D&D General Friday Chill Discussion: What's your favorite monster?

[Reynard]

Let's just chat, shall we?

What's your favorite D&D monster? Is it different between being a player (favorite to fight) versus a DM (favorite to spring on a party)? Why is it your favorite: mechanics, fluff, art, something else, everything? Does it change between editions, or from campaign world to campaign world? Tell us a cool story about how you used or encountered it.

While I love DMing dragons, and think mimics are cool, I think my actual favorite monster as a player are gorgons. You know, giant iron skinned bulls that turn you to stone. First, they are so weird and nonsensical it's appealing. Second, my first truly memorable character died getting turned into stone by one (because my brother's character took a pot shot at it across a field). As a player, I love the threat inherent in something that can petrify you. It feels differently scary than something that will just kill you outright.

 

[RoughCoronet0]

Well, I’m very bias when it comes to dragons. There has just been so much lore about dragons throughout the editions to use as inspiration and so many different types of dragons and other draconic creatures to throw at players.

Im also a fan of creatures of night and shadow. Displacer Beasts, Gloomstalkers, Nightwalkers, Shadow Mastiffs, and Shades are all fun to use.

I’m also very partial to wolves or canine-like creatures. Worgs, Barghests, Winter Wolves, Death Hounds, Blink Dogs, Werewolves and Wolfweres, Hell Hounds, Cerberus, Gnolls, and Shoosuvas.

Also Reptilian creatures like Hydras, Basilisk, Behir, Yuan-Ti, Couatls, Lizardfolk, and Tortles.

 

[Reynard]

Well, I’m very bias when it comes to dragons. There has just been so much lore about dragons throughout the editions to use as inspiration and so many different types of dragons and other draconic creatures to throw at players.

Im also a fan of creatures of night and shadow. Displacer Beasts, Gloomstalkers, Nightwalkers, Shadow Mastiffs, and Shades are all fun to use.

I’m also very partial to wolves or canine-like creatures. Worgs, Barghests, Winter Wolves, Death Hounds, Blink Dogs, Werewolves and Wolfweres, Hell Hounds, Cerberus, Gnolls, and Shoosuvas.

Also Reptilian creatures like Hydras, Basilisk, Behir, Yuan-Ti, Couatls, Lizardfolk, and Tortles.

Your "favorite" is a whole monster manual's worth!

 

[Endroren]

Rust monster. Nearly every other monster that exists is threatening/scary because it'll kill you. The rust monster ruins your expensive and hard-earned gear. It's the monster I feel players (myself included) are the MOST likely to run away from rather than trying to defeat it. And the crazy appearance it still has thanks to the wonky plastic fig it was modelled off of, just makes it an amazing beast.

 

[Mind of tempest]

I am an aberration man but not like the common one like aboleth or mindflayers I like the really strange ones like thought Eaters I like my monsters strange and odd.

 

[RoughCoronet0]

Your "favorite" is a whole monster manual's worth!

I didn’t want to just say dragon for the umpteenth time, but when I started thinking I realized how many monsters I absolutely love and couldn’t choose.

 

[Mind of tempest]

Well, I’m very bias when it comes to dragons. There has just been so much lore about dragons throughout the editions to use as inspiration and so many different types of dragons and other draconic creatures to throw at players.

Im also a fan of creatures of night and shadow. Displacer Beasts, Gloomstalkers, Nightwalkers, Shadow Mastiffs, and Shades are all fun to use.

I’m also very partial to wolves or canine-like creatures. Worgs, Barghests, Winter Wolves, Death Hounds, Blink Dogs, Werewolves and Wolfweres, Hell Hounds, Cerberus, Gnolls, and Shoosuvas.

Also Reptilian creatures like Hydras, Basilisk, Behir, Yuan-Ti, Couatls, Lizardfolk, and Tortles.

so if they made a dragon canine you would have the perfect monster?

 

[Reynard]

so if they made a dragon canine you would have the perfect monster?

Shadow drake-placer wulf?

 

[Mind of tempest]

Shadow drake-placer wulf?

but with a cooler name and better lore.

 

[RoughCoronet0]

Shadow drake-placer wulf?

Umbral Drake-Howler?

 

[Reynard]

but with a cooler name and better lore.

Ouch.

 

[payn]

I like Revenants. Especially, ones created by the PCs. Its a fun way to have their decisions come back on them. Also, lets me bring back fun NPCs in a creative and haunting way.

 

[Vaalingrade]

Grey Render. Something about a hulking monster that imprints like a ducking is both awesome and wholesome.

 

[BookTenTiger]

I love giant animals. The idea of facing off against a huge cave bear, a tyrannosaurus rex, a wolf the size of a house... They're usually not very mechanically interesting, but I just really like big animals!

 

[Stalker0]

Though I've only used it a few times, there is just something about the Nightwalker that I love. Its such a cool creepy picture, with awesome power to back it up.

 

[AnotherGuy]

My current favourite is giants, only because I'm really proficient in their use against the PCs. They push, they knock prone, they tear up terrain, topple fixtures and fittings, they toss, they sunder, they have reach, anything/anyone is a ranged weapon, and they start tearing one apart once they have you grappled, they bellow, they pound, they crush. They're just awesomely terrifying.
It has nothing to do with the monsters manual.

 

[Mind of tempest]

My current favourite is giants, only because I'm really proficient in their use against the PCs. They push, they knock prone, they tear up terrain, topple fixtures and fittings, they toss, they sunder, they have reach, anything/anyone is a ranged weapon, and they start tearing one apart once they have you grappled, they bellow, they pound, they crush. They're just awesomely terrifying.
It has nothing to do with the monsters manual.

I always felt giants could have been done better cool mechanics and a greater world impact.

 

[J.Quondam]

I like mummies, not because they're especially interesting, but because it's easy to wrap up so many other monsters in bandages or rags and make it into a "mummy surprise."

 

[RuinousPowers]

Gibberlings. The presence of a destructive force surging forth from the underworld every generation or so has been a big part of shaping my campaign world.

 

[Vaalingrade]

I like mummies, not because they're especially interesting, but because it's easy to wrap up so many other monsters in bandages or rags and make it into a "mummy surprise."

Might you interest you in the the Raggamofyn?

Not sure if they originated in Eberron, but they're symbiotes that can turn ANYTHING into a mummy surprise.