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I have been a big fan of the van Richten guides, and I loved the artwork on the cover of The Guide to Fiends, so I was anxious to get it. I don't know if the lack of goosebumps to The Guide to Fiends waa from any immunity I might have had since my first experience with fiends was at six watching The Exorcist under my grandma's dining room table, trying to keep whatever obstacle I could between me and the t. v. screen without missing any of the movie. I did find the bug-in-the-bottom writing style of The Guide (to give it a Victorian appearance) slightly grating compared to the d20 guides, but I have definitely read worse. The artwork inside the book was acceptable, with some below the mark, and two quite good (inducing an emotional response or a sense of wonder). I have not played D&D in a while, but the appendix seemed to up the game-playability to anyone wanting to use fiends. One major problem with the book was continuing reference to the Planescape Monstrous Compendium. Besides the fact I did not own this book, or know I was suppose to (I have the AD&D Monster Manuals so I was fine), the author's use of this crutch turned it from a guide to making individual monsters like the other van Richtens, to using for the most part templates to throw shallow personality into. The book also referred to The Blood Wars referring to the Planescape Campaign Guide which left me confused since it was a Ravenloft book and was very stingy with the most basic of information on the subject (I satisfied any Planescape desires I might have had with the computer game Torment). A second problem was that the fiends seemed uninspired. van Richten continued to mention the horror of it, but with no real proof. It would seem with H. P. Lovecraft or Robert E. Howard as potential background, more three dimensional fiends could have been presented. Overall, the book was an easy enjoyable read. It offered some game enhancements, and was okay visiblely.Read full review
great book, van ritchen was a great undead slayer will be missed RIP. fiends atre the bane of all and he really knew what he was taking about when fighting them an all undead.
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