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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Messageboard Golem" data-source="post: 2010928" data-attributes="member: 18387">By Steve Creech, Exec. Chairman d20 Magazine RackInitiative RoundMinions of the Shadow is a 64-page collection of creatures and notable NPCs designed for use in the Midnight campaign setting. The book retails for $14.95 and is written by Jeffrey Barber, Shannon Kalvar, Lysle Kapp, and Sam Witt with Rob Vaughn serving as Lead Developer. It is published by Fantasy Flight Games.Minions of the Shadow is broken down into five chapters with each addressing a specific set of creatures: Demons of the Aruun, Creatures of Eredane, Spirits and Allies, Animals of Eredane, and Agents of Shadow. All statistics are presented in 3.5 revised edition mechanics and rules. Here’s a breakdown of what you can expect to see:Demons of the Aruun* Crawler (CR 6): Ape-like creatures who hunt in packs and possess a disorienting howl.* Dark Walker (CR 10): An incorporeal manifestation of a demon that serves the Shadow.* Flesh-clad Spirit (CR 4): An incorporeal outsider that wraps the warm, bleeding flesh of its victims around itself.* Grenghost (CR 1): An incorporeal outsider that will possess plants and form a vine beast (template).* Husbanded Creature (template): men who have bartered their purity and humanity in exchange for favors and powers.* Noble Demon (CR 17): These outsiders are a combination of the beasts and plants they have forcefully possessed and absorbed.* Reality Sink (CR 7): An amorphous outsider that can eradicate solid objects with a touch.* Tuk (CR ¼): Typically found in packs of 6-10, these tiny outsiders have an ingrained lust for destroying children.Creatures of Eredane* Bitterwind (CR 6): The murderous, decaying remains of air elementals that have been trapped on Aryth since the Sundering.* Blight Ogre (CR 8): Hideous ogres transformed by shamans into servants of Izrador.* Carrion Stag (CR 3): Massive stags that prey upon the Fell.* Degenerate Darghuul (CR 20): An aberration that even Izrador wants nothing to do with.* Earthback (CR 5): A demonic earth elemental that absorbs their victim’s blood.* Forsaker (template): A template that is applied only to newborn humanoids – quite hideous!* Ogre Damen (CR 5): An ancient breed of ogre that are beautiful in their own way.* Otherworlders (template): A series of templates for those who are not from Aryth.* Puppeteer (CR 9): An aberration that can infect and control its victims.* Razor (CR 13): A man-like demon with talons that are razor-sharp.* Sundered Beasts: Creatures that once were good but have been corrupted since the Sundering.Spirits and Allies* Craft Current (CR 6): An incorporeal creature that manufacturers objects for others.* Guardian Grove: A magical area of elven homeland with plant guardians.* Guardian Spirit (CR 8): An incorporeal outsider that serves as a protector.* Heepa-Heepa (CR 1/2): A bodiless fey spirit who watches over young creatures.* Highland Imp (CR ½): Small fey that have avoided Izrador. Well, mostly…* Leaper (CR 1/4): A squirrel-like magical beast that may be a valuable companion.* Lore Pool (CR 1): Outsiders that are very knowledgeable. If you can convince them to help…* Seedra (CR 2): Aquatic fey whose chaotic nature can make them friend or foe.* Vassal Spirit (CR 1): An outsider trapped by the Sundering.Animals of Eredane* Boro (CR 2): A large, tusked herd animal.* Grass Cat (CR 1): A medium-size predatory feline.* Ort (CR 1): A medium-size rodent-like creature that hunts in packs.* Plains Leopard (CR 3): A large predatory cat.* River Eel (CR 2): A large and aggressive reptile that can reach 20 ft. in length and weigh over 2000 lbs.* Sea Dragon (CR 8): A huge aquatic animal that likes to swallow its victims whole.Agents of Shadow is the title of the final chapter. Here you are given the stats and decriptions for seven NPCs that reside in Midnight. Each has a colorful backstory that are not your run-of-the-mill stories. They are of significance in some manner to Izrador. The chapter also includes sample statistics for various legates and orcs for quick use.Critical HitThere are some good, strong points to this book that begin with original creatures. One of the more common problems with monster books today is many are retreads of existing monsters with new names. That is not the case with this book. You really get an excellent feel as to how much Izrador has corrupted everything.A second strength is evident in the game mechanics. A quick check through several showed no glaring mathematical errors. The stats are solid. Finally, the appendix includes the 3.5 edition revised spell list for Midnight along with official errata from the first two Midnight books.Critical FumbleHonestly, there is little to grumble about with this book. It does lack a table that designates the monsters by Challenge Rating for easy reference, which is a strike against it. With only 47 pages of actual monsters, it does weigh in as a bit pricey. Lastly, not every creature has an illustration for easy reference. New monsters should always have an illustration for those of us who can’t always accurately describe monsters to their players.Coup de GraceMinions of the Shadow is certainly an essential book for those who play in the Midnight setting. It continues to capture the flavor that makes Midnight unique. But what if you don’t play in Midnight; is the book still useful? Somewhat, yes. GMs who run Ravenloft or horror-driven campaigns will be able to make use of the book quite well. Despite the price vs. page content ratio being a little on the steep side, this is a book that offers good utility and is a recommended buy for “darker” campaigns.To see the graded evaluation of this product and to leave comments that the reviewer will respond to, go to The Critic's Corner at <a href="http://www.d20zines.com/html/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=758&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0" target="_blank">www.d20zines.com.</a></blockquote>

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