3 comments about Folklore Official Strategy Guide (Bradygames Strategy Guides) (Bradygames Strategy Guides) (Bradygames Strategy Guides).

1. Although this guide has some very nice character and location art, it is not helpful at all. Not only is half the maps missing on the pages where the maps are shown, it does not list all the information needed in the game (actually not even close to all the info needed)
   
   It fails to mention what the costume section in the game is, what the colored crystal are (and how to break them, and the worst of all is that there is no mention that the side quests must be completed (if you want to do them)before you fight the area's boss.
   
   This is barely useful, and not recommended, unless you want it for the art, I would avoid it. At least it's only 20 dollars (maybe thats why it seemed like the editors did care about how the final product looked)



2. This guide provides a complete, and highly accurate, walkthrough for the game, and is essential unless you want to spend pointless hours wandering around and wasting time doing things that don't advance the game. It's attractive, and pretty well-organized. It's sketchy on how to solve quests (maybe deliberate so as not to give everything away), and occasionally fails to provide guidance on how best to handle troublesome Folks, but for the most part provides the key information needed. When it didn't provide it, a quick internet check would fill in the missing keys. A clearer explanation of how to boost karma for your folks would have been helpful. But overall, this was an excellent help.



3. The game is fantastic and the book helps out so much! I am definately glad I bought it!!

5 comments about Player's Handbook: Core Rulebook I (Dungeons & Dragons d20 3.0 Fantasy Roleplaying).

1. I played RPGs for 20 years. I liked them, i liked the people I played with and then i stopped. Nothing interested me after a while until 3E. I thought this was going to turn it all around again. Boy was i wrong.

   The ideas behind this haphazard collection of material is sound. The problem is, the rules do not survive under scrutiny. Balance seems to have been thrown out the window in exchange for the 'cool' factor. If you want to make a cartoon charavter out of your imaginary alter ego, this is the game for you I think.

   The skill and feat system is broken so badly that you probably can't fix it without rewriting the rules. The skills are restrictive by class - making absolutely no sense at all. Afterall, you're character wasn't born this class or that. Class seemes to have become your defining trait more than your personality. Trying to make a character a certain way is actually tougher in 3E as you have numerous skill restrictions. In short, Fighters get paltry skills and Rogues get the mother load. everyone else gets to fill in in-between.
   Rangers are useless, becoming simply lightly armored fighters with a few useless special abilities, little opportunity for growth and a dazzlingly undazzling array of spells.
   Sorcerers are similiarly built, with a few extra spells to cast per day than wizards, but FAR fewer to pick from and absolutely no class abilities that the wizard gets to choose from.
   The old moronic +1 to this ability -1 to taht rules are still in place for non human characters, with the elf that lives 750 years somehow being more frail than you average human. By the same token, dawrves get a nice constitution bonus but are uncharismatic. Why? Well because they had to pick an ability and charisma looked like a good one......
   You get to multiclass more easily according to 3E lovers. You needn't split your XP between classes, you simply take a level of any class any time you earn enough experience points to go up a level. Wanna be a fighter/paladin? GO for it. The only probalem is, it is almost useless to multiclass as a spell caster. With a level limit of 20 (which is fine IMHO) you mayonly have a TOTAL of 20 levels all classes included. That's great, but if you take 15 levels of Wizard and 5 levels of Rogue, you are going to be one disappointed mage when you realize you missed out on the best spells in the game in exchange for some paltry lock picking ability. To be fair, multi classing any of the fighter classes works just fine.
   On the topic of levels, you should reach 20th after anout 35-45 game sessions if you follow their experience charts. WAY too much XP is awarded and in addition, all classes use the same experience point table. It seem that someone decided that a 20th level paladin and a 20th level bard were pretty evenly matched. I think we all know better.
   Finally, the comabt system - which most gamers agree is the most tedious and time consuming part of any game - has been dragged out with so many extra and optional rules, that it takes forever to resolve the simplist battle. Some may applaud the detail, but the game has taken a step back toward the old CHAINMAIL table top battle rule srather than advancing as a ROLEplaying game.
   With a chartr included for every detail in the game, this book has taken all of the imagination out of your hands, and given you a rule to cover it. 3E Roleplaying is actually more ROLLplaying, and after a while, that just gets tedious.
   Well aware that the game is a mess, WoTC is releasing 3.5 later this summer to suck a few hundred dollars more out of your wallets.
   I beg you consider what you might be getting before flushing your money down this over simplified, over hyped toilet of an RPG. Go play Vampire or Werewolf - at least they don;t charge you $... to insult your intelligence by including a chart for your eye color.




