D&D General Essential monsters?

[Ginger McMurray]

I'm buying a chunk of minis and am wondering what people see as essential monsters to have at least one or more miniatures for. What do you consider essential? What do you see in a fair number of campaigns? Definitely :

• The various humanoid types,
• bandits,
• maybe some important townsfolk such as a noble here and there or a peasant or two,
• giant rats,
• some normal animals (for foes and druid PC),
• a beholder,
• a mind flayer,
• random undead, and
• a few dragons (including at least one wyrmling).

 

[el-remmen]

townsfolk, town guard/soldiers, bandits are obvious choices as you listed. As are simple undead (skeletons, zombies, ghouls).

An otyugh is crucial - because every dungeon needs a trash pit and every trash pit needs an otyugh.

 

[jgsugden]

If you want to go prepainted, consider going to Ebay and looking for someone selling an appropriately sized collection. That will be the easiest way to get started.

You can often find animals, townsfolk, etc... from outside miniatures lines at a much cheaper price. You can upgrade them down the road.

SCS Direct : Toy Figures

Hinfat & WD toys

www.amazon.com

If you are not worried about paint, or might want to paint them yourself, the Blacklist Miniatures (Blacklist Miniatures: Fantasy Series 1) are a great value and cover you for everything basic you need. They'll be hitting the secondary market very soon and sets on Ebay, even if at a 100% markup will be a great value. I recommended these as starting sets to every gamer I know, and I bought a set for my son to start his collection of D&D minis (so that he does not take mine when he grows up and leaves home).

 

[Stormonu]

Personally, I have a big problem buying "animal" miniatures - tokens or kid's toys for that work as well or better than "official" miniatures in most cases. Similiar for townsfolk - you rarely actually need them unless you're making a special scene or have a really notable NPC. Generic tokens tend to work just as well for them. (for generic tokens I use glass beads or Sorry! -esque markers).

Dragons are fun to collect, but out of the 30+ I own, I think I've used them twice on the tabletop. I'd put them as a very low priority unless you just happen to like them.

I'd probably add undead to that list - skeletons, zombies/ghouls, mummies, vampires and a lich.

And considering the current 5E trend, you'll want a hag or three.

 

[Ginger McMurray]

Personally, I have a big problem buying "animal" miniatures - tokens or kid's toys for that work as well or better than "official" miniatures in most cases.

I think we've had a druid in the last 2-3 campaigns I've been in, otherwise I'd agree completely. They're mostly there for wild shape options rather than enemies.

Similiar for townsfolk - you rarely actually need them unless you're making a special scene or have a really notable NPC. Generic tokens tend to work just as well for them. (for generic tokens I use glass beads or Sorry! -esque markers).

Good call! Another person in our group has a bunch of the cardboard standups. We can use those when needed.

Dragons are fun to collect, but out of the 30+ I own, I think I've used them twice on the tabletop. I'd put them as a very low priority unless you just happen to like them.

I've got a few I pulled from WizKids boxes. I doubt I'll be buying any more. Like you said, they're rare to use. I also don't mind putting a red one on the mat and saying "he's green."

I'd probably add undead to that list - skeletons, zombies/ghouls, mummies, vampires and a lich.

Oops! I forgot to list those. Absolutely!

And considering the current 5E trend, you'll want a hag or three.

How so? I've mostly been on the player side lately. Is there a surge in hags for some reason?

If you want to go prepainted, consider going to Ebay and looking for someone selling an appropriately sized collection. That will be the easiest way to get started.

I'm definitely going with prepainted. I don't have the time, talent, or inclination to paint my own. I've been putting a lot of stuff in my cart at https://www.auggiesgamestore.com/. They've got a good selection and let me buy minis one at a time for about a $1 - $2.25. They've got more expensive stuff but I'm not looking to pay an extra $3 because the orc's shield has a symbol on it.

 

[payn]

The Paizo pawn boxes are a great deal and can fill many essential monster spots in one go.

 

[Stormonu]

How so? I've mostly been on the player side lately. Is there a surge in hags for some reason?

D&D 5E - The Hags of 5E

So, something that's been gnawing at the back of my mind for a while...it seems that every 5E adventure (since Curse of Strahd) in it has a named hag in it, which I find somewhat interesting. One or two, and I might not have noticed. But every adventure? Named threats? What's going on here...

www.enworld.org

 

[Ginger McMurray]

The Paizo pawn boxes are a great deal and can fill many essential monster spots in one go.

Thanks! Those look great for random things that don't get used often on a mat, such as townsfolk etc.

D&D 5E - The Hags of 5E

So, something that's been gnawing at the back of my mind for a while...it seems that every 5E adventure (since Curse of Strahd) in it has a named hag in it, which I find somewhat interesting. One or two, and I might not have noticed. But every adventure? Named threats? What's going on here...

www.enworld.org

Interesting. I don't have any of the pre-made adventures. I wonder if they're leading up to something.

 

[aco175]

My brother got into making cardboard minis a few years ago and has a bunch of most everything. We tend to use the cardboard for most of the common monsters and the leaders get a plastic mini, also from a large collection. We find that a lot of monsters can double up on certain types. A large lion, bear, and displacer beast all fill in for rhinos or even sharks and nobody cares since they are large. Small figures like goblins and kobolds can swap easily for most things like twig blights and such.

I do like having some armor/statue types that can be for animated armor and statues/golems. We have a couple tin man looking figures of medium and large size that swap in a lot. We tend to play with the old Dungeon Tiles and there are statue tiles that flip over into ruins. I can remove the cardboard tile and place a mini there for dramatic effect.