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Dargoth
Great Reader
Australia
4607 Posts |
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Alaundo
Head Moderator
United Kingdom
5692 Posts |
 Posted - 28 Oct 2006 : 00:11:25
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Well met
My word. I thought they would actually stop at volume IV, so i'm quite surprised to see this. Nevertheless, I welcome it as i'm a sucker for monster books 
Good find, Dargoth. Now, let's see if we can find out if there's a particular theme or some such to this next collection  |
Alaundo
Candlekeep Forums Head Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
http://www.candlekeep.com -- Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct
An Introduction to Candlekeep - by Ed Greenwood
The Candlekeep Compendium - Tomes of Realmslore penned by Scribes of Candlekeep
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31701 Posts |
Posted - 28 Oct 2006 : 01:14:07
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It's understandable that the Monster books would continue... especially when you consider the overall success of MMIV. Apparently it hit new sales records for WotC.
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Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
http://www.candlekeep.com -- Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct
Scribe for the Candlekeep Compendium -- Volume IX now available (Oct 2007)
"So Saith Ed" -- the collected Candlekeep replies of Ed Greenwood
Zhoth'ilam Folio -- The Electronic Misadventures of a Rambling Sage |
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MerrikCale
Senior Scribe
USA
947 Posts |
Posted - 28 Oct 2006 : 03:06:11
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quote:
Originally posted by The Sage
Apparently it hit new sales records for WotC.
That begs the question "why?" |
When hinges creak in doorless chambers and strange and frightening sounds echo through the halls, whenever candlelights flicker where the air is deathly still, that is the time when ghosts are present, practicing their terror with ghoulish delight. |
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Sanishiver
Senior Scribe
USA
476 Posts |
Posted - 28 Oct 2006 : 03:38:36
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I'm getting more mileage out of IV now, so I hope they keep things up with V.
It's nice to see more maps in these books (MUCH easier for DMs). I hope to see many high CR creatures.
J. Grenemyer |
09/20/2008: Tiger Army at the Catalyst in Santa Cruz. You wouldn’t believe how many females rode it out in the pit. Santa Cruz women are all of them beautiful. Now I know to add tough to that description.
6/27/2008: WALL-E is about the best damn movie Pixar has ever made. It had my heart racing and had me rooting for the good guy.
9/9/2006: Dave Mathews Band was off the hook at the Shoreline Amphitheater.
Never, ever read the game books too literally, or make such assumptions that what is omitted cannot be. Bad DM form, that.
And no matter how compelling a picture string theory paints, if it does not accurately describe our universe, it will be no more relevant than an elaborate game of Dungeons and Dragons. --paragraph 1, chapter 9, The Elegant Universe by Brian Greene |
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KnightErrantJR
Great Reader
USA
5402 Posts |
Posted - 28 Oct 2006 : 04:55:45
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I had my gripes with Monster Manual IV. I didn't like the statted MM monsters in it, in part because a lot of them were just characters from the miniatures game given a MM entry. I thought the "Lolth Touched" template was pretty uninspired (Lolth likes you, so you have higher stats). And the Spawn of Tiamat really started to get on my nerves (though my tolerance for the Dragonfall War is much higher now due to Eytan and Eric's great work in Dragons of Faerun).
All of that having been said, I really liked the new evil fey, the new elementals, and the general expanded information format of the book (though I wasn't wild about the sample encounters in a lot of cases, and I thought that only a few creatures really warrented the tactical set up examples). I honestly think that if they can avoid the recycled mini stats, and stay away from monsters that take up a significant portion of the book as the Spawn of Tiamat did, this could be an interesting format to see in the future. |
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Ergdusch
Master of Realmslore
Germany
1720 Posts |
Posted - 28 Oct 2006 : 09:46:49
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quote:
Originally posted by MerrikCale
quote:
Originally posted by The Sage
Apparently it hit new sales records for WotC.
That begs the question "why?"
 *wonders about such news as well*
quote:
Originally posted by Alaundo
Now, let's see if we can find out if there's a particular theme or some such to this next collection
My first guess would be either dragons (again) or drow. 
Whatever it is, I will most definitivly give it a glance once it hits the common retailers shelves. |
"Das Gras weht im Wind, wenn der Wind weht." |
Edited by - Ergdusch on 28 Oct 2006 09:47:50 |
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Beirnadri Magranth
Senior Scribe
USA
720 Posts |
Posted - 28 Oct 2006 : 16:08:31
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I stopped at MMII
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"You came here to be a martyr in a great big bang of glory... instead you will die with a whimper."
