3.x - What Would You Play In All Monster Game

[unseenmage]

Say there's an all monster game, what would you bring to the table to replace your usual class choice?

Am curious what monsters the Playground sees as being analagous to the various classes.

Let's say that instead of class levels monsters get to advance by RHD.

[Vizzerdrix]

Flumph!

With shapesand... All the shapesand.

[StevenC21]

Obviously I'd play the Hecatoncheires.

[Hackulator]

Honestly though some might consider it a kind of vanilla answer, true dragons are super fun to play with awesome versatility.

[MaxiDuRaritry]

I did do this once. It was gestalt, so everyone got to have RHD and LA on one side and a class on the other (since RHD and LA almost universally suck). I played a Dragonwrought kobold refluffed into a fluffy draconic tanuki crossbreed, with tons of psionic power, who was a really good skillmonkey. He was the ultimate result of an illithid breeding experiment to create a psionic slave to release Pandorym and entrap its mind so the illithids could drain its psionic power for themselves. Fortunately for him (and unfortunately for the illithids), right as the baby Maxi was set to undergo psionic brainwashing, the illithid hive was invaded by a nearby kingdom (who happened to be human supremacist slavers) and was wiped out. Sure, they sold Maxi off to the highest bidder, but that was better than the alternative. Even more luckily, the 'highest bidder' just happened to be a surprisingly kind family in the human nobility, whose children loved him very much and who allowed their 'pet' to sit in on their tutoring classes so long as he didn't cause any problems, thereby justifying his extremely high level of education, especially for a slave. He used the family's resources to start an underground railroad to save mistreated and miserable nonhuman slaves, grabbing the attentions of several of the rebel factions trying to overthrow the government. Cue him being one of the lynchpins of the revolution, and all before puberty hit. Viva la résistance de la monstre!

It was great.

[AmeVulpes]

I've always wanted to play a Marilith, even if I had to start from 1HD.

Else, Sahuagin Brute (nearest an official name for the four-armed ones I can remember) if it's anywhere near water.

Worst-case scenario, Centaur.

[Arcanist]

I enjoy playing Devils. Rarely get to. I have a new game coming up soon, I should probably ask my DM if they would be okay with letting me play a Devil of some sort :smallsigh:

[Palanan]

Hybsil was the first thing that came to mind just now.

But on mature reflection, quaggoth. :smalltongue:

[Troacctid]

Some kind of angel type of thing. Maybe a half-angel.

[MaxiDuRaritry]

Some kind of angel type of thing. Maybe a half-angel.So, what, an Earth Angel (https://youtu.be/VJcGi4-n_Yw)?

[Thurbane]

Murderjack (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/fw/20040828a) :smallbiggrin:

[rel]

If I actually want to play a monster: Red dragon.
If not, lich.

[Saintheart]

No contest: I would play a Beguiler Beguiler.

[MaxiDuRaritry]

No contest: I would play a Beguiler Beguiler.Careful, now. You're already going Pokemon on us, and you haven't even transitioned, yet.

[Arcanist]

Murderjack (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/fw/20040828a) :smallbiggrin:

Literally Slenderman. I love it. :smallbiggrin:

[Greymane]

I actually run a side-game of this exact thing. We use some homebrew that someone went ahead and statted out many, MANY monsters as their own stand-alone classes that start at level 1. The side-game has a Summoning Ooze, a Tentacle Whip, and an Astral Deva. Astral Deva was originally a Succubus and and swapped over later.

It's been fun. They're completely unorthodox in how they play compared to a traditional adventuring party. The summoning ooze provides meatshields, tentacle whip some combat that can take over some adversaries, and the Astral Deva provides some serious beat stick power.

The most hilarious bit that showed how weird they play compared to a regular party, was when they stumbled across 3 skeletons. They had no weapons to overcome the skeletons' DR save for the Summoning Ooze slam (was not built to melee), and what few summons he could bring to bear. They actually almost TPK'd, the ooze and succubus knocked unconscious, and the tentacle whip feeble led them to a trap earlier in the dungeon that they fell victim to.

In a normal party, the cleric would've just Turned Undead, or just used a mace, and it would've been a non-issue. It was a funny thing to watch.

I have a character on Standby to play in a game, a "Pit Fiend" (again, at first level). Beat stick with some SLA back-up looks fun.

[LuminousWarrior]

Tarrasque.

