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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31774 Posts |
 Posted - 22 Sep 2004 : 13:35:21
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I picked this monster tome up in London, mainly because I was curious. It's wonderfully written, and the selection of critters included in this tome presents a well-toned match for both prime and planar campaigns.
From most of the pre-release details I read about this tome, it was slated as monster book full of creatures for use with the Eberron setting. So, I was surprised to see that this wasn't exactly the case, as it had an impressive listing of planar and outsider creatures.
Here's a brief run down of both the planar and outsider creatures detailed within the tome. I try and get to the other creature types as time permits -
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Astral Stalker
Resembling a well muscled humaoid, these creatures wander the multiverse searching for what they consider to be the "ultimate" quarry. They're hunters, and their status in stalker society is dependent upon the number and power of the creatures that it has slain.
Chraal
The creatures are the result of captured life essences from particularly vile or nasty beings who have died upon either the Elemental Planes of Air or Water who have coalesced into this form with the help of planar powers. They have no memory of their former lives and resemble nothing more than a cloud of cold energy held within a monstrous form of blue-black ice.
Cinder Swarm
The name pretty much states what these fine-sized elementals are -- fickering flames with swarm traits.
Demon, Arrow
These tanar'ri were created by their masters to serve in massed battalions (as fire support) and archery companies. Having four arms allows these demons greater flexibility in firing arrows, but also allows them to wield two bows at once, if they wish. They're highly effective at delivering mass arrow fire at enemy positions, and most mortals respect this power.
Demon, Sorrowsworn
These emaciated tanar'ri have batlike wings and two twisted fine horns jutting from their forehead. They are commonly regarded as creatures of loss, and usually only appear on a battlefield once major conflict has ended. They "feed", or rather "prey" on the feelings of horror and loss that are said to blanket the battlefield after deaths have occured.
Dread Blosson Swarm
These are blood-drinking flowering plants that were once native to the Beastlands. Several plants were said to have been taken by irresponsible elves and transplanted to some worlds of the Prime and allowed to grow. They are roughly a foot-long, with a flower of blood-red crimson sprouting from one end. They also have swarm traits.
Elemental, Storm
Again, much as their name suggests, these creatures are nothing more than living embodiments of storms.
Golem, Gloom
While part of the 'Golem' grouping in the tome, these particular golems are actually from the Gray Wastes. They thrive on their opponents feelings of misery and woe... absorbing them into their beings and displaying these feelings as "faces" of torment upon their physical bodies. They are formed from "clay" taken from the three layers of Hades, from the shores of the Styx which flows through the plane.
Golem, Prismatic
Formed from the "pure" light taken from the luminescence of Elysium, these golems appear much like the casting result of a 'prismatic sphere' spell. They are said to make wonderful servants for celestial spellcasters.
Golem, Shadesteel
These golems are crafted from metal mined on the Plane of Shadow. The are silent, and extremely powerful guardians standing about 7 feet tall. They are extremely stealthly, and can also blend with the merest hint of shadow.
Gulgars
While no longer native to the Elemental Plane of Earth (they fled to the Material Plane in fear of a genie invasion), I felt they deserve a mention since they appear to be a very interesting race. They're brutish-like hulks, who are nearly as broad as they are tall. Well-armored, they have crystalline collections protruding out from their shoulders, knunckles, chin, knees, and toes. They hunger mainly for the type of crystals they onced mined and consumed on the EPoE... existing mainly as creatures of subsistence on most worlds.
Justicator
These are powerful creatures and enforces of Law, journeying the planes in search of chaos. They are tall, imposing figures, wearing hteir gold-inlaid mithral full plate into battles aginst the hordes of chaos. Due to their well-groomed black and white feathered wings, justicators also possess some measure of flight. Since their goals sometimes coincide, justicators can be seen working alongside inevitables.
Lumi
A race of warriors and healers, who make their homes on the Positive Energy Plane, the Lumi are solemn creatures whose heads float roughly twenty centimetres above their shoulders. They worship "Light" as a concept rather than a force, and build towering structures of light and glass. They work to undermine the plans of Negative Energy Plane forces, seeing their worship of Light as being something which can be used to uncover darks in places away from their radiant homes.
Mivilorn
This creature resembles a dog, crossed with an elephant -- it has the general "shape" of a canine, while having the "size" of an elephant. Mainly used as war mounts, mivilorns, who thrive on Acheron, are regularly used by demon generals administering conflicts in the Blood War.