::moussaoui tries to interrupt::
"You will never get a chance to speak again and that's an appropriate ending."
-Judge Brinkema |
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36779 Posts |
Posted - 28 Oct 2006 : 16:42:09
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quote:
Originally posted by Ergdusch
My first guess would be either dragons (again) or drow.
Of course there will be dragons... As I've pointed out before, the two most common types of critters in D&D have been dragons and undead. I like both, but there's a disproportionate amount of both, I think -- especially the undead. |
Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
http://www.candlekeep.com -- Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct
I am the Giant Space Hamster of Ill Omen!  |
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Ergdusch
Master of Realmslore
Germany
1720 Posts |
Posted - 28 Oct 2006 : 16:54:09
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quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
quote:
Originally posted by Ergdusch
My first guess would be either dragons (again) or drow.
Of course there will be dragons... As I've pointed out before, the two most common types of critters in D&D have been dragons and undead. I like both, but there's a disproportionate amount of both, I think -- especially the undead.
I have to agree with your word here, with all my heart! And especially after MMIV there are too many dragon spawns as well that tend take away the awe from the great and mighty true ones, IMO. |
"Das Gras weht im Wind, wenn der Wind weht." |
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Reefy
Senior Scribe
United Kingdom
892 Posts |
Posted - 29 Oct 2006 : 01:29:05
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And I agree with Wooly on the undead - "The frozen dessert zombie is a form of undead that comes into being if the creature was eating strawberry ice cream when suddenly being murdered by a one-legged man wielding a staple gun."
Sure, it's a matter of discretion, but something a bit different would be nice. |
Life is either daring adventure or nothing. |
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Purple Dragon Knight
Master of Realmslore
Canada
1796 Posts |
Posted - 29 Oct 2006 : 07:27:00
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quote:
Originally posted by Reefy
And I agree with Wooly on the undead - "The frozen dessert zombie is a form of undead that comes into being if the creature was eating strawberry ice cream when suddenly being murdered by a one-legged man wielding a staple gun."
Sure, it's a matter of discretion, but something a bit different would be nice.
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Sanishiver
Senior Scribe
USA
476 Posts |
Posted - 29 Oct 2006 : 07:44:14
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I thought the (Undead) Drowned were pretty inspired. I know from play experience they're quite deadly, as well.
I didn't even need to add class levels to them to put a scare into a group of Epic PCs.
J. Grenemyer |
09/20/2008: Tiger Army at the Catalyst in Santa Cruz. You wouldn’t believe how many females rode it out in the pit. Santa Cruz women are all of them beautiful. Now I know to add tough to that description.
6/27/2008: WALL-E is about the best damn movie Pixar has ever made. It had my heart racing and had me rooting for the good guy.
9/9/2006: Dave Mathews Band was off the hook at the Shoreline Amphitheater.
Never, ever read the game books too literally, or make such assumptions that what is omitted cannot be. Bad DM form, that.
And no matter how compelling a picture string theory paints, if it does not accurately describe our universe, it will be no more relevant than an elaborate game of Dungeons and Dragons. --paragraph 1, chapter 9, The Elegant Universe by Brian Greene |
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Alaundo
Head Moderator
United Kingdom
5692 Posts |
Posted - 29 Oct 2006 : 09:00:48
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Well met
On a related note, I noticed in my FLGS yesterday a "Monster Collection" box set containing MMII,III & IV. I'd never heard of this release before, so it was quite a surprise. Similar to what they did with the "Races of.." tomes...i'd expect something along these lines too for the "Complete..." series. |
Alaundo
Candlekeep Forums Head Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
http://www.candlekeep.com -- Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct
An Introduction to Candlekeep - by Ed Greenwood
The Candlekeep Compendium - Tomes of Realmslore penned by Scribes of Candlekeep
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MerrikCale
Senior Scribe
USA
947 Posts |
Posted - 30 Oct 2006 : 22:57:20
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quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
quote:
Originally posted by Ergdusch
My first guess would be either dragons (again) or drow.
Of course there will be dragons... As I've pointed out before, the two most common types of critters in D&D have been dragons and undead. I like both, but there's a disproportionate amount of both, I think -- especially the undead.
Thats just a case of meeting demandm with supple. People love the dead and dragons. |
When hinges creak in doorless chambers and strange and frightening sounds echo through the halls, whenever candlelights flicker where the air is deathly still, that is the time when ghosts are present, practicing their terror with ghoulish delight. |
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KnightErrantJR
Great Reader
USA
5402 Posts |
Posted - 31 Oct 2006 : 07:44:28
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quote:
Originally posted by MerrikCale
People love the dead and dragons.
