A D20 System Supplement from
Alderac Entertainment Group
Rating:
(3 out of 5 hearts)
This book does something similar for the 3rd edition that the Humanoid Handbook did for the 2nd. It provides the racial traits of many humanoid monster races and guidelines on how to roleplay them.
The first and fifth chapters of this book describe some monster races, their
activities, lifestyles, social organization and mindset while providing roleplaying
cues. Pages and pages of text suggest the kind of approach gaming groups can
have when playing monster characters and creating monster campaigns. For some
reason, the term goblinoid is used to describe orcs, kobolds, gnolls and even
trolls.
Chapter two describes some monster races and provides the guidelines to create characters from these races. It is pretty much an extension of pages 22 to 24 of the DM's guide, reproducing the tables found there and describing most of the monsters included in the "Variant: Monsters as Races" section. The ability modifiers and all other racial traits for each monster race are calculated. Starting Hit Dice are not mentioned and are replaced by a starting hit points formula. The description of each race also includes a variant or specific group or tribe that has different racial traits and particularities. The monsters from the MM described here are Bugbear, Centaur, Drider, Ettin, Gnoll, Goblin, Harpy, Hobgoblin, Kobold, Lizardfolk, Merfolk, Minotaur, Ogre, Ogre Mage, Orc, Sahuagin, Troglodyte andTroll.
Chapter three continues the same work but with new monster races, most of which are the result of two monster races cross-breeding. The new races are the Black Orc, the Brood (Half-Orc/Half-Dark Elf), the Cobra Ogre (Half-Ogre /Half-Lizardfolk), the Dogface (Half-Bugbear /Half-Gnoll), the Ferris (Ogre Mage/Rat mix), the Grikkyn (Half-Troll /Half-Hobgoblin), the Groglin (Half-Goblin /Half-Troglodyte), the Gurk (double headed orc), the Minos (Half-Centaur /Half-Minotaur), the Mongrel (magically produced mix and match), the Nasimir (Half-Nymph /Half-Rakshasa), the Neslikaar (Half-Centaur/Half-Giant Lizard), the Ruoth (Half-Ogre /Half-Minotaur), the Screeching Green (a singing orc with a harpy heritage), the Sluverian (Half-Merfolf /Half-Sahuagin), and the Spider Goblin (four armed goblin race that reproduces itself with a vengeance). Quite an interesting bunch. The last chapter of the book describes each of the new races in the form of a monster archetype as per the Monster Manual's format.
Like in the other books of this series, new uses for old skills are described.
Some feats appropriate for large monsters or creatures with tails are provided.
So far I have not been very impressed by the prestige classes in this series
of books, and it's not different this time. This book includes nine prestige
classes, most of which are too specialized to be PCs unless a campaign specifically
revolves around a single activity which is the class's hallmark. Some even
have weird elements in them, such as abnormal BAB and save progression, wrong
use of game terms (entangle instead of grapple), inadequately explained rules
(the Mook is the worst case). One prestige class even includes non OGL feats
from Sword and Fist in the list of available bonus feats for that class. A
few of those classes would make decent characters, though, such as the Beaststalker
who can prepare valuable trophies and eventually poisons out of the creature
he hunts, as well as the Bandit who becomes very familiar with his terrain
and gains a fearful reputation.
A section deals with weapon size, providing damage for weapons of large to colossal size, as well as unarmed damage and base speed of large to colossal monk characters. The book also offers a host of interesting spells and magic items. Some spells are obviously problematic and even misnamed, though: the disrupt spells. The disrupt spells are too powerful for their levels, letting the caster use a 4th level spell to instantly kill an aberration with less than 7 HD (no save) or a 5th level spell to instantly kill any magical beast of less than 7 HD. Those creatures with 7 to 12 HD get a save or die. No spell has such a powerful effect in the PHB.
All in all, the most interesting aspect of this book is that it can save you the trouble of figuring out specific monster races' racial traits.
New Spells: Agonize, Air Breathing, Antimagic Aura, Detect Aberation, Detect Magical Beast, Disrupt Aberration, Disrupt Magical Beast, Gaze Mirror, Gravel Blast, Life Drain, Negative Energy Invulnerability, Odorless, Opposable Thumb, Wall of Water, Watery Demise.
