JoeGKushner
Adventurer
Monsters of the Mind is a very specific monster book. It deals with psionic monsters that tie into the Mindshadows setting. The good news is that even if you don't plan on buying that setting book by Green Ronin, the monsters can be used with almost any setting. The bad news is that there are no magic variants or notes and it does require the Psionics Handbook published by Wizards of the Coast, and getting updated in '04.
The book starts off with the standard credits but also includes the challenge rating listing. A quick glance shows two creatures clocking in at CR of 21 and a wide vareity of creatures from the lowly Scorn at 2, to the Lunar Celestial at 16. The next page, for some reason, is the cover of Mindshadows. Not that it's a bad picture or anything, but it's not particularly necessary in a monster book. Of more importance is the third page with the introduction to the book and the overview of Naraninan, the new settings in Mindshadows.
The monsters are listed by name, type, stat block, description, history, combat, and use in Naranjan. These In sections are relatively small, taking up only a paragraph or two and don't impact the overall flow of the text much. One block to keep a careful eye on is the Psionics as it provides the DC to overcome the powers as well as the number of times per day these abilities are useful. An interesting twist using a number of times per day as it avoids conflict with say using the higher point levels in Malhavok's Mindscapes books. It does use standard attack and defense modes, but these are easy to file off for use with Mindscapes.
There are a lot of aberrations in this book ranging from the Amankar, a “arboreal squid” that uses acid on its tentacles to dig into it's prey to the Thazjin, an entity often times worshipped by the Mind Flayers for its great powers and evil nature. Of course the water isn't safe with with such creatures as the juhivais, aka water fiends, that use their tendrils to grab pray and swallow their enemies whole to the even bigger kalavij or crawling deaths.
The illustrations lend the book a unique feel, almost like Talislanta with insect monsters and one eyed creatures. The range of artists here reads like a who's who with Toren Atkinson, Drew Baker, Kent Burles, Kevin Crossley, Dennis Detwiller, Todd Lockwood and James Ryman giving the creatures here a personality hard to match. Kevin Crossley's work is very detialed and rich while I've always found Kent Burles to be on another level since the days when I played MERP. Toren and Todd are no doubt familiar to many fans so everyone should know that the art on this project is top notch.
One of the biggest sections is on the thoughtforms. These creatures have multiple uses from replacing astral constructs by psions to fighting against the party with their own goals and ambitions. They have four variants based on size, small, medium, large, huge, and two on status, greater and elder. This allows a GM to throw them up against a low level party and a party that's reached the teens in power level. These creatures represent the six disciplines so we have Ego, Nomad, Savant, Seer, Shaper, and Telepath.
The one thing I didn't like was the standard versions of monsters with the Naraniani descriptor. The Couatl, and Aboleth for example, are almost 100% the same monsters save for their psionic powers. This is one case where the Kenzer book, Denizens of Darkness, did the right thing by putting an variant section in the book. The CR's are unchanged, the Level Adjustment, when appropriate are unchanged. The only major change is the psionic replacement of magic power.
The stats look relatively good, but like the Kalamar book, I'd check the damage reduction. For instance, the Lunar, a powerful celestial, has a DR of 20/magic, which is better than a balor's 15 with numerous methods of overcoming it. Not saying that this is wrong but it bears watching since even the angel Solar has a 15 DR. The Dorie Golem looks like another troublemaker with it's 15/adamantine, beating out the more powerful greater stone golem's 10/adamantine but in line with the iron golem's.
The book doesn't follow enough of the 3.5 changes. For example, where are the round by round tactics? Where are the racial traits? The Ravarakin has a note that it's favored class is cleric, but where are the stats? Even the less powerufl Tindali, with a level adjustment of +2, have no racial traits.
The book's art, layout, near uniqueness in factor (only Malhavok at this point has a bestiary devoted to psionic monsters) and low price help sneak this in at a four but to get the five, we'd need those racial traits, tactics for at least some of the monsters and an index for quick reference. The CR table is on the very first page so if you're looking at the traditional place, the rear, flip to the front page. Note that the thoughforms all have the same CR for their various stages so the reference to them is generic like Thoughtform (small).
