Rating: 
Summary: WOW---the wait was DEFINITELY worth it
Review: It took quite a while to get all three third edition rulebooks, but now they're out. DMs and players alike will enjoy this new spin on the monster manual. It has many many many encounter charts and they have taken a whole new approach by giving PC stats on all of the creatures. I always thought that they should have done this long ago; it really helps when trying to decide, say, if an Ogrillon could bash through the locked door protecting our brave and intrepid heroes. Plus it lists standard feats and skills that certain creatures always have. This is a new move for the D&D game...it breaks down the barriers between "player" races and "monsters." Wanna be a Black Pudding fighter, go for it! But you'll really need this book to get all of the necessary information. Like the other two books, the illustrations are just great. They really help you visualize the creatures, and the artwork is a little more edgy than previous editions. Another thing that I was quite glad to see was the revival of the Demons and Devils. I mean obviously in second edition they just called them Baatezu and whatnot, but now they are back and unapologetic about it. In fact they go into quite a lot of detail as to the fauna of the lower planes, which should really make for some interesting adventures. They also have added some new spins to old creatures, the celestial hound for instance. Also a whole new subtype of creature: the dire animal. Since these are listed in the summoning tables in the Player's handbook, it is really essential that anyone playing a spellcaster get this book to find out the details....all I can say is you WON'T be disappointed.If you have purchased the other two books and, like me, have been frustrated with the lack of good monster descriptions in the DM guide, then you really MUST buy this book.
Rating: 
Summary: 3 stars with an asterisk
Review: Okay, now, in evaluating this particular rule book, I think that I need to make my standards clear. This isn't just another collection of monsters--this is the core collection. What the Monster Manual should do is set up the standards for all future expansions and make clear the monster specific rules that they're including. As it stands, this book is pretty unclear on some issues. The templating rules can be hard to understand the first time around, and there's little information given on how to create your own templates without throwing the game out of balance. The feats which are included here seem out of place to an extent, since other abilities and feats for monsters have already been described in the Dungeon Master's Guide. The monster descriptions are acceptable for the most part, but bland, without any of the character and flavor of past editions. While this should be expected to some extent, what is not excusable is the occasionally confusing description of monster attacks and the occasionally odd listing style. Even the art has suffered in this book to some extent--while most of the pictures are right on, some of them are pretty far off base (a shambling mound does not have bark). All in all, I feel pretty safe giving this book 3 stars, since you have to own it to run the Dungeons and Dragons game. As a core rulebook, however, it leaves something to be desired, and its certainly below the exemplary standards of clarity set in the previous two releases. While this is still a good rules system and while the Monster Manual is a necessary element, I can't help but feel a little disappointed with this product.
Rating: 
Summary: It's Just So Pretty To Look At
Review: Open this book up and in about .5 seconds you will be mesmerized by the art in this book. Almost every single monster listed has a picture, and it's all gorgeous.Add to that the detailed, comprehensive, and RELEVANT detail to each one, and you have a book that is well worth the money.The new Third Edition introduces these nifty new things called challenge ratings. No more arbitrarily throwing in monsters that accidentally end up too easy or too tough for your party. Each monster is assigned a number that tells you exactly how tough it is. Plus a quick reference chart will tell you how much experience your party gets. However, this chart, as well as the random encounter chart, is in the DM Guide, a clever way for Wizards of the Coast to make you buy all three books. What perhaps I love most about this book is that each character is given attributes, just as if it were a player character. This means that potentially any monster in the book can become a player character in the game. So if you ever get bored with the half-orc, you can always play a pixie. More importantly, subraces for each race are listed (such as wild elves and the classic heavyfoot halflings) with appropriate attribute modifications for each. Now what I'm about to say is no doubt going to earn me more than one not-helpful vote, but I have to say it. I don't like the new emphasis on demons and devils. TSR has always managed, despite the criticisms of it in the past two decades, to avoid outright satanic themes in D&D. Wizards of the Coast, however, flourishes them with pride. This is going to give too much bait to wackos who have been saying for years that D&D is nothing but a recruiting tool for satanic cults. A much smaller criticism I have is in regard to many of the descriptions, which refer to the planes from which the monsters originate. Well? What are these planes? I want to know more about the planes! Wizards intends to put out a book describing the different planes in about six months, (and I'm quite certain there's some 2nd Edition material on the subject) but in the meantime I'm dying of curiosity. Bottom Line: If you play D&D, you must own this book. Even if you never use it in a game (which you will), you will have hours of entertainment browsing through it and looking at all the pretty monsters.
