CruelSummerLord
First Post
As we all know, D&D has lifted a lot of its monsters from both ancient myth and more modern fiction. This thread is to propose and discuss monsters that may not yet have been adapted, but might still make cool concepts for monsters.
My own initial thoughts are some of the creations of, believe it or not, L. Frank Baum. The original Wizard of Oz is not something many parents today would want their children reading; by today's standards, some parts are genuinely gruesome. The movie is far more lighthearted, and dispensed with elements like this completely.
Kelidas are bear-like creatures with the heads of tigers. They're vicious predators who the main characters meet on their first journey to the Emerald City, and only survive the encounter by hurling the Kelidas off a cliff, where they're killed from the fall.
Now, admittedly, they're similar to the owlbear. But honestly, aren't tigers much more dangerous than owls, at least from a human's point of view? There's no reason they couldn't, for instance, have an even surlier and more vicious disposition than owlbears, or be hated species enemies.
Hammerheads are a very peculiar race, one which resemble armless humans with the ability to extend their necks to a very long distance. They attack by delivering vicious head-butts, as the main characters find out when they journey to find the Witch of the South. They don't allow anyone to cross the hills they call home, which could easily lead them to cross paths with adventurers.
These guys would probably have exceptionally hard and thick bones, similar to auromvoraxes, to cope with banging their heads against warriors wearing metal armor and carrying metal shields. Their necks would also have an exceptionally thick hide, to protect them from attacks directed against this potential weak spot. Granted, they'd probably need to have arms if they were written up as monsters. I'd see them as CN in nature-wanting to be left alone, maybe conducting some small-scale trade with neighboring peoples, but otherwise indifferent to the fates of anyone else. Better to die alone than live with others.
Any other ideas? How about the Grendel or the Jabberwock, for example?
My own initial thoughts are some of the creations of, believe it or not, L. Frank Baum. The original Wizard of Oz is not something many parents today would want their children reading; by today's standards, some parts are genuinely gruesome. The movie is far more lighthearted, and dispensed with elements like this completely.
Kelidas are bear-like creatures with the heads of tigers. They're vicious predators who the main characters meet on their first journey to the Emerald City, and only survive the encounter by hurling the Kelidas off a cliff, where they're killed from the fall.
Now, admittedly, they're similar to the owlbear. But honestly, aren't tigers much more dangerous than owls, at least from a human's point of view? There's no reason they couldn't, for instance, have an even surlier and more vicious disposition than owlbears, or be hated species enemies.
Hammerheads are a very peculiar race, one which resemble armless humans with the ability to extend their necks to a very long distance. They attack by delivering vicious head-butts, as the main characters find out when they journey to find the Witch of the South. They don't allow anyone to cross the hills they call home, which could easily lead them to cross paths with adventurers.
These guys would probably have exceptionally hard and thick bones, similar to auromvoraxes, to cope with banging their heads against warriors wearing metal armor and carrying metal shields. Their necks would also have an exceptionally thick hide, to protect them from attacks directed against this potential weak spot. Granted, they'd probably need to have arms if they were written up as monsters. I'd see them as CN in nature-wanting to be left alone, maybe conducting some small-scale trade with neighboring peoples, but otherwise indifferent to the fates of anyone else. Better to die alone than live with others.
Any other ideas? How about the Grendel or the Jabberwock, for example?
