Which monster book have you used the most?

[Trickstergod]

Well, there's two ways you can look at what monster book gets used the most.

If you only use one monster out of a monster book, but that monster is the campaigns equivalent to orcs, then that book arguably sees a lot of use (even if you eventually just print out the pages you need so as to avoid toting the book around). Conversely, another book might see a lot more monsters used out of it, none of them that orc-equivalent, but providing a lot more different encounters.

Not too big of a distinction, at least for me, as I'm pretty sure I use the Creature Collection Revised more than any other book, excluding the Monster Manual, thanks to my on-going Scarred Lands campaign. Between Red Witches, Asaatthi, Vengaurak, Belsamaugs, and so on, and so on, I'm tempted to say it's even beat out the Monster Manual for my use.

Though I also use a decent chunk of PC races with classes tacked on; I generally prefer a "monster" that you don't need to beat down with a stick, but can use diplomacy or the like on (though my PCs almost invariably do, indeed, beat the NPC's down with a stick, or try).

 

[Phineas Crow]

Three way tie between Tome of Horrors, MMII, and Ravenloft: Denizens of Darkness.

Honorable mention to the Book of Templates.

 

[Greyson]

Cool Thread

Hey, all. Cool thread. It's good to see a variety of products (Tome of Horrors, Monsters of Faerun, etc.).

I use the v.3.5 Monster Manual almost exclusively, in most gaming applications.

I used each of the following once: v.3.0 Monster Manual II (for the Dread Knight); v.3.0 Fiend Folio (to get info in Fiendish Grafts); and v.3.5 Ravenloft: Denizens of Dread (Doll Golem). It's a lot of money to spend for one-time use on the latter three, but it's cool to have them on my shelf. You never know when they'll come in habdy.

 

[Arnwyn]

Besides the Monster Manual?

The Tome of Horrors, without a doubt.

 

[diaglo]

besides the MM, well i guess it would be the 1edADnD DMG, revised 1979. the monster index for xp calculation.

 

[Gothmog]

For me, the top five would be:

1. MM
2. Tome of Horrors
3. Fiend Foilo
4. Book of Fiends
5. Liber Bestarius

with the Tome of Horrors 2 likely to pop into the top five in time.

 

[Altamont Ravenard]

FF and MMII for me. Then again, I don't have any other monster books :\

Edit: wait that's not true. I have the FRMC and MotP. I've used some templates from MotP and almost no monsters from FRMC.

 

[Garnfellow]

Although neither are really monster collections, Savage Species and the Monster's Handbook probably get used more than any of my other books (excepting the Monster Manual itself) as toolkits for creating and customizing monsters.

As far as true monster collections go, in order of decreasing frequency:

1. Tome of Horrors
2. Fiend Folio
3. Book of Fiends
4. Monster Manual II

All other monster compendiums that I have get used much, much more rarely. The Penumbra Bestiary, for example, has never been used.

 

[Kanegrundar]

Here's my list:

1. Monsternomicon
2. Creature Collection Revised
3. Monster Manual 2
4. Penumbra Fantasy Bestiary
5. Liber Bestarius

Adios,
Kane

 

[Siridar]

After the MM I've gotten the most use out of Creature Collection I & II, followed up by the Monsternomicon and Monsters of Faerun.