2. D&D 3E is a massive improvement over previous editions in a number of ways ... D&D has finally embraced skills, a big plus; a lot of the arbitrary and annoying restrictions of previous editions have been eliminated; the whole thing has been streamlined greatly at a fundamental level (there is still a lot of rules grit - attacks of opportunity anyone? - but this has always been the case, and by using a much cleaner and less arbitrary basic system, the game is now more intuitive).

   The problem with D&D 3e is that it requires a *lot* of work on the part of the gamemaster. This is not a ready-to-play game by any stretch, unlike WotC's Star Wars d20, say. You have to go to some lengths to create a campaign setting, and realistically you're going to have to throw some of those arbitrary restriction back in. Why? Because D&D 3e has some significant imbalances, and you're likely to be playing with one player who is going to be looking for rules loopholes to create an unbalanced character. A big culprit here is the multi-classing combined with the fact that many classes are front-loaded with a lot of cool abilities at first level, so it's not unusual to find characters with 3 or 4 classes so they can cherry-pick low-level abilities from each. This is not only aestetically displeasing and unbalancing, but makes it impossible to keep a coherent character vision. The prestige classes are a cool and interesting feature, but are for the most part egregiously broken and, in the words of a fellow-player, "pure munchkinism".

   Another complaint of mine about the system is that characters are simply too hard to make distinctive; the only real tool you have is this problematic multi-classing, and that is at best a blunt instrument. The Feats are a very cool concept, but not well-balanced with respect to each other so many will simply never show up (and characters who are not Fighters and Wizards acquire them far too slowly to be of much use in distinguishing characters). Characters of some classes (notably Paladins, Monks, Druids, and Barbarians) are going to be essentially indistuinguishable from each other - an 8th level Monk is pretty much an 8th level Monk, and the variance will be quite small. I find the list of which skills can be bought by which classes unduly restrictive and occasionally bordering on the nonsensical. The restrictiveness of the class sytem, and the stereotyped nature of the classes and lack of advancement choices, is to my mind the most significant failing of D&D 3e. Some classes are now almost acceptably flexible: the Fighter has a huge number of choices with all their bonus feats, even if the basic class concept of a heavily armed and armored fighting machine can't be fundamentally altered; Wizards of course have a massive spell list, and can specialise in various schools; Clerics now can pick from a dozen or so dieties, all of which serve to flavor the class; and Rogues have immense numbers of skill points and a wide variety of skills. But if you want somthing a little more specific or flavorful, you're stuck with cookie-cutter classes.

   Anyway, from a pure systems standpoint, the d20 system is fundamentally a good one, but from a pure gaming perspective it has been done better by other games. I actually like Wizard's Star Wars game better, as it addresses many of the problems I've mentioned here; but that doesn't help you much if you hanker for heroic fantasy. D&D 3e is cool, better than previous editions (often significantly), and is popular because it is so open-ended. It has rules for everthing, and a bazillion skills, feats, spells, monsters, magic items, etc. - everybody is going to find a cool idea in here somewhere that they're ready to run with. All those options don't always work together, though, and the choices are sometimes odd, so be aware that the gamemaster is going to have to do some work for D&D 3e to be truly robust.




3. This book for most people is the only book you will ever need for Dungeons & Dragons. While there are many more accesories expanding the game, This is the ancor, and the only book needed for a player. It includes all of the Races, Classes, Spells, Feats, and Items you need to make and run a Charactor.
   The best art of this book is that not only does it list all the things you need to know, it explains in full detail how all things are related to each other. If read like a book, (front to back not just paging for specifics) It spells out what you need, need to do, and how to. You start with the abilities, go into races, classes, and then skills, and items. Finsihing with spells, and feats.
   Over all, i would rae this 5, because of what it offers, and its necesity to the game it serves. i recomend you buy it, even if you dont buy it here.



4. Woc has done it again. They have released another editon, and it is supearior. Edition 3.5 is very like third (Hence the .5), but realy cleans up the classes and makes things more balanced. This book is good, but the new Players Handbook 3.5 Edition just blows it out of the water. They tweaked all that needed tweeking, and left the good stuff there. Toss your third Edition and go buy 3.5!



5. I wouldn't listen to anyone that claims the "new and improved" 3.5 is any bit "new and improved".

   3.0 is truly the right blend of D&D tradition and sound game mechanics. 3.5 is a pile of garbage house-rules for actual D&D crafted by a new batch of "limited" designer minds.

   This book is D&D 3rd edition, no other.

5 comments about Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting (Dungeons & Dragons d20 3.0 Fantasy Roleplaying, Forgotten Realms Setting).

1. just recently had a chance to use the forgotten realms campaign setting, i love this book it was so helpful with forgotten realms lore, and not to mention npcs to use thanks amazon for carrying so many fine products like this,



2. I was very unsettled when the old parent company TSR went under in 1997. I loved the lavish boxed set filled with maps and cards. The novels was what it was about for myself. I loved the Dragonlance Chronicles in the mid 1980s. Then I happened upon the old gray box called the Forgotten Realms. I thought it revolutionary as an open-ended adventure setting. I didnt have many friends interested in playing the game at the time, so I began reading and collecting the novels.
   
   The stories are not classical liturature, however, they are a lot of fun! I collected all that was published until 1997. It seemed all was lost for old TSR. I decided to stop reading these stories as well. I honestly liked the Birthright setting more, but its lifespan was short indeed, a year or so. It only spawned a few novels.
   
   In the short time of TSR's hiatus, the Forgotten Realms was uncovering its hidden past-Netheril, Cormanthyr, and others that seemed very enticing to me. I began playing the game itself upon my PC. Baldurs Gate, Icewind Dale were very familiar to me. The action became real for once.
   
   The books gathered dust as did the endless supplements besieging my bookshelf. Yet, for sentimental reasons, I could not part with them. Lord of the Rings became a major revival for the genre. It is widely accepted that D&D is a tribute to Middle Earth. I feel it goes much deeper than this, as the architypes can be found all over popular culture. Harry Potter to Star Wars is a little of the magic of old TSR.
   
   That brings us to the present and my rediscovery of the fabulous Forgotten Realms. I approached it with much caution. What had they done to my baby? Absolutely the greatest honor. The entire world is here, with all the vivid details I remembered. It was a little expensive and short on maps but worth it! I have every map 10 time over on my fantasy shelf. Now, I would like to see Kara-Tur, Maztica and Zhakara updated in this format. It is very tidy and easier to carry around in a single book. Now back to the novels, there are about 20 I have to catch up on. Its that old cliche-so many books, so little time.
   
   Thank you, to all that have kept the dream alive! For it is fully developed and ready for the next generation of dreamers! Elminster, if you read this, thank you for your magical input.



3. First, it is a beautiful book. The art and overall presentation is superb. The level of detail that some reviewers find lacking is not necessary for a book that is supposed to be a platform to work from. The only annoying thing, as with everything else in D&D, is that if you are a purist, there is always something else you "should" have, like the Monsters Compendium, besides all the rules books, etc; in other words, a huge wallet. But But the book is more than absolutely usable, with plenty of material to play a lifetime, good maps and sideline pointers and helpful tables. Very satisfied....



