Creatures of Freeport
d20 Monster Resource (softcover, 96 pages)
Written by Graeme David and Keith Baker
Product code: GRR1027: ISBN 1-932442-19-7
Publisher: Green Ronin Publishing, $19.95
Creatures of Freeport is a listing of monsters big and small created for the Freeport d20 campaign setting (but these creatures could easily be used elsewhere too).
The cover, like almost every Freeport accessory out there, is illustrated with a marvelous painting. Unlike many other Freeport books though, internal artwork is rather well done as well. This is a nice change of pace for Freeport material, and is definitely welcomed in a monstrous compendium of sorts.
Described in this book are some quite unique and interesting creatures. Such creatures include: Dead Man’s Brain, a unique type of sea coral; Ghost Eater, a creature which does what its name applies; Nereid, a type of sea dryad; and the giant Ocean Worm, a rather nasty elemental creature that no seagoing campaign should do without. There are others of course, but I won’t list them all here.
This monster book, as some may call it, differs from other monster compendiums in a way I rather like. Not only do you get a decent collection of creatures, but each one has additional information to add more flavor and ideas for the DM. These additions include "Knowledge," which details possible useful information about the creature that could benefit characters in the game. Next is a "Uses" section, with information on the various uses of certain parts of a creature's body, from spell components and alchemical uses, to a few creatures that could be used as familiars. "Adventure Hooks" lists a variety of adventure ideas for each creature, some being more than a page or two in length. Also, there are some sample characters for a few creatures that could be used as character classes, with personality notes and other useful information.
While there are not a lot of creatures in this book, mainly due to the additional information provided under each monster, this book strays from the normal monstrous compendium by providing material that helps in creating a more rich campaign environment. This extra flavor is something that I find missing in many of the overabundance of monster books on the market today, and this makes Creatures of Freeport a great addition to any campaign that deals with the sea. The adventure ideas for each creature alone are worth the price of this book!
(review (c) October 2004 / David Flemming)