# This is my new all-time favorite monster book (13th Age Bestiary)



## Dungeoneer (Jul 21, 2014)

I’ve just finished reading the _13th Age Bestiary_ and it completely blew me away. Seriously, expectations exceeded at every level. I admit, I _am _a sucker for a good monster book, but this is a _great _one. Let me say up front that any GM looking for inspiring monsters should find something to love in the Bestiary, regardless of what system they are running. Don’t think that just because it says 13th Age on the cover that it can’t be useful for your 5e or Pathfinder game.

The meat of this book is fifty-two monsters, or categories of monsters, really. Most monsters have at least a one or two variants and often there are three or even more. For example, the entry for Red Dragon contains write-ups for 7th level Volcano Dragon, a 9th level Hoardsong Dragon, a 9th level Hoard Spirit, an 11th level Greathoard Elder, a 12th level Flamewreathed Dragon and 12th level smoke minions (note that when there are minor monsters like Hoard Spirits that are part of another monster’s ecology, they are included in its section). This works out to a total of 202 monster variants. 

A great many of the monsters are classic D&D baddies, brilliantly reimagined. For example, there’s the chimera whose abilities shift at the beginning of each battle. Cambions are now demonic assassins for hire who grow their lethal weapons out of their own flesh and bone. And if you like Gelatinous Cubes, you’re going to love Gelatinous Dodecahedrons!

My personal favorite classic monster getting the 13th Age treatment is the Redcap. 13th Age redcaps get their red caps by dipping them in their victims’ blood, so the redness of a redcap’s headgear tells you how tough it is. Before combat with redcaps, the GM picks a ‘bad word’ and when someone at the table says it the redcaps can instantly teleport to get the jump on the players. As a GM, just imagining the look on my players’ faces when that happens gives me a smile.

There are numerous more obscure monsters brought vividly to life, like the Couatl, the Jorogumo, the Wendigo and the Shadow Dragon. All are given vivid new life. And some monsters are entirely new to this kind of game (as far as I’m aware), like the Whispering Prophet (spooky aberrant infiltrators), the Wibble (magical mistakes) and the Zorigami (mysterious clockwork constructs with time shifting capabilities). There are also new monsters specifically for the Dragon Empire setting, including Blue Sorcerers, Warbanners and The Saved.

If the Core Book had a weakness, it was the monster section. Due to space constraints, some of the monsters seemed a little bit vanilla and played as under-powered. This book seeks to address that in several instances, where core book monsters have been given a more stylish and lethal makeover. "Oh those core book black dragons? They were the crappy black dragons. These are the real deal!"

The Bestiary even includes stats for two monsters it recommends that GMs think twice about using - rust monsters and the Terrasque. Yes, these are real rust monsters that will dissolve your players equipment and make them hate you forever. No fooling around here. They come with a big fat warning, but they _are _available for GMs that want them. The Terrasque, meanwhile, has been given stats that start at virtually unbeatable and can be tweaked upwards to flat out impossible. 

A good monster is more than just its stats. For those grognards who want a full ecology write-up next to their monster’s stat block, a great many of these monsters have one. Where might you find said monster? What does this monster eat? What does it do in its spare time? What sort of allies might this monster have? Does it pair well with kobolds (answer: yes)? Each monster also includes advice on building battles and some suggested plot hooks.

Some monsters get a complete lifecycle. The best example of this is the remorhaz. The remorhaz has a full five different stages written up as separate monsters, and the first couple won’t necessarily clue in players about what these critters will grow up to be. Letting one of your players adopt a mewling 'snow kitten' and watching as it gets bigger, uglier and meaner could be a lot of fun!

This being 13th Age, very little is set in stone. Origin stories, in particular, are often left to the player, albeit with several hints for GMs who want them. And sometimes, as the book says, “a purple worm is just a purple worm.” The purple worm in this book, by the way, is a serious engine of destruction fully capable of swallowing some or all of your players whole and digesting them in its highly acidic stomach. The designers really haven’t pulled any punches. 

