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Maquise
2010-11-03, 10:25 AM
The question is simple: What are your favorite monsters and why? They can be monsters you run as a dm, or monsters you've played against and have made a lasting impression.

My current favorites:
10: Zombies. A hoard of zombies, slaves to their dark master's will. There are all sorts of things you can make into a zombie, and all sorts of zombie variants.
9: Otyugh: Of all the weapons monsters can use, tentacles are my favorite. I love snatching adventurers and squeezing the life out of them.
8 : Clockworks (ToH). Constructs in general are pretty cool, and I'd like to see more variety in them (if anyone knows a good golem compendium, drop me a link.) Clockworks are a sort of hiveminded construct group, more intelligent than the average golem. Which is good, since they are small and fragile.
7 : Lizardfolk. I think it might be because of the argonians from TES, but lizardfolk are one of my favorite monster races. They also have a wide variety of variants.
6 : Cephalopods. I couldn't bring myself to choose between octopi and squids. They're real, which is a big bonus in my book. And they have tentacles.
5: Half-fiends: These can range from a scheming cult leader, to a bloodthirsty warlord. Rest assured they are never an easy opponent.
4: Red Dragons. I like all sorts of dragons, but my favorite is the red. Living in some volcanic lair, hoarding and scheming, and setting things on fire.
3: Neothelid. These are ancient horrors that lie deep beneath the earth. When encountered, they can enslave enemies to their will. Or eat them. Or both.
2: Ochre Jelly. Oozes in general are one of my favorite types of monsters, and the Ochre Jelly's splitting takes the cake.
1: Mother of Oblivion.(PF module) These tentacled horrors not only put the kraken to shame, but they're so powerful, their tentacles can reach out into multiple planes at the same time.

Yora
2010-11-03, 11:42 AM
Your choice seems... odd to me. :smallbiggrin:

So let me contrast them with mine:

10: Zombie: A classic. While a single zombie is rather laughable in D&D, mobs of zombies are just awesome. It's not the zombie that is dangerous. It's the horde of zombies that is a true horror. You can kill one, you can kill two, you can kill three. But will your stamina last to defeat 100? 200? 500? Zombies are all about surviving in a hostile environment, so it's more the zombie-infested location you are fighting against then the monsters themselves.
9: Ghoul: The zombie deluxe! where a zombie is just a walking corpse, the ghoul is both cunning and malevolous. Be it as the corpse eating gaunt thing in the dark corner or as the eerily silent and withered lieutanants of the vampire lord or evil necromancer. Ghouls are creepy, because they watch you, and they understand you. They are probably even smarter than you. And still want to eat you.
8: Ogre: The best scary big guy for low level parties. They are not that hard to defeat, but they tower even over the talest barbarian and can rib out trees with their bare hands. They may not be smart, but they are still quite cunning in a bestial way, and when they go on a rampage, you really hope they will die from blood loss before they make one single good hit with their giant clubs.
7: Illithid: They combine many of the best aspects of aberrations. Very intelligent, even more powerful psionic powers, and an anatomy that is just bizzar. But they also are perfectly capable to interact with humanoids, almost as if one of them. Unless they want to eat your brain, in which case they don't bother treating you as a being.
6: Glabrezu:Yes, a balor is much bigger and a cornugon is stronger, but my fevorite demon is the glabrezu. They are freakingly huge, but are very smart and prefer to use deception and subversion to doom mortals instead of just tearing everything to tiny pieces. But they could, if they want to.
5: Solar: Yeah, they are unbelieveably powerful and claim to represent the true greater goodness that is even above the gods. These guys are just made to be DM-PC-Sues. But nothing says more "DIVINE WRATH!" than a solar descending from the Upper Planes to destroy an evil so bad, the the multiverse itself will no longer tollerate its existance. They put the awe back into awesome.
4: Erinyes: Most fiends don't make much sense to me. Bullying your minions, plotting against your supperiors, and torturing souls all day, with the destruction of a village on the material plane every few hundred years? That just doesn't seem much like an interesting background for a villain. But the erinyes are different. Yes, they are beings from the lower planes, but that doesn't mean they have to destroy everything for the evulz! They have a job to do and they do it well. I have no idea what hell wants with all those souls, but I think the erinyes also don't ask.
3: Aboleth: Why do I love them? I don't really know. They are huge psionic fishs! They live deep in the earth and the oceans, are extremely old, and like to enslave humanoids like punny lesser animals. That's good enough for me.
2: Oni/Ogre Mage: Really no need to argue. D&D has Oni with the serial number filled of. Older editions even called them by that name. They are brutish, yet they are smart. They are powerful warriors with huge weapons, but they also know magic. You don't want to be on their bad side. Notice a theme here?
1: Naga: With arms or without. Call them Yuan-ti if you have to: Snake People! I love these guys. They are smart, they are strong, and they are often good at magic. But while impressive in combat by their own right, they really shine when in charge of lesser minnions. And you usually don't encounter them as individuals, but as an entire race of warlords, generals, and lieutenants. And they look very cool during everything they do.

bokodasu
2010-11-03, 11:48 AM
1. The Gelatinous Cube. It's been my favorite monster since I first cracked open that red box. Why? I'm not sure. It's so... gelatinous. And cubic. Also fun to put in the bottom of a 10'x10' pit trap.

Fire Beetles are a close second; I always wanted one for a pet. But really, Gelatinous Cube. I never design a dungeon without one.

Eldan
2010-11-03, 12:07 PM
I only got 7 at the moment. I'll have to think up more.

