List of monsters worth playing?

[Snowbluff]

Thread title. What monsters with LA and RHD are actually worth/playable.

[MaxiDuRaritry]

The answers are different for regular and gestalt (and the specific rules for LA in the gestalt), but the ghost template is quite strong (especially the savage progression, when combined with LA buyoff [one at a time, of course] or legacy champion), and pixies and petals are well-regarded, as well. Half-ogre half-minotaur feral mineral water orcs, of course, and nothing here would be complete without mentioning kobolds (which almost goes without saying). And since thri-kreen are technically monsters, those get a ping, as well. Evolved undead necropolitan is quite nice, especially if you take Faerie Mysteries Initiate and either Human-Blooded or Human Heritage to negate some of the disadvantages thereof.

[Flickerdart]

I think "worth playing" is a bit of a subjective metric, but a lot of the monsters with built-in casting are quite decent as long as the LA isn't too high. Specifically:


Gloura: ECL9 gives you 7th level bard casting, CHA to AC and saves, DR 10/cold iron, flight...and 7 garbage hit dice. Potentially good for some kind of bard/paladin mashup.
Unbodied: ECL8 with a measly 4 HD, but those 4 HD let you manifest as a 4th level telepath psion. Being incorporeal is the main draw, but at-will telekinesis (minus the attack option) and supernatural disguise powers are decent bennies.

[ATHATH]

The Glamer gets a ton of at-will Illusion-themed SLA's and the ability to Persist one of its SLA's once per hour. It's ECL 11, with 10 Outsider HD (it doesn't technically have LA, though; it recieved its ECL in a sidebar).

The Catoblepas is a weird long-necked pig with Save or Die eye rays. It's ECL 6 (!) with 6 Aberration HD.

I've heard that Mercury and Steel dragons are pretty good.

Tome Dragons have innate Sorcerer spellcasting (with all Sorcerer Conjuration and Divination spells known) and some built-in Metamagic cost reduction. Their LA is pretty bad, though- it's best in E8 (or E6, if you start at 6th level), where you can buy it off.

[Buddy76]

Immoths have sorcerer casting two levels higher than their hit dice, swim and fly speeds, elemental type (giving them a bunch of immunities) and ice runes. Though that last one might be gamembreaking and should probably be nerfed or limited somehow.

[Inevitability]

Marrulurks are very nice if you give them some rogue levels.

[Ruethgar]

Awakened Cats, Rats, Lizards, Monkeys and a couple others all have ECL 0 despite having 3ish RHD, and those are magical beast RHD so they are pretty amazing, especially for straight martial or a gish(with surrogate spellcasting). The ECLs are found in Dragon Magazine #193 pg 53 or so IIRC. It is a 3.0 source so all of the other monsters listed aside from animals had their ECLs updated in 3.5 but since Awakened animals never had their own entries and Awaken was never afforded an LA modification clause in 3.5, the ECLs in that article are still in play.

Playing off the aforementioned True Dragons, the base 10 from the MMI have ECL 0 Hatchling varieties and still get access to all the True dragon goodies like Loredrake and Spellhoarding.

[ShurikVch]

Dweomervore - Small Dragon from Dragon #307 (6 HD and LA: +4) - have bunch of SLAs at will:
Blur
Cat’s Grace
Color Spray
Detect Magic
Identify
Invisibility
Obscuring Mist
Reduce Person
See Invisibility
Tongues
And they are even not a self-only, so he can buff the whole party!
Also, it's Breath Weapon is telekinesis: can hurl away 3 Large creatures (or 6 Medium-sized, or 12 Small...); Will save to resist; alternately, the same Breath Weapon can snatch Tiny-(or smaller)-sized objects, and can make "ranged Sleight Of Hand" checks with it
Also, as a full round action, can drain charges from magic items, which may matter sometimes

Nightmare (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/nightmare.htm)
6 HD and LA: +4
Astral Projection (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/astralProjection.htm) and Etherealness (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/etherealness.htm) (Su) at will?
At ECL 10?!
Gimme!!!

