Fiend Folio (3e) is a 226-page monster sourcebook for Dungeons & Dragons 3rd edition released in April 2003. It is named for the AD&D sourcebook Fiend Folio (1e) (1981).
Official synopsis[]
Vanquish Terrible Evil
The noblest heroes must contend with the foulest monsters. Whether torn from the darkest planes of existence or spawned as blights upon the natural world, the creatures bound within these covers will challenge stalwart adventurers of every experience level.
This accessory for the D&D game captures over 150 monsters, including some of the most diabolical beings imaginable. While focused on extraplanar and otherworldly creatures, you'll also stumble across new creatures of every type, with Challenge Ratings that range from 1/8 to 25. Along with three new fiendish prestige classes, six new templates, and rules for swarms, grafts, and symbionts, the Fiend Folio offers a multitude of challenges for every hero.
To use this supplement, a Dungeon Master also needs the Player's Handbook and the Dungeon Master's Guide. A player needs only the Player's Handbook.
Content[]
Introduction[]
The Fiend Folio begins with an eight-page introduction, which describes how to use the sourcebook and how to read the statblocks. The introduction also briefly describes the planes of existence, explains new and revised subtypes used in the book, addresses relevant changes to skills and feats from the upcoming 3.5 revision, and includes several "creature feats".
List of monsters[]
The book provides game statistics for over 100 monsters:
abrian, abyssal ghoul, ahuizotl, aoa (droplet, sphere), aquatic ooze (bloodbloater, flotsam ooze, reekmurk), bacchae, bhut, blackstone gigant, blood hawk, bloodthorn, bonespear, canomorph (haraknin, shadurakul, vultivor), caryatid column, century worm, chronotyryn, chwidencha, crawling head, crypt thing, dark ones (dark creeper, dark stalker), darkweaver, death dog, demodand (farastu, kelubar, shator), demon (alkilith, blood fiend, klurichir, maurezhi, myrmyxicus, skulvyn, wastrilith), deva (monadic deva, movanic deva), devil (paeliryon, xerfilstyx), dire rhinoceros, disenchanter, ethereal ooze, ethergaunt (black ethergaunt, red ethergaunt, white ethergaunt), fensir (fensir, rakka), feytouched, fhorge, flame snake (minor flame snake, lesser flame snake, greater flame snake), formian (armadon, observer, winged warrior), fossergrim, gathra, giant (bog giant, shadow giant), golem (blood golem of Hextor, brain golem, demonflesh golem, hellfire golem), half-fey (template; half-fey centaur), half-illithid (template; half-illithid lizardfolk), half-troll (template; half-troll barbazu), huecuva (template; 5th-level human cleric huecuva), hullathoin, imp (bloodbag imp, euphoric imp, filth imp), indricothere, inevitable (quarut, varakhut), iron cobra, ironmaw, jackal lord, jackalwere, kaorti, keeper, kelp angler, kelpie, khaasta, kuldurath, living holocaust, lucent worm, maelephant, maug, maulgoth, megatherium, mongrelfolk, necrophidius, nerra (kalareem, sillit, varoot), octopus tree, ocularon, ophidian, oread, phiuhl, planetouched (maeluth, mechanatrix, shyft), wispling), quth-maren, rilmani (aurumach, cuprilach, ferrumach), rukanyr, sarkrith (spelleater, thane), sea drake, selkie, senmurv, shadar-kai, shadow asp, shedu, skulk, skybleeder, slaad (mud slaad), slasrath, spectral lurker, spirit of the air, sporebat, spriggan, steel predator, sunwyrm, swarm (abyssal ant swarm; plague ant swarm; cranium rat swarm, lesser pack; cranium rat swarm, average pack; cranium rat swarm, greater pack; locust swarm, bloodfiend; locust swarm, rapture; scarab beetle swarm; viper swarm; wasp swarm), swordwraith (template; 5th-level human fighter swordwraith), terlen, terror bird, thunder worm, ti-khana (template; ti-khana deinonychus), tunnel terror, ulgurstasta, varrangoin (arcanist varrangoin, lesser varrangoin, rager varrangoin), vine horror, vorr, wendigo (template; 4th-level human sorcerer wendigo), wicker man, yellow musk creeper, yellow musk zombie (template; yellow musk zombie orc), yuan-ti anathema, yugoloth (piscoloth, skeroloth), yurian, zodar.
Some entries provide advice for using the creature with specific sourcebooks or campaigns. Some entries also provide guidelines for player character versions of that creature.
Appendix 1: Prestige Classes[]
The first appendix details three fiend-focused prestige classes: the fiend of blasphemy, the fiend of corruption, and the fiend of possession.
