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Necomancer
2006-04-10, 02:28 AM
Hi! I'm new here and was curious about something. Whats your favorite monster that you would consider underrated? For me it would be the chain devil.

Theres just something about a human like devil wearing plate mail or studd leather as chains travel around his body that seems so classy. I still need to send a chain devil assasin after my players someday, or maby someday play one myself if I ever can.

I also someday want to have my players fight a boss who was the original chain devil. A very powerful version of the normal kind who can control a unlimited amount of chains and lives in a hallway covered in them. So anyways let us forget mind flayers, drow, beholders and dragons and think about the krytons, delvers, girallon and locathah!

hyenahyena
2006-04-10, 02:59 AM
howlers, i think, are just awesome.

http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/MM35_gallery/MM35_PG155.jpg

thats a picture of them. So not enough love for these lil critters. They're cute in a horrifying kind of way.

Dhavaer
2006-04-10, 03:02 AM
I've always had something of a soft spot for gricks.

starwoof
2006-04-10, 03:20 AM
I think that the locathah dosnt get enough love.

How can you not love a mutant fishman (That isnt a skum)?

Thistle
2006-04-10, 04:40 AM
I'm not sure how often they're encountered by anyone else but I love the gray render. Particularly their maternal nature. Combine them with a tribe of halfling, orphans, or rabbits and they're adorable. I especially like when it comes to protecting the charges against low level PCs. ;D

SlyJohnny
2006-04-10, 04:40 AM
Mohrgs. (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/mohrg.htm)

A campaign plothook in and of themselves.

The Prince of Cats
2006-04-10, 05:08 AM
Kobolds...

CR: 1/6... You cannot get much more under-rated without going into swarms or NPCs.

A kobold is not scary. Even 10 kobolds are not very scary (especially if you haver colour-spray) but they don't fight fair. You could wade into a gang of kobolds and walk right back out again unscathed but with a nice new hat.

Of course, that isn't how it goes...

The fighter charges, the cleric follows and then the earth opens up to swallow them both because they didn't spot the pit-trap. Spikes, poison, scorpions or snakes can make the pit even more fun. Suddenly, you have a rogue and a mage under attack from spear-throwing dog-dragon-things and the DM is wishing he had put some oil into the pit so the kobold could just throw a torch in...

Once they survive, they realise that the whole encounter was worth about 5xp each.

Blade-Bearer_Ian
2006-04-10, 05:23 AM
Personally, I like Hobgoblins and Gnolls...

Dhavaer
2006-04-10, 05:35 AM
I don't think kobolds, hobgoblins or gnolls are especially underrated...
I'm going to put in a vote for gibbering mouthers. Those things are just freaky.

Altair_the_Vexed
2006-04-10, 05:49 AM
The PC races make the best monsters.

My players are more scared of the NPCs than they are of any of the dragons and beholders and whatnot.

John_D
2006-04-10, 05:51 AM
Hi! I'm new here and was curious about something. Whats your favorite monster that you would consider underrated? For me it would be the chain devil.

Hear hear! I love the kyton and pitting the PCs against one in a room festooned with chains has long been a dream of mine, no matter how much like a video game boss it would seem.

I've always liked rust monsters (insofar as it's possible to like anything that snacks on your equipment) and loved the idea of having a sect of metal-loathing druids use oversized ones as mounts. I thought I was incredibly clever coming up with that idea, but within the next week I heard three other people suggest it, so I guess I'm not that original after all.

What else? I really like the thoqqua, in no small part because the MM describes it as having "a choleric mood and a foul temper". A tiny, angry worm just tickles me for some reason, especially when its primary form of attack is to fling itself at an enemy's face.

Oh, I've just recently gotten the XPH, and I really like half-giants (they're in the monsters section too!). A big, brawny race that isn't as thick as two short planks? Fantastic.

potatocubed
2006-04-10, 06:06 AM
I was once in a game where the GM made darkmantles into a horror to be feared.