[Necroticplague]

I think sharn are pretty good. ECL 10, but they cast like a level 12 character (split 6-6 sorceror favored soul), have three standard actions a turn, regeneration that isn't usually bypassed (because I can count the amount of axiomatic weapon's I've seen on one hand), flight, and they already have a good chunk of the prerequisites for Multitasking for even more action economy abuse. And their stats are +8 to +10 across the board. Main downside is the loss of ability to use polymorph shenanigans.

[Snowbluff]

I think "worth playing" is a bit of a subjective metric

That's okay. Try your best. <3

I have played a Gloura before. They are pretty good. Same goes for marrulurk.

[mabriss lethe]

Lycanthropes can be pretty.... Ah..... Beastly.

[Flickerdart]

Lycanthropes can be pretty.... Ah..... Beastly.

I find that entomanothropes are usually better - animals tend to have a very narrow range of abilities (basically just Pounce, Scent, and Improved Grab) but the game has some very creative vermin in it.

[NorthernPhoenix]

If you want to optimize the answer is probably none.

However, Lycanthropes are my favorite to play as, they're loads of fun and have decent splat support to expand upon their themes.

[Draconium]

Speaking from experience, Wyrmling Mercury Dragons can make awesome mobile combatants (IE Swordsages) if you can buy off the +2 LA. Their RHD are Dragon, which are actually fairly good, and their boost to Dex, no negative penalties, Tiny size, and 200' Perfect Fly speed is just awesome. Playing a hyperactive baby dragons is also tons of fun to roleplay. :smalltongue:

[ShurikVch]

By the progressions, Ambush Drake (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/fc/20060728a) and Ethereal Filcher (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/fc/20060224a) are LA: +0

[LoyalPaladin]

Speaking from experience, Wyrmling Mercury Dragons can make awesome mobile combatants (IE Swordsages) if you can buy off the +2 LA. Their RHD are Dragon, which are actually fairly good, and their boost to Dex, no negative penalties, Tiny size, and 200' Perfect Fly speed is just awesome. Playing a hyperactive baby dragons is also tons of fun to roleplay. :smalltongue:
I would totally play in a gestalt campaign where you did Class//Dragon RHD.

[Draconium]

I would totally play in a gestalt campaign where you did Class//Dragon RHD.

Careful what you wish for. :smallamused:

Seriously, though, that sounds like fun. I wouldn't mind playing with you in a campaign like that at all.

[LoyalPaladin]

Careful what you wish for. :smallamused:

Seriously, though, that sounds like fun. I wouldn't mind playing with you in a campaign like that at all.
I would almost consider playing Fighter//Dragon. Almost.

[Draconium]

I would almost consider playing Fighter//Dragon. Almost.

Huh. Knowing you, I would've thought you'd play a Dragon//Paladin. Seeing as how dragons do use their Charisma for just about everything anyways, and it would fit your MO. Plus, especially at their older ages, they get a boost into basically every stat but Dex (generally a dump stat for Paladins anyways). If not for the stinking LA, playing a dragon Paladin would help reduce MAD a lot...

[MaxiDuRaritry]

I would almost consider playing Fighter//Dragon. Almost.Fighter gives you fighter feats. Dragon gives you other feats. And wyrm of war gives you fighter and dragon feats. And fighter and wyrm of war both give you Armor and Shield Proficiency feats.

[denthor]

My favorite Monster Race is a sculk this is a human variant that can blend into its environment in 2nd edition you had a 25% chance of never seeing him in 3.5 he could move it full speed and still retain a + 10 - - stealth and hide checks before any other modifiers this is an evil creature.

Looks human has no pupils in its eyes they are black but you have to be very close to see it and then look in the eyes.

Most the times when I've run it everyone wanted to be a thief I ran as a Mage. The reason I went Mage this allowed me to cast a cantrip that change my skin color from Gray to whatever color was needed. Straight out-of-the-book would rather murder then deal with other humans

[LoyalPaladin]

Huh. Knowing you, I would've thought you'd play a Dragon//Paladin. Seeing as how dragons do use their Charisma for just about everything anyways, and it would fit your MO. Plus, especially at their older ages, they get a boost into basically every stat but Dex (generally a dump stat for Paladins anyways). If not for the stinking LA, playing a dragon Paladin would help reduce MAD a lot...
I did say almost! The really hard choice would be between a gold or bronze dragon. I like the gold dragon's fluff, but the bronze dragons have my favorite personality.


