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Chainsaw Hobbit
2010-10-30, 03:05 PM
I want to start a new D&D (4th edition) game, and I want to start at 1st level. But all the potential 1st level monsters are overused and boring*.
Do any of you know of a fresh new low-level monster?


* Not that I in any way disrespect goblins and kobolds, they are great iconic monsters. I just want something new.

Urpriest
2010-10-30, 03:16 PM
I think Kruthiks are stupid, but if you simply want something out of the ordinary then there's that.

4e is very friendly to refluffing, so just taking a normal monster and describing it differently is often fine. 4e encourages just deciding what you need for your plot, then finding a monster with abilities like that.

kyoryu
2010-10-30, 03:45 PM
I want to start a new D&D (4th edition) game, and I want to start at 1st level. But all the potential 1st level monsters are overused and boring*.
Do any of you know of a fresh new low-level monster?


* Not that I in any way disrespect goblins and kobolds, they are great iconic monsters. I just want something new.

4e Kobolds are actually (mechanically) fun, with the fact that most of them get some version of a free shift.

Haberdashery
2010-10-30, 08:03 PM
You could try Xivorts from the MM3.

I just recently used their stats for crazed, killer orphans in the campaign I DM.

dsmiles
2010-10-30, 08:08 PM
crazed, killer orphans

This is made of AWESOME!

silvadel
2010-10-30, 09:39 PM
Pick a computer game and choose a low level monster from there...

Like wizardry's dandiphoots or creeping coins.

----

Maybe a lost wizard's familiar (sets up a potential future enemy)

or

Someone under a baleful polymorph.

Godless_Paladin
2010-10-30, 09:45 PM
A five-headed hydra.

What? D&D says a party of 4 should have a fair chance with a monster CR+3. :smalltongue:

Urpriest
2010-10-30, 10:41 PM
A five-headed hydra.

What? D&D says a party of 4 should have a fair chance with a monster CR+3. :smalltongue:

I believe you're thinking of the wrong edition.

aetherialDawn
2010-10-31, 12:55 AM
How about a more powerful monster which has already been weakened or crippled in some fashion - blind dragon wyrmlings, an ogre which just finished a fight with a more experienced fighter...

Don't fall into the trap of thinking that every monster has to start off at full health and power.

2-HeadedGiraffe
2010-10-31, 02:11 AM
I used merfolk as an encounter early on in a 3.5 game. I don't know if they're the same in 4th. Even though the merfolk had class levels, their terrible land speed once the players got them to come out of the water made them somewhat underpowered.

Animated Objects (again, 3.5) start at 1/2 CR and go up from there, based on size. Since that can be any size-appropriate object, it's a very surreal encounter waiting to happen.