Personally, I favour gnomes as underrated antagonists - for some reason, if you show players a kobold they go 'Aiee! It must be a kobold with a cunning plan!' but if you show them a gnome they just fall about laughing. That's just asking to be taught a lesson, really. ;)

In terms of more monstery monsters, I like using normal animals, often in combination with awaken, advancement, templates and/or class levels. Way back in the early days of 3.0, I had great fun with a stalking tiger with ranger levels. He tended to pop up whenever the party where in the middle of fighting something else and try to maul whoever was standing at the back. ;D

OzymandiasVolt
2006-04-10, 06:06 AM
Hmmmm...

Bulette. ;D

The_Pyre
2006-04-10, 06:33 AM
Goblins. The Kobolds have been getting too much love from WotC. ;)

stainboy
2006-04-10, 06:59 AM
Thouls.

Anybody else remember those? I believe the last time they appeared was the old D&D Rules Cyclopedia. Part hobgoblin, part ghoul, part troll, all cheese.

I used em in a campaign a couple years back. I had a hobgoblin lord who kept them around as his elite alchemically-treated brainwashed myrmidons.

Scorpina
2006-04-10, 07:08 AM
Barghests. They can scare the bejeezus out of PCs if they're just told that they're 'huge demonic dog like creature' rather than a Barghest..

Dhavaer
2006-04-10, 07:13 AM
Barghests always confused me. It was like the non-corporeal undead thing. Why didn't they just go around killing and eating commoners to gain HD? Why isn't every barghest in the world epic?

Leon
2006-04-10, 07:28 AM
Gelatinous Cube

Reiver
2006-04-10, 08:30 AM
Always had a soft spot for Blink Dogs, m'self.

Because they drive PCs insane. especially with readied actions... Heh heh heh.

John_D
2006-04-10, 08:37 AM
Barghests always confused me. It was like the non-corporeal undead thing. Why didn't they just go around killing and eating commoners to gain HD? Why isn't every barghest in the world epic?

Because a barghest needs to eat three corpses with an equal or greater number of levels / hit dice than itself to advance. Eating commoners wouldn't do a great deal, no matter how tasty they are.

reorith
2006-04-10, 09:25 AM
a bunch of mundane creatures is always cool. applying swarm traits to small or larger things is awesome. think a school of baracudas or sharks. or a mob of people rioting from some a couple of bards' mass suggestion. this isn't seen enough

Umael
2006-04-10, 09:58 AM
I don't recall if they were updated into 3rd edition, but rot grubs still freak me out... and I'm not too fond of stirges either (who I know were updated).

My brother introduced me to the idea that rot grubs were really just the larva form of stirges. Hence, the party could be walking along one moment in an old, abandoned tower with wood flooring and they hear the sound like a swarm of giant mosquitoes comes their way... they look up and see a LOT of stirges making a dive run for them... they turn and flees... the wooden floor gives way under them... they fall and there is the clatter of wood and dust and mildew hang in the air, obscuring sight... and then one of the PCs gives a shriek as he sees they've landed in the stirges' nest, full of rot grubs... and one of the has just burrowed into his skin... *shudder*

bosssmiley
2006-04-10, 09:58 AM
Ankhegs, gotta love those chitinous baby-eating beetle things when they erupt from the ground and drag the softest, least-armoured party member into a tunnel. 'hegs are especially funny if you use them as the vanguard of a humanoid attack force. ;D

Sulecrist
2006-04-10, 01:50 PM
I love gnolls and wights, but they aren't all that underrated.

Salamanders, they're awesome. I'll say Salamanders. Or Urskans.

Scorpina
2006-04-10, 01:57 PM
Barghests always confused me. It was like the non-corporeal undead thing. Why didn't they just go around killing and eating commoners to gain HD? Why isn't every barghest in the world epic?