[Troacctid]

So, what, an Earth Angel (https://youtu.be/VJcGi4-n_Yw)?
My character ain't nobody's faceless doo-wop love interest. We're talking Serra Angels here, maybe an Avacynian variant or a classic Ron Spears Akroma. Half-celestial, whole badass.

[martixy]

Since I actually run an all-monster game right now, I can answer not in "would" but in "am".

Right now my party consists of a true dragon, a nymph and a pixie(necromancer). There's an NPC I'm having tag-along, to give me a voice in the party, which is a large naga(the snakey kind). There's been a few other characters that have been mainstays in the party at various moments - a troll, an elemental and a minotaur.

[Crake]

Me and a friend did this once, we played a pair that were the result of a divine experiment to see what would happen if you lets a newly created fiend and angel together, in our case, a succubus and a lillend. It was a very light hearted adventure, with our good/evil axis cancelling each other out, so we were basically wandering chaotic neutral buddies, the lillend gestalted with swordsage and a bit of dervish thrown in, and eventually found the desert wind special weapon, while I was playing the succubus as a binder with lots and lots of "friends" (read: vestiges) that she could talk to. She loved to show them off to the people she met, but unfortunately they always ran away scared, leaving my character sad and dejected, but her lillend buddy always cheered her up.

[MeimuHakurei]

I want to play as a Petal just for the sake of being adorable.

[ShikomeKidoMi]

Dragons are good, but to take full advantage of the D&D setting, I say Beholder. They're a unique, well developed monsters, with entire sourcebooks written about them. Hell, they have their own prestige class.

Plus, I think I could have a lot of fun with the paranoid, somewhat crazy, "I am the pinnacle of creation" viewpoint of theirs.

[AmeVulpes]

Dragons are good, but to take full advantage of the D&D setting, I say Beholder. They're a unique, well developed monsters, with entire sourcebooks written about them. Hell, they have their own prestige class.

Ah, just remember that your kin won't necessarily be welcoming to you! One of my favorite things about beholders is their internally-consistent hatred for one another.

[AlanBruce]

Just ran a fight against this monster and it would definitely be my choice for an all monster campaign.

The Jackal Lord (Fiend Folio).

It's a Monstrous Humanoid that gets rogue SA, some nice SLAs, such as summoning jackals, dominate animal, a nice ability called Curse of the Jackal, which turns any humanoid into one, a bunch of resistances and SR... and it's favored class is cleric. So if you can find a nice rogue/cleric combo, a Jackal Lord can be very OP if done right.

[Saintheart]

Me and a friend did this once, we played a pair that were the result of a divine experiment to see what would happen if you lets a newly created fiend and angel together, in our case, a succubus and a lillend. It was a very light hearted adventure, with our good/evil axis cancelling each other out, so we were basically wandering chaotic neutral buddies, the lillend gestalted with swordsage and a bit of dervish thrown in, and eventually found the desert wind special weapon, while I was playing the succubus as a binder with lots and lots of "friends" (read: vestiges) that she could talk to. She loved to show them off to the people she met, but unfortunately they always ran away scared, leaving my character sad and dejected, but her lillend buddy always cheered her up.

...so you basically did the D&D version of Good Omens?

[Mordaedil]

Playing from level 1-19, I think hobgoblins are an often neglected monster. The only negative thing they have is their level adjustment and otherwise only bonuses. In a game where you can pay off level adjustment, that is just pure pluses, to really good stats too. Maybe nothing you'd consider for a caster, but anything else, fairly good and often overlooked in my opinion.

Also hobgoblin culture is often neglected and I think it's a shame cause it's actually something you can work into something feasible.

Sadly, the same recommendation does not extend to their bigger cousins, the bugbears or the smaller goblins who have too many downsides from benefits.

[legomaster00156]

Doppelganger/changeling.

[Hackulator]

Playing from level 1-19, I think hobgoblins are an often neglected monster. The only negative thing they have is their level adjustment and otherwise only bonuses. In a game where you can pay off level adjustment, that is just pure pluses, to really good stats too. Maybe nothing you'd consider for a caster, but anything else, fairly good and often overlooked in my opinion.

Also hobgoblin culture is often neglected and I think it's a shame cause it's actually something you can work into something feasible.

Sadly, the same recommendation does not extend to their bigger cousins, the bugbears or the smaller goblins who have too many downsides from benefits.

While I think they might feel a bit too humanoid for a monster campaign, I generally agree about Hobgoblins. In many of the games I run they serve me as a greenskin race which I run as fairly lawful and sometime warlike but not inherently evil. It causes a lot of interesting situations with parties discovering that their prejudices aren't always right, and at least some of my groups that were made up of standard races have ended up with hobgoblins as their staunchest allies.