If this book was just a collection of flavorful, well-executed monsters it would be great but there’s more here. The designers love lists and start out with several, including “Monsters that might negotiate a treaty with you” and “Monsters that lay fearsome eggs.” The monsters themselves often come with entertaining lists: “Things found in a black dragon’s hoard” or “Things Blue Sorcerers carry” or “Things found in the stomach of a Bulette.”

But wait, there’s still more! There are tables of attributes to roll on to make monsters more fun/interesting/terrifying. If a monster can be found in a particularly perilous environment there are tables of environmental effects. The Shadow Dragon entry includes some lovely cursed items. The entry on Kobolds has tables of random traps (one table per environment!) that they can drag players into during battle!

And, for those pesky players, there is even a playable monster race. And it’s where you’d least expect it… under the Fungaloid entry. Yes, Mycotic Twygzogs are now a playable race in 13th Age. This might be the first official support for sexy mushroom princes in a d20 game.

Yes that’s kind of random, but it gives you an idea of how fun this book is. It’s not just a book of monsters. It’s a book of unique backstories, world-building details and bits of lore. And lots of surprises. For both the GM and his or her unfortunate players!

As with both the Core book and 13 True Ways, the Bestiary is written in an informal style with the authors occasionally breaking in to address the reader directly and explain why they’ve done what they did. To me this is just about empowering the GM and players as much as possible to make the game their own, and it is one of the things I love most about 13th Age. 

The final section of the book, aside from some charts and the necessary monsters-by-level list, walks the reader through monster creation, from re-skinning a monster to building one from scratch. This may seem redundant to experienced GMs but I think it’s great that the designers realized this is something not everyone is confident about doing on their own. And in fact even self-styled designers can learn a thing or two here, as the book breaks down the ‘technology’ used to build 13th Age monsters, how to apply it and when. 

If you have never looked at a 13th Age monster, the two things that will stand out to you are special abilities that trigger based on the natural roll of the d20, and the escalation die. Monsters are basically constructed around these two concepts and they can get complicated.

In fact my one complaint about this book is that occasionally some monster entries seemed over fiddly, with multiple riders tacked on for natural even misses, natural odd misses, natural 16+ and natural 18+. Still, I suppose that at the end of the day you roll the d20, look at the list of riders, and do what it says. So I won’t complain too much.



So here’s the *tldr *version: lots of cool monsters that seem like they would be fun to run at the table. Rich seams of lore and backstory to steal from. Copious adventure hooks. Clever new mechanics. Tables of stuff to roll on. And a playable race.

Kids, this book is value for money. I’m serious.

The designers were lead by Rob Heinsoo, who helped create 13th Age. This is the first time a 13th Age book has not been mostly the product of Rob, Jonathan Tweet and illustrator Lee Moyer. Props to Ryven Cedrylle, Kenneth Hite, Kevin Kulp, ASH LAW, Cal Moore, Steve Townshend, Rob Watkins and Rob Wieland who prove that Rob and Jonathan aren’t the only guys who can come up with great stuff in this game. 

Oh hey, I should probably mention the art. The stuff within the pages is by Rich Longmoore. Every monster gets at least one full-color piece. There are some fantastically evocative pieces in here. This is way beyond the ‘inscribed gems’ that made up the monster art for the core book. Kudos to everyone involved.

Finally, for your casual perusal, here is the list of the monster categories in the Bestiary. Enjoy.


Basilisk
Bat
Black Dragon
Blue Sorcerer
Bugbear
Bulette
Cambion Assassin
Centaur
Chaos Beast
Chimera
Chuul
Couatl
Drow
Dybbuk
Elder Beast
Ettercap
Frost Giant
Fungaloid
Gelahedron (Gelatinous Platonic Solids)
Genie
Ghoul
Golem
Hag
Haunted Skull
Hellbug
Intellect Devourer
Jorogumo
Kobold
Lammasu
Lich
Manticore
Naga
Ogre
Ogre Mage
Orc
Predatory Plant
Purple Worm
Red Dragon
Redcap
Remorhaz
Rust Monster
Sahuagin
Shadow Dragon
Stirge
Tarrasque
The Saved
Warbanner
Wendigo
Whispering Prophet
White Dragon
Wibble
Zorigami


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## Scrivener of Doom (Jul 21, 2014)

I agree.