Ethergaunts: The Ethergaunts are ancient, they were there before the oldest empires of mere mortals. They are intelligent, they are smarter than dragons, yugoloths, devils. Their racical average intelligence is better than most archmages. They have magic most creatures can't dream of. They have technology better than seen in some SciFi settings. And they hate your guts. You will be killed. You took their world, and they will have it back. Your cities will be dust. Your gods will be empty husks. Your believes will be forgotten. For they are the masters.
Rakshasa: Who knows where the Rakshasa is. Perhaps he is you. Perhaps he is me. He is a schemer, trickster, fighter, ruler. He could have taken the face of your child, or your wife, or your brother. And if you cross him, he will fight you with claw, and sword, and spell.
Daelkyr: "Don't you think your arm would look so much better if it looked more like a mass of worms, but made from stone? Ah. Well, in that case, have this set of gills I don't need. I also put a few extra hearts on your back, I hope you don't mind." They are mad, they are evil. They play with living creatures like children play with clay. They are the perfect way to explain every weird critter I can think of, or to take an awesome feature from a real animal and stick it on a humanoid.
Imps and Quasits: Hehehe. I just love them because of my all-time favourite NPC.
Arcanoloth: The multiverse is a puppet, and I pull the strings.
Fey: Notice a theme here? I love trickster, and they are the original tricksters of our mythology. Curses and parties, gifts and arrows, beautiful faces and alien minds and hidden pathways by moonlight. What's not to love.
Eladrin: Ever since I saw DiTerlizzis pictures in the Planescape Monstrous Appendix II. Also, it helps that they are awesome: the entire concept of veiled celestials walking among mortals, offering help and advice, then vanishing again. And they are chaotic good, my favourite alignment, which helps.

Notreallyhere77
2010-11-03, 02:20 PM
10. Swordwraith. It's like a low-level death knight. See below.

9. Frost and Fire giants. For all your heavy-metal bruiser needs. Sprinkle in political tension as desired.

8. Advanced Summoning ooze. Advancement here is key to making the monster work, because you need those bigger monsters to distract. Put it on the far end of a long room and watch the PCs fight their way through for the opportunity to get hit with an acidic slam. Best used against large groups, so that everyone gets to hit something.

7. Death Knight. Great personal histories, strong, unsubtle motivation, and achievable goals make these guys good minions for the BBEG. Not so good as BBEGs themselves, though, as their goals often revolve around temporary glory on the battlefield.

6. The Ulatra. This monster came from the Bastion Press Minions: Fearsome Foes splatbook, and has more natural weapons and defenses than your players may ever find out about. Supposedly, there's only one, but it can still challenge a large party all by itself.

5. Ogres. Not even as low-level bosses, but as high-level fodder. Since they have proficiency with all martial weapons and medium armor, their treasure can afford them much better gear than the default. I like the idea of armies of ogres in breastplate, with greatswords and longbows, marching to war.

4. Thodols. This is a another 3rd-party monster from the same Bastion Press splatbook. They are the elite stormtroopers of an even greater evil. Perfect, emotionless warriors capable of freezing attackers in their tracks with apathy and despair, and then kill them with their double-ended, poisoned glaives. They are the balors and pit fiends of the NE fiends, but medium size so they can ride nightmares.

3. Goblinoids. Any. They are so versatile, and almost always appear in large groups. Easily underestimated, they are the most dangerous opponents when played properly. Also, Tucker's Kobolds fit into the same slot here.

2. Humans deserve a mention here. Some of the worst monsters are humans gone bad. Endless variety, easily hidden in plain sight (if you want). Whether they're sympathetic, frightenning, or whatever, there's always a place to put a human.

1. Rakshasas, particularly with the PF fluff of having heads to resemble their personality. I've had some fun with rat-headed, vulture-headed, and goat-headed rakshasas. What I like most about them is how sophisicated they are. Perfect Bond villains, with parts of Lex Luthor thrown in.

true_shinken
2010-11-03, 02:41 PM
10- Pegasus. Yeah, I liked Saint Seiya. No, I really did like it. Brazilians are... weird.
9- Griffin. I just liked Change Griffin from Changemen. Go sue me.
8- Slaad. Dangerous, weird looking, capable of turning a town into the scenario of Alien 2.
7- Grey jesters. They are creepy. In a good kind of way.
6- Rakshasa. I just like them. Their stats are good for boss fights and stuff.
5- Grey render. This guy is so interesting. It's basically a plot hook on his own.
4- Sahuagin. After BGII, if you don't like sahuagin, something is very wrong with you. No, really. Go see a doctor or something.
3- Goblinoids. They are many, they are powerful, they are very important in one of my favourite settings.
2- Oni/Ogre Mage. A big, cunning, deceitful enemy that is just a pain in the ass to defeat. You just got to love them
1- Dragons. All of them. All colors, all shapes, all sizes. Gotta catch'em all.

Aron Times
2010-11-03, 02:54 PM
Rakshasa: Who knows where the Rakshasa is. Perhaps he is you. Perhaps he is me. He is a schemer, trickster, fighter, ruler. He could have taken the face of your child, or your wife, or your brother. And if you cross him, he will fight you with claw, and sword, and spell.

http://www.teamfortress.com/spy.htm

Replace "Spy" with "Rakshasa." Sorry, couldn't resist.

Eldan
2010-11-03, 02:59 PM
http://www.teamfortress.com/spy.htm

Replace "Spy" with "Rakshasa." Sorry, couldn't resist.

No reason to be sorry. It fits.

