Everyone knows that Hobgoblins differ from Orcs in style. Hobgoblins are militaristic and tactical, disciplined and strong, and orcs are savage neanderthals. But there is less a distinct difference with the plethora of monster races in the MM. Not to mention monsters upon monsters with the umpteen monster books out there. On the 4e boards, the reaction to the new Troglodyte resulted in scratching heads, and a lot of "Well, I never used/saw the use of Trogs".
Over on this thread, an attempt to re-flavor kobolds were presented. The topic then changed towards other monsters.
To quote Carpe DM:
My goal for this thread is a simple thing that is harder said than done: make a DM say aloud, "Wow! I thought those monsters were boring, but now I want to put that in my game!" and make a player say "Wow! I want to fight those guys!"
So I open the floor for breathing new life into your dad's D&D monsters. Let's not get away from what they do, what niche they fill in the D&D world, but rather, how to make them feel; 1) like the monster they are, and 2) how to differentiate them from everything else. How do they behave in (and out) of combat, how do they look beyond the obvious, etc.
A good place to start is using movies or books as inspiration. Paizo goblins remind me a lot of the monsters from Gremlins. Carpe DM used Aliens and Saw to inspire him with kobolds. This helps add elements to make them jump out of your imagination, rather than just another monster.
There are two routes that one can take here:
1) Monsters are Monsters. They are evil things, and they echo certain feels that reinforce they are monsters. The Ogres as mutated hillbillies, for instance.
2) Monsters are kinda like people; Eberron gives Orcs a story, allowing them to be druids and protectors of the world (thus freeing Elves of their hippy archetype). This lets the monster have a culture. Your Orcs could be mongolians riding horsepack, throwing spears and using nets.
In all honesty, I would like to focus on #1 for this thread, but I realize option 2 is also very popular; I love it when monsters are given cultures and made to feel real, but then that takes a little away from killing them because they're monsters; they become like people, and that takes the edge off. Some people, for instance, treat their orcs like unredeemable evil monsters that are just good for killin'.
Over on this thread, an attempt to re-flavor kobolds were presented. The topic then changed towards other monsters.
To quote Carpe DM:
The monsters here aren't re-designed. Goblins are as goblins have always been - small and sneaky, but they are made a caricature, or better yet, an identity as a species. Ogres are still big brutes, but they have a more recognizable image. you meet one, and the personality pops into your mind, rather than the statblock.Paizo's take on Goblins in Rise of the Runelords 1: Goblins as little weak green humans? No. Goblins as Labyrinth-style Monsters under the Bed, mad, bad, and funny in a black-humor kind of way? Yes.
Paizo's take on Ghouls: Just another undead? No. Children of the Corn? Yes.
Paizo's take on Ogres: Big orcs? No. "You got a purty mouth," Deliverance and The Hills Have Eyes? Yes.
My goal for this thread is a simple thing that is harder said than done: make a DM say aloud, "Wow! I thought those monsters were boring, but now I want to put that in my game!" and make a player say "Wow! I want to fight those guys!"
So I open the floor for breathing new life into your dad's D&D monsters. Let's not get away from what they do, what niche they fill in the D&D world, but rather, how to make them feel; 1) like the monster they are, and 2) how to differentiate them from everything else. How do they behave in (and out) of combat, how do they look beyond the obvious, etc.
A good place to start is using movies or books as inspiration. Paizo goblins remind me a lot of the monsters from Gremlins. Carpe DM used Aliens and Saw to inspire him with kobolds. This helps add elements to make them jump out of your imagination, rather than just another monster.
There are two routes that one can take here:
1) Monsters are Monsters. They are evil things, and they echo certain feels that reinforce they are monsters. The Ogres as mutated hillbillies, for instance.
2) Monsters are kinda like people; Eberron gives Orcs a story, allowing them to be druids and protectors of the world (thus freeing Elves of their hippy archetype). This lets the monster have a culture. Your Orcs could be mongolians riding horsepack, throwing spears and using nets.
In all honesty, I would like to focus on #1 for this thread, but I realize option 2 is also very popular; I love it when monsters are given cultures and made to feel real, but then that takes a little away from killing them because they're monsters; they become like people, and that takes the edge off. Some people, for instance, treat their orcs like unredeemable evil monsters that are just good for killin'.
Last edited: