Monsters of Faerun return (slowly)

[Shade]

In case you missed it, the EN World news for today has a link to a thread outlining the complete contents of the upcoming Player's Guide to Faerun. Here's the monster contents:

Chapter 6: Monsters of Faerûn xx
Baneguard xx
Direguard xx
Crawling Claw xx
Deepspawn xx
Demon, Ghour xx
Dread xx
Dread Warrior xx
Flameskull xx
Foulwing xx
Giant Arachnids xx
Giant Whip Scorpion xx
Giant Whip Spider xx
Giant Sun Spider xx
Gorynych xx
Helmed Horror xx
Helmed Horror xx
Battle Horror xx
Ixzan xx
Lycanthrope xx
Lycanthrope, Drow Werebat xx
Lycanthrope, Werecat xx
Lycanthrope, Werecrocodile xx
Lycanthrope, Wereshark xx
Metalmaster xx
Nightshade, Nighthaunt xx
Nishruu xx
Phaerimm xx
Tomb Tapper xx
Tressym xx
Velvet Worm, Giant xx

Now, since Monsters of Faerun is no longer being produced, we've started to see a trickle of the monsters from that supplement be reintroduced into newer books. Here's the list to date of which monsters have resurfaced (I've noted the new source in brackets after the monster name). Most surprising to me are the absence of the yochlol and abishai in the Player's Guide to Faerun, which are classics going way back to 1E. It would be nice if they'd release some sort of 3.5 conversion guide for the remaining monsters, as many were inaccurate even by 3E standards.

Aarakocra [Races of Faerun]
Aballin
Alaghi
Asabi
Asabi, Stingtail
Banedead
Baneguard (Direguard) [Player's Guide to Faerun]
Banelar
Bat, Deep, Bonebat
Bat, Deep, Night Hunter
Bat, Deep, Sinister
Beast of Malar
Beholder Mage: Prestige Class
Beholderkin, Death Kiss
Beholderkin, Eyeball
Beholderkin, Gouger
Bullywug
Chitine
Choldrith
Chosen One
Cloaker Lord
Crawling Claw [Player's Guide to Faerun]
Darkenbeast
Dark Tree
Deepspawn [Player's Guide to Faerun]
Demon, Ghour [Player's Guide to Faerun]
Demon, Yochlol
Devil, Abishai, Black
Devil, Abishai, Blue
Devil, Abishai, Green
Devil, Abishai, Red
Devil, Abishai, White
Doppelganger, Greater
Dragon, Brown
Dragon, Deep
Dragon, Fang [Draconomicon]
Dragon, Shadow [Draconomicon]
Dragon, Song
Dragonkin
Dread Warrior [UE]
Dwarf, Faerûnian [Races of Faerun]
Firenewt
Ghaunadan
Giant, Fog
Giant, Phaerlin
Giant Strider
Gibberling
Goblin, Dekanter [Races of Faerun]
Gemstone Golem, Diamond
Gemstone Golem, Emerald
Gemstone Golem, Ruby
Golem, Thayan
Green Warder
Groundling
Gulguthydra
Half-Fiend, Draegloth
Helmed Horror [Player's Guide to Faerun]
Hybsil
Ibrandlin
Ice Serpent
Leucrotta
Malaugrym
Meazel
Myrlochar
Nishruu (Hakeashar) [Player's Guide to Faerun]
Nyth
Peryton
Phaerimm [Player's Guide to Faerun]
Planetouched, Genasi, Air [Races of Faerun]
Planetouched, Genasi, Earth [Races of Faerun]
Planetouched, Genasi, Fire [Races of Faerun]
Planetouched, Genasi, Water [Races of Faerun]
Planetouched, Tiefling, Fey'ri [Races of Faerun]
Planetouched, Tiefling, Tanarukk [Races of Faerun]
Pterafolk
Quaggoth
Shalarin
Sharn
Siv
Spectral Panther
Spider, Subterranean, Hairy
Spider, Subterranean, Sword
Stinger
Tall Mouther
Tomb Tapper [Player's Guide to Faerun]
Unicorn, Black
Wemic [Races of Faerun]
Zombie, Tyrantfog

