10:37 PM: Allan Sugarbaker says...
Liber Bestarius Done Early

Suddenly, everyone's got monsters. Here, I'll show you what I mean...

Eden Studios' d20 monster book, Liber Bestarius: The Book of Beasts, has arrived from the printers a week ahead of schedule and begun shipping. This means the 160-page hardcover will be available at Origins tomorrow, giving us all a closer look at creatures like the Reaver. Want your game's characters to have one hell of a challenge from a demonic former paladin? Leave it to Reaver.

Monster Island Comes Ashore
Also shipping early is Monster Island: The Game of Giant Monster Combat from Firefly Games. The 32-page game of "creating and fighting giant monsters," (not tiny monsters, mind you; that's been done to death) which are kept contained on a tropical island by the UN, can either use color cardstock monster figures or those toy monsters, dinosaurs and beasts you've got out in the garage. I saw this game being played at KublaCon, and if the laughter and cries for revenge were any indication, this one's a winner. If you'll be at Origins, look for Monster Island at the Tundra booth.

Giant Monster Rampage Shipping
See what I mean?

Mystic Eye Games will have early copies Giant Monster Rampage at Origins this week. How does the 56-page book differ from Firefly's Monster Island? Dunno. But according the MEG's press release, "Giant Monster Rampage uses the Toy Battle System," a revised and expanded version of the GMR version that's been freely available online for years. All the more reason to hold onto those plastic monsters. Or raid those of your kids, as I plan to.