Well, when I'm DMing Barghests tend to be found around loney moores and the like - not really that many people, commoners or otherwise, around to eat - and most humanoids (the only creatures it can use it's feed ability on) hang around in civilized groups with at least a few high level types around to see a barghest off...

Sacrath
2006-04-10, 02:01 PM
Bah, gimmie a choker anyday. Besides the coolness of snatching party members into the air with bungie-cord arms and then running down the tunnel with them in tow, they come free with a constant, unmodified from 3.0 (mostly), haste effect.

RedMage
2006-04-10, 03:06 PM
gotta say goblins, my players used to think they were week but i learned them eh eh eh

Magnus_Samma
2006-04-10, 04:07 PM
Protean Scourges are the best things in the MMIII. The combination of a shape-shifting creature that looks like some kind of demon is just PC paranoia city. Early in my latest game the PCs were meeting up to go on a mission, and another volunteer happens to show up, a simple farm boy who wants to beat on some bad guys with his farming tool. One of the PCs even tried to teach him how to use it better. XD And then, of course, just when everyone's starting to get to like the new NPC- bam, towering demonic creature taking a swing at 'em. The best part is that since he looks like a demon, everyone assumes he is one, and the first thing they do is hit it with a sword... and then they have two to deal with...

Aaya
2006-04-10, 04:13 PM
Murlocs ;D

In all seriousness, though, Chaos Beasts have always creeped me out.

The MM pic did nothing to help, either...

axraelshelm
2006-04-10, 04:16 PM
Undead that is done well resident evil well. give me mutant undead that has been morthed give me ghosts that sail seven seas, the vampire generals of hong kong movies that feast on chi and the blood of women, give me those that has escaped the grey lands and seek revenge against the living out of jealosy, the ones that can not move on, the ones that can die again.

Scorpina
2006-04-10, 04:18 PM
...what's a Murloc?

axraelshelm
2006-04-10, 04:21 PM
its undergroud creatures right? from the time machine?

Scorpina
2006-04-10, 04:22 PM
I think that's 'Morlock'...and I've never heard mention of them anywehre outside the Time Machine...

Serpitus
2006-04-10, 04:24 PM
I hate to say it but I love using Otyoughs (spelling help I think)

There isn't a refuse pile in a dungeon that isn't littered with them in my world. The trolls/orcs/giants/etc in the cave dumped the garbage and the otyough came to rest!

RobbieOC
2006-04-10, 04:30 PM
Otyughs are awesome. Great for a classic Star Wars trash compactor type scene.

I'd have to say my favorite under-appreciated monster has to be the satyr, which is why I made a PC version of them. I love playing bards, so being able to use a satyr as a bard and a villain is just so much fun. But really, any fey is fun to use. We don't see them a lot in the campaigns my group runs, so maybe it's just me that thinks they're under appreciated.

Aaya
2006-04-10, 04:52 PM
...what's a Murloc?


A fish-thing with legs from World of Warcraft.
With the funniest aggro noise EVER.

400vip
2006-04-10, 05:18 PM
I've killed all of them (exception on thouls) and had never met a Thri-Kreen protaganist.

axraelshelm
2006-04-10, 05:28 PM
wanter to play a thri keen monk once light sabre action in dragon star!

WampaX
2006-04-10, 05:33 PM
I've killed all of them (exception on thouls) and had never met a Thri-Kreen protaganist.

Never played in DarkSun, eh?

One of my favorites? Pyterons (sp?). The antlered, flying, heart-ripping-out, feathered, death machines.

The Vorpal Tribble
2006-04-10, 05:40 PM
Splinterwaifs from the MM III. I've never even heard anyone use one or speak about them, and I've used them in almost every campaign I've ever run. Jungle? They live in a rotted log. Civilized area? Pile of brush or abandoned firewood pile, or even an alley with a bunch of broken crates and boxes. They can even go sea hopping, stowing away on a ship and feeding on the occassional sailor.

