How Many Monsters Have You Actually Used?

[Drowbane]

What? No poll?!

Unless it just blows me away, I doubt I'll buy MM IV.

Monster books on my shelf:

Fiend Folio
MM
MM II
Various other books that happen to have monsters in them (ECS, FRCS, Underdark, Libris Mortis - the Book of Bad Latin, etc)

I've used the MM the most, and have used maybe 15%.

 

[Iron Captain]

Since I've only run one adventure, The Sunless Citadel (and we didn't even finish!), I have basically only used the following creatures:

[sblock]Kobolds
Goblins
White Dragon
Water Mephit
Troll albeit a very weak one[/sblock]

It's not a very impressive list.

 

[Kanegrundar]

I own a boatload of monster books both print and pdf. A rough estimate of usage would be maybe 20% total. From the MM though, I've used 100% of them in some form from previous editions to now.

 

[Matafuego]

Looking at the SRD (is there a monster by book list somewhere?? it would make this easier..)

I've used 151 monsters of 246 (i may have missed one or two).

It's over 50 % =)

 

[Shade]

Let's see, it's probably easier if I list the monsters I haven't used.

MM 3.5:
Aboleth Mage
Achaierai
Allip
Ankheg
Aranea
Archon, Hound Hero
Arrowhawk, Juvenile
Assassin Vine
Basilisk, Abyssal Greater
Blink Dog
Centaur
Cloaker
Cockatrice
Darkmantle
Delver
Destrachan
Digester
Dinosaur, Deinonychus
Dinosaur, Elasmosaurus
Dinosaur, Megaraptor
Dire Shark
Displacer Beast Pack Lord
Doppelganger
Dragonne
Dryad
Ethereal Filcher
Ethereal Marauder
Formian, Myrmarch
Formian, Queen
Formian, Taskmaster
Formian, Warrior
Formian, Worker
Fungus, Violet
Genie, Janni
Giant, Cloud
Giant, Stone
Giant, Storm
Golem, Stone, Greater
Gorgon
Grick
Hag, Sea
Halfling
Harpy
Harpy Archer
Hell Hound, Nessian Warhound
Homunculus
Invisible Stalker
Krenshar
Kuo-toa
Lamia
Lammasu
Lammasu, Golden Protector
Locathah
Magmin
Manticore
Mephit, Dust
Mephit, Ice
Mephit, Ooze
Mephit, Salt
Mephit, Steam
Mephit, Water
Merfolk
Mimic
Mind Flayer Sorcerer
Naga, Dark
Naga, Guardian
Naga, Spirit
Naga, Water
Nightmare, Cauchemar
Ogre Barbarian
Ooze, Gelatinous Cube
Ooze, Ochre Jelly
Owl, Giant
Pegasus
Phantom Fungus
Phasm
Rust Monster
Sea Cat
Shadow, Greater
Shadow Mastiff
Shocker Lizard
Skeleton
Sphinx, Androsphinx
Sphinx, Criosphinx
Sphinx, Gynosphinx
Sphinx, Hieracosphinx
Spider Eater
Sprite, Nixie
Tarrasque
Titan
Tojanida, Adult
Tojanida, Elder
Tojanida, Juvenile
Triton
Troll Hunter
Umber Hulk, Truly Horrid
Unicorn, Celestial Charger
Vampire, Elite
Will-o'-wisp
Wraith, Dread
Xorn, Minor
Yeth Hound