Necronaut
A tower of bones and bodies, the necronaut is a creature of undeath that inhabits many of the layers of the Abyss. These creatures are created by demons from regions of bones on the plane, and then sent to the Material Plane to attack. They have the ability to add to their forms from any kills that they make.
Odopi
These creatures are horrors from Carceri. They are gigantic spheres of demon-like arms complete with razor-sharp claws. They roam landscape across the planes as well as world across the Material, completely at random, destroying anything they encountered. They can be "forced" by powerful entities to do their bidding for a time, but the sense of independence that pervades the essence of an odopi makes this extremely difficult.
Omnimental
Gargantuan coruscating beings composed of the four major elements, omnimentals are the offspring of elemental beings that have been created by magic. They wander the elemental planes in search of a new purpose... their duties as liasons between opposing elemental forces having now been forgotten.
Rakshasa, Ak'chazar
Although mainly creatures for the Eberron setting, I'm such a fan of all-things-rakshasa that I felt the should be included in this listing. Looking much like a regular rakshasa in appearance, these outsiders are emanciated creatures. They are masters of necromantic magic, working behind the scenes in order to subjugate new lands and seeking new races to enslave. They have ghostly-white fur, rather than orange, and usually only associate with other high-level rakshasas.
Rakshasa, Naztharune
Another type of rakshasa, these outsiders work as infiltrators and spies for the ak'chazar. They have black fur, and are usually dressed in dark clothing. Naztharune rakshasas hace less of a "compulsion" to be "the boss", operating more mercenaries in terms of their needs and desires.
Shrieking Terror
Built for war and destruction, these aberrations attack and destroy any creatures not native to Carceri. They have also been known to operate as troops in advanced guards for the demodand forces on Carceri, taking part in major conflicts. They appear much like flying starfish, with five or ten necks sprouting from a central form. At the ends of these necks, distorted heads covered in scales, shriek at opponents who come too close.
Trilloch
Parasites from the Negative Energy Plane, they appear and function much like they did in 2e.
Visilight
These are lawful floating humanoid creatures who wear porcelain masks that cover balls of pure light where their faces should be. They are wrapped in tight-fitting black dresses, which are complete contradictions to the "whiteness" of their skin.Visilights believe that the purest form of perfection is beauty, and from their homes on Mechanus, the work to experience and find beauty in all it's forms. They absorb beauty (through a supernatural ability called 'charisma drain') which allows them to bring themselves closer to their conception of beautiful perfection... but at the same time, this ability eradicates ugliness from their own forms. Note, however, that the visilights aren't exactly new. They were in the Planes of Law boxed set, where they were called "parai."
Yugoloth, Canoloth
These armored canines of the yugoloth armies appear much as they did in previously published tomes.
Yugoloth, Mezzoloth
Again, the mezzoloths appear very much like we've come to expect, so nothing new here.
Yugoloth, Nycaloth
I'm glad to see that the nycaloths have finally received some further 3e treatment. A quick run through of their abilities displays an interesting and balanced conversion from both older and newer material.
Yugoloth, Ultroloth
Again, pretty much as expected, these yugoloths were presented very well. The conversion seems fair and balanced.
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Lord Rad
Great Reader
United Kingdom
2080 Posts |
Posted - 22 Sep 2004 : 14:02:13
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quote:
Originally posted by The Sage
From most of the pre-release details I read about this tome, it was slated as monster book full of creatures for use with the Eberron setting. So, I was surprised to see that this wasn't exactly the case, as it had an impressive listing of planar and outsider creatures.
There are a small number of Eberron-specific creatures in the tome, but what I also like about this set of monster entries is that each contains entries of how the creature can fit into an FR or EB campaign.
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Lord Rad
"What? No, I wasn't reading your module. I was just looking at the pictures"
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31774 Posts |
Posted - 22 Sep 2004 : 14:11:05
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Not all of the creature entries have EB or FR details though. And, I've also found some of the justifications for using some of the creatures in FR to be a little weak. Several have only one-sentence entries.
The details for using some monsters in EB however, are well supported.
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Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
http://www.candlekeep.com -- Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct
Scribe for the Candlekeep Compendium -- Volume IX now available (Oct 2007)
"So Saith Ed" -- the collected Candlekeep replies of Ed Greenwood
Zhoth'ilam Folio -- The Electronic Misadventures of a Rambling Sage |
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SiriusBlack
Great Reader
USA
5517 Posts |
Posted - 22 Sep 2004 : 17:35:58
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MMIII - Planars and Outsiders