Stirges are also an old creature that I've used from time to time with great fun. Basically I use them almost as 'dire mosquitos' in jungles and swamps.

Cruiser1
2006-04-10, 05:41 PM
Mephits (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/mephit.htm) with their combination of damage reduction and fast healing (and chance of summoning) are much harder to kill than they seem, and can give a low level party serious problems. All their different types and personalities are fun to work with too. :)

Soniku
2006-04-10, 05:41 PM
good old cloaker, although I havent spotted him in the new MM yet...


and the warefox was cool =p

Xanosect
2006-04-10, 06:06 PM
While I think PC races make the best BBEG, the question is favorite underrated monster.

Fisrt and formost I like homemade appearences, laid over D&D monsters. PC's may be completely able to handle a troll, but when it's made into some sort of mutated dog, they don't immediately go to fire when it heals wounds. At the same time, you don't have the imbalance possibility of total homebrewed.

I like animals for raw combats, respect mother nature.
but they probably aren't underrated.

I've always wanted to achieve a TPK with a topiary garden, death by shrubbery would probably finally convince my players to work together.

John_D
2006-04-10, 06:18 PM
I've had more respect for the humble ash rat after reading the news story about a man who tried to kill a mouse by throwing it into a bonfire, only to have the fiery rodent streak back into his house and burn it down.

RedMage
2006-04-11, 07:10 AM
Lunar rats are pretty cool cause the PCs think it's just a bunch of rats then the moon comes out from behind a cloud and whamm!!

Dhavaer
2006-04-11, 07:21 AM
Because a barghest needs to eat three corpses with an equal or greater number of levels / hit dice than itself to advance. Eating commoners wouldn't do a great deal, no matter how tasty they are.

Oh good, they've fixed it. I still don't have the 3.5 Monster Manual.

Hadrian_Emrys
2006-04-11, 07:32 AM
Nimblewrights. Not only have I never seen one in game, nor heard of one ever being put into one, they are gorgeous constructs that really should have skills with ranks in em.

opherion
2006-04-11, 10:38 AM
I've played in a game with Nimblewrights. They are not CR 7.

And I vote for the good old Behir.

JungeonJeff
2006-04-11, 11:03 AM
8) Shocker Lizards! 8)


"The party runs into a field of waist-high grass, hears a couple of small splashes from puddles around them and....

Zzzzap!
"
;D

wormwood
2006-04-11, 11:10 AM
A 2nd edition game I played in had us all paranoid of trees because of... carnivorous apes. We would avoid wooded areas like the plague just in case there were apes in there. I'm still not sure why our DM had such a fascination with them but we ran into them almost every time we went anywhere with a tree for them to hide behind.

Steveman
2006-04-11, 02:56 PM
Barghests are great becuase you plop one in the middle of a group of Gobbos or Hobgobs and let the players throw their fireball. XD

I have fond memories of facing down Umplebys with their self made back hair nets and electrical powers.

Psiwave
2006-04-11, 04:38 PM
anyone who has read my post in the "total party Kills" thread will get this
badgers
shudder

John_D
2006-04-11, 07:33 PM
Nimblewrights. Not only have I never seen one in game, nor heard of one ever being put into one, they are gorgeous constructs that really should have skills with ranks in em.

I've never played with/against one, but they remind me so much of Kroenen that they may have to appear sometime...

Hadrian_Emrys
2006-04-11, 09:24 PM
I've played in a game with Nimblewrights. They are not CR 7.

And I vote for the good old Behir.

Got mauled that badly huh? The augmented crits do sting a bit. ;D

John D: Indeed. I'd be inclined to give em fighter skills and have one play out as a BBEG's bodyguard or somesuch.

CockroachTeaParty
2006-04-11, 09:32 PM
Howdy folks! I'm new to the forums, although I've been a long time reader of OOTS.
First of all, I love mephits. I have a mischevious water mephit who makes an appearance in all of my campaigns.

