Legendary, Mythical and Iconic Monster Types

[Wild Gazebo]

Definitely Gazebos...not domestic ones though.

Basilisk/Cockatrace
Sphinx
Laviathan
Golem
Medusa
ok this goes on far too long...

 

[johnsemlak]

Griffons
Rocs

Sphinx
Pheonix


Also, definitely what the above poster said about sea monsters. Giant octopi and squid for example

 

[Jdvn1]

There are Legendary Animals in... I don't remember. MM2, I want to say.

Picture any nature movie where there's one animal to rule the forest or tribe of animals. That's a legendary animal.

 

[Tonguez]

Greater golems / animated statues, stone being Greek with metal being Arabian I guess

Nah Talos - was a bronze golem so Metallic is a Greek thing too

 

[Gez]

Legendary: Creatures of legends, like the Tarasque, werewolves, yeti, etc.

Mythical: Creatures of myths (which are just a mixed soup of old religions and older legends), like the sphinx, the genies, and the most classical-looking amongst fiends and celestials. Most Fey and Magical Beasts.

Iconic: Creatures iconic of D&D's own pulpish take on heroic fantasy, with beholders and mindflayers. As someone said, mostly aberrations and oozes.

 

[Ankh-Morpork Guard]

I'd put Elementals in Mythical, too.

 

[the Jester]

Giant animals
Griffons, hippogriffs and other 'animal combo' critters
Giant bugs of various sort
Fairies of all kinds
Elves and dwarves
Elementals

Really, ultimately, most of the monsters in dnd are either based in mythology or are iconic dnd creatures.

 

[Roman]

Alright, what I meant by legendary/mythical/iconic was a single category that includes creature types that are found ALSO outside of the fantasy genre - which generally (but perhaps not only) means myths, legends and (fairy-)tales.

 

[Ankh-Morpork Guard]

Alright, what I meant by legendary/mythical/iconic was a single category that includes creature types that are found ALSO outside of the fantasy genre - which generally (but perhaps not only) means myths, legends and (fairy-)tales.

And that pretty much includes everything that isn't a unique to D&D monster.

 

[Tanager]

Orcs are probably the most iconic DnD monster. They're the first thing that comes into my mind. Way before dragons.

The irony of this is killing me. Do you think this is the case due to the gamer penchant for reducing everything to acronyms?