What's your favorite "fodder" monster race?

[Mercurius]

Basically what I mean is this: Nearly all campaigns have a low-level, common enemy that at first is mean and scary, eventually becomes fodder.

Now what you do with them, is secondary (that is, whether you level them up along with the PCs ala 4E, or take a more traditional approach). I'm mainly curious about which low-level/fodder monster race is your favorite, and why.

I'm only going to include those monsters that are usable at 1st level and in largish quantities. No drow, in other words. As I see it, there are three "main" ones--orcs, kobolds, and goblins--and a bunch of secondary ones, including duergar, hobgoblins, lizardfolk, and gnolls. Others could qualify, and I'm sure someone will say, "but what about...?!" but these are the ones that I think fit the criteria best, so deal with it. One thing I will do is differentiate "old school" porcine orcs from "new school" ones, ala Tolkien.

So vote away!

p.s. You can vote for two races.

 

[Scrivener of Doom]

(snip) One thing I will do is differentiate "old school" porcine orcs from "new school" ones, ala Tolkien. (snip)

Which school do the 3.xE and 4E versions fall into? Is that perhaps a third option?

 

[JRRNeiklot]

What is your favorite fodder monster race?

None. I don't do fodder.

 

[Minigiant]

Goblins and hoblins (with bugbears in the mix). Basic Goblins tend to be in that space where a 1st level PC takes them as a serious threat as goblins can get lucky and gut them but in an open fight with small numbers they are manageable. Then you can easily mix in surviving goblins into a hobgoblin group for higher levels. Then mix in bugbears and gobliniods with PC classes as the level increases without the need for attaching the gobliniods to a Big Bad Evil Guy.

You can also do the same with orcs and some of the others but they tend to be more savage and harder to justify as a threat as PCs level without using a BBEG leader. The tropes hurt the other by making them too savage, too stupid, too tribal, or too pathetic.

Gobliniods are also have more outside source to draw from in order to tweak their flavor. I have them as former leaders of a Fey court with piracy and nomadic cavalry conqueror roots.

 

[Mercurius]

Which school do the 3.xE and 4E versions fall into? Is that perhaps a third option?

I was just putting piggies as "old school" and everything else as the other option, as they are similar enough.

 

[Alzrius]

I got started in Basic and 2E AD&D, but I don't recall ever seeing an illustration of an orc in those books (the ones I had, at least) that looked particularly porcine. Rather, they always struck me as looking "new school" - greyish skin and monstrous/ugly features.

Hobgoblins look the same, save for having rust-colored skin and slightly pointier ears.

That said, I prefer those two races for two reasons: 1) creatures with fur, and non-mammalian humanoids, always seemed different enough that they were somewhat interesting in terms of wondering what their outlook and culture were like, which you can't have for "fodder" enemies, and 2) since most PCs (that I gamed with, anyway) were human, or of human-like stature, having them mowing through races shorter than them (e.g. goblins, kobolds, etc.) always felt like they were picking on smaller creatures, which had a distinctly un-heroic quality to it for me.

 

[Scrivener of Doom]

I was just putting piggies as "old school" and everything else as the other option, as they are similar enough.

Gotcha.

I put LotR orcs as old old school, piggies as old school, and 3.xE+ orcs as new school-ish but definitely not related to LotR. Oh well, it wouldn't be a forum poll if everyone actually agreed with the choices offered by the poll....

 

[Melhaic]

Humans make great fodder.

 

[Desdichado]

Basically what I mean is this: Nearly all campaigns have a low-level, common enemy that at first is mean and scary, eventually becomes fodder.

Not mine.

But I picked hobgoblins and orcs. Specifically because I don't see them as the kind of scary to fodder progression you mention. I see them as humanoids, on par with any PC races. In fact, I frequently allow them as PC races specifically.

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

Goblins and kobolds at entry level.

Orcs, hobgoblins, gnolls, and lizardfolk are viable enemies through a number of lower levels, but become fodder at mid-levels (except for some unique and capable individuals).