Monster Manual II
Hardback ) |
Monster Manual II is the title shared by two
Advanced Dungeons & Dragons
Monster Manual II was a 160-page hardcover book published in 1983, credited solely to
In 1999, a paperback reprint of the first edition was released.[2]
Reception
Monster Manual II garnered positive reviews, receiving a score of 7 out of 10 in a review in White Dwarf magazine.[3] The reviewer praised the book's standard of clear presentation, and felt that the artwork was of a higher quality than that in the previous monster books. However, the reviewer felt that there were too many high level and overly deadly monsters, and that most of the monsters in the book were inimical to adventures. The reviewer did make note of the fact that there were "many interesting ideas and several well-developed tribes and hierarchies", and felt that, overall, the book is "a good, well presented addition to the AD&D series, with some very useful creatures". The reviewer recommended the book to anyone who likes a wide range of monsters in the game.[3]
Doug Cowie reviewed Monster Manual II quite favorably for
Lawrence Schick also commented on the Monster Manual II in Heroic Worlds, stating "Some of the monsters are less than inspired, and some are quite silly; this author's favorites are the stegocentipede, a giant arthropod notable for its twin row of back plates (wow!), and the stench kow, a monstrous bison that smells real bad."[1]
Scott Taylor for Black Gate in 2014 listed Monster Manual II by Jeff Easley as #3 in The Top 10 TSR Cover Paintings of All Time.[5]
Scott Taylor of Black Gate listed the Monster Manual II as #1 on the list of "Top 10 'Orange Spine' AD&D Hardcovers By Jeff Easley, saying "Jeff's first 'Orange Spine' and first hardcover AD&D work, and it absolutely takes it to church. If you haven't sat around wondering A: if this [is] a hill giant or and ogre lord and B: if this poor bastard fighter is going to live, then you aren't a D&D player. Truly, one of the greatest masterworks to ever grace a gaming product."[6]
Dungeons & Dragons 3rd edition
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Author | Ed Bonny, Jeff Grubb, Rich Redman, Skip Williams, and Steve Winter |
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Genre | Role-playing game |
Publisher | Wizards of the Coast |
Publication date | September 2002[7] |
Media type | Print (Hardcover) |
Monster Manual II was a new monster-specific rulebook that contained mostly updated monsters from the sourcebooks of earlier editions, though some monsters have almost no overlap with those of their first edition namesakes. Monster Manual II also included a discussion of monster design.
According to Jeff Grubb for Monster Manual II, "The original plan was about 50 percent completely new, about 50 percent revisions of classic beasts that were not in the first Monster Manual. Right now, it's hard to tell because a lot of "classics" have been stripped down to their core concepts and names and rebuilt from the ground up."[10] There was no new version of Monster Manual II for the 3.5 edition of D&D, although update errata was made available for download from the publisher's website.[11]
Reception
Alan D. Kohler, a reviewer from Pyramid, commented: "The third edition of the game moved forward the "art" of monsters, providing them with more detailed statistics and methods for advancing creatures. It is in these footsteps that the Monster Manual II must follow."[8]
References
- ^ ISBN 0-87975-653-5.
- ^ Fogens, M. (August 1999). "Classic AD&D books are back". InQuest Gamer. No. 52. Wizard Entertainment. p. 20.
- ^ ISSN 0265-8712.
- ^ Imagine(review) (12). TSR Hobbies (UK), Ltd.: 14.
- ^ "Art of the Genre: The Top 10 TSR Cover Paintings of All Time – Black Gate". 17 September 2014.
- ^ "Art of the Genre: Top 10 'Orange Spine' AD&D Hardcovers by Jeff Easley – Black Gate". 14 September 2016.
- ^ "WotC Product Library: Monster Manual II". wizards.com. Archived from the original on June 4, 2002.
- ^ a b Kohler, Alan D. (2002-10-02). "Monster Manual II". Pyramid (originally published in the magazine d20 Weekly). Steve Jackson Games. Retrieved 2007-12-24.
- ^ "Monster Manual II".
- ^ Ryan, Michael (August 9, 2002). "Product Spotlight: Monster Manual II". Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on September 17, 2004. Retrieved August 10, 2013.
- ^ "D&D v.3.5 Accessory Update Booklet". www.wizards.com. Archived from the original on 2003-08-11.
Further reading
- Reviews for first edition Monster Manual II:
- Fantasy Gamer #6 (1984)[1]
- Different Worlds #33
- Review for the third edition Monster Manual II:
- Theurer, Mark (December 2002). "D20 Product Review: Monster Manual II" (PDF). Fictional Reality. No. 10. p. 52. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 13, 2007. Retrieved September 3, 2020.