This was always the best listing of monsters, for it included so many that are well-known to fantasy myth, while later books included mostly made-up monsters. Even the original monsters here are wonderful, however, including the Rust Monster, the Lurker Above, and the Mind Flayer. Since the monsters are listed in alphabetical order, though, I could never understand the purpose of the Index in the back, which lists them in alphabetical order with the page for their entry.
How does this make it easier to locate anything? View 1 comment. Oct 05, Clayton Bye rated it it was amazing Shelves: fantasy , instructional. I have a 1st edition of this book. When constructing an 8 level dungeon with around a hundred rooms per floor, this book became an essential companion. My kids took over where I left off, so it's still being used today. It's been years and years since I've played, but looking through some of the Gygax titles sure brings back some memories.
This will always be my favorite edition, full of awesome monsters and wonderful art. The original collection of monstrous fiends 13 January Well, I can't say I actually read this book from cover to cover, though I do believe that I did own a copy of it at one time though it probably disappeared sometime over the years.
This is the third of the three main books for the Advanced Dungeons and Dragons game and while not necessary for running a game the Dungeons Master's Guide contained a list of creatures in the back it is still quite helpful since it contained pictures and The original collection of monstrous fiends 13 January Well, I can't say I actually read this book from cover to cover, though I do believe that I did own a copy of it at one time though it probably disappeared sometime over the years.
This is the third of the three main books for the Advanced Dungeons and Dragons game and while not necessary for running a game the Dungeons Master's Guide contained a list of creatures in the back it is still quite helpful since it contained pictures and descriptions of the multitude of monsters that one might encounter during the course of an adventure.
Also it is really helpful when you discover a creature such as an Otyugh in one of the adventures, but no description of what that creature actually is or does - an Otyugh is a creature that lives in raw sewage, and it looks something like this: One of the annoying aspects of this particular edition though was the way they handled demons. Basically you would have a list of demons from type 1 to type 7 or 8 , and I can just imagine a group of adventurers wondering through a dungeon and stumbling on a demon oh, I think it is a type 3 demon and then flicking through the monster manual to try and work out what type it is.
Mind you, ideally, the DM shouldn't actually be giving the name of the monster away because the adventurers, particularly when they have not encountered the monster before, would not actually know what that monster was hmm, I have never seen nor heard of an Otyugh before, but I know it's name, strengths and weaknesses, how many children it can have, and what it likes to eat for dinner — though the dinner question is pretty obvious because the answer is usually adventurers.
Mind you, it is all just a game anyway, and this book is helpful for creating adventures and sending the players up against the many different foes.
Mind you, and this was one of the things I loved about roleplaying games, is that you need not limit yourself to what is laid out in the books the creators didn't.
These books are really only starting points for hours and upon hours of fantastic adventures, and the foes that would be encountered could be infinite in number. In fact, it was unusual for an adventure to be released without one or two new monsters, and then once there were enough monsters for a new book, they would release a new book of monsters.
This book contains all of the traditional monsters, and the newer ones simply got weirder and weirder which is not necessarily a bad thing, especially if you like weirdness. However, I still sometimes wonder who came up with the idea that a gorgon was some bull that breathed steam that would turn you to stone when in Greek Mythology they were basically what the game refers to as a Medusa Medusa was the name of one of the Gorgons, not a race in and of herself. Oh, and there was also the succubus and as tempting as it is, I won't be posting a picture here.
Sep 27, Jared rated it it was amazing Shelves: games. You still can't beat this book and, to a lesser extent, the Monster Manual II for stimulating the imagination. I loved this book as a kid and I still look at it from time to time just for the nostalgia. This tome seems to capture an element of the fantastic that cannot be replicated by the overt visual and superficial stimulation of video games and movies.
Mar 05, Andy Howell rated it it was amazing. In memoriam. May 02, Corbett Sparks rated it it was amazing Recommends it for: everyone. I constantly refer to this book for answers.
I was in the 4th grade and found this at my school book fair for 75 cents. Also numbers and statistics, from which I derived the entire game and setting over the next several years by making up games for my brother and our friends.