This really raises the bar in terms of how future monster books could or should (?) be presented.

Great review, BTW.


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## Dungeoneer (Jul 21, 2014)

Scrivener of Doom said:


> Great review, BTW.



Thanks! I almost forgot one of my favorite things, though: the book's tiny humorous touches.

My favorite is this one from a list of possible Drow names: *Tyyler Du’Urden.*


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## dmccoy1693 (Jul 21, 2014)

Any word on when this will hit DriveThru? I'm pure digital these days.


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## Evenglare (Jul 21, 2014)

Dungeoneer said:


> Thanks! I almost forgot one of my favorite things, though: the book's tiny humorous touches.
> 
> My favorite is this one from a list of possible Drow names: *Tyyler Du’Urden.*




Rule 1 : You do NOT talk about Drow names.


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## mcmillan (Jul 21, 2014)

dmccoy1693 said:


> Any word on when this will hit DriveThru? I'm pure digital these days.




I believe it was one month after the print version goes out


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## Dungeoneer (Jul 21, 2014)

Lester Gash has an excellent review of the Bestiary up on his blog.


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## Tony Vargas (Jul 22, 2014)

Dungeoneer said:


> In fact my one complaint about this book is that occasionally some monster entries seemed over fiddly, with multiple riders tacked on for natural even misses, natural odd misses, natural 16+ and natural 18+. Still, I suppose that at the end of the day you roll the d20, look at the list of riders, and do what it says.



 Sounds like playing a 13A fighter.  ;P

Seriously, though, thanks for another great review that makes me want to run this game!


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## GrahamWills (Jul 22, 2014)

One of the things I like a lot about 13th Age is the fresh take on a lot of basic gamer assumptions. What I like particularly is that they very often embrace both possibilities ("if you like your skeletons resistant to non-blunt weapons, here are some rules...") and so make a wide variety of play styles possible.

here's a longish quote from the Chimera section of the Bestiary, highlighting this approach:

In the hands of gamers, a beast that's meant to embody shifting chaos has become locked into its original mythic shape of a lion combined with a goat combined with a dragon. We're not going to fight that, not completely. We like the traditional chimera, as presented on page 209 of the 13th Age core book, and we have some rocking chimera minis we'd like to keep using. But the competing realms of the icons provide powerful winds that a shapeshifting mythical beast might ride to access powers it can't gain on its own. When you fight an iconic chimera, your own icon relationships might enable it to shift into an even more dangerous form, or force it into a shape that gives you the advantage. If all your icon dice work against you and you are fighting a fully empowered iconic chimera, this could be the moment you flee to fight another day when forces are not aligned against you​


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## Tun Kai Poh (Jul 24, 2014)

I can attest to the quality of the Bestiary. I've been using the creatures from the playtest and they've added lots of spice to my 4e-turned-13th Age game - A mushroom kingdom where a tywyzog princess needs the adventurers to overthrow her demon-possessed mother; a band of backstabbing bugbear mercenaries with cool ninja, commander and berserker variants; a horrific jorogumo mistress who uses orphans as human shields; a disturbing number of villains who are being manipulated by a conspiracy of prophetic "time golems" (reskinned zorigami); the Saved reskinned as Torog cultists; a Wendigo cult seeking to bring back an ancient Wendigo King icon; a Warbanner in a running vertical fight along the side of a castle wall; blind Cave Orcs as the perfect minions for a medusa; a gelatinous tetrahedron JUST BECAUSE.

I also really, really want to have a bergship full of frost giants and their pets come crashing into the campaign one of these days, when the PCs reach higher levels.