Templates:
Beast of Xvim
Curst Template
Ghost, Doomsphere
Ghost, Ghost Dragon
Ghost, Spectral Harpist
Ghost, Watchghost
Ghost, Zhentarim Spirit
Lich, Alhoon
Lich, Banelich
Lich, Good, Archlich
Lich, Good, Baelnorn
Lycanthrope, Lythari
Lycanthrope, Werebat [Player's Guide to Faerun]
Lycanthrope, Werecat [Player's Guide to Faerun]
Lycanthrope, Werecrocodile [Player's Guide to Faerun]
Lycanthrope, Wereshark [Player's Guide to Faerun]
Revenant [City of the Spider Queen]
Yuan-ti, Broodguard [Savage Species]
Yuan-ti, Tainted One [Savage Species]

 

[BOZ]

looks like the dread, foulwing, gorynych, and metalmaster may be heading to the creature crypt soon.

 

[Ashardalon]

In case you missed it, the EN World news for today has a link to a thread outlining the complete contents of the upcoming Player's Guide to Faerun. Here's the monster contents:

...
Snipped
...

Most surprising to me are the absence of the yochlol and abishai in the Player's Guide to Faerun, which are classics going way back to 1E. It would be nice if they'd release some sort of 3.5 conversion guide for the remaining monsters, as many were inaccurate even by 3E standards.

...

Seems you missed that part of the post:

Appendix: Monster Update xx
FORGOTTEN REALMS Campaign Setting Monsters xx
Monstrous Compendium: Monsters of Faerûn Monsters xx

 

[Shade]

Seems you missed that part of the post:

It seems I did! Thanks for pointing that out...that's great news!

 

[Shade]

Going further back in the thread, Mr. Baker had the following to say as well.

"The Player's Guide to Faerun will include redesigned versions of a number of Monsters of Faerun creatures, plus "short-form" conversions of all the other MoF monsters that aren't specifically redone for 3.5 (so, for example, you'll get a new DR entry for anything with DR that is not specifically redone)."

 

[Shade]

Bad News/Good News

In case you all missed this today:

-----------------

Just to warn you all... we've had to cut a lot out of the Player's Guide since I posted the ToC, because the book was 70 pages long. The chief changes are that we are condensing the race chapter and region chapter together, and dropping some material about races that didn't tell you anything new; we cut the monster chapter in its entirety (but we'll put that chapter into another Realms product coming out late in 2004 or early in 2005); and we dropped the appendix of monster conversions, which we'll try to post on our website. Sorry about that--that's why I'm hesitant to give you guys the book ToCs too early, because sometimes reality intervenes. There are some selective bits taken out of other chapters, a prestige class here and there, that sort of thing.

(And, before you ask, no, it is simply not possible to make the book longer. There are business reasons for that decision, and I can't change 'em.)

As far as how much of the book is new...

Chapter 1/2: Most of the regional feats are substantially redesigned. We've had a change of thinking about them.

Chapter 3: Prestige Classes: 10 revised, 9 new.
Chapter 4: Domains and Spells: Most revised (lots of Magic of Faerun and FRCS spells revised), but a good hunk of new (at least 50 spells).
Chapter 5: Magic Items: About half and half. Most of the revised items from Magic of Faerun.
Chapter 7: Epic. All new.
Chapter 8: Cosmology. All new.
Chapter 9: Campaign Journal: All new.
Chapter 10: Psionics, Exalted, Vile. All new.

Rich Baker
Senior Designer
Roleplaying R&D
Wizards of the Coast, Inc.

 

[BOZ]

oh well on that...

 

[Ashardalon]

Too bad...
Then again, it is a Player's Guide, and monsters only have a limited reason to be part of such a book.

Still sad, though.