After mephits, my favorite underrated monster would have to by Myconids! The little mushroom people always show up whenever the PCs go where the sun don't shine.

Umael
2006-04-11, 09:32 PM
My father, a sicko-perverted-DM if ever there was one, really liked siamese crocodiles. Basically just really big, really hungry two-headed crocodiles.

But my father was more into traps, not monsters...

Godhand
2006-04-11, 11:20 PM
Ogres really.

Think about it, when your lv 10 or 11 and you see a half a dozen ogres next to the bad guy, what do you think? Now when the ogres have huge battleaxes, rage and come screaming down on you, thats another story.

My other favorite, Beholders. Those things are NOT CR 13. One good shot by a few of those eye stalks and your party is down a couple members, for good. I've seen a party of six 16th level adventures get toasted by one beholder that they got the drop on. Now i know a few people are saying, "what? CR 13 isnt underrated," but when you think about the multiple attacks it can pull on people with low reflex and wills save and then turn on antimagic to cancel out the mages, it's a tough cr 13.

shadowdemon_lord
2006-04-12, 12:22 AM
Beholders go squish, Anti magic dosent help against a fighter with good save enhancing items (which every fighter worth his salt should have).

Personaly, I've always liked the idea of having large or huge monks with a feat from Sword and Fist that allows them to make grapple checks to stop other's movement instead of an attack, unless those fighters pack reach, they can't close XD. Once the monks get huge, you'd better pack a lot of reach. Of course, this would be coupled with combat reflexes.

I've always liked the idea of throwing say....kobolds/gnolls/ogres/hobgoblins/trolls/some sort of low CR creature and throwing them at high level characters. Just out their, in the middle of nowhere (or maybe as gate guards). Anyway, some sort of inconspicouos place that wouldn't nessesarily have a tough fight. Then stack levels of soulblade/monk/wizard/sorceror on them (anything that dosen't need lots of equipment to make them good). Basicaly the idea is to make them look as inconspicous as possible, let the PC's use stupid tactics when attacking them, and them *WHAM* lay down the hammer. Soulblades bring in their weapons, monks start disarming/tripping/sundering everything in sight, wizards and sorcerors nuke indiscrimantly because their monk buddies have jacked out saves and improved evasion. Possibly have psions bring on the nukes also, or have spam enhanced dominates, start bringing in waves of astral constructs, etc.

As an aside, you could make the monks able to run up walls, and give a sorceror or two wall of force. The sweet thing about this, is that for the over all tactics to work you don't need them to be high level creatures. In fact, if their all fairly lower level then the PC's but outnumber them proportionately it would lead to the illusion of them being incredibly weak, while making the encounter that much more deadly.

So yah, my favorite under rated creatures are goblinoids (as used against high level characters).

Ikkitosen
2006-04-12, 04:42 AM
Adherers. They look like mummies, but they're not undead and ya can't burn 'em, and you and your weapons stick to them!

Also, stirges. Nasty in numbers.

beejazz
2006-04-12, 09:53 AM
does anyone here remember brownies?

Person_Man
2006-04-12, 10:13 AM
My favorite underrated monster is one of my own creation - I call it the Anger Mephit. Basically, its just a normal mephit from yet another alternate dimension.

It starts with nothing but 13 hit points, wings, small claws, and a mean disposition. The twist: the Anger Mephit is healed by damage, and harmed by positive energy (healing spells plus a few other things - I let the Smite portion of Smite Evil damage it, for instance). The more you hit it, the larger it grows and the meaner it gets, as it feeds off anger of the PC's who want to kill it.

It makes a great BBEG for low level PC's. The only problem is that it only works once per gaming group.

It's also not my idea - but for the life of me I can't remember where I stole it from. Probably a book I read or a cartoon I saw 20 years ago.

