So I've got all the old WotC monster manuals, and am wondering if the Bestiary is worth buying? Obviously it'll have everything with updated, but is it solely longtime monsters, or is there enough new content to justify the purchase?
Thanks.
|
There are several new monsters in there. But most importantly: everything is converted to PF rules, several poorly written 3.5 monsters are fixed (Roper, Ogre Mage, Rakshasa) and it's so wonderfully easier to use than any WotC book due to 1 monster/page and universal rules. It's more than worth the 10 bucks for the PDF and easily worth the hardcover price.
|
|
Personally I say yes it is worth it. Sure you can convert all the monsters from 3.5 to PFRPG stats but this does it for you.
As to new content, well there are a few bits and pieces here and there. Proteans (to replace Slaad) and Shaitan spring to mind. I'm sure there's more than that.
All in all I say that it's worth the expense.
Proteans (to replace Slaad)
There are no Proteans in the Bestiary (although I'm sure they'll be in Bestiary 2.
In any case, many of the monsters in the Bestiary have received major overhauls compared to the 3.5 Monster Manual. Dragons, for instance, but a lot of other monsters have also been updated (some with new shiny abilities), reimagined, or been otherwise rebalanced to more closely match their given CR.
There is a sprinkling of new monsters, but the majority are monsters from the 3.5 SRD. As mentioned above, the layout is a vast improvement over the Monster Manual. The artwork is also great. In my opinion, the book is well worth it.
|
For a group without a lot of money I would say try to save up communally and eventually get it. Until then use the online databases that are available for the OGL monsters. This is what my group is personally doing, we just NOW got a core rulebook and are playing with just the AP's and the a hardcover APG.
There are several new monsters in there. But most importantly: everything is converted to PF rules, several poorly written 3.5 monsters are fixed (Roper, Ogre Mage, Rakshasa) and it's so wonderfully easier to use than any WotC book due to 1 monster/page and universal rules. It's more than worth the 10 bucks for the PDF and easily worth the hardcover price.
I say yes it is worth it for all these reason, but also it is helpful to see how Paizo's monsters compare to their 3.5 equivalent. This will help you translate over other monsters from 3.5 for your game.
Pathfinderized classic monsters + universal monster rules + monster creation guidelines = Worth it
Wow, sounds pretty unanimous. Thanks, guys. I'll shell out for the pdf. (Gorbacz actually had me at rakshasa, since that's a classic D&D baddie that we haven't used much in our group and I'm planning on making one the big bad for a new campaign I'm working on.)
|
|
Wow, sounds pretty unanimous. Thanks, guys. I'll shell out for the pdf. (Gorbacz actually had me at rakshasa, since that's a classic D&D baddie that we haven't used much in our group and I'm planning on making one the big bad for a new campaign I'm working on.)
To give you a teaser, Rakshasas have gone from laughable 52 HP up to 115, and their attacks and abilities will make you go "oh snap" when you meet one.
They still die to a blessed bolt tho eh?!
Yes it is worth it. Worth every penny.
The Bestiary in on par with the Pathfinder Player Handbook, in quality, consistence, and craftsmanship.
|
So I've got all the old WotC monster manuals, and am wondering if the Bestiary is worth buying?
Myself, I do not own the Bestiary. I still think the .pdf is a good purchase if you've got a laptop at the table, and the book itself is well worth it if you've got a player who summons things frequently (although I use index cards with the stats printed up).
If you run a lot of adventures "off-the-cuff", however, the Bestiary is invaluable (as is the Gamemastery Guide's NPC Gallery!). My two cents.
not to mention the marid, shaitaan, and the linnorm(especialy the tarn with his curse of death):D.
Monsters are always worthwhile :P
|
I have an iPad so the PDF is perfect for me. As far as the Bestiary in general yeah worth it. Monsters are really more level appropriate now. It dove me nuts fighting a high level monster and have it be a cake walk.
New monsters... Linnorn is worth the price alone. Heck I think an ancient red dragon would tremble at the thought of tangling with. a Tarn Linnorn!
My only complaint with the PF Bestiary is that, in order to abide by the one monster per page concept, they removed a very large number of monsters that I now have to spend the time "building" if I want them.
Specifically, snakes (constrictor and venomous), centipedes, spiders, scorpions, and to a lesser degree (since they were templates to begin with) skeletons and zombies.
Maybe its just the style of games I run, but I've had many of my sessions, especially the sandbox type ones, grind to a halt because I need to stat up a huge centipede. And often following the advancement advice of using giant or advanced templates results in CRs that are off from 3.5 material (such as many Dungeon adventures).
I would love a web enhancement with a set of variously sized vermin stats, but thats just me.
But yeah, my only complaint is relatively minor, the book is well worth it, if only for the converted stats, art, ease of use/layout, etc, etc, blah, blah, rabble, rabble, rabble...
Black Bard, I know it isn't exactly what you want, but d20pfsrd.com has stated out many of those variant monsters for you. You can print them out, or copy / paste them into your own document.
Yep
There's a lot of little things I've noticed as differences, and I keep finding more. They're all awesome.
It definitely stands on its own as a book. Basically all of the creatures that feature in both books are improved or tweaked somehow — usually to have cooler powers.
Thanks Joe, thats exactly what I was looking for.
My minor irritation at it not being in the basic monster book still stands. But as stated, it is a minor irritation, nothing more.
So I've got all the old WotC monster manuals, and am wondering if the Bestiary is worth buying? Obviously it'll have everything with updated, but is it solely longtime monsters, or is there enough new content to justify the purchase?
Thanks.
YES
It seems like I'm already preaching to the choir, but I'll give you my two cents, nonetheless (note that those are euro cents, which is almost 3 USD cents with the exchange rate being what it is :)):
While you can look up all the monsters in the PRD (which is, in fact, what I'm doing usually), the book (or at least the PDF version) are worth it for the art alone. In fact, I'd say the balor's picture alone is almost worth it. This is what I'm talking about.
As for the book itself: The only thing I don't like about it is that a lot of variants are missing - instead you are told to advance this monster like this and that monster like that, and while it is not that hard (with the new simple templates) most of the time, stat blocks would be better.
Other than that (and maybe some bases being uncovered as not all monsters from the MM1/SRD made it), the book is top notch!
Some of the new abilities:
|
|
So I've got all the old WotC monster manuals, and am wondering if the Bestiary is worth buying? Obviously it'll have everything with updated, but is it solely longtime monsters, or is there enough new content to justify the purchase?
Thanks.
Yes. The layout alone makes it worth it. No more flipping between pages for the same monster.
|
Doppelgangers got a whole lot more usable; they used to be hopeless at impersonating anyone other than Fighters, Warriors or Commoners.
Now, with their new abilities, they are assumed to ace any UMD check with a wand or scroll, making it much easier to kidnap and replace a full or partial caster (just make sure to max that Sleight of Hand bonus).
Heck there are also goblin dogs in the bestiary which were not in 3.5. Heck the skeletal champion looks awesome as well.