Yora
2010-11-03, 03:41 PM
I forgot the Rakshasa when doing my list. Not that anyone gets the impression I'm not also a big rakshasa fan. :smallbiggrin:

Ravens_cry
2010-11-03, 04:00 PM
Owlbears. Yes, the first edition picture looks . . .less then satisfactory. But other editions imagery showed why this creature is scary. Imagine a creature as big as a bear, with claws that could swat your head off and a beak that could swallow it in less then one gulp. Silly? More then a little, but definitely an example for me that sometimes, sometimes I add, biological mash-up monster creation can work.

The Glyphstone
2010-11-03, 04:06 PM
http://www.teamfortress.com/spy.htm

Replace "Spy" with "Rakshasa." Sorry, couldn't resist.


http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p116/ArcherYiZe/rakshasaspy.jpg

Mine would be:
10. Beholders.
9. Beholders
8. Beholders
7. Beholders
6. Beholders
5. Beholders
4. Beholders
3. Beholders
2. Gauths
1. Beholders

Darwin
2010-11-03, 04:26 PM
Some of my favorite monsters in no particular order:

The Drow: Megalomanial power players who can pull strings in even the tiniest of affairs on the surface. They revere a goddess supreme and her spiders. They're graceful, beautiful, cunning, talented, and wear skimpy leather outfits. How can ebony skin and white hair not equal complete badass?

Goblins: Any adventurer worth his salt has slain at least half a horde of these guys on his own. They're stupid, smelly, but for the most part, funny. Goblins provide plenty of comic relief while making the PCs feel good about themselves for being able to handle a large number of creatures on their own.

Dragons: There is a reason half of the game is named after these monstrosities. They are a quintessential fantasy aspect that has shaped more campaigns in our time than any other being. Dragonslayer will always be a title to hold in awe.

Humans: Endless customization is possible with a human base. No other creature has the same versatility and variation you see in humans.

Skeletons: As much as I'd like to jump on the Zombie bandwagon everyone seems to have a ticket for these days I am, always has been, and probaly always will be a skeleton man. A bleached bone figure with glowing eyes will always be more appealing to me than a lump of rotting flesh.

Mind Flayers: D&MF is short for Dungeons & Mind Flayers, which would be the title next in line had there not been the Dragons. They're a figurehead of evil, strange, alien and given the chance they'll eat your brain.

HunterOfJello
2010-11-03, 04:31 PM
10. Beholders - Players shudder in feat at these floating heads for good reason.

9. Humans - Versatile and somehow partially involved in every great evil plot ever created.

8. Swordwraiths - I love to see these guys challenge melee characters to a duel with the promise that the Swordwraith will follow them in battle for a year if he is beaten.

7. Inevitables - I haven't had a chance to introduce these into a campaign yet, but Damn they are awesome. Amazing concept with amazing abilities.

6. Kobolds - Pure frustration in such a tiny package. Your players will have to get very creative if they ever want to try and massacre all of the kobolds in an area.

5. Vampires - A great surprise for the adventuring party who expect to return back to their favorite new village for some rest and relaxation after a long journey of dungeon robbing. Instead of a town full of happy and friendly villagers, the party gets to find a village full of Vampires and Vampire Spawn. Vampires are also the gift that keeps on giving since you can keep bringing them back when the players least expect them.

4. Golems/Constructs - always fun to introduce for the slaughter. I love putting out a medium strength construct that, when attacked, sends out alarms to all of the other groups of constructs in the area.

3. Paladins - Paladins are all misguided humanoids who are truly monsters inside. They should all be destroyed. I love introducing Paladins who are out to capture or kill the party because of deeds they've done, been accused of or are suspected of.

2. Illithid (and their aberration minions) - Take the Eberron settings method of Illithid leading groups of aberrations and you can have all sorts of fun. Creating groups of enemies with motivations that the players and characters can barely understand even once they're revealed is the best.

1. Boneclaw - I don't know why I love these monsters so much, but they're just too awesome.

0. Dice - More frightening than Demi-Dracoliches and Dark Gods, the ever fickle dice can be your greatest ally or worst enemy. Bad dice rolls have killed more characters than all of the Devils, Demons and Dragons combined.

Ragitsu
2010-11-03, 04:31 PM
Elementals. Asides from dragons, they best represent fantasy monsters.

Ormagoden
2010-11-03, 05:16 PM
http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p116/ArcherYiZe/rakshasaspy.jpg


Well played sir...

Eldan
2010-11-03, 05:27 PM
That picture is wrong. The Raksha's hands point in the wrong direction.

Zaydos
2010-11-03, 05:49 PM
10. Minotaurs: A good bruiser monsters and minion eventually they get replaced but they're good for while they last and are neater than ogres.
9. Demons: Evil outsiders who don't have (as much) fluff baggage which makes it difficult to use them. Devils are too much of a magnificent plotter and schemer for most battles which give demons their chance to shine.
8. Hobgoblins: Never really done anything with these guys, but they have a really interesting culture and you could really make them big.
7. Devils: These guys have awesome fluff, but they're a little weaker than does them/their fluff credit. Demons I can use and have them be beaten, baatezu are just too awesome nine times out of ten.
6. Beholders: One of my players had a phobia of them, it just made them better (he got over it after an adventure centered on going into a beholder hive and killing the Hive Mother).
5. Golems/Constructs
4. Monstrous Scorpion: Fairly powerful monsters that can take a serious bite out of a party. They're also fun with templates and HD advancement.
3. Orcs: An undeniably classic monster and really quite deadly at 1st level and with a few levels easily capable of taking a bite out of a party at higher levels.
2. Illithids: Excellent evil villains that you can easily build a whole campaign around. Especially good if you use the XPH versions. Special note for ullitharids which are even better.
1. Purple Dragons: They're dragons that are as tough as reds, mentally the equals of golds, and they have freckin' lightsaber breath. I love lightsaber breath. I'd put more dragons on here but then there would be something like 5 true dragons and that's too many.

