A Review of the Role Playing Game Supplement Monster Menagerie: Threats From Beyond

Monster Menagerie: Threats From Beyond by Sam Hing is a role playing game supplement published by Rogue Genius Games for use with the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game. As such, it is covered by the Open Game License and some parts are considered to be Open Game Content as a result. This is part of the Monster Menagerie bestiary series that covers monsters on a theme; in this case, outsiders.

This is a 13-page PDF that is available from DriveThruRPG for $3.99 but was purchased at a greatly reduced price as part of a special bundle. One page is the front cover and one the Credits and Open Game License.

The single page Foreword explains that the supplement aims to present more than traditional demons and devils (although both are represented) and that not all the threats from other planes come from evil creatures.

The Black Dog appears to be loosely based on the mythical creature and guards lonely roads and cursed towns.

The Prismatic Couatl is a good-aligned creature, but one that is chaotic and dislikes the rigid structures of powerful kingdoms and institutions, if such rigidly control the populace, and militaries by their very nature.

The Shax Daemon is a troublesome daemon that poses as a friend, in order to cause trouble.

The Karkinbide Demon is a large crab-like demon that attacks anything it thinks it can beat.

The Black Charger Devil is essentially a devil in the form of a centaur, and the most powerful creature covered.

Hate Spirits hate everything and attack anything they think they can overcome.

The Hound of Abaddon appears to be a hound, but one missing all of its head except for the jaws.

The Traveler is a peaceful creature that ferries others between the planes.

Monster Menagerie: Threats From Beyond in Review

The PDF is bookmarked with all the monsters linked. Given the length, navigation is good. The text maintains a two-column format and appears to be free of error. Each monster has its own illustration, which is good, but there looks to be an oddity with that. The illustrations are greyscale, but they appear to, and in one case, definitely has, been made greyscale from colour images. Which, if true, is strange. Despite that, presentation is good.

Not every monster may be a demon or a devil, but both, and daemons, are represented, and three of the others are evil. So, as far as adding diversity, this doesn’t add a huge amount. The monsters are interesting, but they are more of the same than the Foreword might suggest. Monster Menagerie: Threats From Beyond adds new extraplanar threats and it can be found by clicking here.