4. I think this book is helpful and adds many new features into the game of Dungeons and Dragons. It adds in Gem specifics and Dracoliches and more



5. I must admit, I've only recently began getting back into D&D. I've always enjoyed playing it, but never really played (let alone ran) Forgotten Realms. Most people would tell me it's crap, or it's too much work to do. Needless to say, I'm finding it quite useful. The modifications for the general races are one twist to making new characters for players. New magics and specializations for classes give characters a little bit more of a reason to try new things. Plus, any free maps are very cool.
   
   My only dislike (although quite necessary to game in Faerun) is the background on the world (literally takes up 2/3 of the book).
   
   If you want to game in this world, this is the book you'll definitely want. But it can be useful for running different campaigns as well.

No comments about Exalted 2: The Compass of Terrestrial Directions 3 - The East.

5 comments about Imperial Munitorum Manual (Warhammer 40, 000).

1. Not a bad product, but really not something anyone who does Warhammer 40K needs or would really want, unless you are a fanatic. I probably will not keep it.



2. The munitorium manual, written in the style of an army field manual, is a dossier of the history of the Guard and the Imperial Army, and includes decent descriptions of a Guardsmans equipment and weaponry. Its a nice addition for fluff fanatics, and a good intro to the IG universe if you have a friend whos interested in playing a Guard in the new 40k RPG. Aside from those two niche groups, this book won't find much purchase anywhere else. The paperwork section and crimes and punishments are also entertaining.



3. This was a fun little book, a great companion for the Imperial Infantryman's Uplifting Primer but I'm deducting stars because it lacked a coherent and authentic narrative voice. While much of it was as offious as I would have expected, some of it had the wrong tone for a Departmento Munitorum bureaucrat. One minute it would be providing a dispassionate run down of impossibly harsh punishments for the slightest infraction and the next talking about something completely unofficial that simply would not have made it into the final text (and would probably have resulted in one or more of the punishments previously described being performed on the author himself). The metals section was the worst with this.
   
   Adding the "inside baseball" comments by way of marginalia (presumably added by an Imperial Guard supply officer with less respect for the rules laid out in the main text than the author of that main text) would have improved the authenticity of the book.
   
   If you liked the Imperial Infantryman's Uplifitng Primer or just can't get enough Warhammer 40k fluff (and those categories almost certainly fully overlap) pick this up. There's no reason to buy it otherwise.



4. Every now and then a W40K novel mentions the manuals. Normally it is during a narration, where Readers see (or "hear") an officer's thoughts as s/he dwells on duties or regulations. But have you ever stopped to wonder exactly what was in those manuals? Better yet, did you ever wish you could actually have one of them? Here is your chance. This is the "revised edition of the first published 945.M41". It begins with a preface by Seward Rosencraz, Chancellor of the Estate Imperium, followed by a Logistical Officer's Chain of Command. The contents of this manual, in my own words, are as follow:
   
   Part One - History and procedures.
   
   Part Two - Regiments, Raising and Structure, Supply Needs, Shipping of Equipment for the Cadian 91st (Sentinels).
   
   Part Three - Requesting of Equipment. (This section even mentions "the wholesome and nutritious" victuals supplied.)
   
   Part Four - Care and Maintenance of Equipment, Unauthorized Modifications, Procedures and Punishments for Laxity in Maintenance.
   
   Part Five - Identification of the items for front line troopers.
   
   Part Six - Identification of the weapons for front line troopers.
   
   Part Seven - Identification of the items issued to support platoons and squads.
   
   Part Eight - Identification of the items issued to senior officers and specialist personnel.
   
   Part Nine - A selection of forms for the many and varied situations likely to arise and how to deal with them.
   
