Go beyond goblins with an army of fantasy's most fearsome foes! Bestiary 2 presents hundreds of different creatures for use in the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game. Within this collection of creatures you'll find undead dragons and mischievous gremlins, shrieking banshees and unstoppable titans, the infamous jabberwock, and so much more! Yet not all these monsters need to be foes, as new breeds of otherworldly guardians, living shadows, and vampires all might take up adventure's call. In addition, new rules for customizing and advancing monsters and an expanded glossary of creature abilities ensure that you'll be prepared to challenge your heroes wherever adventure takes them!
The Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 2 is the second indispensable volume of monsters for use with the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game and serves as a companion to the Pathfinder RPG Core Rulebook and Pathfinder RPG Bestiary. This imaginative tabletop game builds upon more than 10 years of system development and an Open Playtest featuring more than 50,000 gamers to create a cutting-edge RPG experience that brings the all-time best-selling set of fantasy rules into the new millennium.
The 320-page Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 2 includes:
More than 300 different monsters
Creatures both new and familiar, drawing upon the best-known beasts of legend, literature, and Pathfinder RPG adventures
Challenges for any adventure and every level of play
Hosts of new templates and variants, including simple templates for on-the-fly creature customization
Numerous lists of monsters to aid in navigation, including lists by Challenge Rating, monster type, and habitat
New rules for creating and running high-level menaces
Expanded universal monster rules to simplify special attacks, defenses, and qualities
New familiars, animal companions, and other allies
As its name implies, Bestiary 2 is the second full-length collection of creatures for Pathfinder. It's a big (320 page) book, and introduces, according to the back cover, over 300 different monsters. The vast majority of creatures get one page each (art, stat block, description), though there are a few pages with two monsters and a few monsters that get double-page spreads. In format, it's very similar to the first bestiary collection. Obviously, I can't review all the monsters individually, but I would like to list some of the creatures or new creature types that jumped out at me:
* Aeons: Embodiments of neutrality striving to maintain universal balance, these cosmic entities are hard to conceptualise but interesting and important for planar travel. Several varieties are included here. I particularly liked "bythos", monitors of disruptions to time or space.
* Agathions: Beastlike outsiders native to the neutral good plane Nirvana. The theme works surprisingly well, with each type having a distinct role. I've never really used these, but should.
* Aranea: Super creepy pic!
* Athach: Dumb, bizarre arm monster with no background.
* Crypt Thing: Special teleport ability is pretty cool.
* Daemons: Outsiders with a special desire to consume mortal souls. Still too similar to "demons" and I don't really see what distinct niche they fill.
* Primal Dragons: Elemental-themed dragons plus a shadow plane-themed umbral dragon.
* Elementals: Four new ones here (mud, lightning, magma, and ice)
* Elemental (playable) races: Ifrits, undines, etc., are introduced here.
* Giants: Four new ones, including rune and taiga.
* Golems: Six new ones, with adamantine and clockwork the best.
* Gremlins: New creature type, a good and suitably annoying addition to the game.
* Inevitables: Lawful Neutral outsiders implacable in their goals. Each has a good nice.
* Lycanthropes: Three new ones, with wereboars and weretigers having good, scary art.
* Megafauna: Four new ones.
* Nightshade: Introduced as a creature type, with a really cool description.
* Proteans: Chaotic neutral outsider type. Not particularly interesting, and not obvious how to use well in a game.
* Qlippoths: Pre-demon residents of the Abyss, they hate demons and mortals whose sins form them. A cool concept.
Generally speaking, there are a lot of high-CR and a lot of gargantuan- and colossal- sized creatures. The book fills in a lot of the classics that weren't included in the first collection, and I also noticed a lot that appeared in Rise of the Runelords (including art reproduction). However, there are also a lot I've never heard of before despite gaming for a couple of decades. A good mix! Overall, an excellent, high-quality expansion to a GM's toolkit.
This book so far has been my favorite purchase of ALL of my RPG books.
I don't know if I can explain the fervor I have for this book but I will try.
