D&D General Friday Chill Discussion: What's your favorite monster?

[Reynard]

Let's just chat, shall we?

What's your favorite D&D monster? Is it different between being a player (favorite to fight) versus a DM (favorite to spring on a party)? Why is it your favorite: mechanics, fluff, art, something else, everything? Does it change between editions, or from campaign world to campaign world? Tell us a cool story about how you used or encountered it.

While I love DMing dragons, and think mimics are cool, I think my actual favorite monster as a player are gorgons. You know, giant iron skinned bulls that turn you to stone. First, they are so weird and nonsensical it's appealing. Second, my first truly memorable character died getting turned into stone by one (because my brother's character took a pot shot at it across a field). As a player, I love the threat inherent in something that can petrify you. It feels differently scary than something that will just kill you outright.

 

[RoughCoronet0]

Well, I’m very bias when it comes to dragons. There has just been so much lore about dragons throughout the editions to use as inspiration and so many different types of dragons and other draconic creatures to throw at players.

Im also a fan of creatures of night and shadow. Displacer Beasts, Gloomstalkers, Nightwalkers, Shadow Mastiffs, and Shades are all fun to use.

I’m also very partial to wolves or canine-like creatures. Worgs, Barghests, Winter Wolves, Death Hounds, Blink Dogs, Werewolves and Wolfweres, Hell Hounds, Cerberus, Gnolls, and Shoosuvas.

Also Reptilian creatures like Hydras, Basilisk, Behir, Yuan-Ti, Couatls, Lizardfolk, and Tortles.

 

[Reynard]

Well, I’m very bias when it comes to dragons. There has just been so much lore about dragons throughout the editions to use as inspiration and so many different types of dragons and other draconic creatures to throw at players.

Im also a fan of creatures of night and shadow. Displacer Beasts, Gloomstalkers, Nightwalkers, Shadow Mastiffs, and Shades are all fun to use.

I’m also very partial to wolves or canine-like creatures. Worgs, Barghests, Winter Wolves, Death Hounds, Blink Dogs, Werewolves and Wolfweres, Hell Hounds, Cerberus, Gnolls, and Shoosuvas.

Also Reptilian creatures like Hydras, Basilisk, Behir, Yuan-Ti, Couatls, Lizardfolk, and Tortles.

Your "favorite" is a whole monster manual's worth!

 

[Endroren]

Rust monster. Nearly every other monster that exists is threatening/scary because it'll kill you. The rust monster ruins your expensive and hard-earned gear. It's the monster I feel players (myself included) are the MOST likely to run away from rather than trying to defeat it. And the crazy appearance it still has thanks to the wonky plastic fig it was modelled off of, just makes it an amazing beast.

 

[Mind of tempest]

I am an aberration man but not like the common one like aboleth or mindflayers I like the really strange ones like thought Eaters I like my monsters strange and odd.

 

[RoughCoronet0]

Your "favorite" is a whole monster manual's worth!

I didn’t want to just say dragon for the umpteenth time, but when I started thinking I realized how many monsters I absolutely love and couldn’t choose.

 

[Mind of tempest]

Well, I’m very bias when it comes to dragons. There has just been so much lore about dragons throughout the editions to use as inspiration and so many different types of dragons and other draconic creatures to throw at players.

Im also a fan of creatures of night and shadow. Displacer Beasts, Gloomstalkers, Nightwalkers, Shadow Mastiffs, and Shades are all fun to use.

I’m also very partial to wolves or canine-like creatures. Worgs, Barghests, Winter Wolves, Death Hounds, Blink Dogs, Werewolves and Wolfweres, Hell Hounds, Cerberus, Gnolls, and Shoosuvas.

Also Reptilian creatures like Hydras, Basilisk, Behir, Yuan-Ti, Couatls, Lizardfolk, and Tortles.

so if they made a dragon canine you would have the perfect monster?

 

[Reynard]

so if they made a dragon canine you would have the perfect monster?

Shadow drake-placer wulf?

 

[Mind of tempest]

Shadow drake-placer wulf?

but with a cooler name and better lore.

 

[RoughCoronet0]

Shadow drake-placer wulf?

Umbral Drake-Howler?