Rating: 
Summary: Great resource for all D&D fans, players and DMs alike
Review: While 3rd edition brought balance to a previously unbalanced game, the 3rd edition Monster Manual wasn't supposed to be a lot better than its older counterparts. See, its older counterparts even had more monsters to look at. Of course, by balancing the monsters and creating a bunch of universal definitions, they turned it into a much more organized experience, but a lot was still to come.In my opinion, 3.5e Monster Manual answers to most of our prayers. Not only it revises the already balanced previous version, but now you can even use it as a source for new core races and monsters. Wanna roleplay an ogre? Here you got it. Don't like the tree-hugging regular elves? Throw a dark and twisted drow PC at them. You're a DM? Maybe you'll want to create your own monsters, and here you got the rules. The templates are also a new good step for this great game. Why all skeletons look alike? Killing a Troll skeleton was a lot more fun, it even rended my war horse to pieces! Also, let me point out that the illustrations are beautiful and now, finally, ALL monsters are there and well identified. In 3e Monster Manual you still had to guess which picture had the right slaad you were trying to describe. Monster feats are now better than ever, and the monsters look real smart and deadly. Monster attributes are also better distributed. Orcs are not only stronger than humans in average anymore, they also favor a higher strength attribute overall, which makes them spend most of their points there! 3e had monsters with all attributes close to 10, too easy to fool or kill. Seriously, in my opinion, all new monster books should look like this one, bringing rules to use them as player characters, templates and such. Thumbs up!
Rating: 
Summary: Really deserves the 3.5 title
Review: Wizards of the Coast made a good marketing move by releasing a revision of its most well known rpg, not only it can increase sales but it is supposed to make the game system even better. Thats not exactly what happens when you fire the original game designers and put new people to revise it. Its kinda like making some newbie fantasy author reviewing Harry Potter books and releasing updated versions. How can you really revise something you didnt create? Perhaps by talking with the authors, but not even that occured as Monte Cook said on his review. Theres are lots of good news though, like the urgent fix on Harm, Heal and Haste spells; The downgrading on wizards power by reducing the ammount of spell DC augnment on bumping feats/class abilities; The total redisign on Ranger and Monk classes; and so on... But... There are some terrible terrible mistakes. Like making weapons vary with size (like small longsword and large longsword, which in fact is the same as a great swrod); Combat rules even more tied to miniatures system (looks like a war game, and not everyone likes miniatures or can afford tons of them); Some weird racial abilities (half elves now gain bonuses to diplomacy skills because they "get along with everyone" ??);
Clerics got even more powers with mass healing/harming spells; etc... Overall its 3.5 stars for 3.5 edition. But because you have to pay 90 bucks for the 3 books I give 3 stars.
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