This book changed my life more than any other. I still have it, and I'm using it to make up bed-time stories based on t ok, this is my favorite book of all time. I still have it, and I'm using it to make up bed-time stories based on the pictures to my 3 year old son.
Best book ever. Oct 21, Tony rated it it was amazing. I have two copies of this book, and I love them both like children; more than children.
This book taught me how to kill vampires, why you don't speak the names of demons and that there are better things to be afraid of than home-invaders- like mind flayers.
This was one of the most important books of my childhood. Buy one Pages cover to cover. I only came to the wonderful world of RPG in the late 90's Diablo for PC was the little game that 'bit me' and Baldur's Gate reeled me in! I know, I know, I'm not a true-blood Oct 16, Timothy Boyd rated it liked it. What do ya use to keep all those heroes and adventures busy and out of trouble back in town? This is a great book of foes both great and small to pit your players against.
Excellent reference book. Very recommended to gamers. Mar 30, David Winston rated it it was amazing Recommends it for: Yes sir wee! Jul 20, Stuart rated it really liked it Shelves: nerdy-teen-favorites , role-playing-games.
It's amazing how personalities can clash, especially with an incompetent DM. But it is just fun to read about all kinds of cool monsters and imagine pitting your toughest character against them. Sep 24, Bret rated it it was amazing. Awesome pictures that still haunt me to this day. And people wonder where I get my imagination from Oct 31, Francisco Becerra rated it really liked it Shelves: rpg. This book emanates magic. It's the inspiration and innocence of beginnings incarnated.
A true treasure. Apr 10, Scott Wiener rated it it was amazing Shelves: rpg-games. My friends and I played the hell out of this when we were younger. Dec 11, Capitalismissexy rated it it was amazing. Dec 09, J. Handley rated it it was amazing. It's the roadmap to one heck of a good time!
A huge step up in quality from anything that went before it. So many illustrations that sparked so much imagination. A bit tedious to read straight through but that's to be expected. Still 5 stars. Mar 14, Derek Shouba rated it really liked it.
When I was young I spent countless hours studying this catalog of mythological horrors. May 09, chud rated it it was amazing. Great for populating your game world with a variety of monsters. Great old book with a variety of classic art good and bad. Sep 14, Schmaehgol Joe rated it it was amazing. Great resource for stocking those first dungeons. Dec 27, Jonathan Maas rated it it was amazing. This is the classic that started it all This is it - the guidebook that brought the beginning.
The creatures may have evolved, but they began here - just incredible! The problem is that it's mostly a detailing of combat abilities and stats, and largely lacks information on what these monsters are.
Some are of course fairly obvious, such as the PC races and major villains like orcs, goblins, zombies, and vampires. But there are other monsters where I'm left with absolutely no idea of how I'd use them. One good example of this is the Titan. I know that they're fairly powerful and come from another plane of existence, but I don't know who they are or what they do.
They can't be the Titans of Greek Mythology, because these Titans are chaotic good and friends with the also good storm giants. There are various other monsters like this, which are frustrating. This demon's favored weapon is a large sword and a whip with many "tails", which is employed to drag an opponent into the flames which the demons are able to create around themselves. Particularly malicious devils that have a great bone hook they employ to snare and wound opponents.
The form in which the dead which inhabit the Nine Hells are put in. Described are anatosaurus trachodon , akylosaurus, antrodemus allosaurus , apatosaurus brontosaurus , archelon ischyras, braciosaurus, camarasaurus, ceratosaurus, cetiosaurus, dinichtys, diplodocus, elasmosaurus, gorgosaurus, iguanadon, lambeosaurus, megalosaurus, monoclonius, mososaurus, paleoscincus, pentaceratops, plateosaurus, plesiosaurus, pteranadon, stegosaurus, styracosaurus, teratosaurus, triceratops, and tyrannosaurus rex.
Voyage of the Space Beagle by A. Bipedal creatures able to shape themselves into the likeness of any humanoid creature they observe. Chaotic good dragons that can breathe a cone of sleep gas or a billowing cloud of fear-causing gas.
