demiurge1138
Inventor of Super-Toast
The controversy over the MMIV (which, like all good internet controversies, is raging without almost any of the participants having seen the book at hand) has gotten me thinking. I love monster books. Collect 'em. But how much of them actually see use in my games?
I will compare and contrast the amount of monsters in the MM 3.5 that I've used. This will be exceedingly longwinded, so spoiler tags will be used extensively. Final tallies will be posted. Results will be inferenced.
Oh, and I'm counting advanced versions and sample templated/advanced examples seperately. I won't count every time I've used the vampire template as a seperate use, for instance, but if I've used one of the sample vampires in the MM, I'll count it. And true dragons count as one. Same for elementals.
I've used:
[sblock=Monster Manual 3.5]
Achaierai
Allip
Angel, Solar
Animated Object, Small, Medium, Large
Ankheg
Aranea
Assassin Vine
Azer
Barghest and Greater Barghest
Greater Abyssal Basilisk
Behir
Beholder
Beholder, Gauth
Belker
Bodak
Bugbear
Celestial Template
Chimera
Choker
Chuul
Cloaker
Cockatrice
Delver
Demon, Babau
Demon, Balor
Demon, Bebilith
Demon, Dretch
Demon, Hezrou
Demon, Quasit
Demon, Succubus
Demon, Vrock
Derro
Destrachan
Devil, Barbed
Devil, Bearded
Devil, Bone
Devil, Chain
Devil, Horned
Devil, Ice
Devil, Imp,
Devil, Lemure,
Devil, Pit Fiend
Digester
Dinosaur, Dinonychus
Dire Ape
Dire Boar
Dire Rat
Dire Weasel
Dire Wolf
Displacer Beast
Displacer Beast Packlord
Doppelganger
Black Dragon
Red Dragon
Silver Dragon
Drider
Dryad
Dwarf
Air Elemental
Earth Elemental
Fire Elemental
Elf
Elf, Drow
Ettercap
Ettin
Fiendish Creature
Fungus, Shrieker
Gargoyle
Genie, Efreet
Ghost
Ghoul
Ghast
Giant, Hill
Gibbering Mouther
Girallon
Githyanki
Gnoll
Gnome
Goblin
Golem, Flesh
Golem, Iron
Gray Render
Grick
Grimlock
Hag, Sea
Half-Dragon
Half-Fiend
Halfling
Harpy
Hell Hound
Hobgoblin
Howler
Hydra - 5, 7, 10 headed
Invisible Stalker
Kobold
Krenshar
Kuo-toa
Lich
Sample 11th level Wizard lich
Lizardfolk
Lycanthrope template
Lycanthrope, Wererat
Lycanthrope, Werewolf
Manticore
Mephit, Dust
Mephit, Fire
Mephit, Ice
Mephit, Salt
Mimic
Mind Flayer
Minotaur
Morgh
Mummy
Mummy Lord, 10th level cleric
Dark Naga
Night Hag
Nightmare
Nightshade, Nightcrawler
Nightshade, Nightwalker
Ogre
Ooze, Black Pudding
Ooze, Elder Black Pudding
Ooze, Gelatinous Cube
Ooze, Gray
Orc
Otyugh
Owlbear
Planetouched, Aasimar
Planetouched, Tiefling
Pseudodragon
Purple Worm
Rakshasa
Ravid
Remorhaz
Rust Monster
Salamander, Average
Shadow
Shadow, Greater
Shadow Mastiff
Shambling Mound
Shield Guardian
Skeleton Template
Skeleton, Human Warrior
Skeleton, Troll
Skum
Slaad, Blue
Slaad, Green
Slaad, Death
Spectre
Stirge
Swarm, Bat
Swarm, Rat
Swarm, Spider
Tendriculos
Thoqqua
Treant
Troglodyte
Troll
Umber Hulk
Truly Horrid Umber Hulk
Vampire template
Vampire Spawn
Vargouille
Wight
Worg
Wraith
Wraith, Dread
Wyvern
Xorn, Average
Ythrak
Zombie template
Human Zombie
Troglodyte Zombie
Bugbear Zombie (named Chumley)
Ape
Bear, Brown
Crocodile
Crocodile, Giant
Dog, Riding
Warhorse, Heavy
Hyena
Lion
Lizard, Monitor
Monkey
Octopus, Giant
Rhinoceras
Shark, Medium
Shark, Large
Snake, Constrictor
Snake, Tiny Viper
Snake, Large Viper
Squid, Giant
Wolf
Giant Praying Mantis
Giant Wasp
Montrous Centipede, Huge
Monstrous Scorpion, Medium
Monstrous Spider, Small, Medium, Large[/sblock]
So, out of 458 monsters I counted (not counting elementals or dragon age categories, mind), I've used 202 of them. That's a total of 44% of the monsters in the MM I've used. Neat, huh?
What does this have to do with anything? Well, the MM 3.5 is certainly the high mark of my monster usage. As much as I love my Tomes of Horror, my MM 2 and 3, the Fiend Folio, even my poor abused copy of Monsters of Faerun... none of them have likely seen anything approaching a 44% use-rate.
...not that I really know what that has to do with the MMIV. I think. Maybe what I'm saying is, if the creatures there are useful, it'll still be worth it, despite the lower number of unique monsters? I'm not even sure anymore. That list took a long time.