Fighter gives you fighter feats. Dragon gives you other feats. And wyrm of war gives you fighter and dragon feats. And fighter and wyrm of war both give you Armor and Shield Proficiency feats.
The feats are what made than an almost!

[MisterKaws]

I find that entomanothropes are usually better - animals tend to have a very narrow range of abilities (basically just Pounce, Scent, and Improved Grab) but the game has some very creative vermin in it.

Why not play bot and do a Were-Brine Swimmer Were-Fleshraker?

[Draconium]

LP, now you've got me wanting to play a dragon again. Which, granted, isn't that hard, but still. Do you have any idea how hard it is to get a good dragon game rolling? First you've got to find a good DM, then decide if it's all-dragon or if other races are allowed, then figure out if you're using any homebrew/houserules to offset the rather awful LA mechanic... Not to mention, I like playing older dragons, but that's usually not even within the realm of possibility.

And yet it's totally worth it...

[Prime32]

The abrian from Fiend Folio gets some interesting stuff.

For starters it's a Medium Magical Beast with 2 HD and LA +1, which is one of the easier ways to gain that type. It also has:
50ft speed.
Decent stat mods (Str +2, Dex +4, Con +2, Int -4) and some natural armor.
A shriek which can daze multiple enemies.
Great natural weapons: its beak deals only 1d3 base damage but has a 19-20/x3(!) crit, while its kick has base damage of 1d8.
Despite its nonhuman anatomy it still has a pair of "atrophied humanoid arms" with 1/2 carrying capacity, meaning it may or may not be able to wield weapons.
If you advance it by +1 HD it increases in size to Large, altering its stat mods to Str +10, Dex +2, Con +6, Int -4.

[Snowbluff]

The abrian from Fiend Folio gets some interesting stuff.

For starters it's a Medium Magical Beast with 2 HD and LA +1, which is one of the easier ways to gain that type. It also has:
50ft speed.
Decent stat mods (Str +2, Dex +4, Con +2, Int -4) and some natural armor.
A shriek which can daze multiple enemies.
Great natural weapons: its beak deals only 1d3 base damage but has a 19-20/x3(!) crit, while its kick has base damage of 1d8.
Despite its nonhuman anatomy it still has a pair of "atrophied humanoid arms" with 1/2 carrying capacity, meaning it may or may not be able to wield weapons.
If you advance it by +1 HD it increases in size to Large, altering its stat mods to Str +10, Dex +2, Con +6, Int -4.
... This is simply the greatest thing I have ever heard. You can play a loud ostrich in DnD. Doesn't look too horrible, too. :0

[ATHATH]

Dweomervore - Small Dragon from Dragon #307 (6 HD and LA: +4) - have bunch of SLAs at will:
Blur
Cat’s Grace
Color Spray
Detect Magic
Identify
Invisibility
Obscuring Mist
Reduce Person
See Invisibility
Tongues
And they are even not a self-only, so he can buff the whole party!
Also, it's Breath Weapon is telekinesis: can hurl away 3 Large creatures (or 6 Medium-sized, or 12 Small...); Will save to resist; alternately, the same Breath Weapon can snatch Tiny-(or smaller)-sized objects, and can make "ranged Sleight Of Hand" checks with it
Also, as a full round action, can drain charges from magic items, which may matter sometimes

Nightmare (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/nightmare.htm)
6 HD and LA: +4
Astral Projection (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/astralProjection.htm) and Etherealness (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/etherealness.htm) (Su) at will?
At ECL 10?!
Gimme!!!
Actually, I think that the most notable ability of the Dweomervore is the ability to pop out another Dweomervore and raise it to maturity every month (approximately). Sure, the new Dweomorvore will absolutely hate your guts, but you can get around that through liberal use of Mind Control/Familial Geas.

