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Message: <blockquote data-quote="TheAuldGrump" data-source="post: 2123232" data-attributes="member: 6957">[PLAIN]Monster Geographica: Underground [PDF][/PLAIN]Monster Geographica: UndergroundThe Monster Geographica series is quickly becoming my most used monster source - the format of dividing the creatures by environment and CR is the most useful I have seen to date. While the book has a good index I rely almost entirely on the bookmarks, which are the most comprehensive I have ever seen, allowing you to flip through the virtual pages by CR, alphabetical order or type. I almost always find myself using the CR listing, every now and again the flora and fauna, and only occasionally taking a look by type for a specific encounter. The free demonstration comprised the entirety of the CR 7 creatures, and proved an effective lure, all the more so since the players in my game had just reached that level.Appearance: Aside from the covers and fly page the PDF has no illustrations, perhaps one of the few failings of the book. Then again, since I primarily use this as a source to copy from and paste into  my documents this is not that great a failing.  Once the cover is scrolled past a series of lists break the creatures down by alphabetical order and type.A single page introduction and then into the meat.  There are 200 entries in this book, arranged by CR, alphabetically within that range. CRs 17 and 19 are skipped. As far as I know none of the creatures are unique to this book, though some have had their names changed when they were deemed intellectual property.  Because of the nature of this book I will not single out favorites, but the choices made by Expeditious Retreat were appropriate, though I did miss a few old favorites that had not been selected.One of the sources completely missing from this work is the SRD, I would have liked to see them, since if I want to use the core creatures I have to open another, less meticulously bookmarked PDF, and dig around until I find the appropriate entries. Since this is being aimed at a print preferring audience as well as PDF afficionados  I can understand the lack, but it does force me to bounce between documents a good deal more. If somebody knows of a PDF of the SRD creatures bookmarked by CR, let me know! The only other thing that could be added to this work to make it more useful would be stat blocks of the creatures, so that I could cut and paste as needed.Not bookmarked, but very impressive is the section 15 from Hell, with the sources for all the creatures, though only the ones from the Tome of Horror series by Necromancer Games are singled out specifically. While only Tome of Horrors requires this information it would have been useful, I tend to think of Section 15 as a shopping list when I encounter something I like.All in all I would give this book 8 out of 10, or 4 out of 5 stars, while not perfect it is a very useful book. On a utility scale it rates a 9 out of 10, missing a 10 only by having neither the SRD creatures, nor stat blocks.</blockquote>

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