[Aniikinis]

It depends on how "monstrous" is monstrous.

If anything that isn't a core race or close to it is considered a monster: Gnoll without a doubt
If it has to be a non-humanoid and non-monstrous humanoid: Chimera, Rust Monster, Skindancer, or Unseelie Fey Half-Beholder Loredrake Black Dragon

[Hunter Noventa]

I've always wanted to play the Valkyrie monster from the back end of the Tome of Battle, for some reason.

[Karl Aegis]

Either a chuul shadowdancer or a wyvern mage.

[emulord]

Had a fun desert themed 1shot with a Mummy and a Sphinx as the playable characters vs a NPC balanced humanoid party.

Mummy rot is brutal
Sphinx grappling is brutal

[Ruethgar]

Spellweaver, sorcerer casting is pretty damn nice and RHD advances it for them. Other option would be Titanic Magebred Dungeonbred Warbeast Awakened Lizard, the massive number of free HD would make it more than worth it.

Edit: Total: Major Red Dragon Bloodline 3/Draconic 3/Half-Dragon 3/War Hulk 4/Fighter 2/Swordsage 8/Ranger 2/Fighter 4
HP 527(32 HD)
AC 34 (+6 Dex+20 NA-2 Size)
Titanic Magebred Dungeonbred Warbeast Three Headed Awakened Lizard Draconic: 32 Point Buy
Str 51, Dex 22, Con 35, Int 11, Wis 18, Cha 10
Speed 50ft
Flaw: Dragon Tail
Flaw: Dragon Wings
Trait: Quick
Trait: Cautious
First: Power Attack
Bonus: Weapon Finesse, Endurance, Improved Natural Attack(Bite, Tail), Great Fortitude, Multiattack, Superior Two-Weapon Fighting
Third: Cleave
Sixth: Great Combat
Ninth: ExpertiseCleave
Twelfth: Improved Bull Rush
Fifteen: Improved Trip
Eighteen: Knocback
Twenty One: Knockdown
Twenty Four: Shock Trooper
Twenty Seven: Combat Reflexes
Thirty: Parry

Retrain: Deadly Defense, Expert Parry, Protective Parry, Improved Parry, Reckless Offense, Shockwave, Adaptive Style, Hover, Wingstorm, Flyby Attack, Improved Multiattack, Improved Speed, Body Pouch
Thirty Six: Allied Defense
Thirty Nine: Dragon Breath
Fighter 1: Romblair's Gambit
Swordsage: Improved Unarmed Strike
Forty Two: Superior Unarmed Strike
Forty Five: Rapid Breath
Forty Eight: Quick Breath
Fifty One: Lingering Breath
Fighter 4: Karmic Strike
Fifty Four: Clinging Breath

Negative LA to start and buyoff all the way.

[Hackulator]

Spellweaver, sorcerer casting is pretty damn nice and RHD advances it for them. Other option would be Titanic Magebred Dungeonbred Warbeast Awakened Lizard, the massive number of free HD would make it more than worth it.

The problem with a Spellweaver is it can't cast spells higher than 6th level.

[MaxiDuRaritry]

The problem with a Spellweaver is it can't cast spells higher than 6th level.Between templates (such as insectile), feats, magic items, grafts, one particular soulmeld, and a dip into warshaper, it's not hard to get as many arms as you could possibly want.

[upho]

Basically anything seriously weird. Preferably with a suitably unexpected personality. Fatherly beholder with a "psychologist with an Oxford English accent"-kind of personality (and a huge monocle), worried about the inner lives of his adventuring partners? Maybe starting as a cuddly gauth toddler; "Tee hee, it tickles when I look deeply into these two little holes in the wall!"?


I enjoy playing Devils. Rarely get to. I have a new game coming up soon, I should probably ask my DM if they would be okay with letting me play a Devil of some sort :smallsigh:
So, what, an Earth Angel (https://youtu.be/VJcGi4-n_Yw)?
My character ain't nobody's faceless doo-wop love interest. We're talking Serra Angels here, maybe an Avacynian variant or a classic Ron Spears Akroma. Half-celestial, whole badass.Seems there might be a suitable classic (https://youtu.be/kyK_GbGuxyA) for both Arcanist's and Troacctid's characters...