Logalmier
2010-11-03, 05:52 PM
Mine would be:
10. Beholders.
9. Beholders
8. Beholders
7. Beholders
6. Beholder Mages
5. Beholders
4. Beholders
3. Beholders
2. Beholderkin
1. Beholders

Fixed it for you.:smallbiggrin:

Dusk Eclipse
2010-11-03, 06:27 PM
That picture is wrong. The Raksha's hands point in the wrong direction.

TBH that hand thingy is the only thing I don't like about Rakashas... I know is kinda their trademark, but never really liked it.

now my own list

10-Quori: Literal nightmare fuel... just awesome
9-Illithid: Got into Lovecraft mythos because of them... I owe them a little
8 Warforged TiTAN!!! the name is awesome, the picture is awesome, what else can I say?
7Daelkyr and Daelkyr Half-bloods-All the aberration fun in a little useable package, the symbionts they create/growth are also quite fun
6.... can't remember the name for the group, but Marrulurks, Marrusault and Marrutact, are incredibly fun, their abilites are great, and they just fit my favorite archetypes (the abomination is not bad in any case, but it doesn't look that abominable to me)
5Yuan ti-Snake people for the win, their pictures are great (specially that archer one that is floating somewhere here), and their machinations and styles is great.
4 Taint Elementals... don't like the mechanics of taint, but the idea of pure and unadultered evil gaining sentinence and growing from anger and other bad feelings is.... awesome.
3Devils: Pit fiends and Horned devils are my favorite amongst all...thoug bone are not that far behind.
2 Hobgoblins: love the fluff, the militaristic view of the world.. I love them*
1 Dragons*.. specialy shadow and Red (shame they are chaotic... I feel they would work best as LE masterminds)

Guess which module I'll be running, you have three guesses and the first 2 don't count

Eldan
2010-11-03, 06:28 PM
Hey, that's right. I forgot Osyluth. In a place as scary as Baator, they are the thing the other devils fear.

The Glyphstone
2010-11-03, 06:30 PM
That picture is wrong. The Raksha's hands point in the wrong direction.

The sad part is that it's the same picture in the MM.

Eldan
2010-11-03, 06:34 PM
The sad part is that it's the same picture in the MM.

I know. I choose to ignore it. Let's go with this: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1c/Demon_Yakshagana.jpg

Escheton
2010-11-03, 06:37 PM
10 Vampire Minotaurs-my first Pc-kill
9 Fey'ri, doppelgangers, changelings etc remember that prisoner you saved and have been dragging along?
8 Gibberlings start running or setting up defences, they are coming and you can't stop the rush.
7 (zombie)Spiders you brought scrolls of restoration right? wait what?
6 Mummy's you prepared remove curse and remove desease right? what? Noooo!
5 Vizzerdrix, owlbear, etc A wizard did it, now it will tear you apart.
4 Npc humanoid clerics, shamans, sorcerers. They will mess you up.
3 Enviremental hazzard It's monstrous, if a failed climbcheck can kill you.
2 Golems(darksteel, mithril, prismatic, the fun ones) Magic can't hurt it, your weapons? Maybe, see how long they last...
1 Beholders I ran Invaders too many times

TheEmerged
2010-11-03, 06:48 PM
I'm going to do a Top 5 & Bottom 5.

1> Myconids. No really, this goes back to my first edition days. The players in the campaign I run right now have grown to fear them :smallbiggrin:

2> Kobolds. Only slightly far behind. The character I played for most of 3.0 (from 3rd to 18th level) was a kobold telepath. I'm actually playing against this habit in my current campaign because the players know this habit and are keeping an eye out for it. So I've secretly replaced the role kobolds usually play in my campaigns with goblins, just to mess with them :smallredface:

3> Derro. Again, this one goes waaaaaay back for me. Creepy psionic slaver dwarves, what's not to like as a villain.

4> Elementals. I'll admit, I'm one of those people who create intricate setups with elementals, paraelementals, quasielementals, and actually liked the idea of there being an <insert here> for each type. Part of the challenge was making the <insert here> somehow just different enough to keep the players guessing.

5> Psionics/telepaths in general. You might have noticed this already, might as well make it official.

==============

5> Were<insert here>. This just doesn't do it for me. Maybe because my first DM, back in the late-seventies early-eighties, was overly fond of them and I grew to expect that virutally any friendly NPC was secretly a <insert here> that would try to kill us overnight.

4> Half <Insert Here> - Half <Insert Here>. I can't stand these. Owlbears are the closest equivalent here. Unfortunately this includes half the monsters in the original edition, I think. Includes centaurs, gryphons, and sphinxes as far as I'm concerned too.

3> "Beautiful woman secretly a monster out to kill you unless you can find the one thing that controls her." Again, a symptom of my first DM and including too many monsters from early editions. The active subversion of this in 4th Edition is one of its charms for me.

2> The thinly-veiled political statement villain. Another bane of my early gaming days.

1> Vampires. I was a vampire hater long before it was cool :smallcool: Again, I think it goes back to that first DM and his habit of trying to kill us outside of combat situations.

