[3.5] Running a "Monster" One Off

[Thurbane]

So, looking for some general advice.

I want to run my group (3 players) through a one off, where they play "monster" races: ideally non-humanoids, with RHD and/or LA.

Relevant rules: will be using LA as per WoTC (i.e. official LA only); no LA buyoff will apply. No PF, no Dragon Mag, no homebrew.

Lists of Every Playable Monster by ECL (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?401132-Lists-of-Every-Playable-Monster-by-ECL)

I'd like to run something in the ECL 8-10 range, so players can take monsters but possibly some class levels too.

Any ideas on pre-published adventures? I'm very time-poor, so I don't want to create an adventure from scratch. Something that would last 2-4 sessions would be ideal.

Also, any ideas of decent monsters they can play? The less humanoid, the better really.

Being 3 PCs, I'm happy to generate an NPC monster to fill out the team and cover any missed roles. Maybe a buffer or healer to support the PCs? What monsters would be good in this role?

Cheers - T

[Anthrowhale]

A Pixie has a pretty steep LA, but at will greater invisibility is very good in many situations.

A Sylph's sorcerer spellcasting is decent, even if you ignore the RAW which says that sorcerer levels count twice.

The savage species anthropomorphic animals are absurd and odd. Consider an Amphibious Giant Squid for example.

A Hengeyokai Sparrow is pretty fun due to the Fine size although it may not be monstrous enough.

[Troacctid]

My go-to is marrulurk. Great stats and actually quite viable. The other marruspawn might make for interesting characters as well.

Some other hot picks: gloura, petal, gravetouched ghoul, entomanothrope, hobgoblin warcaster, mistling.

[Afghanistan]

Doppelganger. Ability scores aren't that bad, and you qualify for Chameleon so that is pretty neat. :smallbiggrin:

[Falontani]

I would heavily suggest using Inevitability's LA rules, but I imagine you have already contemplated using them.

A Gravetouched Ghoul can do really well in most roles.

[Zombulian]

Ambush Drake is always cool.

[ExLibrisMortis]

Dragons are always cool, and (loredrake) steel dragon wyrmlings make nice gishes, even though they're only Small. At ECL ~12ish, you'd have six class levels (sorc 1/spellsword 1/abchamp 4, say), +9 base attack, and up to 9th-level sorcerer casting. If you allow PrCs to increase innate casting without a level in the right casting base class, you qualify for Spellsword immediately, which improves your base attack by 1.

For a less... personable character, a mineral warrior ogre makes for a pretty cool olog-hai (i.e. LotR war troll, non-regenerating). Take two levels in Dungeoncrasher fighter, one level in Whirling Frenzy barbarian, and four in War Hulk (resulting in ECL 14 and 46 Strength, assuming 16 base, +4 rage, +4 belt, and two increases from level), and take Shock Trooper and Combat Brute. You won't be doing much besides smashing, but for a one-shot, that could be just the thing.

I personally like (primordial) ogre mages, but those have a ton of LA, so they definitely won't work without some DM help.

[NontheistCleric]

For maximum non-humanoid-ness, Malaugrym (Monsters of Faerun) are fun. Change Shape into anything, including objects. It's LA +6 with 5 RHD, though, so it's just outside your preferred range, but on the other hand, it could just advance itself by, say, turning into a Barghest and using Metamorphic Transfer to feed on some fallen enemies, without worrying about XP, if you felt the player needed a bit of a boost.

On the other side of the shape-changing spectrum, but still very bizzare, are the Sharn (Anauroch: Empire of Shade). RHD and LA are still a little steep, being 4 and +5 respectively, but again, includes it's own self-advancement ability, has excellent stats, can get three standard actions a round (and still have a move action) and casts as both a 6th-level sorcerer and a 6th-level favored soul. Also, there's probably something you can do with twelve natural attacks and the ability to wield nine weapons at once.

[Palanan]

Originally Posted by Thurbane
Any ideas on pre-published adventures? I'm very time-poor, so I don't want to create an adventure from scratch. Something that would last 2-4 sessions would be ideal.

City of the Spider Queen is designed for characters to start at 10th level, and the first part involves a dungeon crawl leading to a confrontation with a drow cult. That would probably take several sessions to work through, and would give you the option of either closing the story with the elimination of the cult, or leaving it open to pursue the other parts of the overall adventure.

The one catch is that it's 3.0 material, but it shouldn't be too difficult to tweak where necessary.

[Katie Boundary]

This wasn't inspired by my recent thread, was it? ;)


Any ideas on pre-published adventures? I'm very time-poor, so I don't want to create an adventure from scratch. Something that would last 2-4 sessions would be ideal.

The Shackled City goes all the way from level 1 to 20 and I think you can jump right in at any chapter.


Also, any ideas of decent monsters they can play? The less humanoid, the better really.

Are we limiting ourselves to the ones with PC stat blocks, or are we including NPC monsters with level adjustments for easy conversion/adaptation into PC races?

Either way, some of my top votes are Unbodied (flying ghost brain from Expanded Psionics Handbook), Neogi (chestburster-spider centaurs from Lords of Madness), Maugs (extraplanar battlebots from FF), and OF COURSE the Ixitxachitl (demon-worshipping stingrays from MM2).

Also, Chitines are playable, but they're not as creepy as the Neogi.

[remetagross]

DragonFire Adept Gelatinous Cube is my cookie cutter such monster PC, super non-humanoid, super easy to play, not too much complicated stuff to adjudicate.

[Thurbane]

DragonFire Adept Gelatinous Cube is my cookie cutter such monster PC, super non-humanoid, super easy to play, not too much complicated stuff to adjudicate.

..and also with no LA?

[remetagross]

Um. Yeah. Good point :smallredface:. I automatically mentally adjusted to Inevitable's LA adjustement while reading the thread.

[liquidformat]

Aranea, Centaur, Minotaur, mephits, Quasit, Imp, Pseudodragon, Vargouille, eyeball Beholderkin.

[denthor]

My go to monster is a human variant Skulk. Hiding is natural due to a blending ability. All humans are hated and murdered for pleasure. They look human except for the eyes that have all black pupils.