You may want to buy Volo’s Guide to Monsters ...

[Treebore]

even if you don't play 5E. They are seriously changing up how they write these books.

http://www.polygon.com/features/2016/10 ... ind-flayer

I'm buying it. I already have it pre ordered on Amazon for like $32...

[Buttmonkey]

The description I read sounds a lot like they are copying the approach from the Advanced Hackmaster Hacklopedia of Beasts.

[Treebore]

The description I read sounds a lot like they are copying the approach from the Advanced Hackmaster Hacklopedia of Beasts.

Yeah, but apparently much more fluff. What is it? 14 pages for the Mind Flayers? Both Volo and Elminster commenting, but often not agreeing? So I am seeing a LOT of material to inspire me.

[Litzen Tallister]

From what I've read, it reminds me a bit of the old "Ecology of the ..." articles from Dragon magazine. I'm thinking about purchasing it. But, on the one hand, I like that in the current edition of D&D I can be surprised by monsters because, unlike previous editions when I pretty much read everything cover to cover, I've avoided the DMG and Monster Manual. On the other hand, it looks very nice and seems like a fun read.

[Brutorz Bill]

This looks interesting. I'm not running 5E, but may have to pick it up.

[Treebore]

This looks interesting. I'm not running 5E, but may have to pick it up.

Get the LGS exclusive cover. Its Bad AZZZ!

[alcyone]

I am not sure I like the approach. Volothamp Geddarm is from the Forgotten Realms, so he is going to tell Realms-oriented stories about all of these monsters. I'd rather have a kernel of information about them and spin a story about them, especially when prepping adventures in my own world. Also, all that flavor text just gives people more stuff to argue with the DM about.

As someone READING the book, I think the Volo commentary would be more interesting than statblocks.

It would just annoy me if I kept running into things I'd rather not be true, like all puce dragons hate spatulas and collect stamps and have names that rhyme with "albatross" or something arbitrary like that.

All that said, I like how Tome of Horrors has an adventure seed for every monster, so maybe I am just cranky.

Back in my day we just had one monster, and we all had to share him, and we'd just change the name and hit points, and we had to remember to set them back when we were done. That's why we invented kobolds, you know, we got sick of calling every DM in 10 miles to see if we could use the monster, so we used kobolds instead. Now, kobolds didn't come with any hit points, but we didn't care, because back then weapons couldn't do any damage because we needed the steel for the war, so we used cotton instead. But I am getting distracted. Anyway, at first we couldn't call them kobolds cuz that was German, and the Kaiser wouldn't allow it, so we mostly called them thingamajigs. Some of us got the bright idea to draw pictures of em on cards, I guess that's where they got the idea to have pictures in the monster books. Only we drew the pictures and didn't have room for stats, so they'd have to go on the other side of the card. But back then because of rationing the cards only had but one side, so we were screwed.

Long story short, you kids with your monster manuals and general lee hot wheels and type-writers and rubric cubes don't know how good you got it.

[Treebore]

I just wanted it because I wanted the fluff, and there is a lot of it for most monsters. What is it? 14 pages on the Yuan Ti? So I got what I wanted.

[Lurker]

I just wanted it because I wanted the fluff, and there is a lot of it for most monsters. What is it? 14 pages on the Yuan Ti? So I got what I wanted.

You know me, I love fluff, so that does sound good. Plus, back in the day I enjoyed Volo, so I just may have to get this one ... when money gets a little looser ...

[Treebore]

I just wanted it because I wanted the fluff, and there is a lot of it for most monsters. What is it? 14 pages on the Yuan Ti? So I got what I wanted.

You know me, I love fluff, so that does sound good. Plus, back in the day I enjoyed Volo, so I just may have to get this one ... when money gets a little looser ...

Yeah, the Beholder, Illithid and a few others got similar treatment. I think the least amount of pages any of the monsters got was 2, which is probably the majority of them. I think Orcs got about 5 pages.