Tvtyrant
2010-11-03, 07:14 PM
10. Sahuagin: Because one day they will rule the world.
9. Hill Giants: because mine ride mammoths into battle!
8. Aboleths: The ultimate Lovecraftian monsters.
7. Mindflayers: Especially the Roper one that has strands!
6. Yuan-ti: Egyptian slave cultures FTW. Also, I would hit that. With a stick.
5. Slaadi: The actual personification of pure chaos.
4. Demon Lords: I don't care about Demons that much, but Graz'zt and Demorgorgon are amazing.
3. Beholders and Kin: Because lasers!
2. Eidolons (4E version) only 4E monster I felt was really cool. I also like the Elder Eidolons of 3.5. Especially as a Megalodon.
1. Nightshade (Nightwalker). I really want to run an undead campaign around one of these as the UBG. The humanoid personification of UnDeath.

Kuma
2010-11-03, 08:24 PM
Best Five
5.Goblins: small, individually weak sadists. what's not to love?
4.Humanoid races
3. Undead that are not incorporeal or vampires: Yeah, I hated incorporeals as a player and Vamps lead to "Sparkle" jokes now.
2.Anything made by the Demented One or Krimm Blackleaf: Hail the kings of Homebrew Nightmare fuel!

1. Kobolds, my players will never, ever go near any "Kolbobld menace" or whatever. i ripped a party of 20's apart with kobold tunnels and traps.

Worst Five
1.Vampires
2.-Oloth: nothing personal against the NE outsiders, but their names mak me want to eat razorblades whenever i say them, which is why i name every one I use.
3.Orcs, Ye gods they are the most beat up race in the game, and why? because their also the stupidest.
4.____ giant: Hey, you got your elemental in my giant, you got your giant in my elemental.
5.Half____: too non creative for my taste

Raging Gene Ray
2010-11-03, 09:27 PM
3. Paladins - Paladins are all misguided humanoids who are truly monsters inside. They should all be destroyed. I love introducing Paladins who are out to capture or kill the party because of deeds they've done, been accused of or are suspected of.


Agreed! Don't you just hate them with their unfair over-generalizations and disproportionately harsh punishments?

A partial and by no means complete list of monsters I like in no particular order:

Xerfillstyxes - the slug-like Devils in the River Styx who have absorbed the memories of all souls who have passed through there. The philosophical implications are philosophical.

Leskylor - From the BoED...it's a 3-Headed Flying Tiger...of pure Good and Goodness. And it's not an outsider so technically you can Polymorph into it.

War and Cave Trolls - Not as interesting as the Leskylor, in fact, the only reason I mention them at all is because they have Extraordinary abilities and good physical stats for Polymorph. (Hey, at least they're not as bad as 12 headed Cryo/Pyrohydras).

Mimics - Sure, they're boring if you go with the same old Treasure Chest trick, but remember they can take ANY form of the general size. I personally plan on making an NPC mimic who takes the shape of a suit of armor and poses as a mercenary. Then gets a room at the inn, sneaks into the other room, turns into a bed....

If I can make that up on the spot, surely someone else can think of something better.

Ravids - Flying snakes from the Positive Energy plane that Animate Objects with the power of LIFE!!! Granted, it doesn't make sense to me that Positive Energy would turn inanimate objects into constructs...but I like Animated Objects.

Elemental Weirds - Good NPCs to meet when the party doesn't have a few weeks to cast Legend Lore to figure out what they're supposed to be doing.

Lev
2010-11-03, 10:06 PM
1. Kobolds, my players will never, ever go near any "Kolbobld menace" or whatever. i ripped a party of 20's apart with kobold tunnels and traps.
http://community.zenoss.org/servlet/JiveServlet/downloadImage/2-50935-4282/200-200/ScruffySecond.jpg



8 : Clockworks (ToH). Constructs in general are pretty cool, and I'd like to see more variety in them (if anyone knows a good golem compendium, drop me a link.) Clockworks are a sort of hiveminded construct group, more intelligent than the average golem. Which is good, since they are small and fragile.


Crystalkeep is a good place for a monster list, if you go by subtype you can find all constructs.

In addition:
http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/archeb/cw

http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=177.0

Coidzor
2010-11-03, 11:17 PM
Skeletons: As much as I'd like to jump on the Zombie bandwagon everyone seems to have a ticket for these days I am, always has been, and probaly always will be a skeleton man. A bleached bone figure with glowing eyes will always be more appealing to me than a lump of rotting flesh.

Well, I'd like to see zombies try to shred it on a guitar. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yAgSWR8u-v8)

genericname
2010-11-03, 11:17 PM
10. The "Undead Grab bag"- The weird mix of zombies, skeletons, and just general undead you find in the dungeons.

9. Humans- Pretty awesome all around. Especially if the DM runs it so they actually have real reasons for their actions against you.

8. Elementals- Just so much awesome all the time.

7. Ethergaunts- Love/hate

6. Beholders- As it turns out, they get REALLY mad when the rogue throws sand in their eye.

5. Mummies- Giving out curses like candy is grand.

4. Dragons- Come on, they're dragons. enough said.

3. Displacer beast- Swing! POOF! I'm over here.

2. Terrasque- The only time players have opened a door, looked in, and immediately closed it. Then locked it. Then warded it. Then three of them said "Screw this mission, I'm not paid nearly enough."

1. Tucker's Kobolds- "Nah dude, don't worry, its just one Kobold wizard, what can he do?" -Famous Last Words.

Coidzor
2010-11-03, 11:20 PM
1. Tucker's Kobolds- "Nah dude, don't worry, its just one Kobold wizard, what can he do?" -Famous Last Words.

Your argument is invalid, it has the word tier one god destroying monstrosity in it.

God and Pun-Pun are not Tucker's Kobolds anymore.

