MM IV Details

[Shade]

July
Monster Manual IV An Indispensible resource containing new monsters suitable for any Dungeons & Dragons game.
Monster Manual IV is the most recent volume in the best-selling Monster Manual line. Sure to be popular with both Dungeon Masters and players, this supplement to the D&D game provides descriptions for a vast array of new creatures. Each monster is illustrated and features a new stat block format that facilitates faster gameplay. In addition, the book includes sample encounters, pregenerated treasure hordes, and sidebars on how to incoporate the creatures in a Forgotten Realms or Eberron campaign. This product is tied to 2006's Year of the Dragons theme, which is a key marketing platform across the D&D RPG, novels, and miniatures brands.
by Gwendolyn F.M. Kestrel, 224 pages, $34.95

Blech.

 

[BOZ]

well... we shall see. sometimes a description is better than the actual product, sometimes the other way around.

 

[Shade]

Let's hope for the latter. :\

 

[BOZ]

when you have nothing else, there is always hope. but yeah, the part about new start blocks sucks.

 

[bastrak]

Can't say I'm keen on the idea of sample encounters and pregenerated treasure hordes in a Monster Manual either. Sounds suspiciously like filler.

 

[Dog Moon]

Depending on the sample encounters and pregenerated treasures, it could be good or bad, obviously, but I don't think its necessarily a waste of space. There was a couple of pages of treasure hordes in Draconomicon, which are actually kinda neat and useful when creating large amounts of treasure.

As for the stat blocks, I dislike the new NPC ones, so I have a bad feeling about the ones for the monster. I wonder if there's anyone who actually prefers them...

 

[Knightfall]

As for the stat blocks, I dislike the new NPC ones, so I have a bad feeling about the ones for the monster. I wonder if there's anyone who actually prefers them...

There are many out there would prefer the new NPC stats block, I believe The Jester has responded favorably to them, as well as several other EN World veterns. I, however, am NOT one of them.

I have a feeling the new monster stats block will be similar, which is very disappointing. I think WotC is making this change to help D&D newbies understand the difference between official D&D products and third party d20 products. I doubt they will allow third party publishers to use the new stats block format.

KF72

 

[Alzrius]

I have a feeling the new monster stats block will be similar, which is very disappointing. I think WotC is making this change to help D&D newbies understand the difference between official D&D products and third party d20 products. I doubt they will allow third party publishers to use the new stats block format.

I don't think they can stop them. That's not any actual information; it's just the organization of it, so I really don't think it can be declared IP. I'm not sure, but I think I've already seen some third-parties using the new format.

I still can't believe there using that format for monsters though; it's supposed to just be for individual NPCs.

 

[Dog Moon]

Originally posted by Alzrius
I'm not sure, but I think I've already seen some third-parties using the new format.

Really? I thought the new stat-block was strictly WOTC and wasn't considered legal for anyone else because it wasn't OGC, which means no one else can use it.

 

[Alzrius]

Really? I thought the new stat-block was strictly WOTC and wasn't considered legal for anyone else because it wasn't OGC, which means no one else can use it.

I'm honestly not sure. Being a staff reviewer means that I've looked at so many third-party products recently that I'm uncertain if my memory is playing tricks on me or not. I really don't see how the new stat block format could be closed content though; it's just a format, an arrangement of information - there's no actual content there that's closed.