Pathfinder Roleplaying Game: Bestiary 3 (OGL)

4.90/5 (based on 15 ratings)
Pathfinder Roleplaying Game: Bestiary 3 (OGL)
Show Description For:
Non-Mint

Hardcover Unavailable

Add PDF $19.99

Non-Mint Unavailable

Facebook Twitter Email

Test your courage against the most infamous foes of myth and legend! Bestiary 3 presents hundreds of monsters for use in the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game. Within this book you’ll find demiliches and demodands, grave knights and goblin snakes, norns and nephilim, imperial dragons and unfettered eidolons, and so much more! Yet not every creature needs to be an enemy, as winged garudas, crafty tanukis, and leonine lammasus all wait to join your party and answer the call of glory.

The Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 3 is the third 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 bestselling set of fantasy rules into the new millennium.

The Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 3 includes:

  • More than 300 different monsters
  • Classic terrors from myth and literature, from the frumious bandersnatch and the righteous valkyrie to the cunning dybbuk and elusive kappa
  • Hordes of new creatures you can construct, grow, or summon to aid your party in its adventures
  • New player-friendly races to let you adventure as canny ratfolk, genie-blooded sulis, and more
  • New familiars, animal companions, and other allies
  • Challenges for any adventure and every level of play
  • Some of the strangest and most beloved creatures from fantasy roleplaying history and the Pathfinder campaign setting
  • Hosts of new templates and variants
  • Appendices to aid in monster navigation, including lists by Challenge Rating, monster type, and habitat
  • Expanded universal monster rules to simplify special attacks, defenses, and qualities
  • ... and much, much more!

ISBN-13: 978-1-60125-378-1

Errata
Last Updated - 11/10/2014

Other Resources: This product is also available on the following platforms:

Hero Lab Online
Fantasy Grounds Virtual Tabletop
Archives of Nethys

Note: This product is part of the Pathfinder Rulebook Subscription.

Product Availability

Hardcover:

Unavailable

PDF:

Fulfilled immediately.

Non-Mint:

Unavailable

This product is non-mint. Refunds are not available for non-mint products. The standard version of this product can be found here.

Are there errors or omissions in this product information? Got corrections? Let us know at store@paizo.com.

PZO1120


See Also:

1 to 5 of 15 << first < prev | 1 | 2 | 3 | next > last >>

Average product rating:

4.90/5 (based on 15 ratings)

Sign in to create or edit a product review.

A Major Contribution to the Game

5/5

The third bestiary of monsters for Pathfinder is chock-full of cool stuff. A few major themes for the book can be extracted: creatures from myth and literature (like sasquatches and valkyries), creatures with an Asian theme perfect for adventuring in Tian-Xia (such as kami and jiang-shi vampires), and the just plain really weird (like yithians and zoogs). As always with reviews of books like this, there's no way I can go through the hundreds of monsters individually, but I can say the writing and artwork is top-notch. Some particular things to note:

* The book has five new playable races: catfolk, ratfolk, suli, vanara, and vishkanya. There's always a demand for anthromorphic races like catfolk, and ratfolk later become prominent (under the name ysoki) in Starfinder. Suli don't do much for me and vishkanya are a race I've never seen played. But I do have to shout out to the monkey-like vanara, since a vanaran PC features prominently in my Curse of the Crimson Throne campaign!

* Several of the attempts from Misfit Monsters Redeemed to make goofy old monsters cool again are reprinted here, such as adherers and wolves-in-sheep's-clothing.

* Man, vulnudaemons are creepy.

* Love the artwork for animal lords--very Black Panther.

*The book introduces several new categories (sub-types) of monster: asuras (very cool concept I've never seen used), behemoths (creatures of divine vengeance on entire nations or worlds; a neat story idea), clockworks (a classic), demodands (titanspawn who hate the gods), divs (corrupted genies who strive for the ruin of all things made by mortals), imperial dragons (wingless, serpent-like dragons of Asian legend), kami (fixed-location nature spirits), kytons (creepy devils from the Plane of Shadows!), leshy (plant-like sentients), linnorms (cruel wingless dragons with a death curse), oni (evil spirits given form--the opposite of kami), rakshasa (drawn from Indian myth), sphinxes (with an interesting write-up), and thriaes (female bee-like seers). There's a real contribution to the richness of the game here, as all of these categories can then serve as the basis for rules-coherent variants introduced in later books.