Danin
2010-11-03, 11:52 PM
In no particular order:

Goblins, Hobgoblin and Goblinoids: Frequently underestimated, just as intelligent as humans and with wicked hide modifiers. I see no reason why they shouldn't be just as populous (if not more so) and established as humans.

Quori: Read about them. Go. Now. Do it. I'm waiting. Reading yet? Good. Back? Now you know what I'm talking about. It is not just your nightmare. It is everyone and anyone. No one is safe. No one can be trusted.

Shifters: Savages attuned with nature, hunting people like animals. Yuuuup.

Lizardfolk: Pretty much my favorite race, though may be questioned with goblins. They get a lot of hate, but a deeply shamanistic and druidic culture with ritual sacrifice. Think Aztecs with scales.

Changelings: Wait, someone looking just like me murdered the King's daughter? Wasn't me, I swear. How did the murder weapon wind up in my room? Good question officer...

Gnolls: Because slave taking, flesh eating, lazy sods are cool.

Most Fey: With the awesome amounts of fey love in 4e and plenty of info on the few wild, these guys have moved into a solid 3rd for favorite group.

Anything from the far realms: Because insanity is awesome.

Rappy
2010-11-04, 12:06 AM
10. Gnolls: Martiarchal hyena-people? Something that's both biology-based and fun!
9. Flinds (Tome of Horrors): What's better than gnolls? Gnolls on steroids, of course.
8. Hill Giants: While some may say they're in the same niche as ogres, I say the two can work together for an interesting combination. That, and hill giants have rock tossing, caveman stereotype-style.
7. Flumphs (Tome of Horrors): While not my favorite monster, flumphs have a certain...charm...to them.
6. Therianthropes (Tome of Horrors): A modular reverse-lycanthrope template that can give birth to "trickster spirit" type creatures. Obviously, I like this.
5. Rakshasa: Classic Indian creatures, and just as fun in D&D. They're especially interesting if you play up the capriciousness and unpredictability their feline features imply.
4. Sasquatch (d20 Modern Menace Manual; hey, the title does have "and other" in it): I mean...it's Bigfoot. It's an iconic creature, do I really need to explain further?
3. Sea Serpents (d20 Modern Menace Manual): See above.
2. Mummies: Above all other undead, I find mummies simultaneously the most disturbing and the most fascinating.
1. Automatons (Book of Templates Deluxe Edition 3.5): An apply-to-anything template to make golems from a number of materials? Best. Monster template. Ever.

Callos_DeTerran
2010-11-04, 02:22 AM
Hmmm...lets see...

10. Lizardfolk: I adore jungles and swamps as adventure settings. I like Aztec/Inca/Mayan cultures. I also like lizards. Mix them all together and you have my version of Lizardfolk and why they are on the same list as some of these other monsters. Chances are, if you are playing in one of my games and encounter a swamp/jungle, then there are lizardfolk somewhere close-by...watching...waiting for a chance to attack and abscond with a captive or two for sacrifice.

9. Kaorti: The Kaorti are a difficult one for me to explain...they are like the personification of 'Affable Evil' to me. They aren't malicious in their own ways, they are doing their best to survive in a world that's toxic to them. Heck, they are even polite to their captives and extend a great honor to them...to become one of them. Plus, the whole alien image of their resin domes and hide-outs is one perfectly suited for a horror-type game, along with their...'special' pets.

8. Yuan-ti: Like bigger and stronger lizardfolk. More variety among their number, same preferred habitat, but alot more sibilant cunning lurking just beneath the surface. Schemers and planners who aren't exactly lacking in a fight either. Plus, again, snake motif. It's a classic evil theme.

7. Devils The only reason that devils are so low on this list is because I can't narrow down the types or unique devils I like the most and still have room for anything else on this list. So I put the devils here. From terrible Asmodeus to the most pitiful lemure, I will always be in awe and appreciation of the horrifying monument to Lawful Evil that the devils represent.

6. Marrafolk (Marrusault, Marralurk, etc): This is another difficult one to explain. I'm not sure what it is about them that I like so much. It could be the Anubian look (like the Anubites from the second Mummy movie). The hints at fantastic/terrible secrets within their secret pyramids. Or perhaps it's simply their penchant for genetic engineering on themselves and their Egypt aesthetic. In any case, the Marrafolk have my support as monsters.

5. Tsochari: Invasion of the Body Snatchers gets a new and terrible makeover. Not only is an alien presence inhabiting your body...it's not even mentally controlling you. No...if you don't abide by what it wants, it puts you through the most terrible pain of your life until you do. Until you can't disobey it...until you don't want to disobey it. Even as it feeds off your body. Sure...mental domination may be more efficient...but a dispel magic won't free you from this enslaver.

4. Tarrasque (modified): I love the idea of the tarrasque. An unstoppable engine of destruction that nothing can stop, or even hinder for a long period of time. Heroes, dragons, cities, even the mightiest of artifacts...just another meal down it's gullet into the most hellish digestive system known to the multiverse. ...I just wish the execution backed up the fluff. I have a thing for giant monsters and heroes fighting (or trying to anyway) them, and the tarrasque SHOULD be the epitome of that.

3. Lunar Dragons (Dragonmech): But that honor goes to the Lunar Dragons from the Dragonmech setting. Pound for pound, they are bigger and meaner then any of the core dragons, with only gold dragons coming close to them in physical or magical might. Built like an elephant, these 'dragons' are so bizarrely alien from what most player characters know of 'dragons' that they bring back the old fear of dragonkind. Their breath weapon is damn hard to resist, and even if one manages to do that...well...a great wyrm still casts as a 19th level sorcerer and can rend mechs to pieces with it's claws...just imagine what's it's going to do to you.