I want to play as a Petal just for the sake of being adorable.My brother played a dragonwrought version in one of our games, and he was definitely adorable. Which saved his butt more times than his god-like arcane powers, since he was also an unrepentant party animal and became a total slut getting into various troubles as soon as he so much as smelled anything with alcohol in it, gladly wasting his sorcerer slots on various size-/shape-altering and Cha-, Diplomacy and Bluff-boosting spells in order to hook up with whom- or whatever caught his fancy... He usually cured his hangovers in what he called "his private budoir", a tiny room pimped up in thick red velvet and plush pillows clad in exotic furs, located in the top of the greathelm worn by his best friend; the party's equally adorable dungeon crashing ogre. The party also included a weird half-halfling (quarterling?) half-incubus drug dealing "friendly mafia-boss"-style rogue (played by me), an odd tinker dude of some kind of dwarf sub-race who fought with an enormous blunderbuss and a relatively normal half-elf bard. We all had great fun and absolutely loved this party, and still talk about the stupidities they got themselves into and all the hilarious shenanigans they used to get themselves out.


Doppelganger/changeling.Doppelganger? So basically "anything somewhat humanoid you feel like playing this round"? Yes, I'd also be totally on board with that.

[MaxiDuRaritry]

Greater doppelgangers are far more awesome than regular ones. You not only get to take another's physical form, but you can also use their abilities and memories, as well. This is when you start making clones of yourself with different builds that you can then swap between, at will. It's like the chameleon PrC on steroids.

Just imagine yourself playing a D&D version of FFXIII.

[unseenmage]

...
Doppelganger? So basically "anything somewhat humanoid you feel like playing this round"? Yes, I'd also be totally on board with that.
I am playing a Doppelganger Amalgam Mimic in our IRL game right not and it is amazingly fun. (See my avatar.)

Every adventure arc I change personas leaving Simulacrums of myself behind to live out previous persona lives.

Was outclassed in a fight once. Pretended to cast a spell then mimic changed into a sign that read, 'Look out behind you!'.

The mindless skeletons believed the Disguise check, their mummy demon boss fell for the Bluff check and thought I'd gone invisible or teleported out.

[Troacctid]

Seems there might be a suitable classic (https://youtu.be/kyK_GbGuxyA) for both Arcanist's and Troacctid's characters...
I have no interest in evil angels. I want a paragon of justice, a radiant avenger who will protect the innocent and smite the wicked. I got your classic right here (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3YOYlgvI1uE).

[upho]

Greater doppelgangers are far more awesome than regular ones. You not only get to take another's physical form, but you can also use their abilities and memories, as well. This is when you start making clones of yourself with different builds that you can then swap between, at will. It's like the chameleon PrC on steroids.Heh, this is great. Especially if you also manage to copy lots of targets with psychic reformation... And now I can't keep myself from imagining all clones getting together and having a soul-searching Gollum-style conversation about who they truly are.

But... Why swap when you could play an entire party of "yous"? :smallbiggrin:


I am playing a Doppelganger Amalgam Mimic in our IRL game right not and it is amazingly fun. (See my avatar.)

Every adventure arc I change personas leaving Simulacrums of myself behind to live out previous persona lives.Ha ha! That's absolutely insane! And hilarious. "What? Think the wizard's versatile? I'll show you versatility..."

Do you have a yearly reunion party with your clones where you all share experiences, get drunk and do the whole "I love you dude. Only you understand me!"?

(And I've actually been wondering about your avatar, seeing it as a challenge to decipher. And mimic has of course crossed my mind - the keyhole-shaped "eyes" and huge miss-placed mouth are telling - but it doesn't at all explain the humanoid shape and claws. It's definitely one of the GitP avatars I've found the most difficult to translate into a recognizable PC. And I absolutely love the smiling mask worn "on the side", btw!)


Was outclassed in a fight once. Pretended to cast a spell then mimic changed into a sign that read, 'Look out behind you!'.

The mindless skeletons believed the Disguise check, their mummy demon boss fell for the Bluff check and thought I'd gone invisible or teleported out.:smallbiggrin: I seriously suspect (and hope) this must be some kind of record on the Looney Tunes scale of D&D PC shenanigans!

[RifleAvenger]

Tome Dragon. So I can play a wizard with built in metamagic mitigation and a strong body.

I am not very original.

[Arcanist]

Seems there might be a suitable classic (https://youtu.be/kyK_GbGuxyA) for both Arcanist's and Troacctid's characters...

