# Pathfinder Review: Bestiary 3



## Steel_Wind (Dec 9, 2012)

Last month, Paizo Publishing LLC released _Bestiary_ _3_ for _Pathfinder RPG_ and by now the book should have made it onto the shelves of your FLGS. 

While the first monster book for any RPG is part of the must-have core system, subsequent volumes and collections of monsters tend to rapidly diminish in both quality and utility. In the past, this decline has been quite noticeable by the time the third volume of any “monster manual” has been released. Accordingly, I must admit that I had relatively low expectations for _Bestiary 3_. Those expectations were not raised by the pre-release buzz concerning _Bestiary 3_, either. One of the roles that _Bestiary 3_ was to fill was to act as a sort of “Oriental Monstrous Compendium” to accompany Paizo’s roll-out of Tian-Xia as well as to assist GM’s of the _Jade Regent Adventure Path_, a heavily “eastern themed” adventure epic for _PFRPG_.

**To top it off, the considerable excitement and buzz which accompanied Frog God Games’ 800 page+ _Tome of Horrors Complete_ for _Pathfinder_ RPG last September left me thoroughly underwhelmed in terms of my own perceived “need” for a _Bestiary 3_. After all, I already had _Bestiary 1_ and _Bestiary 2_, monsters from the various Adventure Path installments, plus many more foes from the various modules and Pathfinder Chronicles released by Paizo over the past nearly three years. Include into that collection the various demonic, diabolic, and daemonic horrors from the three volumes of the “_Books of the Damned_” and add the massive _Tome of Horrors Complete, _too? As you might imagine, I was simply not feeling any sharp hunger for yet-another-monster-book for _Pathfinder_. Fact is, I felt pretty much overwhelmed with monster material for _Pathfinder_ already.

So when I cracked the _Bestiary 3_, I frankly wasn’t expecting much and I wasn’t terribly excited by the supposed promise of the book, either. However, as I started to turn the pages, my indifference changed to mild interest and then quickly morphed into pleasure as the pages kept turning and the various monsters Paizo had put together impressed me – a lot.

It turns out that _Bestiary 3_ is a not only a useful monster book for Pathfinder RPG, it is an _extremely_ useful book; moreover, it is a far better game supplement, on balance, than _Bestiary _2 was. 

The key to _Bestiary 3’s_ quality goes beyond the usual high production values that Paizo is known for. Yes, the book is well illustrated – sometimes gorgeously so; however, I expected it would be. The writing is also up to Paizo’s usual standards, too. While those are certainly important aspects in achieving a quality product, their mere presence isn’t enough on its own to put the _Bestiary 3_ over the top. The key to that success is the monsters themselves -- and it is in this respect that Paizo gets it right.

There are 268 monsters featured in the 320 page book, the vast majority of which stick to the standard one-page-per-monster _Pathfinder_ format (the balance of the book is taken up with the few monsters and template types that take more than one page and the various appendices in _Bestiary 3_). While many of the monsters are completely new, many are adapted from earlier iterations of the game and some are “classic” monsters from the 1<sup>st</sup> and 2<sup>nd</sup> edition eras. 

While by no means an exhaustive list, by way of example, familiar monsters in the _Bestiary 3_ include: _allip, adherer, Androsphinx, Animal Lord, ascomoid, atomie, axe beak, bandersnatch, brass golem, carbuncle, caryatid column, catfolk, demilich, desert giant, dire corby, disenchanter, dragonne, faerie dragon, flail snail, flumph, forest dragon, ant lions (giant versions), giant owl, hag (annis), incubus, jackalwere, kirin, lammasu, nixie, ratfolk, royal naga, sea dragon, vodyanoi, water naga, and the wolf-in-sheep’s clothing_. I must stress that this is simply my own list compiled as a matter of first impression and is by no means an exhaustive list – I may (and probably did) miss a dozen or more "classic monsters" from prior iterations of the game which are not reflected in the above list.

Careful readers will notice that some of these monsters have also appeared in previous Paizo products. For example, all of the monsters in the entire _Bonus Bestiary_ have been reproduced in _Bestiary 3_. The _Bonus Bestiary_ was a free 16 page product created by Paizo for distribution as part of FREE RPG Day nearly three years ago and is no longer in print. It is highly collectible and has been exceedingly hard to find for a long time now other than in .pdf form. For those GMs looking for the creatures in the _Bonus Bestiary_ in bound print format – the _Bestiary 3_ fills that void.

