Pathfinder RPG: Bestiary 4

This week I picked up a copy of Paizo's latest hardcover book, Bestiary 4, for the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game. You would think that there wouldn't be enough content left to make a fourth book, but there are over 300 creatures in this volume.

The range of creatures in this book covers the entire spectrum, from dragons to dinosaurs, undead, demons and devils, even familiars for your spellcasting characters.

Cthulhu

One of the highlights of the book is the inclusion of a trio of monsters called the Great Old Ones, a concept created by H.P. Lovecraft, otherworldly entities of unimaginable power. There is Bokrug, the Great Water Lizard; Hastur, the King in Yellow; and last but certainly not least the most well-known, Cthulhu, the Dreamer in the Deep!!!




The Tooth Fairy: Not quite what I imagined

The stat blocks are the same as in the previous volumes, listing the creature's Challenge Rating (CR), creature type (humanoid, fey, animal, etc.), the terrain where it can normally be found, and the climate that it prefers. Included with the creatures stats (if applicable) are its Mythic Rating (MR) in case you are running a mythic campaign.



The back of the book contains appendices that cover several topics like monster advancement rules and a glossary that explains any special abilities a creature might posses. There are also lists that put the monsters in order based on type, terrain, or their CR.

Overall I like this book. As a player and a rookie Game Master, I feel that the game can get a bit old or stale if you keep encountering the same monsters or creatures over and over again, not to mention any unintentional metagaming. In a game that is based on imagination, it only makes sense to have new creatures introduced into it.