GungHo
2006-04-12, 11:57 AM
With the funniest aggro noise EVER.
I won't be gross enough to exactly say what it makes me think of, but "motorboat!" It kinda reminds me of the "gwuwuwuwuwuw" sound from "Jungle Boogey"

--
Anyway, I've always liked Mohrgs and Bozaks (I think that's the name?) The chain devil (Kython? Books are at home) is also fun to spring on someone as well.

beholder
2006-04-19, 01:47 PM
beholders
the only cool,original d and d idea
apart from chain devils
gimme beholders any day
where are eyeball beholders from?
can they be familiars?

Delcan
2006-04-19, 09:35 PM
Vrocks. Frontline troops my rear, these guys are flying nukes. My favorite fiends.

One, because they look so totally awesome in the 3rd Ed MM. How can you not love a big, spiky, six-limbed, demonic vulture? That's gotta be at least six, probably seven kinds of awesome right there.

Two, the Dance of Ruin. Not for actually pulling off on your PCs, but just threatening it. Just develop it a little - have them come to a little thorpe that's been erased from the face of the earth... and after that, have them witness the blast on another town. When you finally have them fight vrocks, They Will Fear.

Kython
2007-01-06, 02:47 AM
I won't be gross enough to exactly say what it makes me think of, but "motorboat!" It kinda reminds me of the "gwuwuwuwuwuw" sound from "Jungle Boogey"

--
Anyway, I've always liked Mohrgs and Bozaks (I think that's the name?) *The chain devil (Kython? *Books are at home) is also fun to spring on someone as well.

btw, you're thinking of Kyton (chain devil), not Kython. Kythons are far more awesome to me.

1) they're such an alien threat to most people that they fail to realize that it actually is more deadly than it is ugly.
2) str poison in bites and bone-shard-crossbows. more cocky PC's have been taken this in offense than anything else I've thrown their way.
3) unique weapons. unless they manage to get some kython armor, PC's can't use the awesome items Kythons have: Acid Spitter, Bone Shard Crossbow, Boneblade, Extra Armor, Mouth Launcher, Mucus Pod, and my personal favorite...
4) the phase organ. if a kython has that weapon, it can change between corporeal and incorporeal as a free action. my sig below is an abridged version of the PC's second encounter with a Kython.

The_Pope
2007-01-06, 02:58 AM
I love Cadaver Collectors. Even the artwork of them in the MM3 is just plain awesome. And theres something about a misted over battlefield, corpses piled about in bloody heaps, everything silent save for the creaking joints of massive golems that collect the fallen on their backs. It really paints a good atmosphere.

Skyserpent
2007-01-06, 03:19 AM
Hm... Underrated Monster?

Ravid.

Plain and simple, it animates stuff around it, it's a GIGANTIC WHITE ONE-ARMED DRAGON. I just think that this would make for a HILARIOUS encounter.

The Glyphstone
2007-01-06, 07:06 AM
My favorite underrated monster is one of my own creation - I call it the Anger Mephit. Basically, its just a normal mephit from yet another alternate dimension.

It starts with nothing but 13 hit points, wings, small claws, and a mean disposition. The twist: the Anger Mephit is healed by damage, and harmed by positive energy (healing spells plus a few other things - I let the Smite portion of Smite Evil damage it, for instance). The more you hit it, the larger it grows and the meaner it gets, as it feeds off anger of the PC's who want to kill it.

It makes a great BBEG for low level PC's. The only problem is that it only works once per gaming group.

It's also not my idea - but for the life of me I can't remember where I stole it from. Probably a book I read or a cartoon I saw 20 years ago.

There's a monster just like that in the sewers of Baldur's Gate II - it has like 1 HP, but damage heals it and you have to kill it with a Cure spell.

Khantalas
2007-01-06, 07:09 AM
I didn't know Kythons could take levels in Thread Necromancer...