By the way, I recently found the Time Drake (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/mm/20031122a), which should qualify for this thread due to technically being a playable race. It has really cool and unique time-based powers (including free-action movement!), but its real draw is its ability to be trained and purchased. Yes, if you're rich enough, you can have an intelligent (INT 8), CR 11 dragon to sic on your enemies. If you combine some of these guys with a Dweomervore Draconic Cohort (for buffing them up), you could do the draconic equivalent of Handle Animal abuse. Heck, if you combine both of those dragon types with those Psionic tiger-things from the Mind's Eye articles, you could cover most of the standard adventuring party roles.

[Draconium]

Actually, I think that the most notable ability of the Dweomervore is the ability to pop out another Dweomervore and raise it to maturity every month (approximately). Sure, the new Dweomorvore will absolutely hate your guts, but you can get around that through liberal use of Mind Control/Familial Geas.

By the way, I recently found the Time Drake (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/mm/20031122a), which should qualify for this thread due to technically being a playable race. It has really cool and unique time-based powers (including free-action movement!), but its real draw is its ability to be trained and purchased. Yes, if you're rich enough, you can have an intelligent (INT 8), CR 11 dragon to sic on your enemies. If you combine some of these guys with a Dweomervore Draconic Cohort (for buffing them up), you could do the draconic equivalent of Handle Animal abuse. Heck, if you combine both of those dragon types with those Psionic tiger-things from the Mind's Eye articles, you could cover most of the standard adventuring party roles.

A Temporal Drake, huh..? I think I've found my new favorite (non-True) dragon.

[unseenmage]

In my sig there's a list of almost (need to do some editing) every playable 3.x monster.

Also in my sig is a list of most of the animals and vermin in 3.x as well as a list of every template that doesnt change an animal's type so you can has templated Warbeast animals.

Applying Athropomorphic to said templated animals and Entomanthrope to the vermin should provide endless hours of amusement.
And maybe some decent playable monsters.

[Snowbluff]

Anthropomorphic animals... hmmm... You said there was a template? Where is that template? Oh... savage species. TIme to find a hedgehog.


A Temporal Drake, huh..? I think I've found my new favorite (non-True) dragon.

Be that. Learn Revivify. Piss off people who kill you for fun.

[LoyalPaladin]

LP, now you've got me wanting to play a dragon again. Which, granted, isn't that hard, but still. Do you have any idea how hard it is to get a good dragon game rolling? First you've got to find a good DM, then decide if it's all-dragon or if other races are allowed, then figure out if you're using any homebrew/houserules to offset the rather awful LA mechanic... Not to mention, I like playing older dragons, but that's usually not even within the realm of possibility.

And yet it's totally worth it...
Hahaha. I'd roll with this. But I'm cool playing any age category of dragon. If you can find a game, I'm in!

You're going to be disappointed in me, by the way. I'm playing Dark Souls 3 with Snowbluff and I'm wearing Dragonslayer Armor, wielding the Dragonslayer Swordspear, and I'm about to wield a Dragonslayer Greatshield. Oh! I also have a Dragonslayer Greatbow...

[Draconium]

Hahaha. I'd roll with this. But I'm cool playing any age category of dragon. If you can find a game, I'm in!

Lol, I've actually had a couple other people express interest as well... Maybe we should throw up a thread in the Finding Players section...


You're going to be disappointed in me, by the way. I'm playing Dark Souls 3 with Snowbluff and I'm wearing Dragonslayer Armor, wielding the Dragonslayer Swordspear, and I'm about to wield a Dragonslayer Greatshield. Oh! I also have a Dragonslayer Greatbow...

:smallannoyed:

[LoyalPaladin]

Lol, I've actually had a couple other people express interest as well... Maybe we should throw up a thread in the Finding Players section...
Throw it up and link it to me. With a name like "Draconium", you're clearly better suited to lure in a GM for a dragon game. :smalltongue:


:smallannoyed:
Dragonslayers gotta slay dragons, yo!

[Draconium]

Throw it up and link it to me. With a name like "Draconium", you're clearly better suited to lure in a GM for a dragon game. :smalltongue:

Boom. (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?487145-We-Be-Dragons!-D-amp-D-3-5)


Dragonslayers gotta slay dragons, yo!

