Stat blocks are satisfactory, but the grammar contained within the document is horrendous. A lot of the passages are difficult to read, and should have passed through some editing for clairity and understanding. If it had some rewriting it would be worth $15, but there are truly some higher quality products out there that currently go for less.

Mostly just tables and fluff for $10. I at least hoped for an adventure of some kind, new monsters, maybe even just a planned encounter or town on one of the planes. Nope! Just a few descriptive words that barely offer little more than random encounters. If this was worth $2 maybe I would purchase it, but at its current state this was a spectacular waste.

Wow!

What other word is there to say? Monster Manual Expanded III is the worthy successor to round out the Dungeon Masters Guild's bestselling trilogy to date. There is much to examine here, as this tome is similar yet dissimilar to the previous two installments. I will be dividing my review into four sections, with the final rating being the average score. Note that some of my opinions will be based off the previous two installments, but all in all the three books/pdfs themselves are similar enough in execution to warrant likewise scores.

Art Score : 5/5

Mark my words, I doubt that you will find better looking art anywhere else on the Dungeon Masters Guild. Should I say it? The art contained within rivals even that of WotC in quality! Author Andrew "Dragonix" Mannix has set the bar near the ceiling with the masterful composition of his newly comissioned art. The previous installments of MM often contained exceptional works on their own, but were usually limited to unique and rare threats that deserved the extra touch. But now, nearly every monster in the book has its own accompanying piece, with not even the standard orc variant lacking a fine sketch. Such a feat is incredibly rare, and deserves an immediate star from me. And also a word of applause for the exceptional artists!

Editing Score : 4.8/5

In addition to this, the editing has vastly improved over PDFs I and II. I have not noticed a single spelling error yet, although the previous files originally contained quite a few. Kudos to the editors, because they often go unsung for their critical work!

Content Score : 4.5/5

This installment continues the streak of MMI and II by providing a wide array of templates as well as updated creature types from bygone editions of D&D. Humanoid creatures and NPCs take up the majority of the stat blocks, with dragons in a close second. My personal favorite inclusions were both the Nagas and Guardinals, because both groups of monsters managed to scratch an itch in my already gigantic bestiary that I never knew I had. The three-headed dragon and two-headed dragon templates will undoubtedly be integral to my current campaign, which is a real treat considering that my characters aren't too intimidated by standard reptilian damage sponges anymore. A two-headed menace will certainly make my rogue angry for his decision to optimize his build specifically for beheading every boss that I throw at him. One group that also should not go unmentioned is the inclusion of new plants. Unsurprisingly, the original Monster Manual by WotC had the awakened shrub, the awakened tree, a few blights, the treant...aand that was about it for plants. Even in Volo's Guide to Monsters and Mordenkainen's we got only three plants. Three! Thankfully, this book contains a full batch of ten interesting plants. Great! Now my land druid's capstone feature will feel just a little less neglected. But genuienly, the plants are a welcome addition to round out the trilogy, adding almost double the amount that the core sourcebooks added.

But the reason I subtracted half a star from the final rating is a bit more of a personal decision rather than of a critical examination: Not every monster was given new options! I would have loved a new type of lich or mind flayer. But unfortunately, they were not present in the PDF. If you ignore this personal bit though, the content remains as good as ever, and would warrant a full 5 stars.

Price Score : 3.8/5

I'd hate to admit it, but I did actually pause for a moment when I glanced at the $35 price tag. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not much of a penny pincher, but I was briefly concerned that the price of the PDF was comparable to WotC hardbacks, which I have since ignored for their hefty price tags supplanted by paper-thin streams of fluff. However, unlike those hardbacks, MMEIII provides the exceptional stream of content which I rambled on about above. On the other hand, installments I and II can be purchased individually for 55% of the cost of the third installment. But I understand, owning such a higher-quality book than the first two expanded manuals does indeed permit a higher price. With this in mind, I'll let my wallet suffer just a little to scare my players into finally giving up their standard power plays.

