D&D General Why are there Good Monsters in the Monster Manual?

[BookTenTiger]

Why are there Good Monsters in the Monster Manual?

I was thinking about how much space the Metallic Dragons take. All those Celestials. It's a lot of tree pulp used to stat out monsters most groups aren't going to fight.

So I was wondering: why are they there?

I can think of two ideas:

1) Verisimilitude.

The world of D&D is made up of monsters with stats and lore. There are Bad Dragons, and they exist because they have stats and lore. For Good Dragons to exist, they need stats and lore.

2) As Allies / Enemies of Evil

I suppose these Good Monster stats could be used when fighting alongside the adventurers, or as foes for evil groups. But these seem like edge cases.


So help me understand. Why are there Good Monsters in the Monster Manual? Were they always there? Do you use the stats, or just the lore?

 

[Scribe]

It's a lot of tree pulp used to stat out monsters most groups aren't going to fight.

Fight along side? Gain as Allies? Maybe I wish to tear down Heaven?

I mean, I'd hate to not have them there personally.

 

[Lyxen]

Because not all monsters are adversaries ?

Because sometimes even good people will fight each other for bad reasons ?

 

[BookTenTiger]

Fight along side? Gain as Allies? Maybe I wish to tear down Heaven?

I mean, I'd hate to not have them there personally.

Because not all monsters are adversaries ?

Because sometimes even good people will fight each other for bad reasons ?

For both of you, how often do you actually use the stats of Good Monsters, rather than just the lore?

 

[Gradine]

Also it's not like there aren't plenty of legitimate reasons for heroes to have to fight against other Good creatures. The Good-Evil axis is not (or at least should not be) the only source of conflict

 

[Cadence]

To help the DM build the world.

 

[billd91]

Because not all characters are good and may be fighting the forces of the upper planes. The Monster Manual isn't just a fight book for the great and good.

 

[Jer]

Why are there Good Monsters in the Monster Manual?

Tradition. When the first Monster Manual came out it had monsters of all alignments partly because it was worldbuilding and partly (mostly?) because the game didn't assume you'd be good guys. Hey if you want to heist the horde of a Gold Dragon why not?

Now the game does assume you'll be the good guys, but you don't have to be. And sometimes good adversaries can be more difficult to deal with than evil ones - the Gold Dragon whose moral compass is more black and white than your party's is a different kind of challenge from the Red Dragon who wants to burn down the village.

 

[Lyxen]

For both of you, how often do you actually use the stats of Good Monsters, rather than just the lore?

Quite often, actually, in particular to see what they could do, how they would fare as NPCs in a given environment. It's more seldom that I use them in combat, though, although it happens especially when they are allied to the PCs.

 

[Bill Zebub]

Murderhobos don’t check alignment?