I was honestly thinking more along the lines of Veronica (and basically anyone in management) from Better off Ted (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQVFe8TbFi4). I don't know, but I've always imagined that Verdian is basically just one of Hell's numerous front organizations in the Prime as they essentially try to market off to idiots 1001 uses for Prestidigitation single use magical items to the public, crafted using dark gold, and souls and pain for XP (from employee suffering), just to make a quick and easy buck :smalltongue:

[unseenmage]

...

Ha ha! That's absolutely insane! And hilarious. "What? Think the wizard's versatile? I'll show you versatility..."

Do you have a yearly reunion party with your clones where you all share experiences, get drunk and do the whole "I love you dude. Only you understand me!"?

(And I've actually been wondering about your avatar, seeing it as a challenge to decipher. And mimic has of course crossed my mind - the keyhole-shaped "eyes" and huge miss-placed mouth are telling - but it doesn't at all explain the humanoid shape and claws. It's definitely one of the GitP avatars I've found the most difficult to translate into a recognizable PC. And I absolutely love the smiling mask worn "on the side", btw!)

:smallbiggrin: I seriously suspect (and hope) this must be some kind of record on the Looney Tunes scale of D&D PC shenanigans!
His story is that he was an experiment done by the same ancient mages who made Gelatinous Cubes and Mimics and whatever other monsters have the 'a wizard migh've done it' fluff.
He was used as a magical espianage tool. He stole magical knowledge and mystical doodads.

He was stored in temporal stasis when the Golarion Mana Wastes were formed. When he awoke he struck out on his own. Is busy taking wizard levels now and the GM has okayed the research of custom PF versions of my favorite old 3.x spells to represent the character's connection to 'ancient' magics.

So far no cloned reunions but the GM did have an NPC mistake one for me and plot hook us from that direction.

Avatar's eyes are supposed to be octopoid to emphasize his doppelganger side. Glad the mouth gave away mimic at least.

The light-worshipping paladin he adventures with justifies being joined by a seemingly random new persona so often by repeatedly declaring, "The Light provides." The other player is in on the gag. In fact, his champion of light gets the credit and fame for a lot of the espianage that my doppelmimic commits much to our and our GM's amusement.

We joke that if/when they both step into an Antimagic Field and his SU doppelganger power is stripped away revealing his true form doppelmimic will pause, then slowly use the EX mimic power to 'melt' into a patch of floor.

EDIT: Oh, and my next turn in Initiative order? The sign 'fell over'. Nobody beat my bluff check.

[Blue Jay]

I'm in an ongoing online game that allows all kinds of stuff. I've played a four-armed ettercap, a centaur, a lantern archon, a marilith, a fire elemental and a flying sword, along with relatively "normal" characters like a half-nymph, a mermaid, a human and an aasimar.

I also want to play an octopus sometime. And a straight-up ooze (somehow).

[upho]

I have no interest in evil angels. I want a paragon of justice, a radiant avenger who will protect the innocent and smite the wicked. I got your classic right here (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3YOYlgvI1uE).ROFL! Of course! That's the proper larger-than-life, paragon-of-justice, radiant-avenger, evil-smiting badass angel classic, enough so to make the supposed archangel Gabriel drop his trumpet and pee himself in stunned awe.

I honestly have absolutely no idea how or why I could even think of anything else.

(Although come to think of it, one has to wonder what would then be a more suitable classic for an equally badass valkyrie PC...)

[Rynjin]

I'm playing a Hound of the Wild Hunt (https://www.d20pfsrd.com/bestiary/monster-listings/fey/wild-hunt/wild-hunt-hound/) in a Pathfinder game right now. It's fun.

Though we're all nerfed/weakened versions of the creatures with class levels, whose powers will scale back to full eventually.

[ericgrau]

Say there's an all monster game, what would you bring to the table to replace your usual class choice?

Am curious what monsters the Playground sees as being analagous to the various classes.

Let's say that instead of class levels monsters get to advance by RHD.

Do monsters that usually advance by class levels get to advance by RHD too? Some of my favorites including grimlock and ogre don't normally advance by RHD, but would make nice high HD beaters.

Though actually outsiders and dragons get an unfair advantage because their RHD are worth more. Dragons in particular get more special abilities. Would the campaign account for that and consider for example the CR of their advancement?

[upho]

I was honestly thinking more along the lines of Veronica (and basically anyone in management) from Better off Ted (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQVFe8TbFi4). I don't know, but I've always imagined that Verdian is basically just one of Hell's numerous front organizations in the Prime as they essentially try to market off to idiots 1001 uses for Prestidigitation single use magical items to the public, crafted using dark gold, and souls and pain for XP (from employee suffering), just to make a quick and easy buck :smalltongue:Heh, well AFAIK I agree; Verdian would certainly qualify as infernal, and the management as about as diabolical as possible in modern society wearing a human skin... Seems like the perfect inspiration for a devil character, really.