FF:
Abrian
Aoa, Droplet
Aoa, Sphere
Aquatic Ooze, Flotsam Ooze
Bacchae
Blood Hawk
Bloodthorn
Canomorph, Haraknin
Canomorph, Shadurakul
Canomorph, Vultivor
Century Worm
Dark One, Dark Creeper
Dark One, Dark Stalker
Darkweaver
Death Dog
Disenchanter
Ethereal Ooze
Fensir
Fensir, Rakka
Feytouched
Flame Snake, Lesser
Flame Snake, Minor
Formian, Armadon
Formian, Observer
Formian, Winged Warrior
Fossergrim
Imp, Bloodbag
Imp, Euphoric
Imp, Filth
Indricothere
Iron Cobra
Jackal Lord
Jackalwere
Kelp Angler
Kelpie
Khaasta
Living Holocaust
Lucent Worm
Megatherium
Mongrelfolk
Necrophidius
Octopus Tree
Oread
Planetouched, Maeluth
Planetouched, Mechanatrix
Sarkrith, Spelleater
Sarkrith, Thane
Selkie
Senmurv
Shadow Asp
Shedu
Skulk
Spirit of the Air
Sporebat
Spriggan
Sunwyrm
Swarm, Cranium Rat, Average
Swarm, Cranium Rat, Greater
Swarm, Cranium Rat, Lesser
Swarm, Plague Ant
Swarm, Rapture Locust
Swarm, Scarab Beetle
Terlen
Terror Bird
Vine Horror
Vorr
Wicker Man
Yellow Musk Creeper
Yurian

Templates:
Half-Fey
Wendigo
Yellow Musk Zombie

MMII:
Abeil
Ash Rat
Asperi
Automaton, Hammerer
Automaton, Pulverizer
Blood Ape
Boggle
Bogun
Bone Naga
Bone Ooze
Braxat
Chaos Roc
Cloaked Ape
Clockwork Horror, Adamantine
Clockwork Horror, Electrum
Clockwork Horror, Gold
Clockwork Horror, Platinum
Cloud Ray
Corollax
Crimson Death
Desmodu
Desmodu Bat, Guard
Desmodu Bat, Hunting
Desmodu Bat, War
Dinosaur, Ankylosaurus
Dinosaur, Cryptocliudus
Dinosaur, Quetzalcoatus
Dinosaur, Seismosaurus
Dire Horse
Dragon, Gem, Amethyst
Dragon, Gem, Crystal
Dragon, Gem, Emerald
Dragon, Gem, Sapphire
Dragon, Gem, Topaz
Dread Guard
Dune Stalker
Ether Scarab
Ethereal Doppleganger
Ethereal Slayer
Felldrake, Crested
Felldrake, Horned
Felldrake, Spitting
Fire Bat
Flesh Jelly
Forest Sloth
Galeb Duhr
Gambol
Giant, Forest
Giant, Ocean
Glimmerskin
Golem, Stained Glass
Gravorg
Greenvise
Grimalkin
Grizzly Mastodon
Half-fiend, Durzagon
Immoth
Ixitxachitl, Average
Ixitxachitl, Vampiric
Jermlaine
Leechwalker
Legendary Ape
Legendary Bear
Legendary Eagle
Legendary Horse
Legendary Shark
Legendary Snake
Legendary Wolf
Linnorm, Dread
Loxo
Marrash
Meenlock
Megalodon
Moonbeast
Moonrat
Morkoth
Mudmaw
Myconid, Average Worker
Myconid, Circle Leader
Myconid, Elder Worker
Myconid, Guard
Myconid, Junior Worker
Myconid, Sovereign
Needlefolk
Nethersight Mastiff
Orcwort
Orcwort, Wortling
Ormyrr
Phase Wasp
Psurlon, Average
Psurlon, Elder
Psurlon, Giant
Raggamoffyn, Common
Raggamoffyn, Guttersnipe
Raggamoffyn, Shrapnyl
Raggamoffyn, Tatterdemanimal
Rampager
Reason Stealer
Red Sundew
Shadow Spider
Sirine
Spellgaunt
Spirit of the Land
Stone Spike
Swamplight Lynx
Sylph
Twig Blight
Windghost
Yak Folk

Templates:
Captured One
Half-Golem, Clay
Half-Golem, Flesh
Half-Golem, Iron
Half-Golem, Stone

I haven't worked the numbers, but I'm guessing I'm over 50%.

Some notes:
- I haven't used much of MMIII, mostly because I didn't find it terribly inspiring.
- Many of the monsters I haven't used I'd like to use -- they just haven't fit into one of the current campaigns or one-shots.
- Entire groups of creatures (formians, psurlons, etc.) haven't been used, but if I end up using one, I'll probably use most as I like "themed" encounters.
-I don't tend to use advanced monsters out of the books -- I prefer to advance them myself.
-I don't use sample templated monsters -- I make my own.