::Hearing Alice Cooper's I Love The Dead in his head now::
At any rate, as Alaundo mentioned above, I fully expect to see a Terrain Gift Set and possibly a "Complete" one, although they seem to like to keep to three book sets in their gift sets, so I don't know if they will alter the format to make one. |
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Mace Hammerhand
Great Reader
Germany
2296 Posts |
Posted - 31 Oct 2006 : 10:57:44
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| At the rate they are going a Complete gift set would already have some 6 volumes to it... |
Mace's not so gentle gamer's journal My rants were harmless compared to this, beware! |
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Kalin Agrivar
Senior Scribe
Canada
956 Posts |
Posted - 31 Oct 2006 : 13:40:46
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| has anyone ever noticed if you actually save money (in a significant amount) when you buy a gift set? |
Kalin Xorell El'Agrivar
- High Mage of the Arcane Assembly
- Lore Keeper of the Vault of Ancestors
- 3rd Son of the Lord of the Stand |
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Ergdusch
Master of Realmslore
Germany
1720 Posts |
Posted - 31 Oct 2006 : 14:39:53
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quote:
Originally posted by Mace Hammerhand
At the rate they are going a Complete gift set would already have some 6 volumes to it...
If they would include the Fiend Folio in it as well we could have reached that goal (6 books) even sooner! |
"Das Gras weht im Wind, wenn der Wind weht." |
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Mace Hammerhand
Great Reader
Germany
2296 Posts |
Posted - 31 Oct 2006 : 17:31:10
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Now the key question is this:
would they update the FF and MC II to 3.5 if they went ahead and gave us this gift set? |
Mace's not so gentle gamer's journal My rants were harmless compared to this, beware! |
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Alaundo
Head Moderator
United Kingdom
5692 Posts |
Posted - 31 Oct 2006 : 17:45:17
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quote:
Originally posted by Ergdusch
quote:
Originally posted by Mace Hammerhand
At the rate they are going a Complete gift set would already have some 6 volumes to it...
If they would include the Fiend Folio in it as well we could have reached that goal (6 books) even sooner!
Well met
I stand corrected, FF is actually in the box set, but volume IV is not. |
Alaundo
Candlekeep Forums Head Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
http://www.candlekeep.com -- Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct
An Introduction to Candlekeep - by Ed Greenwood
The Candlekeep Compendium - Tomes of Realmslore penned by Scribes of Candlekeep
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sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist
USA
11691 Posts |
Posted - 01 Nov 2006 : 20:46:48
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It reached a sales high????? Ok, I'm surprised. I will say monster manual 3 was wonderful, as it seemed like they sat down and said "what don't we have" and tried to fill some holes (i.e. lots of swarms, etc..). I'm sick of new dragons, as my players usually only face two or three dragon encounters in any given campaign. I can kind of understand different undead, but only if they have a significant mechanical difference. Unless I hear some extreme praise for MM 4, I won't be picking it up... and if I don't grab it I don't see me grabbing MM 5.
Conversely, I'm finding that Dragon Magazine is filling in holes for additional creatures at a decent enough pace for me. For instance, they had a recent article on lesser constructs. It was great. |
Alavairthae, may your skill prevail
Phillip aka Sleyvas |
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KnightErrantJR
Great Reader
USA
5402 Posts |
Posted - 01 Nov 2006 : 22:45:25
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I won't make an unqualified endorsement of the product. I liked proably a majority of the monsters in it, and I like most of the new format (I'm not sure I like the mini encounters being in there, but I know I didn't like the monsters they chose to use it with, but on the other hand I like having a guide to what knowledge skills provide about the monster, and the tactics and ecology information), but there is a lot that felt like filler that could have been put to better use (orcs with classes, drow with classes, gnolls with classes, ogres with classes, githyanki with classes . . . and all monsters with class levels that showed up on miniature stat cards). In fact, without some of that filler, I think the large portion of the book dedicated to the spawn of Tiamat wouldn't have been as irritating (especially given the fact that they had spawn of Tiamat with class levels as well).
On the other hand, I'm a sucker for elementals and fey, and they did have so interesting examples of fey and elementals that would make great opposition for parties in a campaign, and they did have some good, thought provoking creatures that I may want to use, so I'll likely get this one eventually.
But as I said, definately a mixed review. |
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Monster Manual V