   Of course, no Imperial manual would be complete without some extra sections to inform troopers about famous people (a few paintings are illustrated), badges and insignia (each clearly shown and told why there are given to select heroes), and even the guidelines for calling in a fire mission. More than once the manual stresses that the maps enclosed must not fall into unauthorized hands, so soldiers (uh, readers) must keep this manual safe. And above all remember the motto of the Departmento Munitorum: "Only the awkward question; only the foolish ask twice."
   
   ***** I really enjoy how realistic the author, Graham McNeill, made this manual. I would not be surprised at all to learn that most W40K authors keep this gem close by as they create their stories, for quick and easy reference. Littered throughout the manual are the quotes all W40K fans know by heart (and, I admit, use in conversations with family members and friends in the military) such as: "Ammunition isn't free - make your shots count!" Even the texture, color, and shape of the manual are realistic. (So much so that if you are in the military and have this in your locker, at first [and second] glance it looks like it belongs there.) Outstanding! *****
   
   Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.



5. I just got mine today (I was pleasantly surprised, it arrived five days early), and I've already read through it. It's a wonderfully written book, Graham McNeil is probably the best WH40K author out there. The garish, arrogent, over-the-top writing style is a perfect fit for the similarly styled Imperium of Man, and the pictures and codes add to the realism of a real requisition booklet. I'll be adding this to my collection of great WH40K books, and would encourage other avid fans to do the same!

No comments about Demonweb: A D&D Miniatures Booster Expansion (D&D Miniatures Product).

5 comments about Call of Cthulhu: Horror Roleplaying in the Worlds of H. P. Lovecraft, 6th Edition.

1. If you want fancy books, this isn't it. In fact, this isn't as nicely done as prior additions. BUT...
   As a game, CofC is even more attractive to me than ever. With the d20 system taken over by endless amounts of crap, a simple, easy to play, easy to understand, very straightforward system that LETS YOU ROLE PLAY and develop a story is very welcome. The updated version does actually very little other than tweak a few bits and add a bit more source material, so you dont need to feel like you have to buy this if you have a prior edition.
   
   If you want a dice fest and super heroes in chain mail, play d20, if you want stories, characters, and fun, play CofC. The horror element doesn't even need to come into play!
   
   Monty Haul players, and folks who want to obsess "with what they can get" won't like this. People that want "a plan" for character development won't like it. That said, nearly every one I've ever played this with loves the game... but be warned, you're GMing skills will be put to the test because there is very little system to hide behind.



2. I haven't played the game for over two decades (I don't know what edition), but decided to pick up the sixth edition.
   
   I will separate my review into game play and content.
   
   **Content**
   Pros:
   Excellent content. Truly reminds me of the old game I played.
   
   It also goes further with more descriptions of monsters and new monsters.
   
   HP's backgorund, though already known by me, gives the reader a sense of history and where the game came from.
   
   Cons:
   Considering it is the sixth edition, I would have thought they would have caught all the typos and grmmatical errors by now. I am a tech writer and a little sensitive about this. (I would love to copy edit for you guys! It would be a labour of love!)
   
   Also, I wish they gave examples of how some of the skills were used. Or, for the ones that did have examples, go into more depth. The game is very skill intensive and they seem to have glossed over it.
   
   **Game Play**
   Pros:
   A lot of fun! What more can I say.
   
   Cons:
   Combat could be tweaked a bit more. And, you die like a dog when you encounter a "monster", but I think that can be attributed to the group that I play with. (Picture 1920's librarians yelling Booyah and rushing into combat with shotguns).
   
   **Conclusion**
   Overall, my rating does not reflect the quality of the game itself, but rather that after six editions they have not addressed the weaknesses of the design. But, they have beefed up the strong points of the game.
   
   Gameplay: 4 out of 5 stars
   Content: 2 out of 5 stars



3. I am a newbie in RPG games but I have to say that CoC is definitely one of my favorites. I am browsing thru the manual in my spare time (very lil) and I am definitely looking forward to run an adventure. The manual is well written, informative and quite complete. Sometimes its structure might be not perfect but it does the job and really provides anyhting you might need.