Nevermind how it's going to shrug off almost anything you do to it back. I'd say run now, but it's more then fast enough to catch you. With the tarrasque not cracking up as 'giant-as-hell monster'...the lunar dragon makes up for it. Come to think of it...a lunar dragon vs. the tarrasque would be an incredible battle...and be vaguely similar to a lot of Godzilla movies.

2. Aboleth: The aboleths have always been...they always WILL be. Their very environment is inhospitable to adventurers seeking to slay them, nevermind their thralls, creatures, and potent wards defending them. The aboleths worship beings that don't even notice their existence, or the existence of anything beside themselves. Their Elder Gods are proof for the aboleth's belief in the frailty and naivety of every other race. And frankly...they aren't wrong.

1. Ethergaunts: Eldan pretty much got it in his post, so I'll quote him.

"The Ethergaunts are ancient, they were there before the oldest empires of mere mortals. They are intelligent, they are smarter than dragons, yugoloths, devils. Their racial average intelligence is better than most arch-mages. They have magic most creatures can't dream of. They have technology better than seen in some SciFi settings. And they hate your guts."

Seriously...Just imagine a procession of red ethergaunts escorting a single white to deliver an ultimatum to an assemblage of priest-kings, 'god' emperors, mage-lords, and enlightened elders by appearing in the blink of an eye past sophisticated eldritch wards against teleportation. The best that the mortal plane has to offer, but the white's posture suggesting that it's dealing with offal. And before the assembled lieges can even mutter a single word at the rudeness of such an act, the white announces their fate.

"You will be killed. You took our world, and we will have it back. You existed because we allowed it and now you will end because we demand it. Your cities will be dust. Your gods will be empty husks. Your beliefs will be forgotten. For we are the masters and you are naught but insects before our might. Make your peace, your extermination begins at dawn's first light."

And then, just like that, they are gone..but you know they meant what they said and are fully capable of carrying out their threat.

Eldan
2010-11-04, 04:25 AM
Yup. More Ethergaunts, please.

OF course, for my Ethergaunts, I also stole half the Necron fluff from 40k. Except for the Stargods. They don't need that, it's just their own intellect. They are out there, in the ethereal, sleeping, connected to gigantic machines. You don't know what they are doing. But when they wake up, you are dead.

Jan Mattys
2010-11-04, 06:11 AM
2. Terrasque- The only time players have opened a door, looked in, and immediately closed it. Then locked it. Then warded it. Then three of them said "Screw this mission, I'm not paid nearly enough."

Must have been one hell of a door :smallbiggrin:

Lev
2010-11-04, 07:35 AM
This is called Monster Traction, a concept already brought forth by WotC.

Here are the articles:
http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/dd/20050909a

http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/dd/20060106a

dsmiles
2010-11-04, 09:44 AM
Mine would be:
10. Beholders.
9. Beholders
8. Beholders
7. Beholders
6. Beholders
5. Beholders
4. Beholders
3. Beholders
2. Gauths
1. Beholders

On that note:
10. Cthulhu
9. Cthulhu
8. Cthulhu
7. Cthulhu
6. Cthulhu
5. Cthulhu
4. Cthulhu
3. Cthulhu
2. Yog-Sothoth
1. Cthulhu

peacenlove
2010-11-04, 10:54 AM
Yup. More Ethergaunts, please.

OF course, for my Ethergaunts, I also stole half the Necron fluff from 40k. Except for the Stargods. They don't need that, it's just their own intellect. They are out there, in the ethereal, sleeping, connected to gigantic machines. You don't know what they are doing. But when they wake up, you are dead.

This idea intrigues me and i am interested in hearing more :smallbiggrin:

My list would go as such.

10: Evil Dragons. Arrogance, power, prestige all included in a intelligent killing machine. From overpowered melee beast to cruel and intelligent rulers dragons can be anything you want.

9: Shadow casters Not a monster per se but for me a "template" i can add to my minions. Forbidden and difficult to combat magic? check. Can remain hidden in most situations and affect his prey from the darkness? Check (thank you Darkstalker :smallsmile:)

8: Drow elves (Pathfinder setting): Gotta love their creation and their methods of punishment. They won't kill you for offending them, no no. They will use your body and create a flesh heap mockery out of you, custom tailored from your original race :smallamused:

7: Orcus and his minion Demons / Undead: Take the hatred and blind fury of demonkind and multiply it tenfold. Orcus hates himself, the abyss, the planes and just about anything. A truly reborn being, despite millennia of activity, his determination is unbrindled and he devotes every bit of his essence to destroy everything.

6: Ghosts (3.5 edition, the pathfinder edition spoiled them) Alignment: any. Not your run of the mill undead, each ghost had a lif and hunts a purpose. Modular beyond belief, he is as much as a puzzle as a worthy encounter to your players.

5: Ethergaunts I believe it is covered already :smalltongue:

4: Tome of Battle Initiators: Another "template" i put on my tough bruiser monsters, these warriors can be as modular and effective as needed. Especially fell in love with the Stygian nightmare homebrew discipline from Edge, however any discipline is as good as the next.

3: Death: Remorseless undead, the silent but deadly negative energy, mad murderer/priests of slaughter... Everything that evokes the dread of the Final Journey to the players is in high favor for me. Everything ends, it doesn't have to end pretty however :smallamused:

2: Creatures of Gargantuan or larger size: Because while magic rules the world, there is still satisfaction and awe to be drawn by the fact that the creature you are fighting does not fit in the battle grid :smallwink:

1: Wizards: Renowned and cursed for their ability to do just about anything they make even the most experienced character to run for his money. You can't match their intellect and resources. You can't prepare a strategy against them. And they choose the site AND the terms of the battle. Classic favorite from 2nd edition.

