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Pathfinder Bestiary 3

4.80/5 (based on 4 ratings)
Pathfinder Bestiary 3
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With more than 300 classic and brand-new monsters, this 320-page beautifully illustrated hardcover rulebook completes the collection of creatures begun in the first two Pathfinder Bestiary volumes. From classic creatures like clockworks and tooth fairies, returning favorites like imperial dragons and mighty titans, to brand-new menaces found all over Golarion, this must-have tome of monsters designed to challenge characters of any level is an essential companion to your Pathfinder game!

Pathfinder Bestiary 3 includes:

  • More than 300 monsters drawn from mythology and folklore, genre classics, and more than a decade of Pathfinder, with plenty of new monsters too!
  • Gorgeous full-color illustrations on nearly every page!
  • Comprehensive monster lists sorted by level, type, and rarity to help you find the right monster for any situation!
  • Universal monster rules to simplify special attacks, defenses, and qualities like grab, swallow whole, and regeneration.
  • Detailed lore sidebars offering additional information about even more of Pathfinder’s most popular friends and foes!

ISBN-13: 978-1-64078-312-6

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4.80/5 (based on 4 ratings)

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Monstrous

5/5 —

Follows Bestiary 1 and 2. A lot of fun new creatures.

5/5 —

Yup, it's a bestiary alright

5/5 —

5 stars for the Wayne Reynolds art on the cover.

Core bestiaries truly feel complete now

4/5 —

So with this book, almost all major creature groups from 1e are in(I think missing ones are Manasaputra, Nightshades, Demodands, and my favorite Gigas that I will never give up upon ;D I mean I do want Azi back but they haven't been seen since 3.5) and almost every summon monster spell has something to summon for spell levels 1-10. You can really see why they said this is final of core bestiaries.

I took month to review this book since I was for some reason not as excited about this book after getting it than up to its review and I wanted time for hype and such to set down so I would figure out why and I think its combination of three things: 1) there is bit of feeling of emptiness to know that this is the "final core bestiary" even though obviously there will be more bestiary entries in future even if they come in different form 2) first two bestiaries were extremely exciting with second one being even more exciting for me than the first one, so that kinda set up even higher expectations for me for third one 3) since this is third bestiary, some inconsistencies I were willing to ignore in first two ones(such as remorhaz entry vs frost worm entry) are harder to ignore here just because its third one.

Now I don't say book is worse because of my art nitpicks, far from it, its still great book with great art, monsters, lore and mechanics. I think its only fault really comes down to "Its kind of what you'd expect for rounding up core bestiaries". I mean of course for me there is the uncanny feeling of "oh my favorite monsters look really different in art now" for some of them, but I don't think that is really that major thing here. Thing is that sometimes good bestiary is just good bestiary, it doesn't always need to be "greatest bestiary ever!" and other superlatives, with this book 2e has majority of its old bigger content back and new cool things as well and its swell. So thats why I think 4 stars is pretty appropriate, its great book, but not every great book needs to be 5 stars.

That doesn't prevent me from nitpicking things though x'D:
Okay so already posted my full nitpick list on the message board so I'm only going to bring up stuff that sticks out to me still month later. So that means no bringing up "but aww 1e version of this art was really cool" or "I think its weird that this monster looks bit different now" or "I thought picture is great but needs more colorful palette" nor "Nikaramsa entry didn't confirm my theory they are result of Sarenrae's mistake to smite Gormuz!" If ye want to know my full first impression nitpick list, just read that instead xD

Its really hard to tell when the monster is supposed to have new appearance and when its just case of artist being different when monster description is same as in 1e. Like Galvo in 1e was basically humanoid swarm of eels and its physical description sounds same here, but art looks like one big heel humanoid.

This is big deal to me since lot of gm just look at monster picture without actually reading their lore ^_^; Though in this case at least the swarm form ability will remind them of there being something weird about galvo's case.

Some of lore entries feel inconsistent with 2e's development, android article kinda makes it sound like Technic League is still around. Like sure yeah androids in 2e are still bit paranoid of other people because of past history, but they aren't forced to hide themselves to same degree now that Technic League has broken down.

