Monster Books vs. Do-It-Yourself Monsters?

[Ruined]

I'm not a big fan of monster books. I bought all of the Planescape MCs, but that was more due to DiTerlizzi's artwork and the PS obsession than anything else. It's probably because I don't feel I need but so many off the wall monsters. I can easily enjoy battles with traditional monsters as long as they fit within the context of the game. (and admittedly, human antagonists fill a large chunk of my games).

Out of 3e material, I have the Monster Manual and the two Creature Collections from S&S (more of the obsession). I'll probably snag Fiend Folio and Denizens of Darkness (Ravenloft) sooner or later, but that's all I can envision.

 

[Nightfall]

Tome of Horrors! Don't forget that one!

 

[JoeGKushner]

For me a monster book has to have the following things:

1. Racial Stats.
2. Familiar Stats.
3. Adventure Seeds.
4. Background/Culture/Info

A book of monster stats like the Monster Manual really doesn't do anything for me as a gamer. Sure it's good as a GM but I usually need a bit more than just mosnter stats. I hate having to reverse engineer racial traits, figuring out ECL and other crap. I hate when familiars are put in but then no details on what benefits the caster gets. Hate bland monster stats with no background or context to use the monsters.

 

[Gez]

I rather like beastiaries. For several reasons.

Part of it is because I've a collector mindset. I like completion, having access to everything, even if I don't use even a tenth of what I have.

Part of it is because it's a cheap way to add variety in a game.

Part of it is because, as much as I like the d20 system as a player, I understand well what Gary "Col' Pladoh" Gygax mean when he says it's complicated for the DM. Creating legit NPCs is a boring task. Allocate skills, select feats, choose spells and equipment... That's a lot of work because it has to follow strict rules (much different than skill-based games where you just choose the score in skills, without having to worry about formula and number of point spent). This is especially true for multiclassed NPCs (and worse for PrC).

A plain old monster, unchanged from the book, is a lazy way out.
Adding 1-3 levels, and a simple template or two, is possible without too much hassle, but that's all.

I sometimes create my own beasties (see my sig for some examples). Designing a new monster is simpler than creating a NPC.

I like monster books AND I have (on occasion) created my own monsters. Also have to say I've made my own monster AND it's getting published too. So best of both worlds there.

Me too! Yay!

 

[hong]

Templates are a gearhead's paradise!

 

[fnork de sporg]

Both, of course.

Monster books are, for me at least, just a fun thing to read, period. I enjoy flipping through them.

I really enjoy making my own monsters as well. However doing so takes somewhat more time and effort, things I do not have a great surplus of. So I am forced to keep such creative tinkering to a minimum. Plus I have this crazy compulsion to construct my monsters in a legal by-the-book manner, with the proper skill points and feat ans what not, so it takes me even longer.

But more than anythingI modify monsters. Take a good idea that I probably wouldn't come up with on my own, tweak its stats and abilities till its perfectly suited to the party, and I still get to use its picture as a visual aid.

In fact, I almost never use a monster straight out of the book. They almsot always need to be advanced or decreased in power, usually in the stats,ac, hitpoints, or attack bonuses/damage. But that's a far cry from transformign it in to a true subspecies.

 

[beta-ray]

I LUV monster books... and I am horrible at making monsters. I will tweak if I need to though...

 

[Nightfall]

Yeah forgot about that Gez. Btw congrats man!

 

[BOZ]

i guess i was obliged to pick option #1.

 

[Knight Otu]

Nobody is obligated.

It seems that the majority of those who voted do like monster books and have created their own monsters. I must admit that I'm a bit surprised on how low the numbers on the Don't like monster books options are... Maybe many of those who don't like them see no point in voting?