All in all, Bestiary 3 is an excellent book and a smart purchase for a GM.


Another great addition to the Bestiary products

5/5

Reading through Bestiary 1 and 2, I was hoping that there will be even more eastern themed monsters. This Bestiary delivers just what I wanted! A must buy! Also, Flumph!!!


Best of the Bestiary

5/5

Bestiary 3 review is up on my blog.

This is probably my favorite of the Bestiaries so far, the content covers many iconic monsters from editions past, and stuff from the Adventure Paths. With great Asian flair for the Tian Xia world guide that is coming up, as well as many incredible monsters that have never graced the pages of a monster guide but are very welcome.


A great addition!

5/5

Although I'm generally opposed to the concept of core book "sequels," the content in 'Bestiary 3' is top notch. Whereas it took me some time to realize the usefulness of the monsters presented in 'Bestiary 2' (extraplanar/dimensional encounters rarely play a role in my campaigns), I immediately recognized many of the creatures in 'Bestiary 3' as either "iconic" or interesting variations on an established monster class.

As is to be expected, this book is well laid out and the illustrations are (mostly) top notch - Paizo rarely disappoints here! The Pathfinder Campaign Setting is still missing a few iconic monsters (mostly due to WotC's draconic licensing practices), but this volume (and the two which preceded it) gives GMs a huge variety of creatures to populate their encounters.

If I could make any suggestions for future 'Bestiary' volumes, the first would be to expand upon the lore provided - I realize it would likely halve the number of creatures included per book, but a two page spread (even for "simple" creatures like oozes) might help a GM find a place for a given creature within his campaign setting. Also, better illustrating a creature's size (perhaps even graphically) would be useful - general size classifications only go so far, and being able to see a silhouette of a given entry next to a human-sized creature would give both GMs and players a clear understanding of exactly how big a monster is (this was employed beautifully in an old FASA publication for Shadowrun: 'Paranormal Animals of North America' by Nigel Findley). Again, these are just suggestions on ways to improve an otherwise outstanding collection of Bestiaries. Keep up the good work!


Dodging the law of sequels

5/5

An excellent monster book, strong mythological presence (from various cultures). Probably even better than Bestiary 2. And it has the flumph! (this is a good thing, well its worth a page) If you're looking for a monster book for some critters outside of the real core you would well to pick this up.


1 to 5 of 15 << first < prev | 1 | 2 | 3 | next > last >>
401 to 450 of 1,123 << first < prev | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | next > last >>

james knowles wrote:

I would've much rather seen a psionics or epic level book than yet another monster manual, especially one in which 1/3 of the "new" monsters are just rehashed from the adventure paths.

Between Bestiary 1&2, the tome of horrors 1-3, the 3.5 monster manual 1-5, creature collection 1-3, and dozens of other books i've got more monsters than i'll ever use. all of which are very simple to "upgrade" to pathfinder stats. So for me personally another book of monsters is just a waste of paper.

Epic rules on the other hand are alot harder to try to convert and balance, so i'd love to see the paizo epic...er, mythic book see the light of day...and the sooner the better.

I actually would like to see HALF the monsters be from the AP's. It would be nice to have them in one place instead of remembering which AP a particular Monster was published. I am hoping a lot of the old AP monsters are going to make an appearance.

I do not use third party products unless they are from Green Ronin or well PAizo for D&D 3.5. SO I like getting one Bestiary a year.

I want to get the Tome of Horrors, but that will still remain low priority until I get the Paizo Minis and other things from Paizo I want.

Dark Archive

Could we get some guess the artwork blogs like we did for B2?


David Fryer wrote:
Could we get some guess the artwork blogs like we did for B2?

I will guess Erol Otus for the back painting of the keep! Oh yeah and the Mad Hermit!

The Cover is definitely Jim Roslof.

Scarab Sages

David Fryer wrote:
Could we get some guess the artwork blogs like we did for B2?
Mournblade94 wrote:

I will guess Erol Otus for the back painting of the keep! Oh yeah and the Mad Hermit!

The Cover is definitely Jim Roslof.

LOL

Did you see the homage to that guy, in Kingmaker?


I loved those "gues those monsters" art blogs as well and would love to see them done that way for the Beastairy 3.

Contributor

JiCi wrote:
May I suggest that someone modify the product's description to remove the "Kaiju" entry, before you get a riot at your offices' doors ? Just saying...

Fixed. Thanks, Ross!


Snorter wrote:
David Fryer wrote:
Could we get some guess the artwork blogs like we did for B2?
Mournblade94 wrote:

I will guess Erol Otus for the back painting of the keep! Oh yeah and the Mad Hermit!

The Cover is definitely Jim Roslof.

LOL

Did you see the homage to that guy, in Kingmaker?

Yeah that was priceless!

Paizo Employee Chief Technical Officer

Sean K Reynolds wrote:
JiCi wrote:
May I suggest that someone modify the product's description to remove the "Kaiju" entry, before you get a riot at your offices' doors ? Just saying...
Fixed. Thanks, Ross!

I went ahead and fully updated the product description to match the finished back cover copy.

Silver Crusade

1 person marked this as a favorite.
Pathfinder Adventure Path Subscriber

All I need to know is whether the tanukis do have grotesquely enlarged scrotums as in some folklore depictions.

Because if yes, then this is book is GLORIOUS.

Paizo Employee Creative Director

3 people marked this as a favorite.
Gorbacz wrote:

All I need to know is whether the tanukis do have grotesquely enlarged scrotums as in some folklore depictions.

Because if yes, then this is book is GLORIOUS.

They do not have giant scrotums in our art, because, well, I would think why would be obvious.

Nor does their description talk about giant scrotums, because, well, see above.

HOWEVER.

They do have a slam attack in addition to begin able to wield weapons. What they use to make that slam attack is left to the GM's preference.

Silver Crusade

Pathfinder Adventure Path Subscriber
James Jacobs wrote:
Gorbacz wrote:

All I need to know is whether the tanukis do have grotesquely enlarged scrotums as in some folklore depictions.

Because if yes, then this is book is GLORIOUS.

They do not have giant scrotums in our art, because, well, I would think why would be obvious.

Nor does their description talk about giant scrotums, because, well, see above.

HOWEVER.

They do have a slam attack in addition to begin able to wield weapons. What they use to make that slam attack is left to the GM's preference.

You guys should try a career in diplomacy when(if) the RPG business is over. :)


Sweet, Bandersnatch, Tanuki, Garuda, Norns, and Valkyrie.

Unfettered Eidolon sounds interesting.

Graveknight and Demilich were a given.

Can't wait see the Imperial Dragons.


1 person marked this as a favorite.
Gorbacz wrote:

All I need to know is whether the tanukis do have grotesquely enlarged scrotums as in some folklore depictions.

Because if yes, then this is book is GLORIOUS.

Some balls are held for charity and some for fancy dress, but when their held for pleasure they're the balls that I like best! My balls are always bouncing from the left and to the right, it's my belief that my big balls should be held every night.


"Some of the strangest and most beloved creatures from fantasy roleplaying history and the Pathfinder campaign setting"

...

My day will have been made if the flumphs got reprinted.


Golden-Esque wrote:
My day will have been made if the flumphs got reprinted.

Look no further than HERE


Mark Sweetman wrote:
Golden-Esque wrote:
My day will have been made if the flumphs got reprinted.
Look no further than HERE

I know about Misfit Monster Redeemed. That's why I'd be excited if they got redeemed. But as Mournblade94 said, it'd be nice to have the flumphs in the same place as other monsters; if only so I can keep a sense of mystery when describing creatures and not have my players automatically go "Oh, it's from that book? Well, there's only eight monsters in there; so it's gotta be Z!"

Scarab Sages

Pathfinder Maps Subscriber
Golden-Esque wrote:
Mark Sweetman wrote:
Golden-Esque wrote:
My day will have been made if the flumphs got reprinted.
Look no further than HERE
I know about Misfit Monster Redeemed. That's why I'd be excited if they got redeemed. But as Mournblade94 said, it'd be nice to have the flumphs in the same place as other monsters; if only so I can keep a sense of mystery when describing creatures and not have my players automatically go "Oh, it's from that book? Well, there's only eight monsters in there; so it's gotta be Z!"

They got Pathfinderized in the Tome of Horror Complete...

Paizo Employee Creative Director

5 people marked this as a favorite.
Golden-Esque wrote:

"Some of the strangest and most beloved creatures from fantasy roleplaying history and the Pathfinder campaign setting"

...

My day will have been made if the flumphs got reprinted.

Well then. Prepare for a particularly happy day once you get the book, I guess! :-)

Silver Crusade

Pathfinder Adventure Path Subscriber
James Jacobs wrote:
Golden-Esque wrote:

"Some of the strangest and most beloved creatures from fantasy roleplaying history and the Pathfinder campaign setting"

...

My day will have been made if the flumphs got reprinted.

Well then. Prepare for a particularly happy day once you get the book, I guess! :-)

Woooo! Are any other Misfit Monsters appearing in B3?

Dark Archive

James Jacobs wrote:
Golden-Esque wrote:

"Some of the strangest and most beloved creatures from fantasy roleplaying history and the Pathfinder campaign setting"

...

My day will have been made if the flumphs got reprinted.

Well then. Prepare for a particularly happy day once you get the book, I guess! :-)

Happy happy joy joy!

Paizo Employee Creative Director

1 person marked this as a favorite.
Gorbacz wrote:
James Jacobs wrote:
Golden-Esque wrote:

"Some of the strangest and most beloved creatures from fantasy roleplaying history and the Pathfinder campaign setting"

...

My day will have been made if the flumphs got reprinted.

Well then. Prepare for a particularly happy day once you get the book, I guess! :-)
Woooo! Are any other Misfit Monsters appearing in B3?

I've said too much already.

Wait a month or two and all will be made clear.

(I already gave you a new picture of Laori... don't get greedy!)

Frog God Games

The Flumph is also in Tome of Horrors Complete!

Just sayin'. :)


1 person marked this as a favorite.

Awesome, the Flumph made it into the Beastairy 3. I hope the Disenchanter, Wolf in sheep's clothing, and Flail snail made it in as well.

Sovereign Court

James Jacobs wrote:
(I already gave you a new picture of Laori... don't get greedy!)

Sorry if I'm completely off topic, but where can we find this new picture of Laori?

Owner - House of Books and Games LLC

Moonbeam wrote:
James Jacobs wrote:
(I already gave you a new picture of Laori... don't get greedy!)
Sorry if I'm completely off topic, but where can we find this new picture of Laori?

Faiths of Corruption, if I'm not mistaken.

(looks)

Yep! Right there on the cover.

Paizo Employee Creative Director

gbonehead wrote:
Moonbeam wrote:
James Jacobs wrote:
(I already gave you a new picture of Laori... don't get greedy!)
Sorry if I'm completely off topic, but where can we find this new picture of Laori?

Faiths of Corruption, if I'm not mistaken.

(looks)

Yep! Right there on the cover.

That's actually Nualia on the cover. Laori's on page 2.


Ratfolk?! You guys are the bestus ;)

Owner - House of Books and Games LLC

James Jacobs wrote:
gbonehead wrote:
Moonbeam wrote:
James Jacobs wrote:
(I already gave you a new picture of Laori... don't get greedy!)
Sorry if I'm completely off topic, but where can we find this new picture of Laori?

Faiths of Corruption, if I'm not mistaken.

(looks)

Yep! Right there on the cover.

That's actually Nualia on the cover. Laori's on page 2.

Oh! That'll teach me not to go on memory alone :)

So where's Laori from then, that everyone's so excited about her? And now that I've looked, which one is she?

Paizo Employee Creative Director

gbonehead wrote:
James Jacobs wrote:
gbonehead wrote:
Moonbeam wrote:
James Jacobs wrote:
(I already gave you a new picture of Laori... don't get greedy!)
Sorry if I'm completely off topic, but where can we find this new picture of Laori?

Faiths of Corruption, if I'm not mistaken.

(looks)

Yep! Right there on the cover.

That's actually Nualia on the cover. Laori's on page 2.

Oh! That'll teach me not to go on memory alone :)

So where's Laori from then, that everyone's so excited about her? And now that I've looked, which one is she?

She's from Curse of the Crimson Throne. (She's the elf.)

Silver Crusade

Pathfinder Adventure Path Subscriber
James Jacobs wrote:


She's from Curse of the Crimson Throne. (She's the elf.)

James is right, she's THE elf.

