What MM monsters DON'T you use?

[Jhaelen]

I struggle to imagine why the Tojanida even exists. To have non-Elemental Water creatures in the core rules?

They're filler for an empty slot in the matrix of comparable elemental denizens:

Fire: Salamander
Earth: Xorn
Air: Arrowhawk
Water: Tojanida

The Arrowhawk, imho, is just as ridiculous as the Tojanida.

2e was even more ridiculous, though, since it included filler creatures for every (demi/quasi/para/whatever) plane:
- air, earth, fire, water
- smoke, magma, ooze, ice
- vacuum, dust, ash, salt
- radiance, crystal, steam, lightning

This 'planar symmetry' was also the reason why e.g. the Yugoloth and the Eladrin were originally introduced.

 

[Tinker Gnome]

I rarely use Fey creatures.

 

[Greg K]

Limiting to the MM1: I have not used the following
Achaierai
Allip
Aranea
Arrowhawk
Athach
Azer
Belker
Blink Dog: I might use if I ran Greyhawk
Bodak
Celestial: I like the Devas, Planetars, Solars, but not the others. However, my campaigns don't use "angels". I might use Devas, Planetars, and Solars is running Greyhawk or a campaign where angels existed
Chaos Beast
Choker
Cloaker
Darkmantle: I might use if I ran Forgotten Realms.
Delver
Destrachan
Demon: Retriever
Devil: Kyton
Devourer
Digester
Dinosaurs: I would use for a Lost Worlds campaign or if I ever included such an a homebrew setting.
Dragonne: Not sure why I never used
Etheral Filcher
Etheral Marauder
Ettercap: If I ran FR, I might use
Formorian
Girallon
Grey Render
Grick
Howler
Krenshar
Kuo Toa: I would use if running Greyhawk or the D series modules
Lillend
Locathah:
Magmin
Mohrg
Nightshade
Otyugh: I might if I was running Greyhawk
Owlbear: I might if I was running Greyhawk
Phantom Fungus
Phase Spider
Phasm
Rast
Roper: I might if I was running Greyhawk
Rust Monster: Never liked these
Shadow Mastiff
Shocker Lizard
Skum
Slaad: Never was a fan.
Spider Eater
Stirge
Tarrasque
Tendriculos
Thoqqua
Tojanida
Umber Hulk
Vargouille
Xill
Xorn
Yeth Hound
Yrthak

Any aberration not listed is, usually, used as a unique creature created/ transformed by magic.
Elementals not listed are rarely used.
Humanoids not listed (excluding the PHB races) tend to be used on a campaign by campaign basis.
Most monsters not listed are campaign dependant and often limited to specific environments and/or cultural regions.

 

[Greg K]

I have also never used Djinn. I get too stuck on Aladdin and just find the whole genie thing to be lame.

Watch Wes Craven's Wishmaster

 

[Tovec]

Greg K, I agree with most of your list. I'd add others or take some out but you hit the highlights. My question is why would you only use some creatures in Greyhawk or FR? I've see both those settings to be very similar so I don't know why they'd require different lists.

Biggest thing to remove from that list: Tarrassque - they are awesome, especially the Pathfinder change of "no known way to defeat them" instead of "wish wins".

 

[Greg K]

My question is why would you only use some creatures in Greyhawk or FR? I've see both those settings to be very similar so I don't know why they'd require different lists.

True. I just associate some creatures with one more than the other due to Dragon articles by Gygax and Greenwood as well as early PC games.

 

[Empirate]

Concerning the Tarrasque: Of course I haven't used that one, either. I don't want my players to earn a crapload of XP just for digging a deep hole...

 

[Agamemnon]

This 'planar symmetry' was also the reason why e.g. the Yugoloth and the Eladrin were originally introduced.

Yugoloths and Eladrin, at least, can work fine. There's no intrinsinc reason why, say, an Arcanoloth or a Ghaele should be silly. They might not be necessary, but they don't evoke the same feeling of instant lol as the tojanida.

The arrowhawk isn't bad concept, I think their mistake was making it a bird as opposed to a "weird outsider that never, ever lands.

Concerning the Tarrasque: Of course I haven't used that one, either. I don't want my players to earn a crapload of XP just for digging a deep hole...

Yeah, that's the downside of having a nigh-immortal super monster who's at the same time really, really stupid.

 

[Valgaav]

Usually I try to avoid introducing celestials in my campaings, especially angels. To my mind, heavens should remain mysterious and silent. There were one exception though, when I used Ghaele as major NPC.

 

[Thunderfoot]

<SNIP>
The Arrowhawk, imho, is just as ridiculous as the Tojanida.
<SNIP>

Seconded!
Also these:
Destrachan - a blind screaming reptilian wolf
Krenshar - a Wolf with a convertible for a face
Achaierai - a giant four legged ostrich
Allip - a black shadow sheet thing
Belker - Just...no
Bodak - an extraplanar undead? I keep hearing the Close Encounters 5 note thing when I see the picture...
Chaos Beast/Phasm - no.
Choker - I prefer assassin vines and choke weeds.
Chuul - "I am not a shrimp, I am a King Prawn."
Most Demons and Devils
Devourer - ????
Digester - A poor attempt at a cross between a disenchanter and a rust monster
Dinosaurs - Not because I dislike them - I've just never run anything where they fit.
Ethereal Filcher /Marauder - Poor attempts by WotC to start their Dreamblades line.
Girallon - I prefer the old white apes and their multi-colored kin.
Gray Render - Ethereal Filcher/Marauder
Guardinal/ Half anythings
Howler - See Ethereal Filcher
Inevitable - Never had a chance to use them
Nightwalker - Not impressed
Phantom Fungus - Dumbest Plant monster EVAR
Planetouched - see half monster
Rast - Silly, silly, silly
Shield Guardian - reminds me of warforged, also not a favorite
Yeth Hound - I like the old ethereal/astral wolves better
Yrthak - It looks like a digester with a unicorn horn that can fly....

And even though that list is impressive - I was surprised it wasn't longer.