Rating:
Summary: Capstone Piece of Third Edition Rules
Review: The 3E Monster Manual gives the final proof of the elegance of the new edition of D&D rules. Having read through all three books, I continue to be struck by how well-designed it really is. The consistent mechanics make playing and DM'ing a treat. The new MM is jam-packed with useful information on a host of monsters. I would estimate that about 20% of the monsters included are completely new to this edition. All of your old favorites are back also, but with interesting twists that capitalize on the new rules. (I can't wait until the first time a giant uses his Cleave feat against the party!) The art work is consistently excellent. As others have commented, the layout of the book is a little crammed -- with the Vermin appendix being the worst example -- but this is a minor problem and is the only bad thing I can say about it. Overall, I love the new D&D and think you will too!
Rating:
Summary: A more advanced version of AD&D...
Review: Seing how highly rated this last of the 3rd edition core book is and how popular this 3rd edition as been so far, I know my review may not be one of the most popular.But I can't help having mixed feeling about the whole 3rd edition, and about this book in particular. On the positive side, the writers have packed as much information in the book as they could so you get a good value for your money. Also, the addition of rules allowing to play creatures as a player character option is well thought and was long overdue. On the negative side, first the obvious: the book is too small compared to the excellent 2nd edition monster manual. Also Monte Cook & friends seems to have let their interest for planar creature get carried away (this book as a ratio of way too many extraplanar creature per normal monster, and it's making me feel like I'm reading a planescape monster compendium review...). I also have a problem with the illustrations : there is not enough of them, and the quality of the artists seems to deteriorate with each edition of the game (the black and white drawings of the first edition still looks the best of all...) Finally some general comment on the third edition which having now read the last of the 3rd edition core books, I feel I must now make: It seems that the 3rd edition of the game looks to be more like a mutation of the advanced game than like a 3rd edition of the advanced set. What I mean by that is that I think many people will not make the switch and that we will now have a regular D&D, an advanced D&D, and this new version of the game. The reason for that can be found in the no limit-free for all concept that is the backbone of the new game. This kind of game were a player can be any monsters he likes and were a (high level) merchant can kill a barbarian, will be hell to control for any novice DM. The skill approach that make this game closer to more complex Rpg game like Paladium, Talislanta & Star Wars is also harder on the DM because it tends put an emphasize on the role playing aspect and to cause a relaxation of the rules...This being said the 3rd edition is still a refreshing alternative for any veteran AD&D player that gets tired with the old advanced set. Just like the advanced edition was made for player of the regular set who wanted more...
Rating:
Summary: Heavy on the stats, thin on the role-playing...
Review: Ever since the Diablo expansion for AD&D came out earlier this year, there seems to have been a migration towards hack-and-slash campaigns. While there is nothing intrinsically wrong with that, and I have even taken part in some pretty gory, combat-happy campaigns myself, such a trend ignores the other half of role-playing games--namely, the non-combat, character-development aspect of it. The 3rd Edition D&D Monster Manual is nothing more than that: the bare bones description of monsters allowing for DMs to incorporate them into combat situations--as fodder for player characters. Perhaps 95% of this book is devoted to statistics and combat strategies of the creatures. All but gone are the ecological and social descriptions of these monsters, transforming them into two-dimensional adventurer-bait. Players of the old edition of AD&D can use the plethora of works detailing and describing these monsters from 2nd Edition AD&D and substitute the statistics presented herein. I imagine there will be a lot of that going on, with the focus on rules of play and combat in 3rd Edition. With all that said and done, this is still an excellent tome. More than anything, the monsters have benefitted from the rules-overhaul and are now neatly categorized and described within the framework of the rules. There is a great sense of consistency throughout the work that helps the DM adjudicate situations that may come up in the campaign. All of the monsters now belong in several different types, much as player characters are defined by different classes. These types determine hit die, attack bonuses, skill points, saving throughts, and various abilities. Supernatural and magical abilities were unified, as much as possible, so that one set of rules can define breath weapons, energy drains, fear auras, etc., while still allowing the variation between different monsters. A good ten pages in the beginning is devoted to all of the general rules concerning monsters and really shows the extent to which the design of this game is very smooth and logical, not to mention consistent. The selection of monsters in this book is extensive--truly over 500 creatures. Add to that templates that allow the DM to customize creatures with a certain condition instead of simply presenting, for instance, twenty different variations of vampires, and the vast scope of this system becomes staggering. All monsters now have an "Advancement" entry, which indicates how the monster might improve over the base entry described in this book, either in Hit Dice, or in character class levels. The ability scores given for the monsters are easily-worked with using the information from the Dungeon Master's Guide, allowing DMs to create unique, customized versions of any monster in this book, or to allow players to play monster characters. I do have a few additional quibbles about this work, however, one of which being variant caster levels for a certain creature. For instance, pit fiends cast most spells as a 17th-level sorceror, except for the wish spell, which is cast at 20th-level, and his fear aura, which is cast as if a 15th-level sorceror. This is troublesome and confusing, and while it shows the variation of the pit fiend's different abilities...is this really necessary? Still, this book is a well-written work by none other than Skip Williams, who has answered "Sage Advice" questions in the Dragon Magazine for 15 years. The well-coordinated rules and the seamless system of 3rd Edition D&D no doubt bears his mark, and this book is a fine example of the improvements made by TSR in this new edition of D&D.
