Men or Monsters?

[madelf]

I don't think it matters much. Or shouldn't at least.

There's no reason a monster can't be a dynamic character. Any of the depth and motivations that can be applied to a human villian can also be applied to a non-human one. Just make the "monsters" into "villains". Even an animal will have reasons for doing what it does, and for being where it is (and it's fantasy - so you can always give them more cunning than the average critter might have). Granted, not every random encounter is going to turn into a major event which allows for a ton of development, but why not keep the possibility in mind from the start? The potential is always there to run with.

 

[diaglo]

Just as a note of curiousity I was wondering as a GM which do you prefer to use or perhaps what do you find yourself using the most in your adventures.

i tend to use a lot of humanoids. orcs, goblins, hobgoblins, bugbears, kobolds, trogs, gnolls, ogres, trolls

and a few demihumans. elves, faeries, dwarves, gnomes, hobbits, halflings.

plus some of the half races.

but in wilderness and dungeons... i stick to monsters mostly.

 

[Voadam]

A mix. Some things get hard to classify, demons for example are intelligent and many are humanoid shaped and can have classes, would they be people or monster.

The last combat was against a huge chaos ooze, but it was the last one only because they choose not to jump into a bar brawl later with a bunch of hobgoblins and tieflings instead using bribes, bluff, and diplomacy to calm things down without risking running afoul of the laws of the land.

 

[Shemeska]

Man or monster is a relative term when you're on the planes. Humans might be both a minority and not even the most intelligent creatures in a given layer of a given plane, so the man/monster distinction breaks down to an extent.

The last plot arc had the PCs on the layer of Woeful Escarond in the Abyss, there at the behest of a risen (CE to NE on its way to LE) Abyssal Lord, to abduct a particular Nalfeshnee. So lots of larvae, manes, dretches, and rutterkin. Around three dozen vrocks in the domain of this particular nalfeshnee, plus a trophy incubus and five buleazau. And one encounter with a dozen or so bodaks and a shadowfiend. No other mortals encountered.

 

[I'm A Banana]

Monsters, at least until a Man Manual comes out that gives me over 300 ready-to-use creatures of various races, classes, and abilities that can provide a diverse combat challenge for the group. Becaus making an NPC is a LOT of work....a LOT.

 

[shilsen]

I like how Ken Hite defines monsters and villains in Nightmares of Mine - monsters are one-dimensional, mindless, creatures where villains are dynamic, sentient, beings with a plan. He uses Michael Myers (aka The Shape) and Jason Vorhees (aka The Crystal Lake Killer) as examples of monsters, with Hannibal 'The Cannibal' Lector serving as an example of a villain (IIRC). Anyhow...

The point is that if it's just a dumb animal and/or one-dimensional killing machine, it's a monster. If it's a dynamic character with elaborate motivations, plans, and goals; then it's a villain. This means that orcs can easily be villains or monsters, depending upon how you portray them as a DM. Me, I like villains - monsters are good every now and again, but using them as the meat of a campaign induces exceptional boredom.

Nice definition. Applying that to my games, I'm definitely a big fan of villains over monsters too. Sure, the PCs will encounter some monsters every so often because they're fun for them to beat up on, but the real, constant opposition are the villains. The slavering troll is unidimensionally interesting for me, since it provides few options beyond "I kill it or it kills me." But the evil so-and-so who smiles at you across the table and passes the salt, all while knowing that you know what he's up to and knowing that you know he knows, now that's someone I (and the players/PCs) can really have fun with.

 

[ThirdWizard]

I use a lot of intelligent monsters (mindflayers, neogi, giants, dragons, kobolds, etc). I also do use the humanoid races quite a bit, perhaps a bit less than the intelligent monsters. Occasionally, I use a non-humanoid monsterous creature (phase spider, winter wolves, etc), and very rarely I'll use animalistic monsters (owl-bears, dire animals, giant insects, etc).

 

[Desdichado]

I've noticed lately that in my current campaign I am using more and more people as combatants for the PC's than monsters as potential enemies. I know that most of that has to do with the current story I'm focusing on, but always before I managed to sneak in monsters and make them part of the adventure.

Just as a note of curiousity I was wondering as a GM which do you prefer to use or perhaps what do you find yourself using the most in your adventures.

I do pretty much the same. Classed NPCs are usually much more interesting adversaries, to me. Plus, I do a lot of urban adventures in lieu of dungeoncrawls, and monsters rampaging through the city is a fantasy convention you can only use every so often before it feels really contrived.

 

[JustKim]

I am so sick of human opponents. I've played in a game where the DM seemed unwilling to use anything else- thugs, cultists, assassins, ad infinitum. I love monsters. I buy every monster book I can get my hands on. I love to find interesting ways to fit them into the story and I believe they make for much more memorable encounters. Give me monsters over humans any day.

 

[Evilhalfling]

Well Im going to go with monsters -
Aboleths, a ghast with class levels, skum, Dragons, mindless undead, ghosts, more dragons, demons. Many of these were villains rather than mere monsters.
The last 2 sessions enemies were 5 goblins and a succubus, but the goblins were established members of the city (which had 8% goblin population. Other foes included a human and a halfling(3rd expert, madame).

I do tend to use humans and Demihumans as especially vile opponents, I mean sure the dragon will eat you but it takes a evil halfling necromancer to steal a fallen commrads body and defile it, trying to raise a vengefull undead.

The skum will ambush you but they won't show up later, innocencently apologize and then do it again, and again when you try and track them for the previous betrayals. All in the name of racial justice and solidarity.