 

[Wombat]

I only bought the MM and the Creature Collection (S&S).

I have used maybe 10% of the critters in there.

I dislike most of them -- most of them because they feel ridiculous (phantom fungus, ethereal filcher, etc.) and some of them strictly because they are far too powerful for any game that I would find enjoyable (tarrasque, etc.).

And I have very little interest in other monsters; using NPCs as opponents is at least as interesting and usually more "believable" for my campaigns.

 

[lukelightning]

I got rid of all my monster books other than MM. I found most monster books are filled with re-hashes, redundant monsters, bizarro monsters, monsters with poorly thought out mechanics, etc.

If I want a face-eating undead monster, I just take a ghast and say this ghast likes to eat faces. If I need a bronze golem I take a stone golem and say it's made of bronze. If I need a acid elemental I take a fire elemental and say it does acid damage. Purple dragon? It's a black dragon that spits a line of cold. War troll? It's a troll with some warrior levels. Dire leopard? Take a dire lion, give it some climb and stealth ability (and spots too!).

And if all else fails I just make something up myself.

 

[el-remmen]

I only own the 3.0 MM, MoF and the Creature Collection and have never used anything from the last one - and am a big critic of the versions of stuff in the second.

Anyway, here is a list of every monster I used in my 5 year "Out of the Frying Pan" game (warning spoliers for my story hour):
[sblock]
Goblins
Wolves
Blink Dog
Zombie
Skeleton
Lesser Mummy (homebrew)
Bone Spider (homebrew)
Humans
Black Bear
Badger
Gnomes
Half-fiend Gnomes
Fiendish Wolverines
Flail Snail (w/ fire element template from MoP)
Gargoyles
Elves
Otyugh
Giant Spider
Quaggoth
Half-ogre/Frost Giant (homebrew)
Fiendish Manticore (w/levels of psion)
Gnolls
Hyenadon
Protein Polymorph (adapted)
Wight
Shadows
Ogre Zombies
Cockatrices
Stone Giants
Baneguards
Half-Dragon Lizardfolk Ranger
Brown Mold
Umber Hulk
Cifal
Blazing Bones
Dwarven Ghouls
Shriekers
Violet Fungi
Ghast (w/cleric levels)
Skrag (w/barbarian levels)
Kuo-toa
Stone Golem (in dog form)
Drow
Orcs
Psuedo-Undead (fantasy equivalent of goth kids with magic items that mimic undead abilities)
Trolls
Wyvern
Firbolgs
Fire Newts
Giant Striders
Fiendish Chimera
Earth Elemental (in dire boar form)
Thoqua
Boggles
Crypt Thing
Needlemen
Ju-Ju Zombies
Blue Slaadi
Shedu
Air Elemental
Huge Fiendish Wyvern
Modrons (of various kinds)
Para-elementals (Ooze, Smoke, Ice & Magma)
Greater Succubus (homebrew - a mix of succubus and maralith)
~ some kind of planar worm from the MoP (I forget the name)
Dretch
Axoimatic Wolves
Axiomatic Blink Wolf (homebrew)[/sblock]

Some of the creatures on the list were faced more than once - for example, the fiendish gnomes were recurring villians and "humans" covers everything from evil monks to town guards to local thugs to barbarian raiders.

I may have forgotten some. . .

But basically, my opinion on the matter is that new monsters are not as important as presenting new ways or versions of existing ones.

 

[lukelightning]

When I read these lists of monsters I want to add "and especially rabbits!" at the end....

 

[KB9JMQ]

Well I feel if I use 25% of a book I have gotten my moneys worth already. I also know that someday I will use that book again.

I like to use different monsters everytime we game. I try to use something no one has heard of or fought before to keep things new.

I have used MMI, MMII, FF, MoF, ToH, Libris Mortis, netbooks, web enhancements, monsters from magazines, etc. I have probably used 70% of MMI and 40% MMII, 30% FF and ToH.
I like to use modules so if I pick one out to use that has Orcs or Goblins in it I substituted something else.