Monster Pairings

[Tav_Behemoth]

I had the pleasure of meeting Joseph Browning at Gen Con and talking to him about monsters, a subject dear to both our hearts. I was describing one of the core ideas of Masters and Minions -- giving a classic creature a set of related allies that filled out its threat potential -- and he mentioned a very cool idea along the same lines that Expeditious Retreat Press was working on. (I haven't seen him post anything about it yet, so I'll keep it under my hat except to say it's worth watching out for!).

He also mentioned a series of Monster Pairings that had appeared in Dragon Magazine, where they presented ideas & tactics for teaming up two different monsters. I'm wondering:

1) what issues of Dragon were these, and what pairings did they describe?

2) what other team-ups between monsters would be cool?

For #2, I think it'd be nifty to do a goblin (or a psychic Blue) riding on the head of an ogre, like "Master Blaster" from Mad Max (inspired by the 'how big is a halfling' thread...)

 

[Talon5]

A few ideas

The obvious one- Worgs and Goblins.

Coyote6 likes the teaming of an Ettin and a Dire Wolf.

Presently I have an Awakened Dire Wolf that is seemingly making deals with Goblins and Worgs to kill the PCs, he even convenced an Ettin to go after them.

Gnolls and human bandits worked together in one campaign I played in two years ago- that was cool.

 

[Nifft]

My off-the-cuff ideas:

• Blue Telepath riding Gauth
• Retreiver with "bunker" on top (houses 6 Quasits with Rogue levels and bows, and 1 Succubus Sorceress)
• Succubus with Displacer Beasts ("Look, your sword went right through it! It's an illusion! Spend the next six seconds disbelieving it!")
• Undead with class levels -- Ghoul Sorcerer + Shadow Rogues
• Shadow Demon (BoVD) + Wraiths. Yeah, you just better cast magic missile at the darkness...

-- N

 

[Hand of Evil]

Basilisk and Grimlock or Medusa and Grimlock
Kobold and Otyugh - think trap to it
Skeleton and Carrion Crawler - bones not seen as a food source, skeleton not effected by Paralysis

 

[Caliban]

1) Red dragon + Iron Golem
2) Yellow Musk Creeper + undead.
3) Anything with are affect attacks that undead are immune to (paralysis, poison, fatigue, exhaustion, negative energy damage)

 

[Faraer]

See Supplement I: Greyhawk p. 63...

 

[Stone Angel]

Ghouls with class levels of fighter/cavalier riding Carrion crawlers.

Ghouls with class levels of fighter/cavalier riding Rust monsters.

A humanoid with the spellfire feat coupled with a Fiend that has lots of spell like abilities at will. Drawn out this is vary powerful, because the fiend recharges the spellfire with it's at will abilities for no cost. Ala hit and run.

Nothing beats multiple golems. Stone and Flesh.

The Seraph of Earth and Stone

 

[Tav_Behemoth]

See Supplement I: Greyhawk p. 63...

Good catch, Faraer! I'm always happy to spend some time with my cherished copy. Here's what Gygax and Kuntz suggested:

Similar types of monsters who dwell and act together such as:
A Medusa riding a Gorgon, or one who has a pet Basilisk and a pet Cockatrice.
A Balrog riding a Red Dragon, or a Balrog with Salamanders as servants, or a Balrog with a pet fire-breathing Hydra.
A Frost Giant riding a White Dragon.

Dissimilar monsters who still act in combination such as:
A Troll with a magic spear riding a Purple Worm.
A Lord with magical arms and armor riding a Wyvern.
An Ogre-Mage mounted upon a Manticore.
An Evil High Priest riding a Chimera.
Hero/Warlock Elves mounted upon Lammasu.
Thieves with Bugbear guards.
A Cloud Giant riding a Tyrannosaurus Rex.
A Wizard with a pack of Hell Hounds.
Mars mounted upon Talos' shoulders.

 

[the Jester]

I think my favorite combo ever is the illithid + avolakia crossover of culinary delight. Avolakia eat undead flesh only, illithids eat brains; so the mind flayers feed on their chattel, then the avolakia animate them as combined labor and food source, chomping on them from time to time as they go.

Another great one is the frontal-assault golem and the insidious intellect devourer who takes advantage of said assault to slay and take over the body of a pc.

I had great luck with a faux faerie and an assassin imp once in the 2e days.

 

[Squire James]

A Mind Flayer and a pair of Rust Monsters. The Thid stuns people so the Rusties can run up and get an easy meal. Train them to go after weapons first... mind flayers are more susceptible to physical damage than just about anything else!