D&D General Categories of foes

[Blue]

I'm looking for group (and potentially subgroups) of monsters that are generally foe-shaped and group-minded.

What do I mean by that? Well Undead, Fiends, Lycanthropes, Giants, and Goblinoids could be a start. Each of them an umbrella of many types of foe. Yes, there are exceptions, and I'm not saying anything like "goblinoids have to be evil in every campaign". Just that generally they fall more under foe than not.

But that's also somewhat generic. For example, Undead might be broken down with a subgroup of "Those That Hunger" to be poetic -- mindless undead that just want to kill and consume. Ghouls, ghasts, zombies, etc. Fiends could be broken down into Demon, Devils, and Yugoloths. You get the idea.

I said "group-minded" up top, and that's hard to quantify. For example, "dragons" generally aren't expected to be in groups. While dragons can be foe-shaped, they are too unique in terms of their personal ambitions to fit. (And yes, in some campaigns like Dragon Lance that might be an exception, I'm talking in generalities.)

So what groups are out there? And do they contain any subgroups?

This is in the D&D forum, but please feel free to reach outside to folklore, other TTRPGs, stories and movies, etc. Just try to keep it fantasy.

Thanks!

 

[Quickleaf]

Croaking Foes of Ribbity Doom

No, seriously, D&D has LOTS of frog monsters!

 

[aco175]

I was trying to grasp the concept and came up with riders. Monsters that work with animals as mounts such as goblins and worgs. The module with orcs and axbeaks. Even dragons act as mounts in some games like Dragonlance (DL).

 

[Brendan Byrd]

Cranium Rats in 2e Planescape?
They are less foe in 5e Planescape.

 

[cbwjm]

You've kind of already said the big ones, I tend to expand goblinoids into beastmen which includes orcs, goblins, bugbears, ogres, and gnolls.

Dinosaurs might be another. I don't use them much and some might be solitary but, thinking of raptors, some might be pack hunters. The leaf eaters would likely move in herds but probably wouldn't count as a foe in most cases.

 

[Blue]

What would we call the foes of the sea, is there a grouping (or more) for them?

 

[aco175]

Big Bugs: Not the bunny, but things like carrion crawlers and giant ants and bees.

 

[Minigiant]

I kinda feel that Far Realm Aberrantions should be split off to its own group named Horrors.

But Horrors and Terrors could be subtypes.

 

[Blue]

I kinda feel that Far Realm Aberrantions should be split off to its own group named Horrors.

But Horrors and Terrors could be subtypes.

I like that a lot.

I could see Terrors having some overlap with undead as well, such as ghosts.