His story is that he was an experiment done by the same ancient mages who made Gelatinous Cubes and Mimics and whatever other monsters have the 'a wizard migh've done it' fluff.
He was used as a magical espianage tool. He stole magical knowledge and mystical doodads.

He was stored in temporal stasis when the Golarion Mana Wastes were formed.Ah, so a child of Nex, born in a fleshforge thousands of years ago? If so, I think you gonna have to change that mask into a black and white one, or at least two-tone, praising your "divine father"...


Avatar's eyes are supposed to be octopoid to emphasize his doppelganger side. Glad the mouth gave away mimic at least.Oh, I see. Well, actually, now that you mention it, the eyes do look more like octopus eyes. It was probably just me being caught up in my mimic hypothesis, and the small size of avatars making it difficult to tell.


We joke that if/when they both step into an Antimagic Field and his SU doppelganger power is stripped away revealing his true form doppelmimic will pause, then slowly use the EX mimic power to 'melt' into a patch of floor.

EDIT: Oh, and my next turn in Initiative order? The sign 'fell over'. Nobody beat my bluff check.Of course! And he's a palaDUHn, so probably not the sharpest tool in the shed...

[Thurbane]

ROFL! Of course! That's the proper larger-than-life, paragon-of-justice, radiant-avenger, evil-smiting badass angel classic, enough so to make the supposed archangel Gabriel drop his trumpet and pee himself in stunned awe.

I honestly have absolutely no idea how or why I could even think of anything else.

(Although come to think of it, one has to wonder what would then be a more suitable classic for an equally badass valkyrie PC...)

Isn't there an Archon or Angel, maybe Justice Archon or some name like that, that embodies Law and righteous retribution more than being a goody-two-shoes?

[HouseRules]

Intensified Awakened Cat. Meow.

Dragon #239 says Awakened Cat (3.0) has ECL 0, and Specifics trumps General, so my character is ECL 0 before class levels.

Edit:
Only 1 in 10,000 Male Calico are Fertile
Only 1 in 3,000 Calico are Male.

[Quertus]

Say there's an all monster game, what would you bring to the table to replace your usual class choice?

Am curious what monsters the Playground sees as being analagous to the various classes.

Let's say that instead of class levels monsters get to advance by RHD.

Well, for the question asked, I play Wizards. And, to replace a Wizard, I suppose the answer is dragons, or maybe a Beholder. Personally, I'd love to go 2e Beholder Mage.

I've always wanted to play as a Marilith. That's my vote for Fighter / Dread Necromancer substitute.

But, just what would I play? I'd probably try something fruity, like a Paragon Dark Petal (Rogue substitute). Or an animated puddle of lava, who likes to give warm hugs (Barbarian substitute).

As a good Cleric substitute? I'm not sure what has Resurgence, Resurrection, stat healing, buffs, plane shift, animate dead, rebuking... Cleric just has too many roles for a creature to cover most of them.

[unseenmage]

Do monsters that usually advance by class levels get to advance by RHD too? Some of my favorites including grimlock and ogre don't normally advance by RHD, but would make nice high HD beaters.

Though actually outsiders and dragons get an unfair advantage because their RHD are worth more. Dragons in particular get more special abilities. Would the campaign account for that and consider for example the CR of their advancement?
Yeah, we'll just strip out all the class levels from all of the things and advance em by RHD instead.

Some monsters have better RHD, some classes have better class superpowers. Seems fair enough, at least by WotC standards.


...

As a good Cleric substitute? I'm not sure what has Resurgence, Resurrection, stat healing, buffs, plane shift, animate dead, rebuking... Cleric just has too many roles for a creature to cover most of them.
Item combining rules to stick an Intelligent Magic Item with the desired superpowers on to a Construct chassis of your choice?

[HouseRules]

Aberration, construct, elemental, fey, giant, humanoid, ooze, plant, undead, vermin : +1 per 4 HD added
Animal, magical beast, monstrous humanoid : +1 per 3 HD added
Dragon, outsider : +1 per 2 HD

[Luccan]

An Aranea. Shapeshifting and casting is always fun, and I've got an idea for one that believes she's a half-drow cursed by Lolth.