Then there are things like Kami not speaking Senzar and Nagaji not having their own language from 1e. Its bit hard to tell if that is change on purpose or case of language being so obscure it got forgotten. Senzar hasn't gotten mentions in 2e yet outside of society scenarios I think so it could have gotten removed(it wasn't mentioned in starfinder kami either), but if it is still a thing, it SHOULD be in kami's entries. But I do think it is plausible that senzar was just removed completely in 2e, but I guess we'll see eventually.

That last one might sound like minor nitpick, but its same situation as necril in 1e or sinspawns and thassilonian. So 3.5 RotR bestiary entry sinspawn and rune giants spoke thassilon, but generic setting bestiary ones didn't, so whenever you encountered sinspawn in thassilonian ruins in 1e pathfinder society, they only spoke aklo because that is what bestiary referred to. Same way no undead ever spoke necril as it was setting specific language making necril pretty useless language to learn. So if senzar still exists, if no kami speaks it then its only useful language to learn if adventure calls it out.

I also nitpick decision to make wolliped be common creature on golarion despite it originating from Triaxus. Like there really wasn't lot of implications in 1e that wollipede existed on golarion outside of triaxus, especially since text implies they have been on golarion for very long now. I would have preferred their presence on Golarion to have been recent development at least even if it was still relatively unknown :p Wollipede being exotic alien animal was part of their appeal in my opinion x'D

Okay nitpicks over, so I'm going to gush about some things I'm really into xD Not everything because that would make this review even longer, but you can assume I loved pretty much everything related to "oh hey this group of outsiders is back now" :p Plus stuff like brain child is what I assume everyone else also likes, so I'm gonna focus on stuff that is particularly up to my taste. I will also add as general rule that I love troop rules being back (and kinda wish splitting oozes had same feature of becoming smaller x'D)

Bone shiiiiiiip and all small details on how it was expanded, like it being decorated with hundreds of soul gems and what its vehicle stats would be like if you pilot it :D

Even after month later, most memorable of "totes not future ancestries" is buso farmer :'D And they are only ones I'm unsure of whether it is meant to be ancestry since it doesn't have "buso" trait. Well anyway, there is something fascinating about culture that results from "Only type of meat these creatures can stomach is meat of sapient humanoids". Like sure they can eat vegetables so they could be vegetarians(and they have plant growing powers), but it still provides interesting questions of how culture such as them has developed.

That said I do dig stheno and all, they also have really cool lore tied to Shelyn and Lamashtu :D But yeah buso stood out to me by weirdness factor.

I do think skelm are one of best new things in the book. They are extremely unpleasant and good avatar of miserable behavior to punch in the face xD

I super duper dig aesthetic of love and hatred siktemporas :D Ouruboros and gurgist mortic art also among my favorites in the book.

Invidual small abilities/details I loved: Nikaramsa's Towering Stance. More details on Forsaken. Kimenhul's new art is great improvement on 1e one. Oh and Bauble Beast. That thing is so doofy xD

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Paizo Employee Webstore Coordinator
3 people marked this as a favorite.

Announced for March! Product image and description are not final and may be subject to change.
Silver Crusade
15 people marked this as a favorite.
Pathfinder Adventure Path Subscriber

A tooth fairy pulling out a skeleton's teef.

Core.
Silver Crusade
2 people marked this as a favorite.

Yusssss
1 person marked this as a favorite.
Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber

A mechanical fire breathing dragon? We've achieved Truckzilla!
4 people marked this as a favorite.
Pathfinder Lost Omens, Rulebook Subscriber

I hope the Kami appear in this Bestiary. Definitely missed not having them in the Bestiary 2.
5 people marked this as a favorite.

I like that it's a seemingly nice day in the art. Makes the castle getting overrun not seem so bad.
Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Charter Superscriber

Niice!
Dark Archive
2 people marked this as a favorite.
Pathfinder Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber

I love that lore sidebars is an advertised feature :3 They really are great
2 people marked this as a favorite.
Dansome wrote:
I like that it's a seemingly nice day in the art. Makes the castle getting overrun not seem so bad.

May all your massacres be picturesque.

Great cover!
Silver Crusade
7 people marked this as a favorite.
Pathfinder Adventure Path Subscriber

It's not mentioned in the product description, but PaizoCon Online spoilers said troops will be in this.

Wait, tooth fairy troops.

