As a player, what monster/opponent is the most frustrating to fight?

[johnsemlak]

I was recently fighting an incorporel creature (a wraith). I've fought a few of them in various 3e campaigns and I was reminded of how frustrating they are, at least for me. the 50/50 miss chance is really discouraging, especially when characters attempt special attacks like smite or power attack.

I'm sure I just need to get a ghost touch weapon or whatever but anyway Iv'e found them very frustrating.

Any other examples of a very frustrating opponent for players?

 

[diaglo]

we had more trouble with a CR 7 bulette than a CR 13 Beholder (party level 9-10). both fights had us sweating. but the darn Swallow whole and grapple of the Bulette made things nasty. the beholder hurt. but the bulette nearly killed 2 party members. swallowed the gnome sorc (who dim door safely with 1hp left) and grappled the human cleric (our only other effective spellcaster). the archers in our group and the melee guys finally killed it.

but i do agree. incorporeal miss % or Spell Resistance or Damage Reduction are even more frustrating as a PC.

 

[hong]

Anything that's really hard to hurt: high AC, DR, SR, etc. Something that dishes out lots of damage is dangerous, but not _frustrating_ as such, if you can damage it in return.

 

[Tav_Behemoth]

A remorhaz can be even more frustrating - it's got a bunch of bulette abilities (come up from underneath & disappear again by burrowing, swallow whole) - plus it melts your weapons. Having the hilt of your favorite sword burn your hand as its blade drips molten steel onto your boots is pretty much the definition of frustrating!

I love using remorhaz as a DM, but I got to experience it from both sides during the playtesting for Rage of the Remorhaz. It's a classic example of a monster that's more like a puzzle than a straight combat monster. When you get to figure out from clues in advance that you're going to face one, and have the chance to choose spells and tactics to take it out, it's a lot of fun to vanquish such a scary threat (and not that hard to do). But when a remorhaz is used as an open-the-door-and-here's-Johnny! random encounter, it's not half as much fun (and often much more deadly than many other creatures of the same CR). I think some of the remorhaz's bad rep as "broken" is that it's one of the lowest-CR of these puzzle-monsters; at higher levels, you take it for granted that you always have to be prepared in advance. Also, since the remorhaz is relatively obscure, many players aren't as alert for clues and as ready with anti-remorhaz tactics as they are for a vampire etc.

 

[Desdichado]

At lower levels, swarms are really frustrating, since you can't actually damage them with weapons, and you don't have any other immediately useful tricks in your repertoire to deal with them.

 

[Maldur]

Juan ti, that damn repusion effect thingy is the pits

 

[Mystery Man]

An advanced Murderjack from WoTC's Far Corners of the World is fun to run, but drives players crazy.

 

[rounser]

Any NPC who, according to DM plans, "isn't supposed to die [yet]"...with a DM who isn't prepared to change said plans.

 

[CGoat]

We have an Evil DM Half Medusa/Naga with levels of Dragon Disicple in her underwater lair. We never did kill her... she turned our wizard to stone dropped 3 others then grabbed the rangers bag of holding and filled it up with the dead's magic items. We still miss wolf's tooth (cursed magic dagger) I'm sure she's enjoying it. Underwater combat sucks.

 

[Jarrod]

We (6th level party of 4) fought an Ogre Mage last game session. One of the most annoying creatures we've ever had to deal with. Outdoors, and he could fly and we couldn't; went invisible, and my mage had a Glitterdust prepped instead of a See Invis. After he showed up the first time I nailed him and we could see him, but it lets him get the first shot in.

And that Cone of Cold... OWIE.