Underused Monsters

[freyar]

Do blink dogs count? I rolled them as a random encounter once, and they've had really great traction in that game anyway.

 

[Merkuri]

Anyone uses halflings as monsters? For some reason, I feel unable to put them as monsters. Maybe I think they are too cute to be slain or something like that.

Should I not mention the campaign I was in once where a gang of halflings abducted one of our PCs (whose player had left) and turned him into a set of boots? When the party found out we raided the warehouse they were using as a base and murdered about half of them in their sleep before they woke up and the real battle started. My PC was a multiclass halfling ranger and was seriously considering taking halflings as one of her favored enemies.

 

[pogminky]

Do people use humans often enough?

 

[Eosin the Red]

Do people use humans often enough?

I was going to say that... It seems like you never see humans as the main bad guys anymore.

 

[Foundry of Decay]

Heh, this might sound odd..

Dragons.

I've never had a group fight a dragon. They've talked to two I think, but never actively engaged one in combat.

I'm hoping to change that soon. Part of it was too much flipping around and starting campaigns over. So far its been a solid 6 sessions and nobody wants to 'switch to something else'..

..Probably because they know I'll throw furniture at them if they do.

But yes.. Dragons.

 

[Asmor]

I particularly like Shocker Lizards

I've always loved Shocker Lizards from the moment I first laid eyes on them. I wanted to make a wizard who had multiple shocker lizard familiars, but never got the chance. :/ I did however make some monsters which were based on them (skeletons with different types of metal plating, making them walking batteries. They were basically re-skinned shocker lizards, including the ability to zap eachother and make a super shock).

I don't know if they qualify, but Chuuls are one of my favorites. NEVER go into a swamp on a flat-bottomed boat if I'm DMing you in a game...

a chuul was in one of the Xen'drik expedition adventures. Only time I've ever faced one, and I've never used one. A shame, I agree with you that they're pretty sweet. I'm gonna have to change that...

Do blink dogs count? I rolled them as a random encounter once, and they've had really great traction in that game anyway.

In a game a while back, the DM had random encounter chart he made himself. One day we rolled on it and ended up getting a blink dog companion.

Then sometime within the next 2-3 rolls on it (and we made at least a few a night), we rolled the same thing. It was like a 96-97 to get it. Bastard made us re-roll, saying he hadn't had a chance to refill that slot yet. We so got cheated out of having two blink dogs.

I'm sure I'm in the minority, but I don't think I've ever fought any giant of any variety. I don't think I ever even fought a troll in 3rd edition...

Oh, here's one: displacer beasts. I loves 'em, and I don't know how much lovin' other people give 'em but it ain't enough! I want to make a harness for my (black) cat consisting of a spare pair of legs and some tentacles to turn him into a displacer beast... Then follow him around with one of those invisible dog collars off to the side of where he's standing.

 

[Tonguez]

Chuul are great and because my campaign is set amongst islands (thus lots of action on and under the water) I use them often, I also use Cloakers as a form of monstrous flying 'stingray'.

Personally I think Sealions are underused too, as are Otyugh and Destrechan (which I reimagined as being more bat-like). And Barghest make great villains too

 

[Tervin]

Anyone uses halflings as monsters? For some reason, I feel unable to put them as monsters. Maybe I think they are too cute to be slain or something like that.

Play more Dark Sun. Will cure you of that. The only commercial setting I have ever seen where halflings feel necessary.

 

[KB9JMQ]

I don't think Bullywugs, Kenku or Lizardfolk get enough lovin.

 

[Alzrius]

Well, these aren't ones I feel particularly inclined to use in my games, but it strikes me that all of the monsters in this article are underrepresented: Dungeons & Dragons: Celebrating Thirty Years of Very Stupid Monsters.

EDIT: And it seems that article now has a Part Two. Huzzah!