Rating:
Summary: Good book that should have had more monster detail
Review: This is an excellent monster book that gives information on hundreds of monsters that you can use in your campaign. The artwork is good although I think I liked the old black and white drawings in the 1st edition of the game more. This book should have been larger too and included more information on the ecology of the monsters, habits, etc... the old 2nd Edition AD&D Monstrous Manual did it best, an entire page for each monster with LOTS of info on how the creatures lives, society, etc... still a good book though, really a must if you want to play the game, but probably my least favority of the three core rulebooks.
Rating: 
Summary: How to make a better Monster Manual
Review: A: Include all monsters from the previous edition's manual
B: Introduce a few new and interesting monsters (10-40 would suffice)
C: Make the layout flip-friendly for rushing GMs
D: Make sure the monsters go beyond combat statistics (as in their habitats are listed, form of society, mating and etc. Like a National Geographic Mag.) I think if at least one of these is followed, it's worth the same as the original. If all are followed, it's a goldmine. I have the great annoyance to tell you that none of these were followed. There are 1/3 the number monsters in the new manual as the old one (I hear that if you add this manual, 2, and the Monsters of Faerun books together you get almost as many as the old 2nd edition MM.) I believe that the creators argued "The original MM only had 40 monsters in it!" My answer to this is simple: the first edition didn't have 25+ years of books and two editions in front of it to help. The new monsters (which ended up drowning out old favorites) are way too underpowered or overpowered, lack depth, and generally seem a little too sci-fi (remember, this is a fantasy game) The layout definately sucks, it took me an hour to find anything. One monster a page is definately a better road to travel. Last but not least, the monsters BARELY go beyond the numbers. I suggest you either buy all three of the above mentioned "Monster Manuals" (have fun shuffling books!) or just play 2nd edition AD&D.
Rating:
Summary: Tons of Monsters...Yet Lacking
Review: The Third Edition (3E) Monster Manual is a great purchase for any DM. It has a good amount of monsters, pretty descriptive stats, yet...it seems one caliber less than the 2E Monster Manual. On one hand, the 3E Monster Manual delivers over 200 monsters to terrorize your campaign setting. They have some awesome new monsters. My personal favorite, is a devil, and is known as a Kyton. He is demonic humanoid with hundreds of chains drooping from his body, and his mode of attack is flailing those chains. Pretty hardcore. On the other hand, the 3E Monster Manual doesn't seem to give enough. Some of the monsters just plain [are bad], and they aren't unique in any way. Also, the amount of creatures do not come near the amount that were in the 2E monster manual, which is frustrating. On the FINAL hand, It is a must for any DM playing 3E. It isn't a bad book at all...it just seems lacking. The monster stats are good...the amount of monsters are good...but don't expect much more. (If they had 3.5 stars I would give this book 3.5)
Rating: 
Summary: Content: Meh... Book Quality: HORRIBLE
Review: Being someone new to the Dungeons and Dragons scene, I had great hope and joy when I opened my amazon.com package containing the Player's Handbook (PHB) and the Monster Manual (MM). First note: all the D&D books are quite hard to understand without playing first. That would be why you buy the "Adventure Game" using the same ruleset. The MM is the shortest of the D&D books, which makes sense, as it mostly talks only about monsters. The content is hard to understand first hand, however it is quite detailed. Now, we go onto the quality of the book. Both the DM Guide and the PHB have a hard cover binding and high-quality full-colored pages. The MM has this too, but in my recent experiences, the binding at the spine (the binding that is holding the pages together) is quite loose. So loose that in fact, one player of mine has all the pages completely out of the binding. True, out of 12 NEW MM's that I have seen, all of them had an extremely loose binding, especially with the pages in the back. You can see the rope that is holding the pages together there. Just note: a lot of the pages in this book will fall out with heavy use. something not too normal with hardcover books. My suggestion, since you are looking at this, is to wait until July 2003, where a new, revised MM will be avaliable. That MM will have 108 more pages, and hopefully a better binding with that many pages. All the D&D core rulebooks are being revised and released in July 2003 (at the end of the month). If you want the D&D books right now, then I suggest the Player's Handbook, the Dungeon Master's Guide, and the Monster Manual II. The MM II will not be revised, and was released recently, so it will be easier to understand. If there is one rulebook that you should not buy, it would be this one. Wait for July 2003 and reap the rewards.
|