Cheerfully optimistic tsudere perky goth action genki girl cleric of Zon-Kuthon. Complete with a spiked chain and a bucketload of happy. Bloody bucketload, at that. And yes, she's on TV Tropes.

Owner - House of Books and Games LLC

James Jacobs wrote:
gbonehead wrote:
So where's Laori from then, that everyone's so excited about her? And now that I've looked, which one is she?
She's from Curse of the Crimson Throne. (She's the elf.)

Ah, that explains it. That's one of the APs I haven't read yet. You guys publish faster than I can keep up!

Not that that's a problem!!


James Jacobs wrote:
Gorbacz wrote:

All I need to know is whether the tanukis do have grotesquely enlarged scrotums as in some folklore depictions.

Because if yes, then this is book is GLORIOUS.

They do not have giant scrotums in our art, because, well, I would think why would be obvious.

Nor does their description talk about giant scrotums, because, well, see above.

HOWEVER.

They do have a slam attack in addition to begin able to wield weapons. What they use to make that slam attack is left to the GM's preference.

Has anybody tried the new Ben'n'Jerry's Schweddy Balls Ice Cream?

Sovereign Court

Well, I hope it's a good picture of Laori, because I ordered the book just to see that one picture. ;)

(I would really like to have a good picture of her to show my players in my current Crimson Throne campaign - she is just too good a character not to have an amazing picture).


I hope the Ki-rin, Cheshire Cat, Ninetail Fox, Nekomata, Yuki-onna, Jub Jub Bird, Bigfoot, and Greater Medusa made it into this book.

Paizo Employee Creative Director

Dragon78 wrote:
I hope the Ki-rin, Cheshire Cat, Ninetail Fox, Nekomata, Yuki-onna, Jub Jub Bird, Bigfoot, and Greater Medusa made it into this book.

You will be disappointed and delighted. I won't say yet which reaction will be stronger.


James Jacobs wrote:
Dragon78 wrote:
I hope the Ki-rin, Cheshire Cat, Ninetail Fox, Nekomata, Yuki-onna, Jub Jub Bird, Bigfoot, and Greater Medusa made it into this book.
You will be disappointed and delighted. I won't say yet which reaction will be stronger.

I am in suspense.


Well I gues I will be both disapointed and delighted. I can't wait for some previews.


I know there won't be as many outsiders in this one probably, but will we have a few more of my favorites? I'm wondering if there will be more angels, archons, proteans and inevitables? Especially the last two, I love the more law and chaos stuff than the good and evil. More giants, too maybe? And fey I'm sure.

Paizo Employee Creative Director

Calypstar wrote:
I know there won't be as many outsiders in this one probably, but will we have a few more of my favorites? I'm wondering if there will be more angels, archons, proteans and inevitables? Especially the last two, I love the more law and chaos stuff than the good and evil. More giants, too maybe? And fey I'm sure.

There'll be some, but not all. Certainly more giants and fey though.

The Exchange Kobold Press

Hurray for more giants! Also, will there be additional constructs?

I ask merely from curiosity and not out of any desire to make my players twitch even more whenever they hear metallic ticking noises.


Yeah for Giants and Fey.

I hope for more Angels, Aeons, and Proteons.

There was suposed to be a Improved Famaliar option for Archons.

More Inevitables would be nice.

Silver Crusade

2 people marked this as a favorite.
Pathfinder Adventure Path Subscriber

Ponies. This game needs more Ponies.


December 21, that's too long

I hope for additional constructs, giants and fey

and ki-rin like the one in Heroes 6


Gorbacz wrote:
Ponies. This game needs more Ponies.

One pony is quite enough thank you


2 people marked this as a favorite.
DM Wellard wrote:
Gorbacz wrote:
Ponies. This game needs more Ponies.
One pony is quite enough thank you

Me of course.


1 person marked this as a favorite.

You mean magical talking colorful ponies.


This is giving me nightmares.

The Exchange Kobold Press

Also, we need leprechaun stats. I hear they have awesome treasure!


Leprechauns are in the Beastairy 2.


Dragon78 wrote:
You mean magical talking colorful ponies.

He means the four ponies of the apocalypse.

401 to 450 of 1,123 << first < prev | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | next > last >>
Community / Forums / Paizo / Product Discussion / Pathfinder Roleplaying Game: Bestiary 3 (OGL) All Messageboards

Want to post a reply? Sign in.