*dives deeper*
7 people marked this as a favorite.
Gorbacz wrote:
It's not mentioned in the product description, but PaizoCon Online spoilers said troops will be in this.

A troop mechanic has been super high on my wishlist for Pathfinder 2nd Edition, so the inclusion of that mechanic in this book makes it an instabuy.

RPG Superstar 2013 Top 32
1 person marked this as a favorite.
Gorbacz wrote:

It's not mentioned in the product description, but PaizoCon Online spoilers said troops will be in this.

Even without knowing that, the skeleton group on the front sort of suggested it.

That cover more than any yet has me a little torn about my SE rulebook sub. Looks so good.

I must say that since the Bestiary 6 for 1E, this is the Bestiary cover with the greatest personality. Look at those tooth fairies!

And I must say I'm happy to see the clockwork dragon in the cover as well.

But I'm far more interested, or rather intrigued, with what does "completes the collection of creatures begun in the first two Pathfinder Bestiary volumes" mean... Could anyone clarify that? In that supposed to be the last Bestiary or something like that? Or was meant to say that the greatest majority of the most popular monsters from 1E are now converted with this volume?
Silver Crusade
2 people marked this as a favorite.
Pathfinder Adventure Path Subscriber

There were hints here and there that PF2 publishing schedule is set for 5 years and that there will be 3 bestiaries, no more.
Gorbacz wrote:
There were hints here and there that PF2 publishing schedule is set for 5 years and that there will be 3 bestiaries, no more.

Wait, seriously? I mean, don’t get me wrong, I’m eager for 2e to get into its non-core, non-bestiary phase of the release schedule, but I don’t recall hearing that. Aren’t agathions, for example, excluded from the first three bestiaries but promised to be released in a future product?

I don’t really have a horse in this race, since between the 3 bestiaries we’ll have after this one comes out, we’ll have...a lot to work with. Way more than I’ll ever be able to use. Still, it would have been nice to get a few Great Old One statblocks into the mix before 2e went in a different direction.

I guess that’s moot without mythic rules first.
1 person marked this as a favorite.

That's a shame. I've always loved Bestiaries/Monster Manuals ever since i was a kid. Even really loved B5 and 6's additions. I'm curious what'll take its place, if anything at all.
Silver Crusade
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Pathfinder Adventure Path Subscriber

I guess Paizo calculated the ROI on Bestiaries 4+ and figured out that there's just not enough of it.
Gorbacz wrote:
There were hints here and there that PF2 publishing schedule is set for 5 years and that there will be 3 bestiaries, no more.

Maybe this isn't the place for this discussion, but do elaborate please.

Silver Crusade
Pathfinder Adventure Path Subscriber
Sporkedup wrote:
Gorbacz wrote:
There were hints here and there that PF2 publishing schedule is set for 5 years and that there will be 3 bestiaries, no more.
Maybe this isn't the place for this discussion, but do elaborate please.

Well, the bestiary hint is right there. The 5 years I base on this post from Lisa but I wouldn't mind if I'm mistaken :)

Gorbacz wrote:
Sporkedup wrote:
Gorbacz wrote:
There were hints here and there that PF2 publishing schedule is set for 5 years and that there will be 3 bestiaries, no more.
Maybe this isn't the place for this discussion, but do elaborate please.
Well, the bestiary hint is right there. The 5 years I base on this post from Lisa but I wouldn't mind if I'm mistaken :)

Gotcha. Lisa's comment seems more like hedging than plotting. While I know financially spending a decade on a single game isn't always the strongest, I feel like the development cycle on a game this large is just too big for a 5 year lifespan. 2e took them, what, two years to make plus a pretty hectic first year of releases? That gives me anxiety to think about.

I wonder if they'll try a new track with Bestiaries after 3. Instead of a general "pile of things" maybe they'll move to more specific thematic ties?

