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<blockquote data-quote="Messageboard Golem" data-source="post: 2009605" data-attributes="member: 18387"><p><strong>By Steve Creech, Exec. Chairman, d20 Magazine Rack</strong> </p><p></p><p>This review is for Monster Manual II by Wizards of the Coast. Following up on the successful Monster Manual (which is part of the three Core Rules books), this 224-page book offers 136 new or revisited monster entries for a retail price of $29.95. </p><p></p><p>My first impression when I leafed through the book was less than enthusiastic. However, a closer examination showed some real gems within these pages. The introduction is much cleaner and the terms are much easier to understand than in the previous MM. The charts, as always, are comprehensible and easy to read. </p><p></p><p>There are many monsters present from previous editions that have been updated to 3rd edition. The banshee, boggle, catoblepas, crimson death, death knight and phoenix are good examples of this. Some, like the clockwork horror and neogi, come from some of the “alternate” game settings like Spelljammer. Chainmail fans will also find many familiar entries in this book. There are a couple of monsters that come from other existing 3rd ed. Wotc publications. The twig blight originally was presented in The Sunless Citadel, while legendary animals come from Masters of the Wild and again in Epic Levels Handbook. There are some original monsters within the pages, but not as many as I had hoped. The fiendwurm, chain golem, hellfire wyrm, and ocean strider are good examples. </p><p></p><p>The challenge ratings are widely spread with some monsters having CRs above 20. The lowest CR is ¼ while the highest is 28. The bulk of the CRs are 7 and above. </p><p></p><p>Overall, Monster Manual II makes a good, but not absolutely necessary, addition to a GM’s library. My personal favorites are the chain golem, gem dragons, hellfire wyrm, ragewind, tempest, and death knight (which is actually a template). It’s a good buy for the tougher range of creatures and for the nostalgia of seeing some old favorites updated. </p><p></p><p><span style="color: green"><strong>To see the graded evaluation of this product, go to <em>The Critic's Corner</em> at <a href="http://www.d20zines.com" target="_blank">www.d20zines.com.</a></strong></span></p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Messageboard Golem, post: 2009605, member: 18387"] [b]By Steve Creech, Exec. Chairman, d20 Magazine Rack[/b] This review is for Monster Manual II by Wizards of the Coast. Following up on the successful Monster Manual (which is part of the three Core Rules books), this 224-page book offers 136 new or revisited monster entries for a retail price of $29.95. My first impression when I leafed through the book was less than enthusiastic. However, a closer examination showed some real gems within these pages. The introduction is much cleaner and the terms are much easier to understand than in the previous MM. The charts, as always, are comprehensible and easy to read. There are many monsters present from previous editions that have been updated to 3rd edition. The banshee, boggle, catoblepas, crimson death, death knight and phoenix are good examples of this. Some, like the clockwork horror and neogi, come from some of the “alternate” game settings like Spelljammer. Chainmail fans will also find many familiar entries in this book. There are a couple of monsters that come from other existing 3rd ed. Wotc publications. The twig blight originally was presented in The Sunless Citadel, while legendary animals come from Masters of the Wild and again in Epic Levels Handbook. There are some original monsters within the pages, but not as many as I had hoped. The fiendwurm, chain golem, hellfire wyrm, and ocean strider are good examples. The challenge ratings are widely spread with some monsters having CRs above 20. The lowest CR is ¼ while the highest is 28. The bulk of the CRs are 7 and above. Overall, Monster Manual II makes a good, but not absolutely necessary, addition to a GM’s library. My personal favorites are the chain golem, gem dragons, hellfire wyrm, ragewind, tempest, and death knight (which is actually a template). It’s a good buy for the tougher range of creatures and for the nostalgia of seeing some old favorites updated. [color=green][b]To see the graded evaluation of this product, go to [i]The Critic's Corner[/i] at [url=http://www.d20zines.com]www.d20zines.com.[/url][/b][/color] [/QUOTE]
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