Monster Manual: Same game, new face.

[SpuneDagr]

What is your favorite new MM rendition of an old DnD favorite?

 

[Moulin Rogue]

I like the 3e kobold for looking suitably dragonlike, yet pathetic.

 

[Phowett]

Vote Kobolds. I like them much better as little lizard men than little dog men.

 

[Richards]

Other: Medusa. I like the scaly-skin look; it actually makes sense. Actually, the medusa is just about the ONLY "new look" that I like in the 3E MM. I feel most of the others were a massive step down in quality, from the minotaur that looks nothing like a bull, to the homunculus that looks like it was carved out of moldy mashed potatoes, to the "feathered mane" pegasus and the "look at my stupid-looking beak on a horse's head" hippogriff, to the worst offender of them all, the carrion crawler. Aaagh! And they had finally done the carrion crawler right in the 2E Monstrous Manual! Why, why, why?

Actually, I really like the nightmare, skeleton, and mind flayer in the 3E MM as well, but these are just particularly well-done illustrations, not major overhauls to their looks.

So I vote the medusa.

Johnathan

 

[rounser]

For the most part, as far as the core books go, I think the 3E concept sketches look superior to the finished product. The FRCS looks fine, though...

Maybe it's similar to a band who captures a sound on their demo tape better than that on their studio album...

 

[Droogie]

For the most part, I think the 3E concept sketches look superior to the finished product.

Maybe it's similar to a band who captures a sound on their demo tape better than that on their studio album...

I know what you mean. I think the pencil sketch of the ghoul in the back of the PHB (1st printing) looks better than that purple monstrosity in the MM.

But speaking of purple, my vote for most improved art design would have to go to the purple worm. Before, it looked like a vacuum cleaner hose with teeth.