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  1. - Top - End - #1
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    WarBrute's Avatar

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    Default Skip Monster Manual 2? [4e]

    So I plan to being a DM for a 4e game pretty soon and I was sitting looking at my campaign world thinking "What's missing?" Then I thought "Monsters!" There's just not enough monsters in the Monster Manual to fit my needs so I decided I should go pick up MM 2 and 3. Unfortunately funds are limited and I can only get one.

    At first I thought just to get 2 and then 3 at some latter time, just because it seemed "right" to go in order. However, I've read some reviews online that said MM 3 is much better than 1 and 2. So I ask you playground, What are your thoughts?

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    Default Re: Skip Monster Manual 2? [4e]

    I'd go ahead and get 2, because each builds upon earlier ones, introducing new builds for previous species, and the lore and encounters rely on having earlier books. I was personally very happy with my purchase of MM2, and it also has some classic D&D staples like rust monsters and metallic dragons.
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    ElfRangerGuy

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    Default Re: Skip Monster Manual 2? [4e]

    Well, I can say that I liked MM2. I haven't had time to do more than flip through my copy of MM3, so I can't say which is better. MM3 has Lolth in it, though. I'd say that beats MM2's Demogorgon (although Demogorgon was always one of my favorite demon princes).
    Last edited by KillianHawkeye; 2010-06-28 at 07:04 PM.
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    PaladinGuy

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    Default Re: Skip Monster Manual 2? [4e]

    If you can spare an extra $10, grab a one-month subscription to DDI in addition to the MM3. That'll get you more monsters than either one alone. (MM3 isn't in the Compendium yet)

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    Titan in the Playground
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    Default Re: Skip Monster Manual 2? [4e]

    MM3 has a Space Kraken.


    You know what must be done.

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    RangerGuy

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    Default Re: Skip Monster Manual 2? [4e]

    I'd say go for MM3 - the dev team has come a long way in terms of monster balance and the monsters in the latest manual are more lethal and slightly less durable, making for shorter, more challenging encounters. It also improves performance at higher tiers where a common complaint is that battles last forever and the PCs aren't as challenged. MM2 was also a big step ahead of MM1 as well for similar reasons (I found myself almost exclusively using MM2 creatures over MM1 when I picked that one up).

    DDI is the best way to go though, once they put the MM3 monsters in next week you'll have access to all the stat blocks (but unfortunately not the flavor text or tactics) through the monster builder. A one month subscription buys you the one time download of everything that's been released so far.

    Hope that helps!

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    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    Beholder

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    Default Re: Skip Monster Manual 2? [4e]

    Still waiting for Jubilex.

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    PaladinGuy

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    Default Re: Skip Monster Manual 2? [4e]

    Quote Originally Posted by Tiki Snakes View Post
    MM3 has a Space Kraken.


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    WarBrute's Avatar

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    Default Re: Skip Monster Manual 2? [4e]

    Quote Originally Posted by Mando Knight View Post
    If you can spare an extra $10, grab a one-month subscription to DDI in addition to the MM3. That'll get you more monsters than either one alone. (MM3 isn't in the Compendium yet)
    DDI is very tempting but I don't think I play enough to really justify a monthly subscription. If ever meet a more 'active' group then I would probably get it. But for now I'm only being a guest DM for my older brother's group.

    This is going to mostly a heroic tier game reaching up to paragon tier later. I doubt epic will be hit, at least not for a very long time.

    Also, my world will have lots of fey based adventures. Can some one give me an idea if either one favor fey(If either one does)?

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    ElfRangerGuy

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    Default Re: Skip Monster Manual 2? [4e]

    Quote Originally Posted by WarBrute View Post
    DDI is very tempting but I don't think I play enough to really justify a monthly subscription. If ever meet a more 'active' group then I would probably get it. But for now I'm only being a guest DM for my older brother's group.
    I think the point was that you don't have to get a recurring subscription. Just get one month, and you can keep everything you get even after the month ends and your subscription expires. $10 isn't that much.
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    Default Re: Skip Monster Manual 2? [4e]

    I'd say that they're both pretty good. MM3 starts to push my 'now you're just making stuff up' limits, but overall I found it very enjoyable. MM2 is a good buy as well as it has monsters with the new formulas and are therefore much nicer to fight, and not as bad with the 'hrr I am a huge bag of HP' problem that bigger MM1 baddies had.

    Also, you can fight the moon in MM3. I'm really tempted to run a Majora's Mask one-shot.

    Although one big thing for consideration: In MM3, they change the monster stat block's formatting in (what I consider to be) a rather good way. I almost wish they'd re-release the MM1 with the new formatting and stat formulas seen in MM2/3.
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    ElfRangerGuy

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    Default Re: Skip Monster Manual 2? [4e]

    MM3 also brings back the classic Elementals, if you're into that sort of thing. I actually can't figure out why they weren't in the first Monster Manual.
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    WarBrute's Avatar

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    Default Re: Skip Monster Manual 2? [4e]

    Quote Originally Posted by KillianHawkeye View Post
    I think the point was that you don't have to get a recurring subscription. Just get one month, and you can keep everything you get even after the month ends and your subscription expires. $10 isn't that much.
    So your saying that I can spend $10 and get all the current updates? Then if I want any updates that occur after the month I just need to spend another $10
    Last edited by WarBrute; 2010-06-28 at 08:57 PM.

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    ElfRangerGuy

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    Default Re: Skip Monster Manual 2? [4e]

    Quote Originally Posted by WarBrute View Post
    So your saying that I can spend $10 and get all the current updates? Then if I want any updates that occur after the month I just need to spend another $10
    That's how it works. Once you download the stuff to your hard drive, you can keep using it without a subscription. You just can't get additional updates if your account is inactive.
    "Nothing you can't spell will ever work." - Will Rogers

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    Default Re: Skip Monster Manual 2? [4e]

    Quote Originally Posted by ninja_penguin View Post
    I'd say that they're both pretty good. MM3 starts to push my 'now you're just making stuff up' limits, but overall I found it very enjoyable. MM2 is a good buy as well as it has monsters with the new formulas and are therefore much nicer to fight, and not as bad with the 'hrr I am a huge bag of HP' problem that bigger MM1 baddies had.
    Actually, most of my reaction on reading MM3 was that it was full of old favorites from 3rd ed and earlier:

    Kraken, Derro, Verbeeg, Su-Monster, Cloaker, Meenlock, Meazel, Elemental, and so on.
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    Default Re: Skip Monster Manual 2? [4e]

    Quote Originally Posted by Tiki Snakes View Post
    MM3 has a Space Kraken.


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