Ruler of the first plane of the Nine Hells where she spawns all of evil dragonkind. Dragon turtle. Gigantic water creatures found in very large rivers and lakes, can belch forth a cloud of scalding steam. Eagle, giant. Small insectoids found in wood that live by eating dead cellulose, leave eggs in creatures head which hatch and larvae eat the host from the inside out. Cubic scavengers cleanse living organism and carrion from the floor and walls of underground passageways. Spirits of evil humans who were so awful that they have been rewarded or cursed with undead status.
Described are the cloud giant, fire giant, frost giant, hill giant, stone giant, and storm giant. Bull-like creatures covered in thick metal scales that breathe a cloud of noxious vapors which turn any creature to stone. Gray ooze. Slimy horror which inhabits subterranean places that closely resembles wet stone or sedimentary cave formations.
Green slime. Aggressive carnivores whose favorite prey is horses, seek cliffs and rocky habitats in which to build their nests. Groaning spirit Banshee.
Have the bodies of vultures but the upper torsos and heads of women, their sweet-sounding calls cause creatures to approach the harpy who then tortures and devours them. Hell hound. Creature created and animated through a special magical alchemical process to serve a magic-user. Common on the planes of Acheron and Hell , a minor devil created to spread evil as a familiar to a lawful evil magic-user or cleric. Malign foe of humankind, a jackal able to assume the form of a man, gaze puts creatures to sleep.
Upper torso, arms, and head of a human female, lower body of a beast, whose touch drains a creature's wisdom. The most selfishly evil of all souls who sink to lower planes after death, and dwell in the gloom of Hades.
Small creatures of magical talent and mischievous nature that dwell in fair, green lands with lush hills and dales.
Weird creature that haunts deserted and desolated places, so ugly that other creatures cannot bear the sight of it. Created with the use of powerful and arcane magic, formerly ultra powerful magic-users now non-human and non-living. Blackmoor fire lizard, minotaur lizard. Lurker above.
Has a lion body, bat wings, and a human head, attacks by loosing a volley of iron spikes from its tail. Hateful humanoid creatures that try to beguile humans to look into their eyes, causing them to turn to stone. Described are the bandit brigand , berserker, buccaneer pirate , caveman tribesman , dervish nomad , merchant, pilgrim. Evil subterranean creature that considers humanity as cattle to feed upon, draws forth brains with its tentacles.
Night hag. Rule the convoluted planes of Hades , form larvae see above from evil persons they slay, and sell to demons and devils. Ochre jelly. Ogre mage Japanese ogre. Weird omnivorous scavengers whose diet consists of dung, offal, and carrion, always found underground. Owl, giant. Horrible creatures that inhabit tangled forest regions, attacks with great claws and snapping beak.
Omnivorous creatures of the weirdest appearance, having the lower bodies of birds and the upper bodies of stags. Inhabit caves and caverns and are indistinguishable from stalactites clinging to cave roofs, drop down on opponents to kill them.
Idyllic woodland dwellers that are naturally invisible, carry slim swords and war arrows that puts an opponent to sleep. These highly sought after creatures can deliver a vicious bite with their small jaws, but also have a flexible sting-equipped tail.
Common on the planes of Pandemonium and the Abyss , a minor demon created to spread evil as a familiar to a chaotic evil magic-user or cleric.
Evil spirits encased in flesh, first known in India, fond of a diet of human meat and masters of illusion. Blackmoor pungi, manta. Huge eagle-like birds that inhabit the highest mountains, and prey upon large creatures such as cattle, horses, and elephants. Subterranean cavern dwellers that stand upright to resemble pillars or stalagmites, can draw prey into their toothy maws with strands of strong, sticky rope-like excretions.
Found in heaps of offal or dung, will viciously burrow into living flesh until they reach the heart and kill their host. Evil creatures of the elemental plane of fire that prefer temperatures of degrees and upwards. Sylvan woodland inhabitants primarily interested in sport such as frolicking, piping, chasing wood nymphs. Sea hag. Inhabit thickly vegetated shallows, they hate beauty and are so ghastly in appearance to make other creatures weak with fright.
Sea lion. Fearsome carnivores that inhabit coastal marine waters, whose top halves resemble lions and bottom halves resemble sea creatures.
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