[ericgrau]

Yeah, we'll just strip out all the class levels from all of the things and advance em by RHD instead.

Some monsters have better RHD, some classes have better class superpowers. Seems fair enough, at least by WotC standards.
Hmm, then it's time for my grimlock + eversmoking bottle to smokescreen Batman my enemies. Or half-dragon ogre with an adamantine pickaxe. Because the best way to deal with a trapped door is to bust through the wall next to the door. If you can't Kool-Aid Man the str check in a few tries, then you get working on its HP. Or I'd hunt down a more optimized way of getting a high str.

[Troacctid]

Isn't there an Archon or Angel, maybe Justice Archon or some name like that, that embodies Law and righteous retribution more than being a goody-two-shoes?
Arcadian avenger from MMV, perhaps? It's neither an archon nor an angel, but it is a LG outsider with a somewhat angelic appearance.

[Thurbane]

Arcadian avenger from MMV, perhaps? It's neither an archon nor an angel, but it is a LG outsider with a somewhat angelic appearance.

Might be. I think I was getting the fluff for Arcadian Avenger (MMV) and Justice Archon (MMIV) mixed up.

In my game, there is an NPC Justice Archon who is a Divine Crusader of St Cuthbert...

[ShikomeKidoMi]

Ah, just remember that your kin won't necessarily be welcoming to you! One of my favorite things about beholders is their internally-consistent hatred for one another.

That's one of my favorite things, too. I'd probably fly into a rage and request the party's help in slaying any 'inferior copies' we run across, of course.

[Jack_McSnatch]

Honestly, I know how sub-optimal they are... But I've always liked playing lycanthropes when I get the chance. Usually werewolf or weretiger, but werebat looks like fun.

[Komatik]

If I could get a proper WHFB vampire, it'd be great. They're mechanically basically something close to Druids casting spontaneously off Death Master's spell list or so.

[denthor]

In an all monster game I ran a skulk. Blending abilities +10 to hide even at a full run.

[MaxiDuRaritry]

Honestly, I know how sub-optimal they are... But I've always liked playing lycanthropes when I get the chance. Usually werewolf or weretiger, but werebat looks like fun.A divine minion shapeshifting druid. All the lycanthropy goodness for +1 LA and a class level!

[Hackulator]

When I ran my last epic evil monster game, the party was:

A Storm Giant Barbarian (I let her be evil)
A Lich
An Astral Stalker Assassin
A Half Fiend Thoon Elder Brain

[tstewt1921]

I ran a game where all the PC's were Dragons using the Dragon Magazines for leveling their dragon on one side of their gestalt and then the other side was the class. It was pretty cool, they all enjoyed it as well.

[unseenmage]

I ran a game where all the PC's were Dragons using the Dragon Magazines for leveling their dragon on one side of their gestalt and then the other side was the class. It was pretty cool, they all enjoyed it as well.
My IRL group really wanted to do this but with epic and PF mythic dragons.

Would have been weeks/months of work for a several session single adventure. Afterward we'd have set each dragon up as a powerful NPC with some part of reality or another under their guardianship.

Never got around to it though.

[unseenmage]

Monsters I still want to play but havnt had opportunity to...

Animated Quintessence, because it's hilarious. Would need homebrewed Envelop special ability optimally.

A golem of some kind that is still an effective wizard.

A pseudo warforged that is actually an animated object.
Made of a living metal frame, live wood & soar wood 'flesh', thinaun steel slams with a soul inside, aurorum armor plating, quintessence 'blood', shapesand face, and an Intelligent Magic Item Craft Contingent Spell of some kind.
The most prototype of prototype warforged. Is technically alive. Technically 'has' a soul. But does not have living construct subtype.

[tterreb]

No contest: I would play a Beguiler Beguiler.

I'm actually playing one in a campaign I'm currently in. I'm thinking about taking obtain familiar to get a beguiler familiar, and leadership to get a begulier cohort.

[Thurbane]

No contest: I would play a Beguiler Beguiler.

Now I think I want to change my vote: I want to be a Meenlock Warlock... :smalltongue:

[CIDE]

Depends entirely on the overall power level of the game. Anything from an Illithid Savant down to a Mind Leech. They all have their place and at some point I've wanted to play them all. Granted, the Mind Leech could be in non-monster games if the DM allows it to be a LA+0 or +1 race. Even better with the Leadership feat or thrallherd class. A lot of it depends too on whether or not we're trying to blend in with human settlements or "civilized" settlements at some point, or if the "civilized" people are the enemy? I mean.... A giant that's been hit with Return to Nature a few times and reduced to Medium size and passing off as an elf/human/whatever would be super entertaining to see in action at some point.