This book is aimed at a specific audience, those who like psionics. If you're looking to pick up the Mythic Vistas book Mindshadows then this book is perfect for you.
The book starts off with the standard credits but also includes the challenge rating listing. A quick glance shows two creatures clocking in at CR of 21 and a wide vareity of creatures from the lowly Scorn at 2, to the Lunar Celestial at 16. The next page, for some reason, is the cover of Mindshadows. Not that it's a bad picture or anything, but it's not particularly necessary in a monster book. Of more importance is the third page with the introduction to the book and the overview of Naraninan, the new settings in Mindshadows.
The monsters are listed by name, type, stat block, description, history, combat, and use in Naranjan. These In sections are relatively small, taking up only a paragraph or two and don't impact the overall flow of the text much. One block to keep a careful eye on is the Psionics as it provides the DC to overcome the powers as well as the number of times per day these abilities are useful. An interesting twist using a number of times per day as it avoids conflict with say using the higher point levels in Malhavok's Mindscapes books. It does use standard attack and defense modes, but these are easy to file off for use with Mindscapes.
There are a lot of aberrations in this book ranging from the Amankar, a “arboreal squid” that uses acid on its tentacles to dig into it's prey to the Thazjin, an entity often times worshipped by the Mind Flayers for its great powers and evil nature. Of course the water isn't safe with with such creatures as the juhivais, aka water fiends, that use their tendrils to grab pray and swallow their enemies whole to the even bigger kalavij or crawling deaths.
The illustrations lend the book a unique feel, almost like Talislanta with insect monsters and one eyed creatures. The range of artists here reads like a who's who with Toren Atkinson, Drew Baker, Kent Burles, Kevin Crossley, Dennis Detwiller, Todd Lockwood and James Ryman giving the creatures here a personality hard to match. Kevin Crossley's work is very detialed and rich while I've always found Kent Burles to be on another level since the days when I played MERP. Toren and Todd are no doubt familiar to many fans so everyone should know that the art on this project is top notch.
One of the biggest sections is on the thoughtforms. These creatures have multiple uses from replacing astral constructs by psions to fighting against the party with their own goals and ambitions. They have four variants based on size, small, medium, large, huge, and two on status, greater and elder. This allows a GM to throw them up against a low level party and a party that's reached the teens in power level. These creatures represent the six disciplines so we have Ego, Nomad, Savant, Seer, Shaper, and Telepath.
The one thing I didn't like was the standard versions of monsters with the Naraniani descriptor. The Couatl, and Aboleth for example, are almost 100% the same monsters save for their psionic powers. This is one case where the Kenzer book, Denizens of Darkness, did the right thing by putting an variant section in the book. The CR's are unchanged, the Level Adjustment, when appropriate are unchanged. The only major change is the psionic replacement of magic power.
The stats look relatively good, but like the Kalamar book, I'd check the damage reduction. For instance, the Lunar, a powerful celestial, has a DR of 20/magic, which is better than a balor's 15 with numerous methods of overcoming it. Not saying that this is wrong but it bears watching since even the angel Solar has a 15 DR. The Dorie Golem looks like another troublemaker with it's 15/adamantine, beating out the more powerful greater stone golem's 10/adamantine but in line with the iron golem's.
The book doesn't follow enough of the 3.5 changes. For example, where are the round by round tactics? Where are the racial traits? The Ravarakin has a note that it's favored class is cleric, but where are the stats? Even the less powerufl Tindali, with a level adjustment of +2, have no racial traits.
The book's art, layout, near uniqueness in factor (only Malhavok at this point has a bestiary devoted to psionic monsters) and low price help sneak this in at a four but to get the five, we'd need those racial traits, tactics for at least some of the monsters and an index for quick reference. The CR table is on the very first page so if you're looking at the traditional place, the rear, flip to the front page. Note that the thoughforms all have the same CR for their various stages so the reference to them is generic like Thoughtform (small).
This book is aimed at a specific audience, those who like psionics. If you're looking to pick up the Mythic Vistas book Mindshadows then this book is perfect for you.