Really important question here.
Gorbacz wrote:
Sporkedup wrote:
Gorbacz wrote:
There were hints here and there that PF2 publishing schedule is set for 5 years and that there will be 3 bestiaries, no more.
Maybe this isn't the place for this discussion, but do elaborate please.
Well, the bestiary hint is right there. The 5 years I base on this post from Lisa but I wouldn't mind if I'm mistaken :)

Ah well i hope you are too, but hey, it is what it is lol

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

2e took 4 years, development began in 2015. I can imagine the hardcover barrage slowing down while APs continue in order to avoid THE BLOAT.
Sporkedup wrote:
Gorbacz wrote:
Sporkedup wrote:
Gorbacz wrote:
There were hints here and there that PF2 publishing schedule is set for 5 years and that there will be 3 bestiaries, no more.
Maybe this isn't the place for this discussion, but do elaborate please.
Well, the bestiary hint is right there. The 5 years I base on this post from Lisa but I wouldn't mind if I'm mistaken :)

Gotcha. Lisa's comment seems more like hedging than plotting. While I know financially spending a decade on a single game isn't always the strongest, I feel like the development cycle on a game this large is just too big for a 5 year lifespan. 2e took them, what, two years to make plus a pretty hectic first year of releases? That gives me anxiety to think about.

I wonder if they'll try a new track with Bestiaries after 3. Instead of a general "pile of things" maybe they'll move to more specific thematic ties?

Really important question here.

That's a good point. They have done that in the past with Occult Bestiary and the Inner Sea Bestiary. Would be very interested in something like that. Although I'll miss cracking open a large grimoire of monsters and reading through it.

Gorbacz wrote:
2e took 4 years, development began in 2015. I can imagine the hardcover barrage slowing down while APs continue in order to avoid THE BLOAT.

That would be both understandable and acceptable. I just hope the game isn't slated for planned obsolescence in that short of a time frame!

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So if this is the final bestary, I'd love to see some of the older robots and tech stuff in here. I love my robots and lasers and it would actually fit my friend's current campaign. He's using Starfinder stats for the lasers and other tech stuff.
Silver Crusade
Pathfinder Adventure Path Subscriber
Odraude wrote:
So if this is the final bestary, I'd love to see some of the older robots and tech stuff in here. I love my robots and lasers and it would actually fit my friend's current campaign. He's using Starfinder stats for the lasers and other tech stuff.

*puts the ghillie suit on, adjusts the scope on his lazor gun*

i really hope the maharaja rakshasha with powerfull télépathic occult power.
Dark Archive
Pathfinder Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber

I'm hoping for Plankta :3 Because I just run that part of Ruins of Azlant and was pleasantly surprised how fun monster that was to run even in 1e.

I'm also hoping for more Enisysian and Plizeazoth among other ap bestiary monsters ;D
3 people marked this as a favorite.
Sporkedup wrote:

I wonder if they'll try a new track with Bestiaries after 3. Instead of a general "pile of things" maybe they'll move to more specific thematic ties?

Really important question here.

I can't find the link, but I'm pretty sure James Jacobs said somewhere on these boards that Bestiary 3 was the 'final' bestiary for relaunch purposes. The idea was that it took 3 volumes to cover all the creatures from PF1 that they wanted to have in PF2, reorganize some categories, fix earlier blunders, clean up things dragged along unchanged from WotC OGL, etc.

The sense I got from his post was that these first couple years are getting the foundations in place, and that Bestiary 3 was the last building block for the "creatures" part of the foundation.
Dark Archive
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Pathfinder Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber

Yeah, I think idea was that "we need to have 3 bestiaries out to get 2e as fast as possible to the point where 1e ended" and then have bestiaries after that come out in more slower pace

I would assume this one will have devastator since it was in playtest though it will probably come without mythic subtype in this version as well :'D

Are those Skeletons old friends of Valeros as that emblem on the shield and banner is the same Valeros has on his shield in his Iconic picture??

Also love those Tooth Fairies on the cover, especially the one on the foreground that looks like salivating watching those skeletons and all those teeth ready to be pulled off.
Pathfinder Adventure, Adventure Path, Lost Omens, Maps, Pathfinder Accessories Subscriber; Pathfinder Battles Case Subscriber; Starfinder Superscriber
Routamaa wrote:
Are those Skeletons old friends of Valeros as that emblem on the shield and banner is the same Valeros has on his shield in his Iconic picture??

Valeros picks up lots of his stuff as loot from random places, so not necessarily. But yeah, I would love to know what that emblem belongs to.