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## Maxboy (Jul 24, 2014)

Wasn't the Redcap designed by our very own Kevin (Piratecat) Kulp?


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## Tush Hog (Jul 24, 2014)

I love the Things You Might Find On...


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## Nikosandros (Jul 24, 2014)

Maxboy said:


> Wasn't the Redcap designed by our very own Kevin (Piratecat) Kulp?



Yes, here's the thread about the preview, from about one year ago.


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## Dungeoneer (Jul 24, 2014)

Tun Kai Poh said:


> I can attest to the quality of the Bestiary. I've been using the creatures from the playtest and they've added lots of spice to my 4e-turned-13th Age game - A mushroom kingdom where a tywyzog princess needs the adventurers to overthrow her demon-possessed mother; a band of backstabbing bugbear mercenaries with cool ninja, commander and berserker variants; a horrific jorogumo mistress who uses orphans as human shields; a disturbing number of villains who are being manipulated by a conspiracy of prophetic "time golems" (reskinned zorigami); the Saved reskinned as Torog cultists; a Wendigo cult seeking to bring back an ancient Wendigo King icon; a Warbanner in a running vertical fight along the side of a castle wall; blind Cave Orcs as the perfect minions for a medusa; a gelatinous tetrahedron JUST BECAUSE.
> 
> I also really, really want to have a bergship full of frost giants and their pets come crashing into the campaign one of these days, when the PCs reach higher levels.




WHAAAAAT. I want to play in your game!!!



Nikosandros said:


> Yes, here's the thread about the preview, from about one year ago.




The book doesn't tell you who worked on what monsters*. On the one hand I want to know, but on the other hand it helps make the book feel more consistent. I knew [MENTION=2]Piratecat[/MENTION] was involved in working on this book, but did not know he wrote the redcap entry! Very, very cool.

* Except for the sidebar where Rob Heinsoo explains how he shot down ASH LAW's idea for an entire campaigns worth of fungaloid enemies.


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## Scrivener of Doom (Jul 24, 2014)

Dungeoneer said:


> WHAAAAAT. I want to play in your game!!! (snip)




Me too.

I wonder if we could persuade him to post his actual play reports? Hint, hint.


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## Dungeoneer (Jul 24, 2014)

Scrivener of Doom said:


> Me too.
> 
> I wonder if we could persuade him to post his actual play reports? Hint, hint.



I agree! We need play reports from  [MENTION=6761960]Tun Kai Poh[/MENTION]!


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## Piratecat (Jul 24, 2014)

I'm so glad you love this book as much as I do! My monsters were ridiculously fun to write. My beasties included:

- The hoardsong red dragon
- Whispering Prophets (which started as a "not a mind flayer")
- Redcaps
- Bugbears
- Llamasu


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## Dungeoneer (Jul 25, 2014)

Piratecat said:


> I'm so glad you love this book as much as I do! My monsters were ridiculously fun to write. My beasties included:
> 
> - The hoardsong red dragon
> - Whispering Prophets (which started as a "not a mind flayer")
> ...



I really liked the Whispering Prophets. Super creepy and flavorful, just the way I like my monsters. Are they an original creation?


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## Piratecat (Jul 25, 2014)

Dungeoneer said:


> I really liked the Whispering Prophets. Super creepy and flavorful, just the way I like my monsters. Are they an original creation?




They are. They're a cross between a civilized mind flayer and a trillith, a creature I created for my last big campaign. I wanted something that wasn't particularly a badass in combat, but which could legitimately be a great plot hook and a good reoccurring minor villain.


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## GrahamWills (Jul 25, 2014)

Piratecat said:


> They are. They're a cross between a civilized mind flayer and a trillith, a creature I created for my last big campaign. I wanted something that wasn't particularly a badass in combat, but which could legitimately be a great plot hook and a good reoccurring minor villain.




Much kudos for great work!


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## Tun Kai Poh (Jul 27, 2014)

Dungeoneer said:


> I agree! We need play reports from  @_*Tun Kai Poh*_!




