I know I adapted them and used them as inspiration for my BECMI campaigns for many years (I never played AD&D but owned this book and Monster Manual II). </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 10px"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 10px"></span></span>Next up: Advanced Dungeons & Dragons (1st Edition) Player's Handbook</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="KirayaTiDrekan, post: 6324047, member: 6755061"] [SIZE=3][B]Advanced Dungeons & Dragons (1st Edition) Monster Manual [/B][SIZE=2]Originally published December, 1977 Version being read and reviewed: [URL="http://www.amazon.com/Edition-Premium-Monster-Dungeons-Dragons/dp/B00BXU4HS2/ref=pd_sim_b_37?ie=UTF8&refRID=022NS73P7NG2SV493MNY"]Monster Manual 1st Edition Premium Reprint[/URL] (July, 2012) Bestiaries and Monster Manuals and such are always a bit of a beast (pun intended) to read so I'm going to touch on the highlights of the critters included here-in rather than analyze each and every monster entry. The full title of this book is... Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Special Reference Work: Monster Manual - AN ALPHABETICAL COMPENDIUM OF ALL OF THE MONSTERS FOUND IN ADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, INCLUDING ATTACKS, DAMAGE, SPECIAL ABILITIES, AND DESCRIPTIONS. By Gary Gygax. (Caps are theirs, not mine.) Interesting side note - the Premium Reprint includes the printing/edition note for the 4th edition (as in, 4th revision of this specific book, not 4E D&D), originally printed in August, 1979. The foreword (spelled it right this time), by Mike Carr, starts off with the more usual "thank you fans" one tends to see in forewords, rather than the odd potpourri of topics in the original edition booklets. The fourth paragraph deviates from the positive tone, however, cautioning against straying from official D&D products into the murky waters of imitators. Do I sense the beginnings of TSR's negative attitude toward third party publishers? The foreword rounds out with a DM advisory to not let players reference this book during play. We then have a preface by Gary Gygax, acknowledging the contributions of others, particularly his wife, who apparently did most of the typing. Explanatory Notes are up next. Nothing terribly exciting here except the definition of monster (any being encountered, human, demi-human, or otherwise, is considered a monster during an encounter) and magic resistance, which has a base value that varies based on the level of the spellcaster attempting to overcome. The base value assumes an 11th level magic-user and goes up 5% per level below 11th and down 5% per level above 11. Nice and confusing. And, finally, the critters. One thing that strikes me off the top is that many creatures have notes in their descriptions about market value, either of the creature itself, its eggs or young, or body parts like pelts. I remember similar values being present in BECMI but have rarely seen that aspect of creatures explored in modern editions (3.0 and later). Some creatures seem to be specifically designed to be "gotcha" monsters that punish players for using specific abilities. Brain moles, for example, feed on psionic energy, and are relatively harmless to non-psionic characters. Cerebral parasites are another anti-psionic critter...I wonder if Gary had something against the inclusion of psionics in the game? Thought eater - ethereal skeletal platypus that feeds on psionic energy - what in the name of Gygax inspired this monstrosity? There's also a few creatures that I don't recall seeing again in later editions, like the Brownie. One element I like is the small details about lairs and what sort of more powerful creatures may be encountered depending on numbers. This generally applies to humanoids, as with the bugbear, which has notes on leaders, chiefs, and sub-chiefs. Unfortunately, female humanoids are generally noted as less effective or entirely non-combatant. From a pseudo-realism standpoint, I can see where that might be the case for certain humanoid cultures, but not all of them. However, this book is a product of its time (1977) so it gets a pass (mostly). Demons! As noted in a previous review, I really like the demons' amulets idea and adapted it for my own campaigns. I can see why it was dropped in later editions, but I think it adds a nifty little touch of occultism to the game (and maybe that's why it was dropped given the Satanism scare associated with the game in the 80s). Among the demon superstars detailed in this tome are Demogorgon, Juiblex, Orcus, and Yeenoghu, along with the succubus, manes, and Types I through VI, who all get names now, in addition to the generic "types." Thus the Balor finally takes its place as demon, rather than a disembodied head. However, nifty little side note, Type IV, Type V, and Type VI are noted as being Nalfeshnee, etc; Marilith, etc; and Balor, etc; implying that these terms are proper names and that other names are possible for these demon types. Marilith (as a proper name) made an appearance in the