From the introduction: Every great fantasy from science fiction space odysseys to ancient stories from Greek legend includes some form of non-human creature that interacts with the hero – or is the hero. In modern times, movies and literature have simply expanded the world of possibilities almost infinitely. Creatures of fiction range from tiny intelligent mice to giant talking squid and beings of pure energy. As an avid fan of role-playing games (RPGs) I have watched hundreds of movies and wished that I could adapt this monster or that alien into my games. But how do we capture this diversity and yet balance these creatures with humanity? This book is our answer.