Overall Score : 5 Stars

Although the average of the above scores would typically add to roughly 4.5 stars, I feel nostalgic enough to give in the full score. In summary, the MMEIII is the odd one out of the previous two MMEs, with its own strengths and weaknesses. But when the trilogy is viewed as a whole, I can definitely say that this is the essential DMsGuild product, one that would be impossible to pass up! If you come to the DMsGuild looking for anything but monsters, I will assure that your shopping cart will have the complete collection sooner or later. Congratulations to all who worked on the project, because you've made something special!

Most of the subclasses are broken, but also whimsical. A perfect purchase if you want to annoy your DM, and also have a unique subclass that sets your character apart from the others. The author does a great job differentiating his subclasses, so that they are (Pun intended) in a class by themselves. Excellent Job!

A competent purchase for those that wish to have a bit more specialization and flavor that learns more towards the standard image of wizardry in pop culture. The majority of the book is subclasses, with a learn towards the flavor more so than balance, (Though I'm not very good when it comes to balance, having ignored the obvious weaknesses that appeared with spells such as true strike, or how overpowered heal spirit is. So take this all with a grain of salt!) Some such as Golemancy I dismissed at first glance, as I've had enough at how ridiculous the Beastmaster is, but at second glance, every subclass fits in its own way: The elementalists can do the crazy and chaotic spells that you would expect a force of nature to commit, The Nethermancers and Voidmancers can be implemented as even darker subclasses when Necromany gets too old, the Battlemagi are more creative alternatives (At least in my opinion) to War Magic, and the Guild and Hedge Wizards can be used as roleplaying opportunities. This supplement also comes with spells that are unique to particular subclasses, that are reasonably balanced (Haven't had any issues while reviewing them so far) and help fill the niche that wizards of a particular group should have spells that set them apart from the rest of the rabble. In conclusion, although there may be minor issues in balance (Again, don't trust me on this one!), the flavor more than makes up for this, presenting an imaginative final product for those that want to fully customize their own stories. Nice Job!

Expertly Balanced and implemented, with plenty of flavor for the monsters that need a little uniqueness for their encounter. I especially enjoyed the aspects section, as it helped add a lot more presence for the demon lords that my party would never have enough skills to defeat, but stil be able to survive a weaker incarnation. Overall, a worthy purchase for those that want an otherworldly presence in their campaigns, and want either a stronger or weaker monster then those listed in the MM. This PDF provides all that and more!

Overall, a great purchase. Although my group doesn't usually enjoy the challenging and horror side of DnD, I will probably keep this around for inspiration. This installment in UgttP is styled a bit differently from its companion, as it forcuses more on the deity stat blocks than lore bits, though most plot points of these are said in other WotC books. I especially enjoyed the bestiary at the end, as my PCs has just gotten to Lvl 10, and running out of high CR Orcs to slay on the Material Plane. Some of the monsters contained therein are a bit too powerful, as just a single Caedes can rival the power of Hruggek. And it states that "They are quite numerous" within the PDF. The spells were great to style the Cubes that I was creating, and a few had some incredibly fun moments. The Character classes were all solid additions, except for a few clunkers, (Looking at you, Domination Domain and Oath of Fulmination) I also thought the Eternal Blade was a bit similar to the Bladesinger, though I think I'll consider them a special kind of Bladesinger in Elven Society for differentiation. The Mythic Options were a big treat in case my PCs have enough determination to get to Lvl 30, with the exception of mass-command. I just thought it was underwhelming, with such little range. If it had a large increase in range, I think it would be much more deserving of the 1st level mythic spell slot. The Story was a nice touch, though it strayed a bit at times. Ill use it for an example of Roleplaying the events happening on Acheron. All in all, the PDF is certainly impressive, as the authors creatively produced Monsters, Subclasses, Deities, and Spells that can be used in almost any situation on the plane. And although some issues remain, I believe that the authors can fix them in due time, as the PDF doesn't rely on one good element, but sheer versitility of the entire product. Well done.