Looking for monster and terrain inspiration

[Allegro]

I’ve been slowly working on a big environmental campaign off and on for a couple years. The campaign features a recently opened big stretch of land that was a 1000 plus year DMZ between warring nations. I’ve realized I keep returning to the same tried and true monsters orcs, kobolds, giants, animals, and undead. Also, I'm trying to not place all adventures in pine tree and lakes (which suspiciously look like northern Minnesota). Does anybody have suggestions of resources to broaden my monster selection and learn about other terrains and what should inhabit them?

 

[Tonguez]

Wikipedia + Google Images

 

[Plane Sailing]

People of the Pines make a particularly good pine forest based enemy (I don't know what edition you are playing, they are based on a Michael Moorcock novel IIRC, versions of them definitely exist for 1e/2e, probably for 3e.

Needlemen make good plant and/or undead foes for this kind of area, and you can spice it up with other natural appearing foes such as the galeb durh.

Essentially if you go for a sentient plant based ecology with a pine flavour, you can fill in a lot of the gaps of orcs, kobolds, giants and undead with plant creatures, from vegepygmies up through needlemen and people of the pines to shambling mounds and treants.

Cheers

 

[Ed_Laprade]

If you want different terrain, and it was a war zone, you might want to look at pictures of No Man's Land from WWI. But I have no idea what would be there other than Undead. (Oozes maybe? Giant lice and rats?)

 

[onedtwelve]

The Stuffer Shack has some cool stuff. They have steal this monster and steal this encounter and steal this adventure with some fresh ideas that may help you out.

 

[MINI]

What about taking some of the natural creatures that live in that kind of environment and augmenting them to your needs. For example deer are probably all over an area with pine trees and lakes. Design some natural humanoids such as deer folk that are much like satyrs but based on deer to inhabit the area. Tanuki are small badger folk you could use and there are also some squirrel folk you could have some fun with.

 

[Pilgrim]

I have to echo what some others have already said, try going with natural predators or even giant/dire versions of those predators. Humans would fit well into that setting and also make great villains. You could also consider the use of elementals (or variations of) depending on time of year.

 

[David Howery]

a war/wilderness area of pines and lakes? Sounds like "last of the mohicans"... maybe the place can be a 'frontier' area with troops of lightly clad warriors moving around and raiding each other...

 

[Allegro]

If you want different terrain, and it was a war zone, you might want to look at pictures of No Man's Land from WWI. But I have no idea what would be there other than Undead. (Oozes maybe? Giant lice and rats?)

It is a good idea but I've failed to provide enough back story. The war was between a despotic half-demon prince’s kingdom and a loose coalition of the usual suspects of elves, dwarves, humans, halflings, and gnomes. The war itself took place 1000 odd years ago and a truce was brokered between the two groups. The time before the war is known as a heroic age were great magics and amazing feats took place. The truce was enforced magically enforced with magical barriers. Occasionally, the barrier would weaken in spots and some traffic would pass through the barriers but on the whole the entire area was untouched by civilization. The area chosen as the DMZ was chosen because both sides disputed ownership of the areas. Plus parts of the DMZ areas had become unstable to magic. Both sides evacuated the areas before the walls became active.

The demon prince had an unnaturally long life and a group of plucky adventures recently killed him. On his death the barriers went down and the demon prince’s kingdom started fighting civil wars as individual lords vied for control. The land between the two sides is unsettled with exotic flora, fauna, and monsters. The area is littered with the remains of shattered abandoned ruins. A land rush has started as the local nobility has opened the former DMZ up for exploration.

I’ve been my typically over ambitious self creating this back story with a veritable continent to explore. To this point, I’ve been creating the points of light for the PCs to discover. For example, I have a swamp with an abandoned partially sunk castle. I’ve populated the castle with zombies and wights but I’m not sure what to put in the swamp. I’m looking for resources to figure out what to put in mountains, hills, forests, plains, deserts, etc.

 

[Allegro]

What about taking some of the natural creatures that live in that kind of environment and augmenting them to your needs. For example deer are probably all over an area with pine trees and lakes. Design some natural humanoids such as deer folk that are much like satyrs but based on deer to inhabit the area. Tanuki are small badger folk you could use and there are also some squirrel folk you could have some fun with.

This is such an excellent old school idea. The first edition monster manuals are just littered with these kind of things. I.E. the desert has camel-men, the forest has squirrel-men, etc. I'll definitely create at least one customized humanoid race.