Any monsters get -weaker- in 3e

[Victim]

Yes, but not in 2e. It was just a straight % roll, unless you had some weird kit or something.

 

[hong]

Giant spiders (the small ones). In 1E and 2E, their poison could kill you. Now it just does ability damage.

 

[Jürgen Hubert]

Most of the constructs. Sure, many of them might be quite strong, but they are also so damned frail!

It is pretty similar for undead. Especially the dracolich. Becoming undead can rob dragons of more than half their hitpoints...

 

[BronzeDragon]

Ah, but many ACs have improved, thus negating the difference!

Cheers!

The difference is most certainly not negated.

My past Dragonlance campaign went up to 15th level (this is 3E, not 2E), and the group's Paladin simply could not MISS his first attack.

Only the iterative attacks had a real chance of failure.

With the BAB of a fighter, the buffing spells of the group and magic, you can rest assured that the first attack is going in. That is, unless your group is very low-level or facing a very powerful dragon (even the dragon is in trouble if the players are at a level comparable to the CR of the creature).

 

[Cedric]

Vrocks are a lot less impressive -- in 2E they automatically won initiative in battles; in 3E they're pretty much just a bad joke -- for elite fighting demons, they don't do much damage.

Try getting a few of them in a room and having them go off with their spore attacks everytime they can. Trust me, you won't be laughing then.

Cedric

 

[S'mon]

Basic Goblins are weaker - they now have a STR penalty to-hit & damage.

Basic Hobgoblins are significantly weaker - they used to be AC 5, THACO 18 dmg 1-8, now they're AC 15 and ATT+1 (!), compare to orcs - AC 6 THACO 19 dmg 1-8, now AC 14 ATT+3 dmg 1-12+3(!)
Hobgoblins now need to be at least 2nd level Warriors or 1st level elite Fighters to have any chance vs orcs in a scrap.

 

[Arnwyn]

Virtually all the planar creatures have been "neutralized" - Celestials, Demons, Devils, and *especially* the poor Yugoloths... Poor, poor Yugoloths.

Very disappointing. Had to take my DM-fixin'-pencil and repair what was done to all of them.

(I also agree that the energy-draining undead have also been severely weakened. My players don't show the fear they once did when wraiths or spectres show up.)