Ultimate Bestiary: The Dreaded Accursed Hardcover (5E)

Fantastic book that provides a tremendous number of options for the DM in regard to a very common type of creature. However, my favorite part of the book are the rules for converting players to Vampires, Werewolves, Liches, etc.

This is a fantastic bestiary. All lore, artwork, and monster stats are amazing and must have for any DM.

As a DM, this guide is really handy for adding variety and spice to the standard and sometimes unspectacular monsters you find in the MM. There's a variety of undead from wights to skeletons to zombies and many more; there's also story bits as an interesting guide through the book, as well as ways to turn PCs into part of the thriving monster categories you see here. Definitely worth picking up, especially if you like undead and horror based scenarios!

This book is HEAVY - far heavier than it seems like it will be, likely due to the thick glossy paper throughout. Once again, it appears I struck gold by getting this 268 page tome while it was on , because there doesn't seem to be a blessed thing wrong with it. It's glossy and colorful, inside and out. There's creature art on most pages; large, evocative pieces to start each section; and line art in a few places. Undead can sometimes be difficult to take seriously because their gaping maws and lidless eyes can come off as cartoonish easily. For the most part, though, the art in this book works well and doesn't make me want to giggle.

This monster manual is largely about the undead but does have some other creatures from time to time. They're grouped by type, starting with ghosts. Each section begins with an overview (covering origin, environment, roleplaying tips, and combat tactics) and a quick chart for different ways to encounter that kind of creature. There are in-character notes scattered around, and they can be fun! "Do you think a loved one has fallen foul of ethereal possession? Remember SPIRIT," says one note before going on to explain the acronym. Stat blocks are clear and easy to follow. Each section ends with a two page in-character letter that recounts an encounter with that kind of creature. Reading these can be fun, too.

One thing that stands out is that some pages have so much blank space. Don't get me wrong - there are plenty of pages that are nicely filled, but some have stats that take up 75% of one column, and then a piece of art in the other column. If you've spent your time with more densely packed books, this can be a bit odd. There are still plenty of monsters, including variants that don't get as much play, like hobgoblin zombies.

There's an appendix for animated objects that has inspiring options, like a miniature infantry regiment (the kinds of small statues found in ancient tombs). There's another appendix for playing liches, lycanthropes, and such, including templated creatures like ghosts. Appendix C has a selection of maps of various lairs, in case you need a location for an encounter.

The book ends with an index of monsters in alphabetical order and another in order of challenge rating. While I haven't been able to run out of this yet, I can say that this book inspires me and makes me look forward to using it.

Now before i start this review i would like to say that my score has noting to do with the condition the book came in, which was great for a item (only a few dents on the cover).

Now the book itself is filled with alot of great undead and some great werebeasts that adds a new spin on many of the more classic types, as well as a wealth of information for DM's to use.

It also should be noted that the new Mongral Folk is a very interesting and welcomed addition to the list of accursed beings.

Though with all this said it should also be noted that a few sections are notably smaller then others.

This next part is a nitpick but i do find the lack of some monster's baffling, such as the notable lack of the Banshee in the book, and their being a picture of a Jiang shi yet their is no mention of this life drinking undead itself.

(which is too bad since mythology there is already five variants of Jiang shi that scale in power from each other.)

I also agree with another reviewer (on the Dreaded Accursed's non- version) that more could of been done with the skeletons due to just how creative a necromancer can get with a pile of bone's.

However despite these nitpicks i do think that the book as more then enough content to make up for it.

Including not only a wealth of new monsters but also, other sections for lair's, and another for player choices including new classes, races, and even templates for them to choose from.

Finally the notes and journal like entry's found throughout the book really do help you get into the mindset of those that have to deal with these monster's.