What is too silly for D&D?

[Dragonwriter]

No monster/race should be considered "Too silly." Everything has a place, even if it is in the dumpster of "Bad Ideas."

That said, having some humor in the game is a nice thing. Of the two games I play regularly, they each have very different tones, though they have the same GM. The differece really comes from the characters in each. One game I play a very serious warrior-type, the other a fun-loving, clueless monkey-priest that is obsessed with bananas. And, strangely enough, I have an insane amount of fun with my Cleric. He gets to say the most off-the-wall things and do things other people would never consider.

So, all in all, everything has a place. If you don't want to use it, that's your choice.

 

[Simon Atavax]

Well, I'm not convinced that we needed Flying Carnivorous Squirrels in Monster Manual II (1983).

 

[Vyvyan Basterd]

Nilbogs. Nilbogs are NOT silly. They should be SPAWNED INTO OVERPOPULATION.

{Did that get rid of them? }

 

[sckeener]

My first instinct is to saying nothing....especially with monsters because you can have them be one time monsters; however,

I would have to say anything that breaks the atmosphere of the game.

For me, I never got into Ebberon because of warforged. Some people can't handle psionics because it uses terms like something from science class. I can't handle warforged

Having said that it is all in how it is handled. Paizo I think is doing a wonderful job of capturing the classic fantasy mixed with scifi in their Pathfinder setting, especially with the latest adventure path! (Go Void Zombies!) The sheer fact that they are laying out the solar system in some detail tells you that you can expect creatures outside the sterotypical D&D fantasy world.....and they are doing it in a way that conjures up Edgar Rice Burroughs type universe mixed with a bit of H.P Lovecraft.

So bring on the monsters....every one of them is welcome. Let the ones that ring a cord with your players survive.

 

[edbonny]

Giant space hamsters.

When I first saw them in some Spelljammer accessory back in the 1980s, I cringed. And I believe they were followed up with Miniature Giant Space Hamsters.

 

[JeffB]

I'm one of those DMs who prolly only ever uses 1/3 , maybe 1/2 of whats in the MM, and even less out of supplemental monster books.

Silliness in D&D is kinda like that old saying about porn- Not sure how to define it, but I know it when I see it

 

[malraux]

Silly? In my DnD?

Its more likely than you think.

Anyway, I personally like my games to be semi comical, in the cheesy horror movie style. Serious games are fun, but just not the sort of thing I can do all that often.

 

[WayneLigon]

Most things that originated with Spelljammer.
Many of the original-to-3E monsters, mostly the extraplanar stuff.

 

[Stoat]

edit: and Boo, the giant space hamster.

Technically, Boo was a miniature giant space hamster. Minsk never could have carried a full-sized giant space hamster.

I love me some silly. Yak-man, Giff, Giant Space Hamster, Shocker Lizards, Robots, Spaceships, Jellotinous Cubes, Vorpal Bunnies, whatever.

They may not have a place in every campaign I run, but I like 'em.

 

[Arnwyn]

Not much. Anachronisms and pop-culture references, I guess.

That's about it. Certain monsters? Hell no... I definitely don't think some monsters are silly like certain ENWorlders do.