D&D General Most iconic (fantasy) enemy groups?

[Fifinjir]

Humans are douchsnozzles
Aliens are douchsnozzles. (Counting goblins and such as aliens).
The dead are douchsnozzles.
Demons are douchsnozzles.
The figments of your imagination are douchsnozzles.
The gods are douchsnozzles.
The elder gods are douchsnozzles.

Think that covers it.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

What's the difference between "iconic" and "cliched"?

 

[Dioltach]

"Iconic" is for things that you use, "cliched" is for things that other people use.

 

[Buzzqw]

Ghouls
Cultist
Dragon

BHH

 

[Blue Orange]

Orcs, dragons, undead.

The rest is commentary.

 

[tabletopreloaded]

What are some of the most iconic monster groups, clans, races, organizations, etc. in fantasy rpgs?

I thought:

01. Goblinoids (Goblins & Hobgoblins)
02. Orcs / Orks
03. (Basic) Undead (zombies & ghouls) + necromancers
04. Vampires & Liches
05. Serpentfolk (Yuan-ti)
06. Dark Elves
07. Devils
08. Demons
09. Mushroomfolk (Myconids)
10. "Dark" Dwarves (Chaos Dwarves, Durgar)
11. Dragons
12. Elementals /Djinni
13. Giants
14. Kobolds / Gnolls
15. Lizardfolk
16. Trolls
17. Sahuagin / Fishmen
18. Beholder
19. Illithid
20. Dryads, nymphs, shambling mound, ent, etc.
21. Centaurs, Minotaurs, Werewolves, etc.

What do you think?

Lots of great replies already for describing monster groups, so I'll just share the three basic organizations that monsters form:

* The Cult: a mysterious, invite-only clique, often plagued with disturbing history and ongoing internal strife. Favorite pasttimes include performing rituals, kidnapping villagers, and hexing townships. Typical cults are run by evil-aligned humans, but you'll find some run by orcs, changelings, and even lizardfolk.

* The Clan: a hierarchal, Hobbesian war party. Ruled by the strongest of the moment, clans often lack a long-term vision, focusing merely on short-term gains and opulence. Loyalty is prized among top leaders, with the threat of banishment keeping lower members from betraying their group. The preferred mode of governance for chaotic-aligned monsters like goblins, trolls, and giants.

* The Kingdom: a tiered society complete with a royal family, a class of nobles, and a plurality of commoners. In name, rule of law is supposed to be strongest out of the three, though corruption varies from minimal to widespread. Lawful-leaning monsters such as elves, dwarves, and vampires gravitate toward the stability of kingdom-based governance.

 

[Tonguez]

* The Clan: a hierarchal, Hobbesian war party. Ruled by the strongest of the moment, clans often lack a long-term vision, focusing merely on short-term gains and opulence. Loyalty is prized among top leaders, with the threat of banishment keeping lower members from betraying their group. The preferred mode of governance for chaotic-aligned monsters like goblins, trolls, and giants.
.

thats more correctly a Horde rather than a Clan. Anthropological clans are more stable than what you describe and bound by descent. The Horde (Ordu) however originally referred to a ‘Defended camp’.

 

[Vaalingrade]

Pretty sure 'group' is the opposite of what Beholders do.

 

[tabletopreloaded]

thats more correctly a Horde rather than a Clan. Anthropological clans are more stable than what you describe and bound by descent. The Horde (Ordu) however originally referred to a ‘Defended camp’.

But then we'd lose the alliteration in Cults, Clans, and Kingdoms! /s

I didn't know there was a difference, so thanks for a tiny sociology lesson! Still, I think clans in fantasy settings are generally depicted closer to real-world hordes than actual clans (i.e., the Kolaghan from MtG). I guess this is because a "horde" has come to mean a disorganized mob with no social structure (i.e., "A horde of zombies pummeled down the iron gate"), leaving "clan" to imply a semi-primitive group that relies on in-group loyalty and the use of brute force (see popular titles like Clash of Clans). It's historically inaccurate, like most medieval/high fantasy tropes, but I think that's always going to be the case when you try to bring historical complexity to pop culture. Combine that with the meatgrinder that is viral media marketing, and yeah, I guess our language inevitably gets a bit jumbled up. Still good to know the distinction of hordes vs. clans, though

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Pretty sure 'group' is the opposite of what Beholders do.

Recently. In prior editions, they had whole cities.