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Octavirate Presents Vol. #5: Collectabeast is a d20 sourcebook from Octavirate Games. The zipped file is slightly over fifteen megabytes in size, and contains two PDF files, one of which is the book itself, and the other is the printer-friendly version. The main file is fifty-two pages long, including a page for the front cover, a page for the credits/legal, and a page for the OGL (the printer-friendly version lacks the cover page altogether). Both files have full bookmarks.
Every so often, I find an RPG book for which the standard rating scale doesn't do justice. There are plenty of books that deserve a score of five out of five, but there are some books that are so well done, that so perfectly mix innovation and presentation, that on a one to five scale, they deserve a six. Collectabeast, which thematically brings Pokemon and Digimon into the d20 system, is one such book.
This book is one that can be divided in half. The first portion deals with collectabeasts, while the second part covers databeasts. Each is based on using a new template to alter basic d20 monsters into creatures that, while still recognizable to d20 gamers, seem like they belong in a cute anime, or on collectable cards. When you looked at the product page, did you recognize the iron golem fighting the rust monster? What about the behir lurking off to the side? This book takes what is almost boringly familiar and puts an incredibly fresh, new spin on it.
Given that the theme of Collectabeast is a reimagining of existing monsters, the artwork here is very important. The front cover displays a golemesh fighting a corrobster, which sets the tone for the color artwork throughout the book. Each of the thirteen example collectabeasts is given full color art which helps showcase the cute, brightly-colored nature that collectabeasts have. The example databeasts, by contrast, are only given black and white artwork; the few other pieces of art in the book are similarly monochrome. The pages also have purple borders along the top and bottom. The printer-friendly version dispenses with the cover and the borders, but keeps black and white versions of all of the interior artwork. Though I usually mark that as a strike against a book, the different look of collectabeasts and databeasts is fundamental to their feel, so I can't quite say that the printer-friendly version should have removed all of the illustrations altogether.
After an insightful introduction wherein the author notes how the definition of "monster" is changing as the younger generation plays monster-battling video and card games, the book jumps right in to presenting collectabeasts. The collectabeast template is one that can be applied to any creature type, save Humanoids. While the template is fairly complex in the range of what it changes, the changes themselves are simple; most of them are related to resizing the creatures (since most collectabeasts range from Tiny to Large) and a few other effects. Collectabeasts only have two new abilities, one of which is how they almost always inflict nonlethal damage, and the other is how they can bond to people. Less is quite clearly more here, and this template pulls it off masterfully, charting the changes that are myriad, but at the same time so small that the monsters remain distinct. Interestingly, collectabeasts with different templates applied prior to the collectabeast template are treated as different collectabeasts. A collectabeast blink dog wouldn't be the same as the collectabeast half-celestial blink dog, for example.
After a sidebar covering ways to tweak the template for different styles of play, thirteen sample collectabeasts are then presented (each with the suite of variant d20 rules that Octavirate is famous for), presenting a full stat block for them, as well as flavor text. As mentioned, each of them also has new artwork showing what the collectabeast version looks like. This, combined with giving them new names (the aforementioned collectabeast half-celestial blink dog, for example, is called a serafetch), makes the familiar monsters wonderfully new and refreshing. Octavirate could very well just release a book of existing monsters with the collectabeast template applied; provided it had new art and a new name for each creature, I'd certainly buy it. The collectabeast section of the book then closes out with a page that discusses using collectabeasts as familiars and animal companions, and a brief discussion of running a collectabeast-centered game.
The second half of the book covers databeasts, and isn't quite as straightforward. Unlike collectabeasts, databeasts come from a parallel plane of existence, one formed from the collection and distribution of knowledge in the real world. The databeast template is then given, which is similar to the collectabeast template in how it makes a fairly sweeping number of small changes, but the nature of those changes is quite different. Two example databeasts are then given.
At that point, databeasts may seem like just second-tier collectabeasts, but the Databeast Hero class shows that that isn't true. A twenty-level base class, this is meant to be taken by Databeasts, and is what gives them their distinctive flavor. At certain levels, a Databeast Hero gains the power to temporarily upgrade itself, so long as the Databeast Hero is within range of its bonded human (or other mortal host). The upgraded form is basically a stronger monster with the databeast template applied (with an ECL cap on the form chosen), though basics gained through leveling (such as hit points, BAB, save bonuses, skills, feats, etc.) remain constant. The example creature, Zikuri, is a monkey with the databeast template applied. However, she can upgrade herself to various stronger forms as she levels, such as a databeast quasit, a databeast succubus, a databeast frost giant, etc. Amusingly, the databeast uses an altered name in its other form (Zikuri in her succubus form, for example, is called Sedukuri). There?s even an epic progression chart given for the class.
Two new magic items (one being a ball-like object to contain collectabeasts, and the other being an arm-mounted card reader that can actually summon collectabeasts or enhance either kind of beast) and three new feats are given briefly. Following that, the home plane of the databeasts, DataCrux, is given, before the book moves to the Alternate Genres section. Usually just a large sidebar in most Octavirate books, this section spends several pages discussing possible scenarios to use collectabeasts and/or databeasts in various types of games. This includes ExorSystems Inc., which appears to be a Ghostbusters-like scenario where the PCs stop spirits running amok.
The book ends with a massive collection of level adjustments. Since taking collectabeast companions, or playing databeast (or even collectabeast) PCs requires a full ECL, Octavirate has provided level adjustments for every creature in the fantasy, modern, and psionic SRDs (though perhaps sadly, epic creatures have not been included).
Bear in mind, as a book Collectabeast does have its flaws. Errors still crop up if you look for them: the Collectabeast template omits the hit dice advancement listing for Medium creatures, the catraptor (collectabeast griffon) should have flight maneuverability of good instead of average, the noble salamander's level adjustment seems to have a typo, etc. However, even a flawed diamond can still be priceless, and that's exactly what this book is. It opens up incredible new ways to reinvent the standard monsters of d20, and barely scratches the surface of all the new ideas it presents. After only a single read-through, I found myself saying "Gotta play 'em all!"<br><br>
<b>LIKED</b>: The collectabeast and databeast templates really breathe new life into the basic d20 monsters, opening up new ways to make the old creatures new again. This book is nothing short of brilliant.<br><br><b>DISLIKED</b>: Minor errors cropped up throughout, that could have been caught with another round of editing.<br><br><b>QUALITY</b>: Excellent<br><br><b>VALUE</b>: Very Satisfied<br>
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