So first of all there is the cover, the ever feared Jabberwock(y) of Lewis Carroll legend. Having a tough SOB (CR23) on the cover is the best way to start things off I think. Lets me know im in for a ride with this book.
While the first Bestiary was the standard array of Monsters we have all come to know and love through years of them being reprinted for games the Bestiary 2 is where Paizo took off on its own with a whole slew of new monster and just general new ideas for monsters. A handful of new extraplanar monsters of various alignments were added such as The Aeons, Qlippoths and Daemons all have decently written history and offer a lot of inspiration for using them in games.
The two things I love best about this book are as follows.
One: New dragons, and not just more "coloured or metal" dragons, but a new type of dragon altogether: Primal Dragons. These bad boys have probably the best art in the whole book (magma, im looking at you) and they make for a nice change from the everyday.
Two: The art, while the art in Bestiary 1 is GOOD, its not near as sharp, crisp, and detailed as this book. The colours, the textures, the everything, all done very well. You will not be disappointed when looking through this book.
Looking through the PDF of Bestiary 2, I find myself remembering the days in the 1980s when I'd sit in the back of the mall bookstore and leaf through the various gaming tomes I couldn't possibly buy all of.
Crystal Dragons, Aeons, and several others in this book remind of that golden era, when DMs had such a wide variety of unusual (and often new-age-y) creatures at their disposals, they couldn't possibly ever use them all.
Sure, some of the creatures are a little odd, but on the other hand, the vast variety will lead to some adventurer groups with a far different list of encountered monsters than the norm.
I personally can't wait to spring the Dullahan (aka Headless Horseman) and Animate Dream on my party!
Not as extensive as the first, yet the same price...
I do not mind the creatures in this book, but it does get less use than my other bestiary. However it still has the same problem as the first also. The use of generic rules for a creature type. For an actual hardcover book to be useful in a game (for creatures) you MUST be able to have all rules for the creature on the one page. The use of rules based on a type of creature that you need to leave the creatures page to reference is irritating and a waste of in game time.
Please fix this problem. I understand that constructs all have similarities but I need the rules on each constructs page to reference. Not have to skip to the end of the book to see if they have something relevant when they need it.
A complete list of all the monsters going into Bestiary 2 will be appearing on the blog in a few months.
Perhaps this is a good time to educate ignorant folks like me regarding the typical production cycle. If the book is scheduled for release in mid-November wouldn't it (well, shouldn't it, ideally) already be ready to go to the printer?
"A few months" from August 21st is when we'll be getting the book, wouldn't the Table of Contents be firmed up weeks or months ahead of that?
A complete list of all the monsters going into Bestiary 2 will be appearing on the blog in a few months.
Perhaps this is a good time to educate ignorant folks like me regarding the typical production cycle. If the book is scheduled for release in mid-November wouldn't it (well, shouldn't it, ideally) already be ready to go to the printer?
"A few months" from August 21st is when we'll be getting the book, wouldn't the Table of Contents be firmed up weeks or months ahead of that?
More curious than impatient.
It SHOULD be going to the printer within the next seven days, in fact. That doesn't mean that's a good time to release the Table of Contents.
"A few months" form August 21st is when the book's about to hit stores, and just before the book hits stores is the best point to get folks all excited to go out and buy the book.
We might post a list sooner than that. I'd like to get the list up as soon as possible, but that choice isn't up to me alone.
It SHOULD be going to the printer within the next seven days, in fact. That doesn't mean that's a good time to release the Table of Contents.
"A few months" form August 21st is when the book's about to hit stores, and just before the book hits stores is the best point to get folks all excited to go out and buy the book.
We might post a list sooner than that. I'd like to get the list up as soon as possible, but that choice isn't up to me alone.
Ah, okay. I wasn't taking marketing strategies into account. Now it makes some sort of sense.
Nah, I want to find a group that will let me play one of the races I created in the furry vein.
Good luck with that, and if you find one please let me know. ;) But until then you can always see if someone will let you play an Anumus (from the PDF of the same name).
And hey, an Alchemist/MasterChymist can enable you to play a furry-ish thing. Eventually.