4. I will be a first time GM, and I've heard that CoC is not a game for beginners GMs, despite that warning, I found the book clear and easy to understand. I look forward to my first game, if I can ever get my gaming group to meet at the same time.



5. Great game, both for the roleplayer and the sadistic GM's (I'm both, so I read this book with unending plesure).

5 comments about Book of Vile Darkness (Dungeons & Dragons d20 3.0 Fantasy Roleplaying Supplement).

1. I have a love/hate relationship with this book. I love it because most of the ideas are fresh and fun to incorporate into a game. What I hate about the book is that many of the spells are quite useless. A bag of torture equipment, drug addiction, not very helpful. Also powers of lets say, the Warrior of Darkness, has the ability to enchant any weapon with a +1. The downside is that it takes ritual and alchemy skill for three rounds to activate and last only an hour. So basically, you'll have to take a beating for three rounds and whatever is left of you can use the puny +1 dagger. Not very effective. However, if you allow the player to use this as a standard action like a spell and limited to once per day or whatever then it becomes useful. So I like this book but the reasoning behind some of the stuff is silly. That being said, I recommend buying this book, make the changes to suit your game, and your players will run with terror at the truly evil creatures and characters you can inflict upon them.



2. Dungeons and Dragons supplements should be rated not on their philosophical merits, nor even (I believe) on the quality of their writing, but on their flexibility and usefulness to a wide variety of games. Naturally, a book's being well written and philosophically complex and meaningful often enhances the depth and breadth of its potential application.
   
   This said, I find Book of Vile Darkness, along with its sister book, Book of Exalted Deeds, to be two of the best Dungeons and Dragons supplements in print today. This is because of their potential applicability (after all, most stories will have heroes and villains), and the excellence in which this applicability is achieved, in terms of quality and balanced game mechanics, the addition of new and unique aspects to the world, excellent writing, and a deep core philosophy.
   
   A deep core philosophy? I will start here, as most of the other reviews cover the other points well, and would agree that game mechanics are, for the most part, interesting and well constructed, and that the writing would carry one from the beginning to the end of the text. But the largest complaint is the simplistic philosophy. So what am I doing arguing the opposite? Let me defend myself.
   
   The Book of Vile Darkness takes a deontological approach to good and evil. This approach is seen by most freshmen philosophy students (and even some at a later stage, sadly) as simplistic and faulty. The deontological approach, developed conceptually by Immanuel Kant (of "Critique of Pure Reason"), holds that there is objective, absolute, right and wrong, and that right and wrong rest upon duty.
   
   Duty is important for people with both reason and bestial desire, and toward others with reason and bestial desire. Kant says that there are angels (those who have only reason) and these would always be good by nature, and so would never worry about duty. They would never want wrong. Then there are beasts, who have no reason, and their acts are naturally amoral. They have no responsibility. Then there are people, like you and me. And our duty is structured by a certain code, so that we may know always and in every situation, what is good and what is evil. The code is this: "Human persons are to be treated as ends, and not means to an end". For example, murdering a child for the sake of any reason would be wrong (even if it would save a village of people, or the rest of the world), because it would treat the child not as an end in herself, but as a means to an end. As Kant said, "Do your duty, though the heavens may fall." Right is right, no matter the consequences. As an aside, this is why abortion debates are so heated, because both sides take the deontological approach, but with different definitions of personhood.
   
   Let it be known that I disagree with the deontological approach. However, that being said, the deontological approach is perfect for a text like Book of Vile Darkness to take. First, it is the approach that constructs the most stark heroes. Frodo is good because he fights wearing the ring, and his donning the ring, no matter the circumstance (even to save lives) is objectively evil. Second, because "Detect Evil" is best defined within an objective framework. Third, and most importantly, because an objective framework is easiest to change. Want a game with Dostoevskian angst? Set up this absolute measure, but only allow seriously flawed (and so evil) characters desperately trying to attain the impossible. Want a game with an existential Sartrian perspective? Keep the absolutist stance, but allow that stance to be defined by each individual, the conflict between definitions setting up the conflict of the story.
   