JellyPooga
2007-01-06, 11:03 AM
Tomb Motes!! It just has to be. They're so dinky and sweet, but at the same time viscious little gits...tee hee! I love these little guys.

ken-do-nim
2007-01-06, 12:06 PM
Chain devils rock I agree. I had an encounter set up where the BBEG specialized in summoning them, and he had chains hanging from the ceiling just for that reason. It worked out great. The party was also new to 3.5 so they didn't know that they needed silver weapons. It just kept regenerating, and I described how none of their blows really seemed to be making it bleed. Scared the crap out of them. Then I had one of the chain devils take the semblance of Karras' mother from the Exorcist and say "Dimmy ... why you do this to me Dimmy." Ah what fun. They eventually dispelled the summoned chain devils.

But my FAVORITE ... I'm using tonight, so I sincerely hope none of my players are reading the forum tonight. Hellwasp Swarm. Read their entry and tell me if you don't agree. Possession is always fun, but possession followed by the exit of a horrific swarm of insects pouring out of a person's every orifice ... that's where it's at. They are only CR8, but I have no idea how my party will deal with them.

grinner666
2007-01-06, 12:42 PM
Kobolds haven't really been underrated since 1E (anybody out there remember Tucker's Kobolds?). But I've always had a soft spot in my heart for any of the low-CR monsters. Orcs, goblins, kobolds, zombies, skeletons ...

My favorite right now, though, is hobgoblins. I like their martial, disciplined attitudes. With the right general they'd be more than a match for humanity.

Hmmm ...

*laughs maniacally and begins writing ...*

Thrawn183
2007-01-06, 01:27 PM
My party has a wilder. I used kobolds without class levels or anything to make him (her in character) blow a crapton of power points on something that didn't even give xp...

My favorite underrated from MM III would have to be the Ragewalker. A fey that uses a spiked chain? Quickened blade barriers and walls of fire? DC 28 will saves to not attack your party members if you ever come within 10 feet of it? This thing should not be a CR 14! Beholder's have nothing on this thing.

Callos_DeTerran
2007-01-06, 02:08 PM
I agree with Kythons being the best underrated monster. I dunno why but I think of them as kinda like being the Xenomorphs from "Aliens"....which brings me to my second favorite...Steel Predator (who looks a lot more like an Alien). Third is definitly Nimblewright CR of 7 my ass is right. I'd rather be pumping those out then any magic item....since you know, a perfectly obediant but intelligent golem is just the ****.

Or maybe Etherguants...

Hannes
2007-01-06, 02:17 PM
Kobolds. They look so cool! And they are sneaky. And they can directly pwn when they use tactics. And traps.

Hannes
2007-01-06, 02:22 PM
My favorite underrated monster is one of my own creation - I call it the Anger Mephit. Basically, its just a normal mephit from yet another alternate dimension.

It starts with nothing but 13 hit points, wings, small claws, and a mean disposition. The twist: the Anger Mephit is healed by damage, and harmed by positive energy (healing spells plus a few other things - I let the Smite portion of Smite Evil damage it, for instance). The more you hit it, the larger it grows and the meaner it gets, as it feeds off anger of the PC's who want to kill it.

It makes a great BBEG for low level PC's. The only problem is that it only works once per gaming group.

It's also not my idea - but for the life of me I can't remember where I stole it from. Probably a book I read or a cartoon I saw 20 years ago.

It sounds familiar, I think in the end it was defeated by the people when they expressed extreme love towards it.

Were-Sandwich
2007-01-06, 02:45 PM
Ethergaunts. Definetly. They are jsut awesome. THe Shadar-kai need more love as well.

Thella
2007-01-06, 06:11 PM
I love zombies. Undead and heinous till the end (and sometimes even after)

Callos_DeTerran
2007-01-06, 06:17 PM
THe Shadar-kai need more love as well.

Gah! Can't believe I forgot the Shadar-kai! x.x I need my Fiend Folio back so I can re-memorize it.

Brigham
2007-01-06, 07:42 PM
Brain in a jar

It's a brain... in a jar.