So, how many monsters have you used? Is 44% about the magic number? Or has someone actually used every monster in one of their books?
Demiurge out.
I will compare and contrast the amount of monsters in the MM 3.5 that I've used. This will be exceedingly longwinded, so spoiler tags will be used extensively. Final tallies will be posted. Results will be inferenced.
Oh, and I'm counting advanced versions and sample templated/advanced examples seperately. I won't count every time I've used the vampire template as a seperate use, for instance, but if I've used one of the sample vampires in the MM, I'll count it. And true dragons count as one. Same for elementals.
I've used:
[sblock=Monster Manual 3.5]
Achaierai
Allip
Angel, Solar
Animated Object, Small, Medium, Large
Ankheg
Aranea
Assassin Vine
Azer
Barghest and Greater Barghest
Greater Abyssal Basilisk
Behir
Beholder
Beholder, Gauth
Belker
Bodak
Bugbear
Celestial Template
Chimera
Choker
Chuul
Cloaker
Cockatrice
Delver
Demon, Babau
Demon, Balor
Demon, Bebilith
Demon, Dretch
Demon, Hezrou
Demon, Quasit
Demon, Succubus
Demon, Vrock
Derro
Destrachan
Devil, Barbed
Devil, Bearded
Devil, Bone
Devil, Chain
Devil, Horned
Devil, Ice
Devil, Imp,
Devil, Lemure,
Devil, Pit Fiend
Digester
Dinosaur, Dinonychus
Dire Ape
Dire Boar
Dire Rat
Dire Weasel
Dire Wolf
Displacer Beast
Displacer Beast Packlord
Doppelganger
Black Dragon
Red Dragon
Silver Dragon
Drider
Dryad
Dwarf
Air Elemental
Earth Elemental
Fire Elemental
Elf
Elf, Drow
Ettercap
Ettin
Fiendish Creature
Fungus, Shrieker
Gargoyle
Genie, Efreet
Ghost
Ghoul
Ghast
Giant, Hill
Gibbering Mouther
Girallon
Githyanki
Gnoll
Gnome
Goblin
Golem, Flesh
Golem, Iron
Gray Render
Grick
Grimlock
Hag, Sea
Half-Dragon
Half-Fiend
Halfling
Harpy
Hell Hound
Hobgoblin
Howler
Hydra - 5, 7, 10 headed
Invisible Stalker
Kobold
Krenshar
Kuo-toa
Lich
Sample 11th level Wizard lich
Lizardfolk
Lycanthrope template
Lycanthrope, Wererat
Lycanthrope, Werewolf
Manticore
Mephit, Dust
Mephit, Fire
Mephit, Ice
Mephit, Salt
Mimic
Mind Flayer
Minotaur
Morgh
Mummy
Mummy Lord, 10th level cleric
Dark Naga
Night Hag
Nightmare
Nightshade, Nightcrawler
Nightshade, Nightwalker
Ogre
Ooze, Black Pudding
Ooze, Elder Black Pudding
Ooze, Gelatinous Cube
Ooze, Gray
Orc
Otyugh
Owlbear
Planetouched, Aasimar
Planetouched, Tiefling
Pseudodragon
Purple Worm
Rakshasa
Ravid
Remorhaz
Rust Monster
Salamander, Average
Shadow
Shadow, Greater
Shadow Mastiff
Shambling Mound
Shield Guardian
Skeleton Template
Skeleton, Human Warrior
Skeleton, Troll
Skum
Slaad, Blue
Slaad, Green
Slaad, Death
Spectre
Stirge
Swarm, Bat
Swarm, Rat
Swarm, Spider
Tendriculos
Thoqqua
Treant
Troglodyte
Troll
Umber Hulk
Truly Horrid Umber Hulk
Vampire template
Vampire Spawn
Vargouille
Wight
Worg
Wraith
Wraith, Dread
Wyvern
Xorn, Average
Ythrak
Zombie template
Human Zombie
Troglodyte Zombie
Bugbear Zombie (named Chumley)
Ape
Bear, Brown
Crocodile
Crocodile, Giant
Dog, Riding
Warhorse, Heavy
Hyena
Lion
Lizard, Monitor
Monkey
Octopus, Giant
Rhinoceras
Shark, Medium
Shark, Large
Snake, Constrictor
Snake, Tiny Viper
Snake, Large Viper
Squid, Giant
Wolf
Giant Praying Mantis
Giant Wasp
Montrous Centipede, Huge
Monstrous Scorpion, Medium
Monstrous Spider, Small, Medium, Large[/sblock]
So, out of 458 monsters I counted (not counting elementals or dragon age categories, mind), I've used 202 of them. That's a total of 44% of the monsters in the MM I've used. Neat, huh?
What does this have to do with anything? Well, the MM 3.5 is certainly the high mark of my monster usage. As much as I love my Tomes of Horror, my MM 2 and 3, the Fiend Folio, even my poor abused copy of Monsters of Faerun... none of them have likely seen anything approaching a 44% use-rate.
...not that I really know what that has to do with the MMIV. I think. Maybe what I'm saying is, if the creatures there are useful, it'll still be worth it, despite the lower number of unique monsters? I'm not even sure anymore. That list took a long time.
So, how many monsters have you used? Is 44% about the magic number? Or has someone actually used every monster in one of their books?
Demiurge out.