While this is a reference book for the game, it tells stories in its own ways. This menageries is more than sufficient to populate any world players could come up with. This book offers both a comprehensive and straightforward description of a wide variety of creatures, from the humblest goblin to the mightiest dragon with some many things in between. D&D is as much a part of the fantasy canon as Lord of the Rings or Wheel of Time.ДЄlso this is a long book, clocking in at over 300 pages stuffed to the brim with monsters and other creatures adventurers might come across quite a bit longer than most games' rule books. It has allowed countless people across the world to tell their own fantasy story and allow their friends to live in it and explore it, accomplishing legendary deeds or flailing around miserably and Attacking The Darkness. Many a fantasy writer and reader has cut their teeth on this decades old role playing game and it spawned the immensely popular Dragonlance series. Well, first off, it is associated with a game that is intimately tied to the fantasy genre, Dungeons and Dragons. you wouldn't see people review the rules to Risk or Parcheesi here, why should this one be any different? It is effectively a rule book for a game. So on its face this is sort of an odd book to review for Goodreads. I work on the Dungeons & Dragons paper and pencil RPG and the Dungeons & Dragons miniatures game. When not cribbing the bios of well known AD&D 1st edition villains, I'm a game developer at Wizards of the Coast. (Major points to anyone who gets the above reference) Those who arouse suspicion will be quietly murdered in their sleep those with too much promise will be likewise dealt with, for Mearls wants no potential usurpers or threats to his domination. He is not at all adverse to gaining new recruits of any sort, and will gladly accept adventurers into the ranks, but he will test and try them continually. None of the victims are ever left alive to tell the tale, and mysterious disappearances are all that can be remarked upon, for no trace of men, mounts, goods, wagons, or draft animals is ever found.Д®vil to the core, Mearls is cunning, and if the situation appears in doubt, he will use bribery and honeyed words to sway the balance in his favor. He and his minions have been careful to raid far from this area, never nearer than three or four leagues, traveling on foot or being carried in wagons of the traders from Hommlet. Of course, Mearls is but one of many so charged, but he is looked upon with special favor and expectation. Whomever harms Mearls had better not brag of it in the presence of one who will inform the Demoness Lolth! Has been sent into this area to rebuild a force of men and humanoid fighters to gather loot and restore the Temple of Elemental Evil to its former glory.

Mike Mearls is the dark hope of chaotic evil: young, handsome, well endowed in abilities and aptitudes, thoroughly wicked, depraved, and capricious.

Created as part of a massive public playtest involving more than 170,000 fans of the game.An essential resource for Dungeon Masters to use in populating any type of challenge they might contrive for their players.The second of three core rulebooks, this book details all manner of creatures that characters might encounter over the course of their adventures.This newest edition draws from every prior edition to create a universally compelling play experience, and exemplifies the true spirit of a game that holds captive the hearts and minds of millions of players worldwide. The leader in providing contemporary fantasy entertainment, Dungeons & Dragons is the wellspring for the entire modern game industry, digital as well as analog. The monsters contained herein are culled from the D&D gameвЂ™s illustrious history, with easy-to-use game statistics and thrilling stories to feed your imagination.

The Monster Manual presents a horde of classic Dungeons & Dragons creatures, including dragons, giants, mind flayers, and beholdersвЂ“a monstrous feast for Dungeon Masters ready to challenge their players and populate their adventures. A menagerie of deadly monsters for the worldвЂ™s greatest roleplaying game

Dungeons and dragons monster manual 5