Just be careful. Calling yourself a dragonslayer is basically sending out an invitation to all dragonkind to come and mess up your face.

[LoyalPaladin]

Just be careful. Calling yourself a dragonslayer is basically sending out an invitation to all dragonkind to come and mess up your face.
I already killed their king... Dragons are wicked strong, but not Dragonslayer strong haha. In Dark Souls (most) dragons are weak to lightning damage, which happens to be the type that all my weapons deal.

[BilltheCynic]

The beguiler (Shining South p. 60) is a great one. It's a small magical beast with no RHD or LA that has:

+2 Int, +6 Dex, -4 Con
2 claw attacks and a rake attack
60 ft darkvision and low light vision
30 ft speed and 10 ft climb speed
+8 racial bonus to climb
and the big one, constant True Seeing!

[LoyalPaladin]

The beguiler (Shining South p. 60) is a great one. It's a small magical beast with no RHD or LA that has:

+2 Int, +6 Dex, -4 Con
2 claw attacks and a rake attack
60 ft darkvision and low light vision
30 ft speed and 10 ft climb speed
+8 racial bonus to climb
and the big one, constant True Seeing!

I'd like to play a Beguiler beguiler.

[MaxiDuRaritry]

I'd like to play a Beguiler beguiler.So, basically a Pokemon?

[LoyalPaladin]

So, basically a Pokemon?
Hahaha.
"What do you think about this, Beguiler?"
"Beguiler! Beguil Beguiler!"

[BilltheCynic]

I'd like to play a Beguiler beguiler.

Just make sure you don't get a jerk GM.

"Why yes, you do automatically see through your own illusions and everyone else's. Of course, since you've always been able to see right through your own illusions, you've never been able to see them properly to make them look quite realistic. All creatures who see your illusions automatically get to roll to disbelieve and get a +5 bonus on that check. Not fair? You should have thought of that before playing this OP pokemon :nale:"

[LoyalPaladin]

Just make sure you don't get a jerk GM.

"Why yes, you do automatically see through your own illusions and everyone else's. Of course, since you've always been able to see right through your own illusions, you've never been able to see them properly to make them look quite realistic. All creatures who see your illusions automatically get to roll to disbelieve and get a +5 bonus on that check. Not fair? You should have thought of that before playing this OP pokemon :nale:"
That's how the GM wakes up in a dark room with no exit and the only sound he can hear is this (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JNJJ-QkZ8cM).

[Inevitability]

That's how the GM wakes up in a dark room with no exit and the only sound he can hear is this (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JNJJ-QkZ8cM).

I still don't get why people think that song's creepy. Sure, it's a bit dissonant, but nothing truly frightening.

[Draconium]

I still don't get why people think that song's creepy. Sure, it's a bit dissonant, but nothing truly frightening.

It may have to do with the Lavender Town Syndrome creepypasta.

[khadgar567]

more like sensory depravity with only annoying rhythm in back ground

[unseenmage]

Little did snow know this was making a GitP Regulars thread all along.

[Draconium]

Little did snow know this was making a GitP Regulars thread all along.

Well, is that really a problem? :smallamused: *cough post title cough*

But seriously, I am trying to think of another actual contribution to this thread.

[Snowbluff]

Okay, so I will have a game soon. Level 3, and a free +1 LA.


Little did snow know this was making a GitP Regulars thread all along.
I've got a good 2-3 stalkers on this forum, so basically this will happen to all of my threads.
http://66.media.tumblr.com/0a99ad2cb76e9913fd248fd5f2f7dc7b/tumblr_mqvmf8LHHw1qbvovho1_500.gif
I don't know. I'm like a blithe spirit or something.

The beguiler (Shining South p. 60) is a great one. It's a small magical beast with no RHD or LA that has:

+2 Int, +6 Dex, -4 Con
2 claw attacks and a rake attack
60 ft darkvision and low light vision
30 ft speed and 10 ft climb speed
+8 racial bonus to climb
and the big one, constant True Seeing!


I've already done a Beguiler Beguiler. :smalltongue: