D&D 5E (2014) Monstrous Disappointments.

[Wiseblood]

What monsters have you tried to use that didn’t or can’t give you what you want as they are written?

For me the first one that springs to mind is werewolf. They just don’t instill he kind of fear or revulsion I would like.

 

[Nebulous]

For me the first one that springs to mind is werewolf. They just don’t instill he kind of fear or revulsion I would like.

What about the werewolf isn't scary exactly? It's immunity to regular damage is probably the most terrifying thing a low level party could ever encounter. Sure, it's CR 3 isn't a big deal to hardly any other D&D character, but in the right circumstances I think you can eke a great encounter out of it. I had the PCs trapped in a jail cell once with moonlight through the bars and a wererat changing form. That was going to be a TPK unless they found a way to escape.

 

[Nebulous]

But in general, many, many 5e monsters lack the "oomph" they should. Ogres are horribly boring IMO. Fortunately there are other supplements that flesh them out into more than a crappy AC and hit points.

 

[lowkey13]

*Deleted by user*

 

[Nebulous]

No monsters in 5e are terrifying.

To a greater or lesser extent, they are bags of hit points. Occasionally, they have an extra "trick" to be solved.

I think mind flayers work well as written. The arcanist is even worse. But yeah, most core monsters aren't tough enough.

 

[jayoungr]

No monsters in 5e are terrifying.

Nah, it's just that we on the board here are jaded.

 

[Tony Vargas]

English is funny.

No monsters, in 5e, are terrifying.

No, monsters in 5e are terrifying.

 

[lowkey13]

*Deleted by user*

 

[jayoungr]

But while I can make things scary or terrifying with narration, atmosphere, and so on, the actual monsters themselves are underwhelming in 5e.

Too often, the setup in narrative terms in undermined by the monster itself.

You end up with a big build up, followed by a "Oh, more of the same. Yawn."

Trust me--I've been running for a lot of new players lately. People who haven't memorized the MM and/or learned all the tropes and/or developed all the tricks of their characters have a healthy respect for even basic monsters. We on the board here have to remember that we're a jaded subset of the whole group of D&D players.

But out of curiosity, what would it take to make a monster terrifying to you? Save-or-die?

 

[touc]

Demons and devils. They've been heavily neutered into what lowkey13 noted, big bags of hit points and multiattacks that lower level PCs can easily handle. Demon Lords from Out of the Abyss were chump change, as written, to level 14 mortals. I've done a few things: (1) give outerplanars back some of their 3rd edition spell-like abilities, legendary or bonus if an especially nasty being, and (2) got the Monster Talents homebrew material from DM Guild (which provides a way to beef up monsters with some of their old-school abilities without breaking the CR system).

For me, making monsters interesting is a combination of action economy (legendary, bonus, and reactions, doing more than one thing), use of the environment (taking advantage of terrain, including as a weapon), and dynamic options for foes (more than simply melee attack and done).

As to your werewolf, there's nothing wrong with you beefing them up if they seem too simple. Increase their hit points or strength. Make the lycanthropy save harder. Use more descriptive text. Given them a savage bonus (if they drop an opponent, bonus bite attack or the like, as if blood makes them more aggressive). Give them a howl feature, that it is so chilling that a low DC save might be necessary to avoid that knee-quaking fear, induced primally so that even experienced warriors might shake.