Dungeons & Dragons Monster Manual: Roleplaying Game Core Rules, 4th Edition
by Wizards RPG Team
Book Summary Information
Author: Wizards RPG TeamBrand: Dungeons & Dragons
Edition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 2008-06-06
ISBN: 0786948523
Number of pages: 288
Publisher: Wizards of the Coast
Product features:
- Core Rulebook: The Monster Manual is the third of three core rulebooks required to play the Dungeons & Dragons Roleplaying Game.
- Quick and easy play: The improved page layout and presentation enables novice and established players to learn and understand the new D&D rules quickly.
- D&D Insider: The Monster Manual will receive enhanced online support at www.dndinsider.com.
Book Reviews of Dungeons & Dragons Monster Manual: Roleplaying Game Core Rules, 4th Edition
Book Review: Dungeons and Half of the Dragons
Summary: 2 Stars
I think we all expected Wizards to milk their new edition of the rules with a whole new suite of supplemental books, but I felt really let down with this. People are going to have to start throwing big cash at this game to get what they had in their hands from the three core books of previous editions.
Whilst the artwork and presentation can't really be faulted, the descriptions are sometimes very brief and oriented primarily towards combat. No ecology, no behaviourial or social traits, seem to take away some of the roleplaying possibilities. The tone of the text, like the other two books, suggests very much a younger target group. The 3.5 edition had a certain balanced maturity to its writing style that would not phase a mature gamer, but I expect this will be cause for complaint.
However, this is not my main gripe. There are huge gaps in monsters presented here that have been integral in the game since the beginning. No metallic dragons (only chromatic) and many of the the giant species (scorpions, ants, centipedes) that traditionally formed many of the challenges at lower level are just not there.
There is a section at the back which presents a selection of statistics for use in character generation, but those used to the level adjustment in 3.5 will probably not find these easy to get on with. Is a 1st level 7'5" 350lb minotaur really balanced with other 1st level characters? Why do none of the races in the whole game have negative adjustments to their statistics? Everyone is pimped up! Was not Warforged promised as a core race in D&D 4 Characters & Classes, but has now been demoted to a short paragraph here?
It also seems that for most of the stats presented in the Monster Manual, unless you are around 10th level, you are going to get kicked around. Although with the new self healing phenomenon you don't need to worry about dying ;) The variety here is limited - you will be fighting zombies and goblins for quite a while. How about a giant scorpion huh?
The idea of updating the game is well appreciated, but pages are wasted here with rather abstract 'gibbering horror mound' type villains that will have no real part in many roleplayng campaigns.
I will stick to Pathfinder for the moment. Hopefully I will be persuaded by the new web tools to take more interest. Do we have to pay for those by the way?
Maybe I'll leave this in the dentist's waiting room, as it's not a bad at a glance.
More Dungeons & Dragons Monster Manual: Roleplaying Game Core Rules, 4th Edition reviews:
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