Jason Sonia's page

What strikes me after flipping through the Beastiary...

1) I was hoping to see a few of the "monster races" portrayed in a playable format, without the extra racial Hit Dice and Paizo delivered! Want to play a ______ without the extra +1 ECL? You can. Paizo definitely balanced things, expanding options and playability in a unique and constructive way.

2) The art is, for the most part, top notch. Only a few monsters (Ankheg, Troll) left me wanting more. The majority of them were brilliantly drawn and colored. The Angels, Devils, and Genies really stood out!

3) The entire format is easy to use, with the pdf linked so that I can reference things quickly, at the table, when I need to. It's clear they aimed to simplify game play.

Good job Paizo!!

I liked the feel of the scenario, but it was a little heavy handed.

I wouldn't run this for 1st level characters unless you were really mad at your players. ;)

2nd level PCs will have a blast with this!!

Exciting, well-rounded, and very intriguing! An awesome start to any 3.5 campaign!

For a collection of 3.5 material from Dragon, this book is a strong step in the right direction. The layout was nice, the art appropriate, and the content fitting for the d20 system.

However, the material was focused primarily on 3E (updated) and 3.5 material. In essence, a reprint of material from the last 4-5 years.

As for the content ...it's all crunch. If you want more spells, Feats, Prestige Classes, monsters, etc ....this will be a pleasing purchase. On the other hand, if you wanted (or hoped for) a more classic look at both D&D and Dragon ...you might be wise to wait for the second or third compendium to come out before ordering.

Overall, this book isn't as bad as some people would claim ..but it isn't what I think allot of older gamers had hoped it would be. An easy 3 stars.

~Jaye