I received my copy of Joe Sparrows and Blanca Martinez first art book just recently after a short hop across the pond. The two of them write and draw for Dungeons & Drawings one of my favorite blogs. Their speciality is going through the various Monster Manuals and reinterpreting various creatures in new and exciting ways. Take a look, there's plenty to love. Especially Mecha Crabzilla
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| Siege Crab |
In addition to being an art book it also keeps a legend on each side of the page specifying a creatures Combat Prowess, Magical Ability, Intelligence, Quality or Quantity of Loot, and how Dangerous a creature is (and its likelihood to flee). Altogether it is system neutral, what I like in a product. What I appreciated the most was the cultural significance and history lesson that came with each creature. Where they originated and how they evolved until they reached a Monstrous Manual. Much to my surprise the Gnoll was created by Lord Dunsany and they were not originally the lazy-dog men I know and love. Shock and Surprise!
In addition to the qualitative creature ratings there are a number of other symbols that specify the creatures type, elemental affinity and alignment. The symbols are the most part fairly intuitive and a nice fit with the rest of the book. The Roc below has the beast symbol, followed by air element and lastly neutral alignment. The artwork stellar and the price is fair. Definitely check it out.
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| I think we found a match. |
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