Monstrous Compendium Annual

The Monstrous Compendium Annuals are basically digests of all the best creatures in that year's adventures and magazines. In this way, the appendices can be seen as expansions for the MM, unless you plan to buy every single adventure TSR produces. One of the largest problems with the appendices is the fact that they frequently re-release creatures from books that are still in print, but with revised statistics, causing major havoc and confusion. Also, it appears that these books were not proofread at all, as the text in several places resorts to a jumble of senseless words stringed together with no punctuation, making hard it under- reading you stand what are.Below are the separate ratings for each volume of the appendices:1st - published in 1994, contains creatures of 1993. The only appendix with a white cover,also the largest. This little guy contains monsters in the very same format as the Monsteous Manual, which is very relaxing. Most of the monsters are interesting and a large part are actually useful in day-to-day campaigning. Highlights include the new Linnorm dragons and the low-level outerplanar creatures. Five stars.2nd - Released in 1995, contains 1994 materials. in this volume the creatures aren't framed but sprawl around the pages in a variety of places and positions. Although this could cause some wprd-wrap problems like in the Planescape MC's, it doesn't seem to do it too much. Nevertheless, a change from the routine is not all too bad. Most of the monsters are vibrant and colorful, but lighter than the ones in #1 ( perhaps because Tony DiTerlizzi is not the artist, but does that make such a big difference! ). I enjoyed the Chronolily, but the centaur sub-species are rip-offs. Four stars.3rd - released either in 1996 or 1997, contains monsters of '95, '96 ( or at least I think so). I don't own this one, so I can't tell you too much. It seems though, that TSR skipped a year somewhere.4th - TSR is cleaning up its case. Released in 1998, contains 1997 materials. Many old creatures making a comeback. Art is extremely beautiful, and the fact that it is done by a variety of artists only swwetens the candy. Finally TSR agreed to publish the sources of the creatures in the book. This is the last one in print.Basically, this is where you turn for creatures after you exhausted the MM. If you think you can bypass the spelling and the syntax problems, you will enjoy these.

As far as I am concerned, this is one of the best "monster books" in existense in the AD & D game. The art is fresh and vibrant ( unlike the washed-out art of Planescape appendixes), the creatures are creative and each and every one of them is capable of having an entire adventure centered on it and it alone. A few things - the spelling is horrible; the binding is simple glue spread - the book falls apart easily with time; also, the text isn't as enchanting as it used to be...This is one of the best, and I consider it a near must-have.

I think that all of the monsters were very well thought out and designed, the artwork is 10 times better than the crumy artwork in the Monsterous Manual. Five Stars!