While the stat blocks for the monsters previously presented in the _Bonus Bestiary_ are, for the most part, unchanged, the descriptions of the monsters themselves are different. James Jacobs explained on the Paizo Message Boards that when the _Bonus Bestiary_ was in production several years ago, Paizo had not yet settled upon their format for presenting monsters and were still experimenting with various approaches at that time. The versions of the monsters which now appear in the _Bestiary 3_ are the “official versions” of the monsters in the _Pathfinder RPG_ and supersede the versions previously presented in the _Bonus Bestiary_.

Similarly (and rather surprisingly) the _Bestiary 3_ contains seven of the monsters that appeared in last year’s _Misfit Monsters Redeemed_. The focus of _Misfit Monsters Redeemed _was in presenting new and detailed backstories and monster ecologies explaining – and redeeming – twelve monsters from previous iterations of the game that were adjudged so silly and inane as to be worthy of entry into the “Hall of Shame”. Evidently, the editors at Paizo were happy enough with the new versions of the _Adherer, Disenchanter, Dire Corby, Flail Snail, Flumph, Tojanda_ _and Wolf-in-Sheep’s Clothing_ that they have now been deemed worthy enough to be included in the _Bestiary 3_. To be clear, much of the backstory and reimagining that accompanied these foes in _Misfit Monsters Redeemed_ is absent from their entries in _Bestiary 3_, however, it's still nice to have easy access to the stat block. 

A few other monsters have appeared in modules and even in _Pathfinder Society Scenarios_ in the same or similar form (the classic _Caryatid Column_, for example). Those monsters have now been consolidated beneath two covers to facilitate their ease of use at the table. 

Owners of FGG's _Tome of Horrors Complete_ will also notice that as many of the so-called “classic monsters” which appear in _Bestiary 3 _also appear in _ToHC_; however, there is almost always some difference between the two versions of these “Pathfinderized” monsters. The CRs of the versions of the creatures between the two books often vary, together with the various standard and special abilities ascribed to each foe. My general impression is that the versions of the monsters which appear in the _ToHC_ are usually the more lethal versions as between the two – which I think is simply a reflection that the monsters in _ToHC_ derive from a version of the game where Epic rules were assumed – whereas those in _Bestiary 3 _assumes just the opposite. In the final analysis, I’m happy to have both the _Bestiary 3_ and _ToHC_ versions, but if I had to express a preference, usually (though not always) it would be for the _Bestiary 3_ version of the monster. 

Left out of my list of classic monsters which reappear in the _Bestiary 3_ is the _Graveknight_, the monster which graces the cover of Bestiary 3 and was clearly inspired by the classic _Death Knight_ from the 1<sup>st</sup> edition _Fiend Folio_. Fans of the _DragonLance_ and _Ravenloft_ settings saga will recall that the 1<sup>st</sup> edition Death Knight was the actual monster type of Lord Soth, the Knight of the Black Rose. Whatever the case, Paizo has implemented the new version of the Death Knight to the game as an acquired template. Whether using the stock example presented or creating your own, the _Graveknight_ is an entertainingly lethal (and somewhat overpowered) kick-ass undead knight of unspeakable power... which is to say that I thought it was pretty cool.

The Asian themed monsters in the book are well done and the illustrations are top notch. More importantly, I did not find that their numbers were such that they overwhelmed the book in terms of their quantity or prominence. There are various _Imperial dragons, Onis, Asuras_ and _Divs_ in _Bestiary 3_, but the total number of Asian themed monsters is probably about 10% of the book overall. If you were hoping for a true “Oriental Monstrous Compendium” for _Pathfinder_ – then you will be disappointed to discover that _Bestiary 3_ simply isn’t that sort of book. However, if you were in the camp that isn’t terribly interested in Asian themed monsters, then you will not feel put upon or otherwise take umbrage that Paizo has put too much peanut butter into your chocolate. To me, this was a plus. Of course, to others, YMMV. 

