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MC11 Monstrous Compendium Forgotten Realms Appendix (2e) $4.99 $2.99
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MC11 Monstrous Compendium Forgotten Realms Appendix (2e)
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MC11 Monstrous Compendium Forgotten Realms Appendix (2e)
Publisher: Wizards of the Coast
by Timothy B. [Featured Reviewer]
Date Added: 02/28/2022 11:45:47

Originally posted here: https://theotherside.timsbrannan.com/2022/02/monstrous-mondays-ad-2nd-ed-monstrous_28.html

There is no doubt that the biggest game world for AD&D 2nd Edition was the Forgotten Realms. I was fairly anti-Realms back then. I felt it was a cheap imitation of Greyhawk and I was a little irritated that Greyhawk got pushed to the side. The 3rd Edition Forgotten Realms setting book did a lot to change that for me and now, especially with my investigations around my This Old Dragon posts, I have come to better appreciate the Realms for what they really are, not for what I thought they were.

That all being said I still bought Realms-related products like these because, well, I love monsters.

MC11 Monstrous Compendium Forgotten Realms Appendix II (1991)

My series This Old Dragon has served me well for this one since many of the creatures here have appeared in the pages of Dragon Magazine, most authored or edited by Ed Greenwood himself.

This PDF is listed at 64 pages + the dividers. The interior art is all black & white with blue accents. The list price is $4.99. There are a total of 76 monsters (with sub-types) here Alaghi to Tren (a troglodyte/lizard man crossbreed). The Peryton, one of my favorites from the original Monster Manual finally makes its 2nd Ed debut here. Likely due to the "Ecology of" article. I went back to look over some old favorites, namely the Saurial. I always kind of liked the Saurial since there had been some articles in pop-science magazines about what would a humanoid race evolved from dinosaurs look like. I was a big fan of the Silurians and Sea Devils from Doctor Who and this was the "Paranoid 90s" when X-Files was about to reign. So reptiloids, dinosauroids, and more were on my mind. The entry here says that "Saurials are not native to the Realms, but originate from an alternate Prime Material Plane." This reminds me of what authors would later do with the Dragonborn in the Realms; have them come from Toril's twin planet of Abeir. I see in more recent Realms lore they are still from an unknown realm but I like this idea.

While these monsters are "generic" enough to be used anywhere, most (like the Saurials above) are tied a little more to the lore of the Realms, so extracting them can be done, but they will need some edits.

We are at a point with the Monstrous Compendiums where we get a bit of overlap. For example, the Ashira (MC13) has a lot in common with the Hamadryad (MC11). And the Black Cloud of Vengeance (MC13) is very much a larger, more evil version of the Tempest (MC11). This is not a surprise, there are over 2100 monsters created for AD&D 2nd Edition, there are bound to be places where they overlap.

The scans for all are pretty crisp and clear. I certainly can see printed out a couple of pages and using them in a smaller binder for a specific AD&D 2nd Ed campaign. Like I have said before, these PDF are fulfilling the promises made by the Monstrous Compendiums in the 1990s.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
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MC11 Monstrous Compendium Forgotten Realms Appendix (2e)
Publisher: Wizards of the Coast
by Annalisa R. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 12/20/2005 00:00:00

This is the quality that the Monstrous Manual should have had. Very good contrast, every creature has its own bookmark. The pictures of the creatures are in black and white, but this is no doubt true to the original hard copy. Even the colored fullpage 'cards' in the back are included. This [e]book has 72 pages in all.<br><br> <b>LIKED</b>: Good contrast, very readable. Every creature has its own bookmark.<br><br><b>DISLIKED</b>: What's not to like?<br><br><b>QUALITY</b>: Excellent<br><br><b>VALUE</b>: Satisfied<br>



Rating:
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