JoeGKushner
Adventurer
This is a sneak preview of Gaming Frontiers new monster book. Please note that there could be some changes from now until the book hits publication. This is a 65 page pdf book.
Right off the bat, you know that the book faces a boatload of competition. We've got books from Goodman Games and Privateer Press that boast top notch art with some innovations in style and layout. You've got more than three monster books from the official source, as well as fan favorites like Tome of Horrors and other books just waiting for the attack.
This book is broken up by monster type. For example, starts with a full page listing of Beasts. Each category gets a list. Each list is a full page, which is a problem since it doesn't include things like CR. Sure, it's good to know that the Larva Wyrm is on page 15, but what CR is it? If you're going to make it easy to reference something, make it EASY. Sections include the following: Beasts, Constructs, Fey, and Undead. Perhaps future volumes will have Outsiders, Giants, Shapechangers and Aberrants?
The monsters are all illustrated, most in full color. Text blocks are done in blue background with white type. Some of the pictures are fantastic, like the Storm Hawk, others like the Fury and Valkyrie have a super hero look about them. Stat blocks and CR ratings seem solid for the most part with no glaring errors leaping off the page.
There are some original creatures here that should find their way into most campaigns with little difficulty. Take the Force Golem, a being constructed of pure force around a gem. How about the Gravedigger, a massive undead that guards and maintains crypts and other resting places? Simple stuff. Some of the Fey would probably only be appropriate for those campaigns that are utilizing Bastion Press's Fairies or the Fey book from Mongoose or for those GMs and Players who just can't get enough of those Fey creatures.
The organization, by creature type, is an interesting innovation and I'll be waiting to hear from other fans how they like this type of organization as opposed to standard alphabetical. In addition to the full page listings by category, it also includes an Appendix with a full alphabetical listing of each creature. The book needs a little something else though. For example, there are several races that advance as characters, but no character stats. There is no master listing of the CR's. This is no printer friendly version currently available either. While the version I have doesn't have any bookmarks, it has internal links to the monsters.
The important thing to remember though, is that this is a first peak at the book. When the final is ready, I'll be revising my review with the latest up to date material.
As this book stands, it presents over fifty monsters with some new takes on old favorites such as the Western Vampires, as well as a lot of brand new creatures, but doesn't move beyond the original Monster Manual roots, which is a bad thing since the Monster Manual itself, via 3.5, will move much further than its roots.
Right off the bat, you know that the book faces a boatload of competition. We've got books from Goodman Games and Privateer Press that boast top notch art with some innovations in style and layout. You've got more than three monster books from the official source, as well as fan favorites like Tome of Horrors and other books just waiting for the attack.
This book is broken up by monster type. For example, starts with a full page listing of Beasts. Each category gets a list. Each list is a full page, which is a problem since it doesn't include things like CR. Sure, it's good to know that the Larva Wyrm is on page 15, but what CR is it? If you're going to make it easy to reference something, make it EASY. Sections include the following: Beasts, Constructs, Fey, and Undead. Perhaps future volumes will have Outsiders, Giants, Shapechangers and Aberrants?
The monsters are all illustrated, most in full color. Text blocks are done in blue background with white type. Some of the pictures are fantastic, like the Storm Hawk, others like the Fury and Valkyrie have a super hero look about them. Stat blocks and CR ratings seem solid for the most part with no glaring errors leaping off the page.
There are some original creatures here that should find their way into most campaigns with little difficulty. Take the Force Golem, a being constructed of pure force around a gem. How about the Gravedigger, a massive undead that guards and maintains crypts and other resting places? Simple stuff. Some of the Fey would probably only be appropriate for those campaigns that are utilizing Bastion Press's Fairies or the Fey book from Mongoose or for those GMs and Players who just can't get enough of those Fey creatures.
The organization, by creature type, is an interesting innovation and I'll be waiting to hear from other fans how they like this type of organization as opposed to standard alphabetical. In addition to the full page listings by category, it also includes an Appendix with a full alphabetical listing of each creature. The book needs a little something else though. For example, there are several races that advance as characters, but no character stats. There is no master listing of the CR's. This is no printer friendly version currently available either. While the version I have doesn't have any bookmarks, it has internal links to the monsters.
The important thing to remember though, is that this is a first peak at the book. When the final is ready, I'll be revising my review with the latest up to date material.
As this book stands, it presents over fifty monsters with some new takes on old favorites such as the Western Vampires, as well as a lot of brand new creatures, but doesn't move beyond the original Monster Manual roots, which is a bad thing since the Monster Manual itself, via 3.5, will move much further than its roots.
