Anyone ever given their players an in-game Monsters Manual

[TrexPushups]

Any one ever given out a Bestiary or other similar tome to their players?

How did it go? Did you include mis-information and exaggerations?

[ChubbyRain]

Yup, worked a lot like a pokedex actually.

[Daishain]

Can't say that I have, but I'll share about what I've thought of doing.

Obviously no hard numbers. It would be a collection of observable data about the creatures in question. Some entries would be plagued with misinformation, superstitions, and outright lies. Others would be spot on, and might even include an easier means of handling the creature in question that is not normally a part of their creature entry (I might decide for instance use the bestiary to tell the players that wyverns go nuts over a particular somewhat rare herb, and react to it much like felines and catnip. Whether one ends up with drunken wyverns or surprised players, there's amusement to be had.)

Of course, particularly rare and dangerous creatures are more likely to have misinformation spread about them.

[TrexPushups]

Can't say that I have, but I'll share about what I've thought of doing.

Obviously no hard numbers. It would be a collection of observable data about the creatures in question. Some entries would be plagued with misinformation, superstitions, and outright lies. Others would be spot on, and might even include an easier means of handling the creature in question that is not normally a part of their creature entry (I might decide for instance use the bestiary to tell the players that wyverns go nuts over a particular somewhat rare herb, and react to it much like felines and catnip. Whether one ends up with drunken wyverns or surprised players, there's amusement to be had.)

Of course, particularly rare and dangerous creatures are more likely to have misinformation spread about them.

Oh yes!

Perhaps if a player consults it they get advantage to identify the type of creature that made tracks/left scat etc. but it takes d10 minutes to find the information in the old grimoire.

[Inglorin]

I have not only given them something like this. I made it part of the campaign to write part of the next volume. They were hired to explore some newly found island and record anything about the fauna they could find.

[themaque]

oh yes, although results where... variable. Much of it was pure conjecture, misinformation, or flat out lies. Check out some amazing real world examples of nature guides with unicorns and other fantastical beasts.

I liked how DEADLANDS handled that as well. It had the PLAYERS portion with rumors and guidelines to what people THINK could be true and the second half was GM Specifics and guidelines.