[GrayDeath]

Phew....assuming its going by CR instead of ECL 8which would make sense for all Monster) I`d likely opt for a True Dragon (I am normally going Blue if Core only) or a Vampire Lord/X.

Never get to play them....sigh.

[Blue Jay]

Now I think I want to change my vote: I want to be a Meenlock Warlock... :smalltongue:

The weird rules for the undead monster classes introduced in Libris Mortis mean that, if you're comfortable making your own undead monster class, you could play a Meenlock Deathlock Warlock. :smallbiggrin:

[upho]

Now I think I want to change my vote: I want to be a Meenlock Warlock... :smalltongue:Maybe with a focus on lock-down? :smallbiggrin:

Speaking of, I've actually built and run an Implacable Stalker (https://www.d20pfsrd.com/bestiary/monster-listings/templates/implacable-stalker-cr-2/) Faceless Stalker (https://www.d20pfsrd.com/bestiary/monster-listings/aberrations/faceless-stalker/) Stalker (https://www.d20pfsrd.com/alternative-rule-systems/path-of-war/classes/stalker/) (Brutal Slayer (https://www.d20pfsrd.com/alternative-rule-systems/path-of-war/classes/stalker/stalker-archetypes/brutal-slayer/)) NPC with Moonlight Stalker (https://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/combat-feats/moonlight-stalker-combat/) and Nightstalker (https://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/monster-feats/nightstalker/), wearing a stalker's mask (https://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic-items/wondrous-items/m-p/mask-stalker-s/)!

This Stalker6 also turned out to be an absolute Nightmare3 for my poor players, probably because it actually also included one level of Nightmare (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/alternative-rule-systems/psionics-unleashed/classes/dread/archetypes/dreamscarred-press/nightmare-dread-archetype/), Nightmare Veil (https://www.d20pfsrd.com/alternative-rule-systems/psionics-unleashed/feats/nightmare-veil-psionic/) and Nightmare Fist (https://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/combat-feats/nightmare-fist-combat)... :smalltongue:

I'm still amazed how well all the above components fit together despite many of them apparently being designed more or less independently and published by two different companies. And not just in name, but also in flavor and in terms of mechanical synergy, the combo providing truly terrifyingly effective sneaking and fighting abilities with just a few additional components (like the Wisdom in the Flesh trait for Wis based Stealth and the Lurker in Darkness feat for magic-defying stealth). Though at least before higher levels, a PC would typically be better off dumping the Implacable Stalker template, instead getting 5 Faceless Stalker HD for the cost of 4 class levels.

And of course, if this is also complemented with protection against magic spying, Shifting Feats (https://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/3rd-party-feats/dreamscarred-press/shifting-feats/), Formless Master (https://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/3rd-party-prestige-classes/dreamscarred-press/formless-master/) and Black Seraph Annihilation (https://www.d20pfsrd.com/alternative-rule-systems/path-of-war/feats/black-seraph-annihilation-combat/), this monstrosity's abilities can become truly silly, and it's nightmarish combat style will go through enemy defenses like a hot knife through butter, scaring the living daylights also out of foes otherwise immune to fear or mind-affecting, including vermin, undead, constructs or those protected by magic. Though I wouldn't add this to a PC unless played in an explicitly high-op game. But if it is, I'd personally find it great fun if for nothing else than to surprise the party casters by not having to cast a single spell or SLA, yet soon rendering them utterly redundant in combat and capable of pulling surprise wedgies on Cthulhu (https://www.d20pfsrd.com/bestiary/monster-listings/aberrations/great-old-ones/great-old-one-cthulhu/) with little fear of repercussions!

[Thurbane]

The weird rules for the undead monster classes introduced in Libris Mortis mean that, if you're comfortable making your own undead monster class, you could play a Meenlock Deathlock Warlock. :smallbiggrin:

...take a dip into Rogue so I can max out Open Lock. :smallbiggrin:

[Rixitichil]

Awakened Yellow Musk Creeper

[TheBrassDuke]

Say there's an all monster game, what would you bring to the table to replace your usual class choice?

Am curious what monsters the Playground sees as being analagous to the various classes.

Let's say that instead of class levels monsters get to advance by RHD.

Harpy, because I can use a lot of the Raptoran ****, and my DM would probably allow me to use some of their race-specific classes and otherwise, as they’re very similar.