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Summary: A must have resource for D&D third edition!!!
Review: As a player of D&D for almost 20 years, I was ambivilant about the release of this resource. Unlike previous versions, this Monster Manual is consistant both in quality, creature descriptions, and creature art. It also maintains the same look and feel of the other 3rd edition manuals so far released. This makes it far easier to relate with since they all keep a standard format. Although many of these monsters we have seen before, the revisions made to many of these monsters after nearly 20 years of feedback is definitely worthwhile.
Rating: 
Summary: As expected (that means good)
Review: It didn't blow me away, but the artwork was cool and the monsters were much better organized. in the back they have 'em listed by CR(how tough they are) which is awesome if you're a DM and need an instant encounter to spice things up. On the minus side, the 2nd ed. manual had TONS more critters. Get this one on sale if you can, but I'd recommend having acess to a copy.-Juxtapose
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Summary: Great, but could be better
Review: Not up to the 5 stars of the first two core books (PHB and DMG), but still very good. Monsters now have stats like characters do, so you can tell how strong a Great wrym gold dragon is (it's 45!). The layout is a bit cluttered, something that is actually a step down from 2nd Ed.
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Summary: The Tactical Player's Guide To Killing Monsters
Review: Yeah yeah, I've heard all the blood-thirsty half-orc barbarians and warmonger dwarven fighters out there. To all those out for the kill... hacking and slashing isn't cutting it in 3E. The monsters are just too tough for that! That is why I love the MM. It's like going into the castle library or talking to an old mage to find out how they put the Torrasque back in his hole 200 years ago. Most new characters that play in the realms like to swing until something dies... but for some creatures that doesn't work. For instance, if a monk and a ranger are pelting away at a hydra with a crossbow and sling for a culmulive 300hp of damage, IT WONT DIE! You have to cut of all its heads and burn the stumps! You'll only find out crucial information like that in the monster manual. Not to mention the templates. With all the cool perks of being high level characters, and becoming an outsider, or being half-fiend, it's nice to know what that entails. and maybe a history behind the birth (or transformation.) All in all, this book, as well as the other in the DM trinity is extremely useful. Now I can't wait for that forgotten realms book to get here.
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Summary: Interesting pictures; condensed format; something missing
Review: For new players this might seem like the best thing ever. I have to admit I had some reservations about going from 2E to 3E with my players but they were all dying for it so away we go! I suspect this review will be of more use to veteran types than novice types, as the latter have no comparison, but here goes: GOOD THINGS ABOUT THE MANUAL (1) ARMOR CLASS: a variety of factors are now used to determine AC; the dexterity of very quick creatures; the toughness of the hide; the size of the creature. Some PCs always complained that huge monsters were impossible to hit b/c they were so quick. (2) FEATS: yes, the monsters now have cool feats; some are unique to those in the PH; (3) MAGIC RESISTANCE: this has been changed to SPELL RESISTANCE. Anyway, it is no longer set so a creature with the old MR from 2E now has to worry about higher level spells and higher level wizards dropping it down; (4) TOUGHER CREATURES: some creatures which seemed to be somewhat weak in 2E are now made to be much tougher; of course, this is all around; (5) DEMONS/DEVILS: yes, they no longer fell to the pressure of giving demons and devils stupid names like tannari and baaetzu. Now, they're called, once again, what they were called in first edition. (6) DRAGONS: are super tough. The older ones are almost impossible to kill which makes it nice since dragons were pretty weak in 1E, got better in 2E but were never quite tough enough. (7) ELABORATION ON CLASSING: a lot of humanoid monsters can do more with classes and there are less level limitations on them. Before, most humanoids could only go so high. (8) MONSTER HD IMPROVEMENT: creatures that used to be set in HD now can go up to a certain degree. WHAT I DON"T CARE FOR (1) TOUGHER MONSTERS: means a tougher world. If you already have a game going, you need to compensate for the change in power balancing. (2) BOOK TO EXPENSIVE: for what you get in it. A lot of 2E creatures that are in the basic MONSTROUS COMPENDIUM are missing. What about two headed or giant trolls? Those creatures were great to have around. Lots of others missing, too, but you know that if you played 2E or 1E. (3) FORMAT: the old books gave a page per creature. You dont' get that here. Yes, they're trying to conserve on space but it just looks sloppy. Two creatures detail sheets are on one page and it gets confusing. (4) LOTS OF MONSTERS MISSING: I didn't expect them to include 2E monsters from PLANESCAPE or particular realms but geesh, lots of creatures missing from 2E basic monster book, which I like to use. Some of them are: the two headed troll (like an ettin and troll mix with lethal damage compared to a regular troll), the giant troll (tougher and you need to do a certain amount of special damage), Dracolich (the undead dragon!), Githyanki (another cool, intelligent creature with death swords), all the different types of beholders, etc. (5) CAN YOU SAY ECOLOGY AND HABITAT?: used to be in 2E but not in the new MM. Anybody going to tell us that orcs have an average lifespan of 40 yrs as detailed in 2E? How about the difference between good and evil dragons when territorial disputes transpire? How about spell components for potions and magic used from certain monsters? All gone. You have to make this all up yourself or go back to 2E sources. Not good. I understand there's no way to fit all the creatures in but they took a bit from here and there. Would have been better to keep the basics in one book, spread it out and tell everyone there would be a second one with the special creatures from PLANESCAPE and other areas. Anyway, my advice to old and new RPGers is to consider some points I rised. It's a lot easier to change things now then later when players are used to certain rules. Whatever the case, some things are good and some are not in my opinion. To the more seasoned people, hope this helped some. :)
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Summary: The Holy Trinity is complete... and such a bargain.
