Savage Species is AWESOME...and this is why

I was surprised by exactly how broken down the process was. They really let you go through the step-by-step for making creatures playable as characters.

It was, by and large, a good supplement, but there are some things that still weren't made as clear as I'd like. For example, the starting ECL for 1 HD creatures should be less than it was, since part of starting ECL is hit dice, but that first hit die is lost. The sidebar didnt adequately state that. And of course, class hit die for the undead is still a pet peeve, since its still ambiguous to me. Finally, the table near the beginning for appointed skill points per hit die per type didn't include that listing for Vermin.

Still, the inclusion of the new spells, feats, and PrCs alone were quite good. I also enjoyed how they had looked ahead to 3.5E and taken that into account. Now its finally possible to awaken constructs or the undead! As a Ravenloft player, I especially liked that.

All in all, I'd give it a solid 8 out of 10.

Alzrius said:

Finally, the table near the beginning for appointed skill points per hit die per type didn't include that listing for Vermin.

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That table is for monstrous characters. Vermin by definition have no intelligence and as a result can't really be PCs...

Spatula said:

That table is for monstrous characters. Vermin by definition have no intelligence and as a result can't really be PCs...

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They can be awakened, or otherwise have their intelligence raised, just like constructs or unintelligent undead could.

Doesn't awakening them turn them into Magical Beasts?

As for class hit die for Undead, what's the ambiguity? Undead creatures use a d12 for every single hit die they receive, whether it's from class or from monster hit die.

I think that's a little silly and easily abusable, but the rule seems clear enough to me.

IMHO SavSpecies is the best WotC release in a long time.

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Eh. It's not bad, but not as useful as I had hoped. The parts that are useful to me as a DM are somewhat small, and the parts that are useful to a given player will be curtailed by all but the most adventurous DMs.

I like SS a lot. Mainly for the templates.

But fantasy flights Monster's Handbook is better. And I think, it will port over well to 3.5. We'll see, but I'm pretty sure of it.

Agreed Enceladus, SS is pretty good (mostly for the templates), but I don't see myself using it as an essential book in my game.

On the other hand, FFG's Monster's Handbook is about 100 times more useful to me, and is much better balanced. Not to mention it has tons of ways to modify existing monsters with templates, feats, additional special abilities and weaknesses- a must have book in my opinion.

I have got to get the FFG release. I've heard nothing but good things about it and I've enjoyed all the previous releases of theirs that I purchased.

That aside, I thought SS was a pretty decent book. I love the templates, and I am one of the 'more adventurous' DM types that Psion referred to.

Enceladus said:

I like SS a lot. Mainly for the templates.

But fantasy flights Monster's Handbook is better.

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Concur.

And I think, it will port over well to 3.5. We'll see, but I'm pretty sure of it.

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DR changes and creature type changes may cause some problems.

One disappointing thing...

I saw the art gallery long before being able to see the book, and well, not everything turns out to be what I expected. In particular, I was disappointed to see that this was not what it looked like, but was a desmodu harness. So boring. Damn bats !