Monsters that have been degraded over time that need fixing

[foolish_mortals]

hi dnd hopefuls,

One thing that bugs me is that the Githyanki have stopped being scary over time. They've gone from the ferocious looking monsters on the cover of the original fiend folio to weird looking elves. That turned me off in 3rd and especially 4th. I really like the old scary look. The new look is dumb.

Anyone out there have other monsters that they feel have been violated by generations of different monster designers?

foolish_mortals

 

[Arytiss]

The Flumph, clearly.

But on a more serious note, I thought that the 'loths got screwed over a bit in the last couple of editions. Especially 4th edition.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

It'd probably be worth looking at that 1E Fiend Folio cover again. It's a pretty silly pair of pictures. The inside black and white illustration? That was cool. The cover? Not so much.

 

[Ahnehnois]

OK, I'll bite. (So to speak).

Dragons.

I'll concur with Yugoloths.

Basilisks, Meduas, Bodaks, Cockatrices. (i.e. the "save or die" creatures). They illustrate that the main problem with save or die was that there was a save. When you look at a Medusa, you should turn to stone. And now they've been made less deadly?

Golems. Their DR is just too easy to penetrate.

 

[foolish_mortals]

It'd probably be worth looking at that 1E Fiend Folio cover again. It's a pretty silly pair of pictures. The inside black and white illustration? That was cool. The cover? Not so much.

I'll take the 1rst edition picture of githyanki over the silly thing that they've been turned into everyday. I agree that the inside isllustrations are much better(sometimes black and white rules!). I'm not sure what they were thinking making the githyanki look like elves or halflings. The skeletal guys with the punk hairdos and semi-undead aura about them rocked. Maybe they changed them to make the Githzeri and them look more similar. I don't know why they have to be exact replicas of themselves. Another violation.

foolish_mortals

 

[foolish_mortals]

Now that I think about it, Liches seem to have been wimped out as well. They used to be spell guys which made them nasty. Now all they have is this necron ray. Bring back their spells.

foolish_mortals

 

[Salad Shooter]

Kobolds. They are dog-like, not lizard-like!

 

[foolish_mortals]

OK, I'll bite. (So to speak).

Dragons.

I'll concur with Yugoloths.

Basilisks, Meduas, Bodaks, Cockatrices. (i.e. the "save or die" creatures). They illustrate that the main problem with save or die was that there was a save. When you look at a Medusa, you should turn to stone. And now they've been made less deadly?

Golems. Their DR is just too easy to penetrate.

I heard they stopped doing that because having a character die wasn't considered fun. There's not much to say with that kind of thinking being prevalent in the game. Were lucky monsters even did damage. I hope 5th doesn't take that part out.

foolish_mortals

 

[Ahnehnois]

I heard they stopped doing that because having a character die wasn't considered fun.

Well then they nerfed all the monsters, didn't they?

 

[foolish_mortals]

Well then they nerfed all the monsters, didn't they?

good god, you might be right. I guess pseduo-immortaility of characters must already be in for 5th. Maybe there wont be any monsters at all to fight...

foolish_mortals