Lastly, there are a large number of mundane animals (and some giant versions of same) which appear in _Bestiary 3_, including a new collection of six smaller animals suitable for use as familiars. I found the inclusion of these mundane animals a welcome addition to my table and the emphasis on new animals for use as familiars was greatly appreciated. The new animals in _Bestiary 3_ for use as small familiars include stat blocks for: _flying squirrel, fox, goat, otter, pig and the raccoon_. 

While the Paizo Message Boards have featured a lively discussion on the possible monsters to include in a _Bestiary 4_, I don’t think it is at all clear that there will necessarily be a _Bestiary 4_, or at least, it is not at all clear that _Bestiary 4_ will be released in 2012. In discussions during past seminars at Gencon, Paizo Publisher Erik Mona has expressed his own doubts about how many general monster books Paizo could publish before it found itself going to that well once-too-often. It also seemed to me that the inclusion of monsters previously released in the _Bonus Bestiary_ and in _Misfit Monsters Redeemed_ imported a certain sense of ... finality and completeness to the _Bestiary_ product line. While I expect that Paizo has made no final determination on this matter, for the time being, my best guess is that we won’t be seeing a _Bestiary 4_ in 2012. The _Bestiary_ field may be destined to lie fallow for a while. 

I spoke with Erik Mona concerning this a few weeks ago to ask him about his views on the likelihood of our seeing a _Bestiary 4_ in December 2012. Mona was uncharacteristically cagey and indicated that he was not yet ready to announce what Paizo’s Xmas 2012 book would be. From his response, it was clear that Paizo *has* made a decision but prefers to delay that announcement until later this spring or perhaps as late as Paizocon this July. As with all things, time will tell.

While it may well be that we will see a _Bestiary 4_, my hunch is that the next monster book is more likely to be more tightly thematic in nature and less likely to be a “general” monster book like the first three _Bestiaries_. I’m not saying that we won’t ever see a _Bestiary 4_ – but I wouldn’t bet on seeing it a year from now. 

Which, in the circumstances, is just fine, because with the release of _Bestiary 3_ I have all the monsters I am going to need for quite a long while. 


*Title: Bestiary 3*
*Publisher:* Paizo Publishing LLC
*Price:* $39.99 Paizo.com PDF $9.99 Paizo.com

*Highly Recommended:* all Pathfinder GMs.


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## Christopher Hawkins (Jan 13, 2012)

For one glorious moment, my brain read 'dire corby' as 'dire corgi'. Oh well, we can still live in hope.

*Retreats to dreams of the queen going to war with her pack of dire corgis*.


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## Rogue Agent (Jan 13, 2012)

Erdrick Dragin said:


> There better be a Bestiary 4. No monster line is ever complete, any TTRPG company should know that! They have more Divs, Asura, Celestials, Behemoths, Kami, Oni, and many other creatures to add more of that they've gone and created.




My feeling is that, as long as the quality and utility of the monsters remains high, there's always room for more monsters.

With that being said, if you look back over the history of the game one trend does appear: The best and most memorable monsters almost universally seem to have their origin in adventures. Maybe Paizo would be best served letting some more adventures cook through as a fountainhead for inspiration.


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## Kvantum (Jan 13, 2012)

Take a year off, do the NPC collection instead, and let Bestiary 4 come out in 2013 to support the Mythic (read: Epic) level rules that go along with the Return of Baba Yaga AP. (She's scheduled to return to Irrisen in 4713 to claim her daughter and grandchildren, and Golarion advances 1 year per year in the real world.)

As long as Book of the Damned IV is all of the Qlippoth weirdness they can cram into 64 pages, I can wait a year on the next bestiary.


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## Zarithar (Jan 13, 2012)

If the Dire Corgi were included, I would definitely purchase Bestiary 4, even if that was the sole entry.


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## delericho (Jan 13, 2012)

Between the 3 Bestiaries, there is a huge range of monsters in print. If you really need more, there's always "Tome of Horrors Complete"!

If I were in Paizo's shoes, I would announce that there won't be a "Bestiary 4" in the immediate future... but I would stop well short of saying there won't _ever_ be such a book. It's likely that, in a few years time, the monthly AP product will have generated enough interesting monsters (and that many of them will be long-enough out of print) to justify compiling them into a "Bestiary 4".

