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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Angel Tarragon" data-source="post: 2590613" data-attributes="member: 23733">[imager]http://www.rpgnow.com/products/product_5413.jpg[/imager]Monsters of IllusionNote: I received a complimentary copy of this pdf for review purposes.Monsters of Illusion contain 6 monsters for perusal in your D20 fantasy campaign. All monsters look fairly well written and contain more info on how to use them and have adventure hooks on how to incorporate them into your game.First up is the Asnae. They are short furry beasts that resemble felines, but have the ability to speak. Their innate abilities make them tough opponents. They can meld into shadows, but this is mostly as a resort to fleeing combat where no other option is presented. Among humanoids they are known for assisting good hearted illusionists and are even used as mounts to those that can shrink themselves to ride them.Next is the Ever-Changing Ooze. These creatures are the creations of arcane experiments gone awry. The ooze is a large creature and is tougher than your ordinary ooze due to its morphic form. It has the traits of a standard ooze plus some others that give it an edge. It is generally found in the underground but makes occasional forays into forests and mountains.The Elder Ever-Changing ooze is a variant of the ever-changing ooze. They are more savage and deadly than their smaller counterparts. They can grow to gargantuan size and have the ability to destroy entire villages. They are quite nasty and deadly.  Elder Mothers appear much like standard human females. Closer inspection tells a different tale though. They have poisonous thorns that adorn the vines that cover their green tinged body. Combating an Elder Mother may cost a hero his sanity as they have the ability to meet their enemies gaze and make them see the death of themselves and those they love. Most elder mothers live deep in cold and/or eerie forests. Shimmer dragons are neutral beings that are not easily found. They appear as young dragons, but meeting their gaze reveals the ancient consciousness that dwells within. Should someone happen to notice one they will notice the sharp horns and small beard on its face, which makes these creatures recognizable. Shimmer dragons are mostly thinkers, but do have the ability to attrition themselves in the case of combat. Uilloctul are cousins to elder mothers, but they do not hold the desire to harm anything they come in contact with. They, like their cousins, appear as beautiful women. They revel in nature and their connection to illusion makes travelers attracted to them. Uilloctul take little notice to travelers though. They use their magic mainly to preserve their species.Monsters of Illusion includes new spells, stats of NPCs based on the monsters presented and an appendix of locations.As one would think the spells presented within are spells from the school of Illusion. There are five new spells. One spell allows the caster to manipulate vocal sounds that creates four phantasmal voices that floods its victims mind. Another summons a phantasmal foe, which if it goes unbelieved threatens its enemy by causing them to only take defensive actions. One of the spells causes its victim to believe that one of its allies has betrayed them and another causes illusory tracks to be left behind. Another spell makes its victim appear hideous and grotesque and makes them take a negative penalty to their charisma for the duration of the spell. Finally there is a spell that allows the caster to tell a tale and have it played from a conjured mirror.The NPCs are of use to GMs that need villains and adversaries for their characters to have contact with on some level. They are well presented and are rich in detail providing personality, history and a locale in which they are known for residing in. Locations also exist that are devoid of major NPCs and serve mainly as a point of interest. Each locale and point of interest are presented as a region of wilderness that intersect with the other locales and points of interest. A map is included with the product so as to provide a means of putting everything together in a nice tidy package.ConclusionI really enjoyed reading Monsters of Illusion and recommend it to any GMs looking to add an element of surprise to their games and anyone that needs a tract of land mapped out that goes beyond what they currently have. All in all, Monsters of Illusion is a great product and is wonderfully presented. Personally, I couldn't ask for a more detailed product about monsters and the land they inhabit. My only quandary is that it doesn’t nearly have as many monsters as I thought it would. Monster of Illusion earns four stars from this reviewer.</blockquote>

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