Dark Archive
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Pathfinder Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber

I kinda what what new monster the skeletons are supposed to represent. Maybe a skeleton troop?
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Pathfinder Lost Omens, Rulebook Subscriber

Wonder what dinosaurs we will get this time around.
1 person marked this as a favorite.

Super excited for troops rules.
Silver Crusade
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Pathfinder Adventure Path Subscriber
Odraude wrote:
So if this is the final bestary, I'd love to see some of the older robots and tech stuff in here. I love my robots and lasers and it would actually fit my friend's current campaign. He's using Starfinder stats for the lasers and other tech stuff.

It's been four days, something is clearly broken. Maybe let's try again:

I HOPE FOR LOTZ OF ROBOTZ WITH LAZORS IN THIS BOOK!

*primes the claymore mine, draws the kukri*
1 person marked this as a favorite.
Pathfinder PF Special Edition Subscriber
Katina Davis wrote:
Announced for March! Product image and description are not final and may be subject to change.

The temp cover art is fantastic, and you guys should just keep that cover in place!

Dark Archive
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Pathfinder Adventure Path Subscriber

Sahkil and asura friends??? hopes
1 person marked this as a favorite.

Just dialing back to an earlier conversation, Erik Mona confirmed this is not the last Bestiary, just the last basic core bestiary. Definitely more coming after this.
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Sporkedup wrote:
Just dialing back to an earlier conversation, Erik Mona confirmed this is not the last Bestiary, just the last basic core bestiary. Definitely more coming after this.

So just like with the future splatbooks, the new Bestiary books after B3 will probably be more thematic in execution. I'm perfectly fine with that.

Ezekieru wrote:
Sporkedup wrote:
Just dialing back to an earlier conversation, Erik Mona confirmed this is not the last Bestiary, just the last basic core bestiary. Definitely more coming after this.
So just like with the future splatbooks, the new Bestiary books after B3 will probably be more thematic in execution. I'm perfectly fine with that.

Very agreed. After a certain point, you do get diminishing returns from numbered entries alone.

A trilogy is a great place to stop the core Bestiaries, though!
Contributing Artist
12 people marked this as a favorite.
Routamaa wrote:

Are those Skeletons old friends of Valeros as that emblem on the shield and banner is the same Valeros has on his shield in his Iconic picture??

Also love those Tooth Fairies on the cover, especially the one on the foreground that looks like salivating watching those skeletons and all those teeth ready to be pulled off.

Well spotted!

Critical success on your perception roll. :)
Dark Archive
1 person marked this as a favorite.
Wayne Reynolds wrote:
Routamaa wrote:

Are those Skeletons old friends of Valeros as that emblem on the shield and banner is the same Valeros has on his shield in his Iconic picture??

Also love those Tooth Fairies on the cover, especially the one on the foreground that looks like salivating watching those skeletons and all those teeth ready to be pulled off.

Well spotted!

Critical success on your perception roll. :)

Oh no! They're not his friends... those skeletons have killed Valeros and taken his stuff! Bastards!

Dark Archive
Pathfinder Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber

Come to think about it, since this is third "core" bestiary, I guess this will be first 2e bestiary book with level 24 monsters :3

Maybe even more unique evil quasi deities~ I mean if its supposed to help gm run any kind of game they want, we need potential final bosses! Preferably for levels 21-24 so we can choose the final boss difficulty~
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Pathfinder Lost Omens, Rulebook Subscriber

Really looking forward to a bunch of stuff in this one, but especially the imperial dragons.
Contributing Artist
2 people marked this as a favorite.
Asgetrion wrote:
Wayne Reynolds wrote:
Routamaa wrote:

Are those Skeletons old friends of Valeros as that emblem on the shield and banner is the same Valeros has on his shield in his Iconic picture??

Also love those Tooth Fairies on the cover, especially the one on the foreground that looks like salivating watching those skeletons and all those teeth ready to be pulled off.

Well spotted!

Critical success on your perception roll. :)
Oh no! They're not his friends... those skeletons have killed Valeros and taken his stuff! Bastards!

Unlikely.

The shield that the skeleton troop is holding is a different shape to Valeros's shield.
Silver Crusade
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Maybe they’re drinking buddies?

As a reminder, given the discussion about this being the last Bestiary, we do at the very least know that Kingmaker is coming with its own Bestiary.
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