original Final Fantasy video game with an appearance nearly identical to the demon, adding further credence to the idea that these are individual names. Devils! Devils have a similar item to the demons' amulets, in the form of talismans with similar properties. In addition to lesser and greater devils we have a few arch-devils: Baalzebul, Dispater, Geryon, and the "Overlord of all the dukes of Hell," Asmodeus. Erinyes make their debut as devils (as opposed to the crone-like beings in Gods, Demigods, & Heroes). Dinosaurs! Quite a few of these terrible lizards running around in the MM, though their descriptions are quite brief. Dolphins are noted as being Very Intelligent (which, according to the Explanatory Notes, indicates a score of 11-12), an interesting nod toward dolphins being as intelligent as humans, a belief that hasn't gained much traction in the real world until recently. Its also worth noting that 3.0 made dolphins as stupid as other animals, with an Intelligence score of 2. Dragons! The classic five chromatic and five metallic dragons, plus Tiamat and Bahamut, can be found here in all their glory. Only 8 age categories at this point, I'm not sure when they graduated to 12. There's a fairly extensive section on subduing dragons and effectively enslaving them to be used as labor or to be sold on the open market. Tiamat has moved to the Nine Hells from her old abode underground in the original edition. Bahamut, meanwhile, dwells "behind the east wind" which is noted as being an unknown planar location. Skipping ahead a bit, I find hobgoblins particularly interesting as they provide a fairly good reason why an intelligent, Lawful Evil humanoid culture would not dominate the other races - in-fighting between tribes. Something else of note, hobgoblins here have a dwarven-esque suite of detection abilities related to mining that they lost in later editions. Seems an unfortunate loss of character for this race, which has always been one of my favorite "bad guy" races. Speaking of favorites, the Ixitxachitl (good luck pronouncing that) is another long time favorite of mine. I always found it intriguing that they can have class levels (specifically cleric) despite being non-humanoid. The vampiric variant also tickled my fancy. Kobolds! Dogs or dragon-ling reptiles? The description indicates neither, while the illustration clearly lends itself to the dog-like appearance. Larvae are an odd critter - soul-currency of the lower planes. Another semi-forgotten idea that I think has a lot of traction and would like to have seen carried forward in later editions. Leprechauns provide us an amusing fourth-wall break as the illustration has one of them sitting on their entry's name and another apparently stealing the reference indicator at the top of the page (Leucrotta, which the little guy has tilted diagonally). Like the brownie, however, these little fey were largely left behind in later editions. Men! Humans of various sorts as monsters. One of the more useful, in my opinion, entries in the book, with everything from bandits to pilgrims. Mummies are quite unusual in this edition compared to later editions in that they are connected to the positive material plane. One wonders if that was a typo of some sort since they otherwise conform to their undead status and have their usual debilitating powers, including the dreaded mummy rot disease. Allow me to get back on the gender issue for just a moment with the nymph - there may be some mythological precedent for this creature's powers, but it still annoys me a bit that the exclusively female nymph's special power is her beauty and that she kills anyone who sees her nude. Orcs are Lawful Evil here. Interesting. I remember reading a Forgotten Realms novel where the author was describing the native flora of various sorts, including a Spanish something or other. Bam! Immersion in the story ruined. Why would a plant on a fantasy non-Earth world be named for an Earth culture? Same thing applies to the Portugese Man-O-War in this book. I know (from looking it up on Wikipedia just now) that this thing isn't technically a jellyfish, but, from a game mechanics standpoint, they are pretty much the same thing. So, why not just call it a giant jellyfish? (Mini and somewhat pointless realism rant done, we now return you to your regularly scheduled review.) Its interesting that sahuagin get a special "History and Legend" section when no other creature in the book does. The book ends with an Appendix/table for treasure types and, wonder of wonders, an index. Despite this being the first book for Advanced D&D, the monster entries here seem fairly compatible with original D&D. I know I adapted them and used them as inspiration for my BECMI campaigns for many years (I never played AD&D but owned this book and Monster Manual II). [/SIZE][/SIZE]Next up: Advanced Dungeons & Dragons (1st Edition) Player's Handbook [/QUOTE]
Insert quotes…
Verification
Post reply
Community
General Tabletop Discussion
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
Let's Read...Everything D&D!
Top