"A few months" form August 21st is when the book's about to hit stores, and just before the book hits stores is the best point to get folks all excited to go out and buy the book.
It SHOULD be going to the printer within the next seven days, in fact. That doesn't mean that's a good time to release the Table of Contents.
I never thought I'd say this, but you speak nonsense, Mr Jacobs, it's always a good time to release the table of contents of the next Bestiary installment!
It SHOULD be going to the printer within the next seven days, in fact. That doesn't mean that's a good time to release the Table of Contents.
I never thought I'd say this, but you speak nonsense, Mr Jacobs, it's always a good time to release the table of contents of the next Bestiary installment!
James Jacobs: You know, you are right Threeshades, we can release a portion of the Table of Contents.
*Everyone downloads PDF and at the top, says “Table of Contents”, looks down, nothing else on page*
James Jacobs: Unfortunately, that is the only portion of the “Table of Contents” we could release at this time.
I wish the database at the bookstore where I work would be updated more often. It lists the book as a Oct 20 release. All happy until I came her to make sure. Anyone know when the street date for the book will be.
I wish the database at the bookstore where I work would be updated more often. It lists the book as a Oct 20 release. All happy until I came her to make sure. Anyone know when the street date for the book will be.
My subscription is showing late November I believe.
Which means a street date two weeks after that if I understand correctly.
I wish the database at the bookstore where I work would be updated more often. It lists the book as a Oct 20 release. All happy until I came her to make sure. Anyone know when the street date for the book will be.
My subscription is showing late November I believe.
Which means a street date two weeks after that if I understand correctly.
Sean
Due to the vagaries of international shipping, we don't finalize street dates until the book is actually in our warehouse, and we don't currently expect it until the middle of November, so unless there are unexpected delays, the retail release date will be late December/early January.
I've updated the product description to match the finished product. (We'd already posted the final cover, but I've just replaced the image with a slightly sharper version.)
December? Since when did this get pushed back - again? Seems like a bunch of books just got pushed back. Printer problems, or should we be concerned?
Since when it took us an additional week to get the book put together. Turns out, that one extra week was the one that moved it from November to December.
Not a fan. My country introduces VAT tax on books from January on, which will likely kill all my Paizo subscriptions. Here's to hoping that B2 comes out early enough to arrive in Poland before January 1st ...
I happen to think it's a good thing. Paizo realized the book would take a little longer to get finished, and so pushed back the release. In my opinion, that's a lot better than rushing the book out to meet the original release date.
December? Since when did this get pushed back - again? Seems like a bunch of books just got pushed back. Printer problems, or should we be concerned?
Since when it took us an additional week to get the book put together. Turns out, that one extra week was the one that moved it from November to December.
Doh. And originally wasn't this supposed to be an October release?
December? Since when did this get pushed back - again? Seems like a bunch of books just got pushed back. Printer problems, or should we be concerned?
Since when it took us an additional week to get the book put together. Turns out, that one extra week was the one that moved it from November to December.
Owell;
I'm really really rly rly rly rly rly rly rly looking forward to this, but having (historically) bought a whole lot of Palladium books, well.....a month or two is nothing compared to the age of the universe or the typical real vs. hypothetical street date of a new Rifts book....
I'd also rather have a squared away product than a rush job, so....ignore my grumbling anyway.
Pathfinder Maps, Pathfinder Accessories Subscriber; Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Charter Superscriber; Starfinder Charter Superscriber
As much as I'd like to get the book earlier, I do prefer Paizo to take extra time to make sure the book is as free of errors as it can be. Rushing books out to meet pre-established dates only leads to lots of little errors that are both annoying for customers and embarrassing for the publisher. So, I'm OK with the delay.
As much as I'd like to get the book earlier, I do prefer Paizo to take extra time to make sure the book is as free of errors as it can be. Rushing books out to meet pre-established dates only leads to lots of little errors that are both annoying for customers and embarrassing for the publisher. So, I'm OK with the delay.
December? Since when did this get pushed back - again? Seems like a bunch of books just got pushed back. Printer problems, or should we be concerned?
