Provides an illustrated look at dragons, griffins, werewolves, serpent monsters, sirens, mermaids, and other mythical creatures of land, sea, and air and includes text with legends from around the world.

The beasts that inhabit the realms of ancient myth and folklore are among the most compelling creatures of imagination. This is a modern collection of animal lore in the tradition of natural histories, including beasts from all over the world.

Whether they were real or myth, Creature Files: Dragons shows you the folklore of twenty dragons from around the world and what the people believed about them. Do you believe dragons are nothing more than the scaly stuff of myths? Or do you think they really existed? Whatever side you're on, this collection of twenty fascinating creatures is sure to spark your imagination. In Creature Files: Dragons, you’ll take a tour through the world of fire-breathing, gold-hoarding, three-headed monsters and discover where and how these magical creatures came to be. Learn the unique folklore of cultures around the globe, from China to Russia to Eastern Africa, and see how people envisioned these otherworldly beasts through lush and evocative illustrations. Included are many meaty facts to gnaw on—like which dragon had too many teeth to count, and which dragon had teeth as big as an adult’s arm—along with a realistic dragon-tooth necklace! And science lovers will also find something to sink their teeth into: facts about real-life dragons that exist today. These dragons may not breathe fire, but they share some of the same traits as their mythical brethren.

The masters of sky and sea confront each other in this monstrous battle. Few beasts can match the power of a fire breathing dragon. But huge sea monsters are also fearsome forces of nature. Discover the weapons and abilities of these mighty beasts, and then get ready for a fiery, head to head fight.

From the creator of the popular blog The Monsters Know What They’re Doing comes a compilation of villainous battle plans for Dungeon Masters. In the course of a Dungeons & Dragons game, a Dungeon Master has to make one decision after another in response to player behavior—and the better the players, the more unpredictable their behavior! It’s easy for even an experienced DM to get bogged down in on-the-spot decision-making or to let combat devolve into a boring slugfest, with enemies running directly at the player characters and biting, bashing, and slashing away. In The Monsters Know What They’re Doing, Keith Ammann lightens the DM’s burden by helping you understand your monsters’ abilities and develop battle plans before your fifth edition D&D game session begins. Just as soldiers don’t whip out their field manuals for the first time when they’re already under fire, a DM shouldn’t wait until the PCs have just encountered a dozen bullywugs to figure out how they advance, fight, and retreat. Easy to read and apply, The Monsters Know What They're Doing is essential reading for every DM.

The masters of sky and sea confront each other in this monstrous battle. Few beasts can match the power of a fire breathing dragon. But huge sea monsters are also fearsome forces of nature. Discover the weapons and abilities of these mighty beasts, and then get ready for a fiery, head to head fight.