IOW, do it when you have enough material to make a good product; don't simply publish for the sake of it, and likewise don't declare "never".

(Oh, and incidentally, regarding "Bestiary 3" - I have it, I like it. Excellent book. In fact, the lure of switching from 3.5e to Pathfinder is becoming ever harder to resist.)


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## Christopher Hawkins (Jan 13, 2012)

Managed to find an image of a dire corgi

Corgi, dire by *butterfrog on deviantART

Anyone willing to have a shot at a statblock?


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## kitsune9 (Jan 13, 2012)

I need to get the Bestiary 3. I have the first two and the Tome of Horrors Complete. Excellent game books.

My favorites though are still the Monsternomicons Vol 1 and 2. Just love those books.


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## Stereofm (Jan 13, 2012)

There can NEVER be enough monsters ! NEVER !

I am looking forward to Bestiary 8 asap.

Oh, and a Tome of Horrors 2 please. Just slightly bigger, if possible.


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## Razuur (Jan 13, 2012)

Yeah, I thought B3 was better than B2.

But then I like lots of unique monsters from a lot of cultures.

I was a little underwhelmed by B2, but B3, I have pulled several beasties from it already.

Well done Paizo!


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## James0235 (Jan 14, 2012)

Great review. But, I do take issue with one minor thing:



Steel_Wind said:


> The Bonus Bestiary was a free 16 page product created by Paizo for distribution as part of FREE RPG Day nearly three years ago and is no longer in print. It is highly collectible and has been exceedingly hard to find for a long time now other than in .pdf form.




The Bonus Bestiary is neither highly collectible nor hard to find. It is still for sale on Paizo's site. I paid $5 for my first one on ebay before I realized Paizo was selling them. And then I picked up a second one from Paizo to give away when they were on sale recently for $.99. And they appear to still have more.


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## R_Chance (Jan 15, 2012)

Kvantum said:


> Take a year off, do the NPC collection instead, and let Bestiary 4 come out in 2013 to support the Mythic (read: Epic) level rules that go along with the Return of Baba Yaga AP. (She's scheduled to return to Irrisen in 4713 to claim her daughter and grandchildren, and Golarion advances 1 year per year in the real world.)
> 
> As long as Book of the Damned IV is all of the Qlippoth weirdness they can cram into 64 pages, I can wait a year on the next bestiary.




*looks around* You do know having said "epic / mythic" you will probably start someone on a "I don't need it / get off my lawn" rant? 

Sounds good to me though


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## TheAuldGrump (Jan 15, 2012)

R_Chance said:


> *looks around* You do know having said "epic / mythic" you will probably start someone on a "I don't need it / get off my lawn" rant?
> 
> Sounds good to me though



Hey you! Get offa my lawn!

Actually, while I will never use an Epic supplement, if some third party were to create it I would not start hollerin'.

I doubt that Paizo will do Epic, so if folks want it then a 3pp _should_ fill that niche. There _are_ folks that want it.

The Auld Grump


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## Sylrae (Jan 16, 2012)

I thought I read it as confirmed to be a work in progress.

I didn't look into it thoroughly though, because I dont need (or want) an epic book either.


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## Tayne (Jan 20, 2012)

Christopher Hawkins said:


> For one glorious moment, my brain read 'dire corby' as 'dire corgi'. Oh well, we can still live in hope.
> 
> *Retreats to dreams of the queen gointo war with her pack of dire corgis*.




My good friend DM'd an encounter with halfling druids riding dire dachshunds. It was pretty amusing.


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## Cyberzombie (Jan 21, 2012)

Kvantum said:


> Take a year off, do the NPC collection instead, and let Bestiary 4 come out in 2013 to support the Mythic (read: Epic) level rules that go along with the Return of Baba Yaga AP. (She's scheduled to return to Irrisen in 4713 to claim her daughter and grandchildren, and Golarion advances 1 year per year in the real world.)




I would love to have a well-thought-out set of epic level rules available.  Especially from Paizo -- if anyone can do it right, it's them.


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## ayatkinoi (Sep 12, 2012)

completely missed the previous monster series  but this time purchased it and started to read it and i am really feeling this book adventuros


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