TheGeckoKing
2010-11-04, 11:41 AM
I'm not a very savvy gamer, so I can do a top 5 I guess.

5. Tarrasque: The crunch is terribad compaired to some monsters,
but the fluff is just what you want. When the Tarrasque wakes up, the planar
population goes down, and that is the end of that. The Blood War stops. Mechanicus becomes a mess as they try to comprehend it. The archons and solars weep. Asmodeus is shocked. For Mr Armaggeddon IS AWAKE.
4. Beholders: They're a classic, and for good reason. Eye beams that can shut down magic, AND that can screw you up in 10+ ways? The king doth approve.
3. Ethergaunts: I'm not gonna go on, because it's been explained. If this race of Tippyverse wizards want you dead, you and your entire spieces are extinct. End of.
2. Dragons: This game is D&D for a reason. They can eat anything, flay you with energy by BREATHING on you, and can cast spells like no-one's trying. They also live for millenia, and are geniuses. Fear the dragon, for you are crunchy when cooked and good with ketchup.
1. Aboleths: These fish abberations are the best for me. These monsters have been the same for billions of years, outliving even the Ethergaunts. Why? Because evolution is awaste of time for these guys. They can tear your mind into tasty chunks with theirs, they are immortal barring accidents, and unlike the Ethergaunts, who supress emotion and Dragons who are generally very emotional, THEY DON'T CARE. When your against a creature who can stare into the Far Realms for 100 years and find it lacking, YOU RUN.

Toliudar
2010-11-04, 12:17 PM
Trying for a mix of niches and power levels:

Hydras - one of the few opponents that can deliver enough attacks to be a credible threat to a mid-large sized level-appropriate group. Plus, there's a real sense of the progress you're making when attacking. "We've cut off four heads, we can do this", or "crap, it's been three rounds and only cut off one head. Time to run."

Lycans - suddenly, melee becomes dangerous again, as every bite has a SMALL chance of infecting the PC. Plus, lots of RP opportunities as characters that have been established as humans have their personalities reinterpreted once their true nature is revealed.

Orcs - I've played these guys as everything from the Mordor-esque mindless evil horde to Klingons, hunter-gatherers, Scots highlanders and wizard-modified slave races. They perfectly fill an important niche for a wide range of campaigns.

Ettins - great high-level mooks, and the two-headed thing makes them something more than really big dumb people.

Kobolds - whether they're low-level cannon fodder, masters of sorcery or the infamous Tucker variety, useful, flavourful and fun.

Efreet - obnoxious asses, enough power and versatility to be a credible threat, but without the teleport ability that SHOULD take most fiends out of a fight as soon as it's clear they might lose.

Oozes - okay, this is cheating, since it's an entire type, but the ability for an ooze to be a trap, an obstacle, a brute or the pet of a creeeeepy BBEG makes them precious and multi-functional. Switch up their colours abilities and vulnerabilities to keep players guessing.

Mind Flayers - Iconic BBEG. Creepy and powerful, but with obvious weaknesses all their own.

Kuo-Toa - I love the idea of a species that is slowly losing the genetic race, and now simply collapsing slowly into madness and obscurity. Powers to frustrate casters. The only underdark race that doesn't have to be badass, but can be a mix of silly and dangerous.

Bears - familiar because real, dangerous, but often can be dealt with using natural magic, misdirection and flight.

Dragons - they're in the name of the freaking game. Whether it's a clutch of really stupid white wyrmlings, a wily green hunting the players in the forest, a brass toying with them to get information in exchange for information, or the BBEG red, dragons remain a force to be reckoned with at any level of the game.

Callos_DeTerran
2010-11-04, 05:22 PM
Yup. More Ethergaunts, please.

OF course, for my Ethergaunts, I also stole half the Necron fluff from 40k. Except for the Stargods. They don't need that, it's just their own intellect. They are out there, in the ethereal, sleeping, connected to gigantic machines. You don't know what they are doing. But when they wake up, you are dead.

Oddly enough, I did the same thing but before I knew about the Necrons (or rather their specific fluff). In the Dragonmech game I used them in, the ethergaunts had retreated to the moon rather then to the Ethereal plane, so when it's surface began to fall to Highpoint their pyramids and cities were ruined. Thus, all the blacks, and a selection of the other colors loaded themselves into a highly advanced technological fortress and went into hibernation.

Eventually their retreat fell to Highpoint as well and my PCs were sent to evaluate the 'meteor' for minerals and ended up waking up one of the blacks before fleeing before the lunar dragons nesting on the fortress woke up for the night...That black then sent about reawakening the rest of it's people and when the PC's came back to claim more of the minerals in the meteor...2,765 feet of it was missing, with no trace of where it had gone.

A week and a half later, they went to a city to buy repair parts, get some news, etc...and the ethergaunt citadel was floating over-top of it with the ruins of the city's defenses scattered across the landscape. And they found their mountain. If the game had continued, they would have seen the ethergaunt's next move...ruthlessly stamping out the largest threat to their planned genocide, the city-mech Tannaliel (and if you know Dragonmech at all that thing is...absurd. Every round, there's something like 252 attacks being launched from it. The majority of which are spells).

...Not to mention the black ethergaunt they had awakened was casting nightmare on them weekly and scrying their location, because they took it's mask. And it wanted it back.