JellyPooga
2007-01-06, 11:46 PM
Brain in a jar

It's a brain... in a jar.

heh heh.... still prefer Tomb Motes...especially the Tomb Mote Lord (otherwise known as the Tomb Mote with the Evolved and Swarm Shifter [grave dust] templates...just too much undead badass-ness...

having said that, i've always wanted to have a wizard/sorcerer with a brain in a jar as a familiar...

ken-do-nim
2007-01-07, 12:08 AM
But my FAVORITE ... I'm using tonight, so I sincerely hope none of my players are reading the forum tonight. Hellwasp Swarm. Read their entry and tell me if you don't agree. Possession is always fun, but possession followed by the exit of a horrific swarm of insects pouring out of a person's every orifice ... that's where it's at. They are only CR8, but I have no idea how my party will deal with them.

So for the curious, the party ended up having to run away from the swarm because the bard didn't realize he could use hold monster on it. Since the swarm was intelligent, it concentrated on the wizard who was the only one who was hurting it. It brought him down to 1 dexterity :-)

Kodra
2007-01-07, 12:32 AM
Man, I can't believe there's no love for the Formians. If you ever want to create an interesting D&D experience, have your PCs travel to a Formian hive. They'll need to be of decent level as the queen is CR 17, and she's well guarded by her elite guard (CR 10s). As for hive design, just make sure to have then entire thing honeycombed with small size passages so that the hundreds of workers can quickly and effectively respond to any situation. Just realize, that whenever any Formian sees hostilities, the entire hive is alerted to them, and the queen will either send a sizable reinforcement or set up a devious trap to await the heros.

Yep, Formians are the personification of absolute intelligence and brutal efficiency. They are a very enjoyable enemy to play as.

Kodra

Krimm_Blackleaf
2007-01-07, 02:03 AM
I dunno if they're underrated, but I really like dretches. Probably because the picture of them in the monster manual is just so....
http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/MM35_gallery/MM35_PG43.jpg
...CUTE.

That probably started my love for the dretch.

Khantalas
2007-01-07, 02:37 AM
Tanar'ri lover!

We Baatezu lovers are so better than you! Right guys?

*looks at the guys running away from the balor*

Aw, shucks, that happens every time.

MrNexx
2007-01-07, 02:50 AM
It's also not my idea - but for the life of me I can't remember where I stole it from. Probably a book I read or a cartoon I saw 20 years ago.

The Nilbog, from the original Fiend Folio, was the same way. Healed by damage, damaged by healing. I heard of one DM who took nilbogs to the next step... extra damage increased their HD (thus their saves and attacks), so you usually wailed on one for a while before you realized what it was.

Armads
2007-01-07, 02:57 AM
kobolds. get 20 first level kobold sorcerers in a 5ft-wide tunnel and blast away with magic missile (EL 5). 20d4+20 a round!

Krimm_Blackleaf
2007-01-07, 03:48 AM
Tanar'ri lover!

We Baatezu lovers are so better than you! Right guys?

*looks at the guys running away from the balor*

Aw, shucks, that happens every time.
That'll show you for messin' with bubba!

pita
2007-01-07, 07:37 AM
I used to be a big fan of Neo Otyughs.
However, my players quake in their boots when I say the words "You see what looks like a perfectly normal chicken."
The gargantuan template when used on a chicken is only funny once for the players. The rest of the times it's funny for the DM.

Ikkitosen
2007-01-07, 07:45 AM
Anyone remember sto-ropers? Not all that formidable, but had long poisoned tentacles that charmed party members and had them try to kill one another. Awesome.

Simius
2007-01-07, 08:13 AM
Hm... Underrated Monster?

Ravid.

Plain and simple, it animates stuff around it, it's a GIGANTIC WHITE ONE-ARMED DRAGON. I just think that this would make for a HILARIOUS encounter.

I absolutely agree.

Animated objects are underrated as well.

Tibor
2007-01-08, 12:01 AM
Babilith

Open the fighter up like a can opener.