   If we were to stay within the system defined by the gook, we can make truly admirable heroes, and very dark but understandable villains. Let's apply some of the templates of the book to this system.
   
   First, we have a list of evil acts. Each of these (like lying) could be understood in certain circumstances, rationalized, and justified in a way. But from the deontological perspective, these are still always evil. Then the templates. We have the boorish thug. This can be as simple a character as that annoying mugger trying to beat your first level fighter up for his three gold. This can be as complex as Vladimir from Brothers Karamazov, or Sikes from Oliver Twist. The tyrant is a power mad villains who seeks dominion over everything. Again, as simple as the mad necromancer, or dark lord Sauron (though nonetheless a powerful and iconic villain), or as complex as the George W. Bush caricature, who wishes to restrict the freedoms of his citizens for the sake of their own security. The scheming liar finds his place in many corners of literature, from the "simple" Don Juan, to the more complex Faust, who tries to scheme the perfect wish from Satan. The sophisticate can be anywhere from the crazy-eyed madman with his monocle running his fingers along his fine curvy mustache while carving his name into the chests of babies, or it can be a truly sick de Sade character, doing all the things as the mustached villain, but with a complex and sick sexuality that he dismisses by invoking moral relativism ("who is to say forced sex with 10 year olds is really so bad?"). The misguided fool is always Dostoevsky's main character, Raskolnikov from Crime and Punishment or Fyodor Karamazov himself, the quintessential villain within the budding postmodern world-view. Monsters become complex, not because of who they are, but because of who they are monsters to, and how they are made (the perfect example would be the movie "Monster"). And the psychopath I left for last, because almost every postmodern novel has a villain of something of this streak. Smyrdnakov of the Brother's Karamazov killed cats, and performed complex Christian burial rituals for them. "The Lord of the Rings" has Gollum, one whose entire psyche has been twisted about one temptation.
   
   So the book actually helps building complex and understandable villains (though not as much as good literature), as has been demonstrated. It just blatantly states that one must remember, though the actions or inactions of these villains, whatever their redeemable qualities or understandable circumstances, they are still evil. And they will seem more evil because of the circumstances, because they will seem more real. And a true and tangible villain is important for every DM to build, for without them, there will be no true and tangible heroes.
   
   So here's to suggesting this book, so helpful in making those believable devils.



3. As a huge fan of the original AD&D game, I was always inspired by the devils and demons from the Monster Manual. When subsequent rewrites left them out or "reimagined" them I felt that some of the truest forms of evil had been banished from the game, leaving a rather large hole behind. Seeing them put back in, and "properly" labeled as demons and devils is heartening.
   
   For fans of classic "good vs. evil" campaigns, this guidebook is a wealth of ideas. The motivations behind many of the cults that follow the forces of darkness are great seed material. Many of the prestige classes provide powerful enemies and allies for the player characters. But the foremost reason for purchasing this book is the detail on the Demon Princes and Archdevils.
   
   Updated and given near deity status, the familiar and spine chilling names of Demogorgon, Orcus, Asmodeus, Baalzebul--they are all here. There is more than enough information to inspire any campaign.
   
   If you enjoy extremely dark villains and want to challenge your campaigners with the ultimate tests, this book is for you. Also, look for the dedicated sourcebooks on the Abyss and the Nine Hells that have recently come out. And if you want to truly bring about the contest of good and evil and feel that your player characters are overmatched, also look into the Book of Exalted deeds, where allies can be found to oppose the fiends depicted in the Book of Vile Darkness.



4. I loved this book so much that I let me players create Evil PC's and we ran and evil campaign for over a year! It was a blast and a well placed vacation from being good and altruistic.
   