Okay, but it'll be in a different thread, since it won't just be about the bestiary.


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## Scrivener of Doom (Jul 27, 2014)

Tun Kai Poh said:


> Okay, but it'll be in a different thread, since it won't just be about the bestiary.




Your kind offer is accepted.


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## Evilhalfling (Jul 28, 2014)

Piratecat said:


> I'm so glad you love this book as much as I do! My monsters were ridiculously fun to write. My beasties included:
> 
> - The hoardsong red dragon
> - Whispering Prophets (which started as a "not a mind flayer")
> ...




Now I need to go back and read the bugbears, the rest of these were amazing creations that caught my attention while I was reading through the book.  
I can't wait to start my next 13th age campaign (im waiting for 13true ways to ship, and a PF game to hit a stopping point.)


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## Scrivener of Doom (Jul 28, 2014)

I just read the stirge entry tonight and simply love the idea of certain criminals being forced to allow a stirge to steal some of their blood with the stirge subsequently petrified so that The Archmage can simply un-petrify the specific stirge and use the blood therein to work blood magic.

What a great idea!


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## Dungeoneer (Jul 29, 2014)

Just saw this on the 13th Age Facebook page, and it's pretty great!






> The much-maligned owlbear, noted for its playful nature, is often killed by adventures for its furthery coat. But who will think of those left - the innocent chubs? This August, consider finding a home for an owlbear chub, dragon hatching, gelatinous puddle or rust mewling.


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## Mirtek (Jul 29, 2014)

Dungeoneer said:


> 13th Age redcaps get their red caps by dipping them in their victims’ blood



That's the mythological reason for their name and was in many games (including D&D and Pathfinder actualls).


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## M.L. Martin (Jul 30, 2014)

I'm halfway through my copy, and it's the most fun I've had reading a monster book since the _Dragonlance: Fifth Age_ Bestiary. I'm beginning to think there's something about FRPGs with "#th Age" in their titles ... 

  The chuuls, hags and jorogumos stand out the most, followed closely by the chaos beasts, elder beasts, intellect devourers, lammasu, and lich.


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## Bugleyman (Jul 31, 2014)

Piratecat said:


> I'm so glad you love this book as much as I do! My monsters were ridiculously fun to write. My beasties included:
> 
> - The hoardsong red dragon
> - Whispering Prophets (which started as a "not a mind flayer")
> ...





You did some amazing work.  In fact, the Bugbear entry is what sold the book to me while browsing at the FLGS.


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## Piratecat (Jul 31, 2014)

Bugleyman said:


> You did some amazing work.  In fact, the Bugbear entry is what sold the book to me while browsing at the FLGS.




Seriously? Dang. Thanks.

I take no credit for mechanics, as I focused on flavor text. Rob Heinsoo helped on the mechanics for my beasties, and I think he did an amazing job.


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## Bugleyman (Jul 31, 2014)

Piratecat said:


> Seriously? Dang. Thanks.




You're welcome.  You had me at "ridiculously large crossbow" (or whatever it was called -- I don't have the book in front of me).


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## Zaukrie (Aug 3, 2014)

Is this out?  Do not see it on their site to order,  nor on amazon.  Or am I blind?


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## M.L. Martin (Aug 3, 2014)

Pelgrane products can be tough to get through Amazon, and their website is listing it as a pre-order still, but I have a print copy of my own and saw two more at another FLGS a few days ago. Check The Source. 

  Also, did anyone else notice a certain set of magic items (minus one) hiding in the shadow dragon listing of cursed items?


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## Dungeoneer (Aug 4, 2014)

Zaukrie said:


> Is this out?  Do not see it on their site to order,  nor on amazon.  Or am I blind?



On the Pelgrane Press shop page scroll down to 'Other Publications' and expand that. You'll see the Bestiary. It's still listed as pre-order for some reason, even though it is absolutely out.


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## Zaukrie (Aug 4, 2014)

Almost went to the source today.....maybe I will send a player to pick one up for me before the next game.


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