Since when it took us an additional week to get the book put together. Turns out, that one extra week was the one that moved it from November to December.
Doh. And originally wasn't this supposed to be an October release?
Yeah, it was. But it was pushed back for reasons already stated. However, I am sure the ToC was completed by October, so a release of the ToC this month would make sense and the actual book can continue to come out December.
I know, I can't seem to give up begging for it and weaseling some sort of persuasive argument to get it to us quicker. Gotta give me credit for the effort, though LOL
Pathfinder Adventure, Adventure Path, Lost Omens Subscriber
It may have been delayed, but it has already gone to printer so it will get here as soon as it can. It just takes some time for the whole print, boat to the Americas, ship from warehouse process. When the shipment arrives in WA they will have a much firmer idea of an exact release date.
December? Since when did this get pushed back - again? Seems like a bunch of books just got pushed back. Printer problems, or should we be concerned?
Since when it took us an additional week to get the book put together. Turns out, that one extra week was the one that moved it from November to December.
Doh. And originally wasn't this supposed to be an October release?
Yeah, it was. But it was pushed back for reasons already stated. However, I am sure the ToC was completed by October, so a release of the ToC this month would make sense and the actual book can continue to come out December.
I know, I can't seem to give up begging for it and weaseling some sort of persuasive argument to get it to us quicker. Gotta give me credit for the effort, though LOL
As I've said before... releasing the ToC is a HUGE marketing boon and really helps folks get excited about the contents of the book. It's better, as a result, to release the ToC details closer to when folks can actually go out and BUY the book as a result. So the delay to the book's release, unfortunately carries an equal delay on the release of its ToC as a preview.
I agree, it is better to work out the kinks and release a finished product, needless to say, I am looking forward to this book so much! Anyway, what is ToC? Call me ignorant but i always hated acronyms and never really bothered to learn them...my guild buddies in Wow hate me for that :D
I agree, it is better to work out the kinks and release a finished product, needless to say, I am looking forward to this book so much! Anyway, what is ToC? Call me ignorant but i always hated acronyms and never really bothered to learn them...my guild buddies in Wow hate me for that :D
I think they're talking about the Table of Contents, to get rid of speculation of what actually is contained in the book.
Pathfinder Adventure, Adventure Path, Lost Omens Subscriber
I'd expect them to post the ToC around Thanksgiving (late November for those international folks.) That's about the right time for them to start ramping up the marketing.
I'd expect them to post the ToC around Thanksgiving (late November for those international folks.) That's about the right time for them to start ramping up the marketing.
Besides, who doesn't want monsters for Christmas?
I had my sights set on Monsters for Thanksgiving... :o(
Owell;
I'm really really rly rly rly rly rly rly rly looking forward to this, but having (historically) bought a whole lot of Palladium books, well.....a month or two is nothing compared to the age of the universe or the typical real vs. hypothetical street date of a new Rifts book....
I'd also rather have a squared away product than a rush job, so....ignore my grumbling anyway.
Rifts Australia 2, coming Summer 1997!
I'm really excited to get my hands on this book to, the first RPG book I bought was a monster manual (didn't know what all the fancy numbers meant, thought it was just a really cool book to have), and I have loved bestiaries ever since. I appreciate that Paizo is working to ensure the book is polished and finished before releasing it, so I'm willing to wait.
Hey! That is a speciecist comment, you know? Although I *may* have burned away some of my body hair with Hellfire, I'm more than hairy enough for a middle-aged, robust Chelaxian dwarven male! I can send you some pictures, if you want to?
Maybe he was sayin' that as hairy as you are, you'll never be truly naked? ;)
Nah, even under my impressive, majestic beard and all that body hair I *FEEL* naked -- except when I'm wearing some of those glittery ladies' underwear... er, thingies... my imps stole from mr. Sutter!
Hey! That is a speciecist comment, you know? Although I *may* have burned away some of my body hair with Hellfire, I'm more than hairy enough for a middle-aged, robust Chelaxian dwarven male! I can send you some pictures, if you want to?
For a talented drunk as I am, I respectfully request you abstain from the abuse of the postal service!