How necessary is Gargantuan/Colossal sizing?

[Kvantum]

Well, let's look at what actually exists in the MM that's not a dragon and is bigger than Huge size

Gargantuan
Animated Object
Baleen Whale
Cachalot Whale
Krarken
Monstrous Centipede
Monstrous Scorpion
Monstrous Spider
Nightcrawler
Elder Black Pudding
Purple Worm
Roc

Colossal
Animated Object
Monstrous Centipede
Monstrous Scorpion
Monstrous Spider
Tarrasque

Who'd actually want to see proper minis of animated objects, whales, or the various monstrous vermin? (Well, for some of those you can just go out and buy appropriately sized plastic toys.) That leaves us with the Kraken, the Nightcrawler, an Elder Black Pudding (ooo, big pile of blackberry jello!), the true-sized purple worm, the roc (big eagle), and the Tarrasque. That's not a whole lot of must-buys there, if you ask me.

 

[Whimsical]

Well, if you buy a tarantula then place it on the battle mat when the characters encounter it, that would make a cool miniature for a monstrous spider.

Of course, there's a risk of losing the spider. And possibly some players.

 

[Destil]

Sure, sure. Picture the thought process of the WotC Design Team like this:

1. Monsters come in sizes from Tiny to Colossal
2. Gargantuan and Colossal miniatures are too bulky to package with regular DDM sets
3. Only incredibly popular monsters like dragons will be purchased in a $30-40 standlone manner
4. We want to (theoretically) be able to make miniatures of anything in a Monster Manual
5. Therefore, only dragons(and *maybe* a Tarrasque) will be allowed to be bigger than Huge; everything else must be Huge or smaller.

Well, in theory if a monster other than the big T and dragons is larger than Huge is popular enugh, it can be a mini. They wouldn't make any stand-alone, non-random mini without beliving it will sell. Therefore it's still possible to make these minis, if they think the market will be willing to buy them.

This is almost a moot discussion. Check out the options at these sizes aside from HD increases in the SRD:

Gargantuan
Animated Object, Gargantuan
Baleen Whale
Various dragons
Kraken
Various Gargantuan Vermin
Nightshade, Nightcrawler
Ooze, Elder Black Pudding
Purple Worm
Roc

Colossal
Animated Object, Colossal
Tarrasque
A few dragons
A few Colossal vermin

The worm is already a mini (huge?) I don't see baleen whales being a possibility anyway... that leavs the Roc (could be pretty popular), Kraken (in the same boat as the whale, or under it rather). That leaves the Nighshade , the Elder pudding (both are really just smaller monsters with HD increases in my mind) and the really big bugs...

So... this is a discussion about really big bugs?

Though random packs of Colossal minis would be kinda cool.... here's hoping you pull a rare dragon and not just a really big bug.

 

[Kae'Yoss]

It's cheaper to make Huge miniatures than it is to make an Aston Martin, yet the company still turns a profit.

Haven't you heard? The new Aston Martin's only half as large as the older models!

 

[Knight Otu]

It's cheaper to make Huge miniatures than it is to make an Aston Martin, yet the company still turns a profit.

Its cheaper* to just make jettons with art than to make minis, yet wizards makes minis.


*Well, presumably, with mostly recycled art.

 

[jim pinto]

speaking of...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6453997.stm

 

[frankthedm]

an Elder Black Pudding (ooo, big pile of blackberry jello!)

I prefer twisted wire and melted wax, thank you very much.

I wish there were more gargantuan and colossal foes. More in the lower CR ranges too.

 

[Sejs]

If I can't use a Real Doll in a toga as a miniature for a Titan, then by god it's just not D&D to me.

 

[Laman Stahros]

I prefer twisted wire and melted wax, thank you very much.

I wish there were more gargantuan and colossal foes. More in the lower CR ranges too.

WOW!!!!! Just WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That is so ugly that it is just cool. I have got to make (and use) one of those.

 

[Hussar]

Collossal in lower CR's would be pretty difficult. Although the Dino's tend to fit the bill there. Note, there's no reason to limit ourselves to strictly the MM either since DDM certainly doesn't. If you go through all 4 MM's and the Fiend Folio, I'm fairly sure you could find loads more gargantuan and colossal critters.

That of course also ignores things like ships and other vehicles as well. There's lots of stuff that comes in the gar/col range, it's just that it doesn't always see a lot of air time.

Since I doubt that DDM is so profitable that D&D need worry about it being taken over and their rules changed to fit with DDM, I believe this would be a bit of a non-issue.