Review: Learn to Make Monsters for POWER RANGERS RPG from Finster
This year, Renegade Game Studios released a very important sourcebook for the Power Rangers Roleplaying Game. Finster’s Monster-Matic Cookbook provides tons of helpful information for Game Masters (GMs) and players alike. Renegade was kind enough to send me a copy to look over and review. You can grab your own copy from Renegade’s site or your local game store. All thoughts below are my own.
At last, the secrets of the Monster-Matic are revealed! Finster’s Monster-Matic Cookbook provides over 100 Threats for use with the Power Rangers Roleplaying Game. In addition to Threats, their tactics, and story hooks, this cookbook features advice for creating, adapting, and using Threats in your game. Test your Power Rangers with Rita Repulsa and Lord Zedd’s Alien Sorcery and explore sinister options for your Power Ranger’s Roleplaying Game! Finster’s Monster-Matic Cookbook also features suggestions for using the miniatures from Heroes of the Grid in the Power Rangers Roleplaying Game.
Inside Finster’s Monster-Matic Cookbook, GMs will find more than 100 Threats to utilize in their Power Rangers RPG sessions as well as guidelines for creating their own Threats. In addition, there are rules for introducing villainous sorcery rules allowing for some evil magic to play more of a part in your stories. These are all fantastic additions for the Power Rangers RPG. Sourcebooks like this are always very welcome as more and more people look to create their own adventures and campaigns. The Threats vary from minions to monsters of the week to main villains. I also appreciate the table they include that outlines where each of the Threats came from.
Some of the Threats include Lord Drakkon from the BOOM! Studios comics, Commander Crayfish and his Mutant Rangers from Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, Mesagog from Dino Thunder, Blaze and Roxy from Beast Morphers, and tons more. I won’t lie, Mighty Morphin does have the bulk of Threats, but I do appreciate that there is a variety spanning a range of seasons. If you’re a GM, this is a must-have book in my opinion!
It’s important to note that there is also something for players. Finster’s Monster-Matic Cookbook includes rules for players to take on the role of the Psycho Rangers. This means that players can do an evil campaign, have a traitor (or traitors) with the Infiltrator Influence, or take the role of reformed bad guys aiming for redemption. Overall, everything is pretty straightforward with one exception. I am not sure how I would go about doing character creation with a traitor in the party. The best I can come up with is if anyone is interested in being the traitor, create their character separately and then have them show up to create characters in session zero and make their cover identity. If you have a better idea, please let me know in the comments.
I will say that I’m a little disappointed in one aspect of Finster’s Monster-Matic Cookbook. In the product description it talks about “suggestions for using the miniatures from Heroes of the Grid”. This feels like overselling to me. The book does mark Minions and Threats that have minis from Heroes of the Grid with the iconic lightning bolt and introduces the Larger Than Life perk. This allows for the GM to “treat imposing figures as whichever size best fits the narrative,” cites using miniatures from Heroes of the Grid, and gives them Reach of a Large creature.
If you are playing or want to play the Power Rangers RPG, Finster’s Monster-Matic Cookbook is a must. There’s a lot that it offers. Yes, I’m underwhelmed by how they mention using minis from Heroes of the Grid. Yes, there are spelling/grammar errors that need to be addressed (but they do not impact comprehension). However, having rules for evil Rangers, 100+ Threats and Minions to throw at players, guidelines for creating your own enemies, and introducing sorcery are all big additions.
