Wizards Presents Worlds and Monsters

A behind-the-scenes exploration of theD & Dgame. This lavishly illustrated 96-page book gives roleplaying game fans a unique, behind-the-screen glimpse into the making of theDungeons & Dragons(R)... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0786948027
• ISBN13: 9780786948024
• Release Date: January 2008
• Publisher: Wizards of the Coast
• Length: 95 Pages
• Weight: 0.65 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.2" x 8.4" x 10.7"

Customer Reviews

It does what it says on the label

Most of the negative reviews don't seem to be about the product itself, but rather what they wish Wizards of the Coast would have done instead. Like the other 4th Edition preview book, Worlds & Monsters does exactly what it promises: It gives a snapshot of what's to come in the new edition of Dungeons & Dragons, but from the vantage point of September 2007. This time, instead of hearing about various classes and races, we get a glimpse into the assumed setting of the game world. In previous editions, there were these assumed settings as well, but rarely were explicitly articulated. Even moreso than its predecessor, there's a lot of great pieces of art in this book, very evocative of mysterious lands and ominous vistas. The writing also paints a picture of a world where darkness threatens to swallow the remaining light and where heroes are all that prevents evil from triumphing. Like all the best game books, it makes me want to play and now. This sort of book has a built-in shelf life, however, and if you don't want to pluck down the bucks on a book that will mostly be obsoleted in a matter of weeks, pass it by. If your budget has the room, however, it's a beautiful and evocative little preview.

Helps Sort Out Mixed Feelings

Whenever a change is announced for something as beloved as Dungeons & Dragons, fans are going to have mixed emotions. On one hand, the possibility of the game getting even better is exciting. On the other hand, there is concern that the parts you treasure most will get worse or even disappear. This book is a very good attempt to ease those concerns. Whether you agree with the developers' decisions or not, "Worlds and Monsters" does an excellent job of answering the overriding question: why? When you can see for yourself that certain decisions were not taken lightly, had good reasons behind them, and weren't just changes for the sake of change, it makes them easier to bear. Other parts of the book left me truly excited for 4th edition. They put a lot of effort into making encounters more dynamic than just charging in and whacking the monster until it dies. They wanted fighting different monsters to feel different and require different tactics, and the book explains the steps they took to accomplish that. I've heard complaints that the cost is too high for just a preview. To be fair, most of the book's information is available on the website and forums, but the book is better organized, more complete, and has nice illustrations. A one-sentence complaint on the forums might have a few pages of the book dedicated to it, for example. The details and illustrations were well worth the cost to me, and a lot of the information will remain useful after 4th edition comes out. It's at least worth having everyone in your group pitch in $5 or so to share this book and Classes and Races. I finished both books in a single evening, then passed them on to fellow roleplayers. At the very least, a forum post that says, "I read the preview books, and absolutely hate 4th edition and everything it stands for," carries a lot more weight than, "I refuse to look at anything related to 4th edition, but I hate it anyway." However, I think you're much more likely to be pleasantly surprised, and start looking forward to June 6th as much as I am.

Excellent Behind-the-Scenes Preview

This book offers a wonderful behind-the-scenes look at the design considerations and development of the new version of Dungeons & Dragons accompanied by finished and concept artwork giving a glimpse of the look of fourth edition. For anyone interested in what the developers were thinking or just looking for more glimpses of the new game, this should prove to be a very satisfying read.