Café de Nuit

Shoon VII wrote:i just got the book last week and went through it a few times. i can understand most of the comments regarding this book, but i dont understand how much of the material can't be used. basically, this book gives you different ways to look at monsters that are commonly used in RL campaigns. granted, there arent going to be a plethora of Palemasters in every corner of the Core, a single encounter can keep PCs on their toes. While i might not like PC's in my campaign to be able to be a Master of Radiance, they might encounter one as an NPC. the same goes with the spells. i like the Evolved and Swarmform templates and havealready applied them to a major NPC villian i am developing. they think they know what vampires are? i scoff at such assumptions now!

I was sorely disappointed with the Book of Undead. Especially after such a wonderful introduction to the series through the Book of Dragons. I can only hope that the Book of Aberrations will be much better. At least in regard to what can be used in my main RL and PS campaigns... .

The Nightmare Man wrote: I can only hope that the Book of Aberrations will be much better. At least in regard to what can be used in my main RL and PS campaigns... .

Looking at the description for Lords of Madness, I can't see anything I would really want in my RL, other than the Bluetspur mindflayers, and as I already own the entire set of 2E beholder & illithid sourcebooks & adventures (I, Tyrant and The Illithiad and their module trilogies), I would rather wait for a potential Van Richtens guide to Aberrations. I agree, the upcoming book does sound very suitable for a Planescape setting. Here's what the WotC site says about it:

"Lords of Madness: The Book of Aberrations

Dungeons & Dragons Accessory
Richard Baker, James Jacobs, Steve Winter
Item Code 177410000
Release Date April 2005
Format Trade Hardcover
Page Count 224
ISBN 0-7869-3657-6
Price $34.95 ; C$49.95

Unnatural Creatures of Unspeakable Evil

Trembling hands have recorded horrifying stories of encounters with aboleths, beholders, mind flayers, and other aberrations. The victims of these alien creatures are quickly overwhelmed by mind-numbing terror -- their only comfort is the hope for a quick death.

This supplement for the D&D game presents a comprehensive look at some of the most bizarre creatures ever to invade the world of fantasy roleplaying. Along with information about the physiology, psychology, society, and schemes of these strange beings, you'll find spells, feats, tactics, and tools commonly employed by those who hunt them. Lords of Madness: The Book of Aberrations also provides new rules, prestige classes, monsters, sample encounters, and fully developed NPCs ready to instill fear in any hero."

I liked Libris Mortis a lot. It wasn't as good as Draconomicon, but it was a good book and I don't regret buying it. It has a few very nice undead in there and a few very good spells (like necrotic cyst spells). While it is not a "must have" for Ravenloft funs, I say it is a very good and helpful accessory.

Hrtofdrkns wrote:I see that it includes a ghoul god. Finally. We ghouls have been treated as cannon fodder by everybody from the thinks-he's-so-smart lich and the I-still-pretend-to-be-human-and-have-to-interact-with-the-living vampire to right down to those small, weak, stringy, all bones goblins. Now we take a stand. We ghouls shall rally behind our god's banner and devour the living. OUR TIME IS AT HAND!!!

But first, dinner!
*chews on corpse*

Doresain has been around since Dungeon #70 Kingdom of the Ghouls and Dragon 272 Ecology of the Ghoul, both by Wolfgang Baur. Excellent material on ghouls for 2e.

The Nightmare Man wrote:I was sorely disappointed with the Book of Undead. Especially after such a wonderful introduction to the series through the Book of Dragons. I can only hope that the Book of Aberrations will be much better. At least in regard to what can be used in my main RL and PS campaigns... .

i'm not in a position to make such a comparison since i have never perused a copy of the Draconomican.

You'd do yourself well to pick up a copy of the Book of Dragons.

You will be hard-pressed to find a better draconic-based tome...

The Nightmare Man wrote:You'd do yourself well to pick up a copy of the Book of Dragons.

You will be hard-pressed to find a better draconic-based tome...

no offense, but i probably wont since I dont use them in my campaign. now that other book, of Aberrations, i probably will invest in.

I know I'm picking up the Book of Aberrations.

I've been finding the previews on the WotC site to be rather intriguing.

The Nightmare Man wrote: I was sorely disappointed with the Book of Undead. Especially after such a wonderful introduction to the series through the Book of Dragons.

Excuse me, weren't Fiend Folio the first in the series?

No.

The Fiend Folio, while a wonderful critter compilation, was just a planar-based monster tome. The tomes in the "Book of ....." series detail important aspects of only a few creatures, going into more depth than a standard monstrous creature stat block.