   The concepts in this book are for the MATURE, and the ideas not for the weak. But hey, evil bad guys exsist in the game world and even if you get this book to enhance your villians, you will not be dissapointed. Filled with great Prestige Classes, new feats and skills, new evil magic items and new religions, it will flavor your campaign ina most excellent way. Also, ANYTHING Monte Cook writes is usually fantastic, and this is no exception.



5. This item is a perfect addition to any campaign of experienced players, I do not recommend it to newly players because it's a little tricky.

5 comments about Monster Manual III (Dungeons & Dragons d20 3.5 Fantasy Roleplaying Supplement).

1. no monsters in there worth buying the book.
   Stick with the first monster manual.



2. This book covers the holes in the Monster Manual. With these two books you are set for a solid D&D game. It is heavy on the Eberron and Forgotten Realms stuff though. If you have a lot of Eberron books you will probably feel a little gypped at the reuse of material.



3. There are many imaginative creatures within the MMIII and I have enjoyed using the new Lizardfolk and Voidminded Creatures. Having more creatures for your adventures is always helpful to keep your players challenged but this book suffers from one major problem. The creatures tend to be under rated and therefore can be extremely deadly if you use the CR ratings in the book to balance your fights. Easily overcomed if you take the time to review the creatures you are using to make sure they fit what you have planned.



4. I found the Monster Manual III to be a useful tool in my D&D book collection. Many new monsters, friend and foe alike, can be found within the 224 pages. However, a great deal of the monsters that grace the material are of the outsider/demon/devil types, or are undead. There are quite a few more creepy crawlers too. Any DM who is tired of the same old encounter will find Monster Manual III to be an enjoyable reference.



5. Wizards is really scraping the barrel with this one. Wizards has obviously run out of ORIGINAL ideas. It's like a bunch of guys got together in a room, smoked allot of pot and just threw together a bunch of chracteristics from other monsters and combined them into one monster. I can't believe people pay for this **it When are people going to THINK for themselves. Wizards does not own D&D. The people who play it do. The game was finished decades ago. Every reiteration is just money for Wizards. Wizards is in it for the PROFIT. If a pile of steaming dog **it on a plate could be sold for profit they would do it. Wake up!

5 comments about Cityscape (Dungeons & Dragons d20 3.5 Fantasy Roleplaying Supplement).

1. this book is great for guilds and city information allows you to wip up a city in no time.



2. Like Dungeonscape, this book is just about useless. Nothing in it is new save for a few things nobody will use. I haven't used it since I got it the day it came out. A waste of shelf space. Anyone want to buy mine?



3. As mentioned in other reviews, this is a DMs resource. This is not the book to come to if you want more base classes or advice on how to adventure in a city. As with all reviews, choose this based on what you know. If you are inexperienced and need advice on how to run urban campaigns, or if you have run urban campaigns before and merely need more ideas this is the perfect book to come to. It presents new and interesting feats, NPC prestige classes, and tips for running different types of urban settings.
   
   In this book you can find advice for:
   Flying cities
   Race-based cities
   Specific environment based cities
   Different Locales within the city
   ...and much more along those lines
   
   I am preparing for a campaign and this book is exactly what I needed. I have several years of experiance DMing and find that this and Dungeonscape both provide interesting ideas. Keep it up Wizards!



4. This product is a DM resource, despite the description. I didn't need help with rules. I wanted help conjuring up urban details to treat my players to. I wanted lists of buildings, fun encounters, maps, common city locations, business and NPC names--and tips to keep them all straight. The book offered that, but it also offered useless detailed rules, feats, classes and magic.



5. Well, in my personal opinion, DnD is not a urban game, so i don't like this book. The artwork is really good, but the game mechanics are poor, we have a few new feats, prestige classes and spells. The rules for city construction are kinda of complicated and burocratic. With the 4ed. this is a dead supplement, a collector's item only.