Appendix 2: Grafts and Symbionts[]
The second appendix provides rules and descriptions for grafts and symbionts. Of grafts, this includes aboleth grafts, beholder grafts, fiendish grafts, illithid grafts, maug grafts, and undead grafts. Of symbionts, this includes the cerebral symbiont (cerebral hood, mind leech, psionic sinew), fiendish symbionts (fiendish familiar, gutworm, soul tick), and the ghostly visage.
Appendix 3: Monsters Ranked by Challenge Rating[]
The third appendix lists monsters in the book by Challenge Rating.
Development and release[]
Development[]
The credited designers for the Fiend Folio were Eric Cagle, Jesse Decker, James Jacobs, Erik Mona, Matt Sernett, Chris Thomasson, and James Wyatt. Richard Baker, Ed Bonny, Monte Cook, Andy Collins, Bruce Cordell, Gwendolyn F.M. Kestrel, Paul Leach, Sean K Reynolds, and Steve Winter were credited with "additional design". Wyatt and Baker were also credited as developers, while Kestrel also served as an editor alongside Jennifer Clarke Wilkes, Miranda Horner, and Penny Williams. Kim Mohan was credited as managing editor, Ed Stark as design manager, Anthony Valterra as category manager, Martin Durham as project manager, Chas DeLong as production manager. Bill Slavicsek was credited as Director of RPG R&D, Mary Kirchoff as Vice President of Publishing.
Dawn Murin was the art director, as well a graphic designer alongside Sean Glenn. The cover artists were Henry Higginbotham and Brom. The interior art was provided by Glen Angus, Darren Bader, Thomas Baxa, Matt Cavotta, Dennis Cramer, Larry Dixon, Jeff Easley, Scott Fischer, Lars Grant-West, Jeremy Jarvis, Todd Lockwood, Kevin McCann, Raven Mimura, Matthew Mitchell, Puddnhead, Wayne Reynolds, Richard Sardinha, Marc Sasso, Brian Snoddy, Arnie Swekel, Ben Templesmith, Anthony Waters, and Sam Wood. Erin Dorries was credited as graphic production specialist; Craig Cudnohufsky was credited as photographer.
The Fiend Folio authors were asked to contribute an all-new new iconic monster to the D&D game, in the way that the githyanki had for the Fiend Folio (1e) (1981). This resulted in the creation of the ethergaunt, kaorti, maug, nerra, and shadar-kai.[2]
The soul tick was contributed by James Wyatt, based on a recollection of a nightmare that his wife had.[3]
Release[]
Fiend Folio (3e) was released by Wizards of the Coast in April 2003 for $29.95 US, or $41.95 Canadian.[1]
On January 22, 2013, it was re-released in digital format. It is currently available on DriveThruRPG and Dungeon Masters Guild for $7.19.
Reception and influence[]
Critical reception[]
As of 2023, Fiend Folio (3e) reached the rank of Gold seller on DriveThruRPG.
Influence on other works[]
External links[]
- Fiend Folio (3e) on DriveThruRPG
- Fiend Folio (3e) on Dungeon Masters Guild
- Product page at Wizards.com
- Personality Spotlight: Fiend Folio designers at Wizards.com (2003)
- Art gallery at Wizards.com (2003)
- Web enhancement at Wizards.com (2003)
- Desktop Wallpaper: Fiend Folio at Wizards.com (2003)
- Fiend Folio Online Jigsaw Puzzles at Wizards.com (2003)
- Errata (2003)
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 Product page. Wizards.com, via Web Archive.
- ↑ Tweet. "2003 Fun Fact: Fiend Folio asked each author to make a "new gith" monster—something that might carve out a new place in D&D cosmology as the gith races did in the 1st edition Fiend Folio. The submissions included the ethergaunt, kaorti, maug, nerra . . . and shadar-kai."
- ↑ Tweet. "2003 Fun Fact: While I was working on Fiend Folio, my wife told me about a terrible nightmare she'd had. I wrote her nightmare into a monster in the book, the soul tick."
| Dungeons & Dragons 3.0 |
|---|
| Core rules |
| Player's Handbook • Dungeon Master's Guide • Monster Manual • Dungeons & Dragons Adventure Game |
| Supplements |
| Arms and Equipment Guide • Book of Challenges • Book of Vile Darkness • Defenders of the Faith • Deities and Demigods • Enemies and Allies • Epic Level Handbook • Fiend Folio • Ghostwalk • Hero Builder's Guidebook • Living Greyhawk Gazetteer (Gazetteer) • Manual of the Planes • Masters of the Wild • Monster Manual II • Oriental Adventures • Psionics Handbook • Savage Species • Song and Silence • Stronghold Builder's Guidebook • Sword and Fist • Tome and Blood |
| Adventures |
| The Sunless Citadel • The Forge of Fury • The Fright at Tristor • The Speaker in Dreams • The Standing Stone • Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil • Heart of Nightfang Spire • Deep Horizon • Lord of the Iron Fortress • Bastion of Broken Souls • City of the Spider Queen |