How do you like your Monster Manuals?

[EyeontheMountain]

no vote cast

Either all new monsters or all updated monsters, with no classed or templated creatures.

I loved MMIII, and thought MMII and Fiend Folio, were ok, but not up to MMIII.

I never bought MMIV and Will not buy MMV, unless it looks a lot better when I visit the states this Summer.

 

[Sejs]

New creatures, some with examples of advanced or class-leveled versions of those creatures.


So a Dnaarg, and a Dnaarg Ravager.


Not big on examples of existing creatures with class levels - that sort of thing can be handled with a few sentances in the society section of the creature entry. "Commonly, Dnaarg with levels in Ninja serve as a sort of secret police force, and are refered to as Eyes of Yan." No full stat spread provided, just a brief blurb on 2 or 3 common classes that help to flesh out the creature's society.

 

[tek2way]

I'd vastly prefer to see new/updated monsters over a book of monsters with levels. (For years I wanted stats on the Molydeus from PlaneScape! Of course, now I have it, but I digress..) While it does reduce work for some DMs, this game has made applying four levels of rogue/fighter/etc comparatively easy. Two feats, some BAB, some saves, the hit points, and you're done. For a combat monster, I don't bother with skills, unless I think they'd have ranks in Listen/Spot/Search/Tumble. (Combat) Monsters are for killing, and "Profession (architect)" isn't something I need to worry about.

For anything that would have 10 levels of wizard and some of archmage, for example, that ought to be fully statted out by the DM anyway, as that's approaching BBEG level. An NPC like that deserves the full treatment.

Also, when you use example classed monsters from established books, you run into the problem of the player who has read the book cover to cover, and knows it all regarding that monster. I used classed monsters personally as a way to thwart those players that did that. I'll never forget the satisfaction I felt at seeing the blood drain from my players' faces when I said, "The orc gets a dangerous look in his eye, and rages." Some may suggest that DMs could change things to keep the players on their toes, but then I ask, "if you're going to alter them, why have books of classed monsters at all?"

That said, I wouldn't have been opposed to seeing example classed monsters next to their original entries (the drow stuff from MMIV in the MMI after the drow entry). Even if it caused the MMI to be two books instead of one, doing it that way seems a lot more logical to me.

 

[Drkfathr1]

If WOTC does read this thread, I'd just like to say:

I've been playing and buying official D&D books for over 20 years, and I've always been fanatical about Monster Books...unitl MMIV.

It's the first one I didn't buy, and I have absolutely no interest in a MM that gives stats for humanoids with class levels. I can do that on my own. There is obviously a market for a product like that, but it should be a seperate product.

 

[smootrk]

I would rather have specific books of x creature, which detail most class/level/prc combinations that are typical to the race. Leave the basic monster manual intact, and leave the niche monster books as optional supplements that could be purchased if the DM was heading that way in his campaign. I, for one, don't need stats for most creatures with levels, but if I was to send my campaign towards the Githyanki Invasion (as in from Dragon/Dungeon) then a book on Gith stuff would be excellent, and the appropriate place for statted Gith of all kinds.

 

[Mortis]

I voted both but need to clarify it. Ideally I would like to see three different series.

1) Monster Manuals of new creatures
2) Creature Catalogs of converted/updated creatures
3) A third series devoted to opponents both monsters and humans etc with levels.

As an aside I would buy books from the first two categories but not from the third. I am quite capable of adding X levels of Y class(es) to monster Z

Regards
Mortis

 

[RangerWickett]

I love MM4, and I design game stuff for publication myself. I just like having higher-level versions of classic monsters. We got a lot of satisfaction out of the ogre skirmisher and the various classed drow. As long as the creature with class has an interesting concept (as opposed to, like, "Orc fighter"), I want to see more classed monsters.

Kuo-Toa whips are a great idea.

 

[Shade]

If WOTC does read this thread, I'd just like to say:

I've been playing and buying official D&D books for over 20 years, and I've always been fanatical about Monster Books...unitl MMIV.

It's the first one I didn't buy, and I have absolutely no interest in a MM that gives stats for humanoids with class levels. I can do that on my own. There is obviously a market for a product like that, but it should be a seperate product.

Ditto here.

Also, I'd like to see about an even split between new monsters and updated monsters from previous versions, Dragon and Dungeon, the website, etc.

I found most of the monsters in MMIV to be less interesting than most of the monsters in Dragon and Dungeon in the past year, and some of the great monsters from the website (especially from Far Corners of the World) haven't made it into print yet. I found all the new yugoloths far less interesting than the still-not-in-3E gacholoth, dergholoth, and hydroloth. The justice archon is less interesting to me than the still unupdated light aasimon, agathion, and noviere eladrin. I'd still like to see the rest of the rilmani. I want to see the slaad lords, the altraloths, and quasielementals make a 3E appearance. I want to see more true dragons.

Although I dislike the inclusion of classed monsters in MMV, I'm going to give it a fair shake based on the talent involved.

 

[Mycanid]

Admittedly I also voted for the third option. :\

 

[pawsplay]

I choose both, although specifically, classed monsters should always be of core MM monsters or monsters that appear in the same book. For instance, I'd be annoyed at finding a classed witchknife or a black spawn of tiamat ninja in MMV.