Review: Come all ye faithful. The Monster Manual is here (and properly named... none of this compendium nonsense). This is a must have for playing 3rd Edition D&D and a welcome addition it is. The book is a bargain at under $20 and cover to cover color illustrations make to book a pleasure to veiw. Every piece of data needed is right at hand and the new format allows multiple monsters per page with a clean layout. The monster advancement tables in the front of the book (though somewhat obtuse) are another happy surprise allowing a scale of power for the monsters presented including levels in character classes for the more humanoid monsters. The book closes with a VERY satifactory layout for template momnsters... Vampire, Lycanthropes, Part-demons, etc... where a template can be grafted onto another monster to customize the more interesting variations allowed by this section. Rush right out and plunk down your $20 for this product and you'll find it a bargain...
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Summary: Nice Artwork!
Review: I have to give the artists credit for the gorgeous artwork in this book.They are nicely done.But there realy isnt enough info on each monster,compared to the old Monster Manual.And there are a few monsters that are left out.I guess I am just used to the old D&D manuals.But the book is a great buy,and a must if you play 3rd Editon.
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Summary: Good Book, but Disorganized
Review: The 3rd Edition Monsters Manual was a terrific book that let me add several new monsters to my campaign, and helped integrate new ideas. However, the Monsters Manual was disorganized, and put several creatures out of order. Example: Rats were placed in the back of the book near Vampires. I enjoyed the AD&D Monsters Manual format better, where everything had it's own little section, and you knew where everything was because all of the creatures were in alphabetical order. Besides this qualm that I had with it, the Monsters Manual 3rd Edition is a great book for any campaign.
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Summary: Quantity of Quality
Review: I have always felt that one of the great failings of D&D was the feeling by publishers that more monsters was better. Thus, the game is overloaded with bizarre collections of numbers that seem to have no place in the world. Does a game really need orcs, goblins, hobgolblins, bugbears, kobolds and gnolls? It would seem the world is painfully overpopulated, even with all the dragons, bullette, catoblepas, etc. around to devour the excess. The new monster manual is crammed with vague, half formed ideas, many of which border on silliness. Many monsters from earlier editions were excluded, and there is no information on translating them to the new system. I would have much preferred fewer monsters with greater detail given to each one, with suggestions for DM's to create their own beasts. One good point is that the publishers have returned to talking about "demons" and "devils" with regards to evil otherworldly beings. The second edition concepts in this regard made no sense, and the change from the 1st edition seemed aimed at people who wouldn't have played the game anyway.
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Summary: Run for your Lives! Your DM can kill you in brand new ways!
Review: Well, I've held off writing reviews of any of the 3e books because I really wanted a chance to get a bit more "familiar" (okay, mages and sorcerers can magic missile me for that pun) with the material and mechanics. All-in-all, I think the change has been good. Now for the specifics about the Monster Manual... As the core books are intended to be, this volume is essential to a DM's arsenal for running a game. And, as with the rest of 3e thus far, the book is all about options. While much of 3e has been standardized (using a d20 for practically everything, making classes available to all races, etc.), this standardization has actually produced a greater possibility for customization. As players can do with their characters in the PHB, so can DMs do with the creatures in the MM. For example, let's say the DM has decided that the long-term consumption of flora from a particular region in his campaign causes increased growth. How would you have accounted for this in game effects in 2nd Ed? You would have had to guess your way through it. Now, in 3e, whip out your MM, find the creature you want to put in that region, then turn to the front of the book, and use the size modifiers to adjust the creature's statistics. Simple. And consistent. Modify other creatures for that region the same way. No fox-eating rabbits because statistics are skewed.... Or, consider an orc tribe that has had the benefit of a high-level hermit mage living among them for an entended time, so now many of them have some arcane spellcasting ability. Again, very difficult to account for under 2nd Ed rules. In 3e, you just add a couple of levels of mage, and you're done. And the same can be applied to any other class for practically any creature... The book is not without its problems. I found the division of the main body and the appendix unnatural. Why were animals, certain types of undead, etc. placed in the appendices rather than with the rest of the critters? The continuous format (one monster begins immediately where the previous ends, not on a new page) can make it difficult to quickly find the entry you want. While there are many illustrations, and most are very good, not all creatures have one. Finally, the introduction of the Challenge Level is a very interesting element, but I question its accuracy. There are many variables that can effect how challenging a party will find a creature to be, and it seems to me that there could have been more information on accounting for such variables when planning encounters for your party. All-in-all, well done. Hey, no gaming product is perfect, even after three editions..... ;) People that are stuck on 2nd Ed (or even 1st Ed) aren't going to like it, but then again, they aren't going to like much of 3e, are they? It's hard to change from what you know; to many, the "quirks" of 1st and 2nd edition are what made the game Dungeons & Dragons. That's their choice. And for those of you that like the idea of 3e, that's your choice too. Good Gaming!
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