Monsters that have been degraded over time that need fixing

[foolish_mortals]

I think I'd add Green Slime to the list. The last time I looked they'd downgraded the wonderful monster to a trap. A trap I tell you! Never call a monster a trap! Black Puddings are not something you eat, but stick your sword into.

foolish_mortals

 

[Upper_Krust]

I actually think the much bigger problem is the amount of level inflated monsters from 4th Edition. Which conversely, might be making the others appear weaker.

Level Inflated monsters.

1. Dragons: Dragons should not be Epic Monsters. Tiamat is an Epic Dragon, Ancient Red Dragon should cap out at Level 20.

2. Balors & Pit Fiends: These are not epic monsters. Orcus and Dispater are Epic demons and devils. Balors and Pit Fiends should be statted in and around the mid-high Paragon Tier.

3. Yuan-Ti: In my opinion, no naturally occuring (medium sized) humanoid race should have its basic rank and file troops above Level 10.

Humanoids (from non-hostile terrain): Basic Troops Levels 1-5 (Humans, Orcs, Gnolls etc.)
Humanoids (from hostile terrain): Basic Troops Levels 6-10 (Drow, Yuan-ti, Kuo-Toa etc.)
Humanoids (from planar): Basic Troops Levels 11-15 (Githyanki, Rakshasa, Illithids etc.)

 

[Nostromos]

Rott Grubs were always a good one...go digging around in a pile of corpses thinking you'll find some cool magic item and instead you get a worm burrowing through your arm.

Lots of great monsters in 2nd Ed that either got very watered down or just "generalized". In my 4E game we still use the "hard" rules, and a beholder can turn you to stone/kill you..get a couple of saves for some effects but still..character death can/will happen. I also tend to make my fights more...challenging....mark everything in the room with an ability? Ok..get hammered by the poltergeists, knocked dead and thrown across the room.

 

[NewJeffCT]

Thri-Kreen were nasty pieces of work in 2E, but got nerfed in 3E and further nerfed in 4E.

The Lamia was a woman with a snake body that drained wisdom from 1E through 3.5E. It became a swarm in 4E? WTF?

The succubus was a demon before 4E...

Medusa turned you to stone on a failed save before 4E... Cockatrice did as well... same with the Basilisk. Heck, they had a whole special category save in 1E/2E (Petrification/Polymorph)

 

[foolish_mortals]

was anyone bothered by the titans being turned into a bigger version of the giants? that really turned me off. I didn't like them being turned into elementals either. We already had elementals. Maybe they'll turn halflings into a form of elf in 5th?

foolish_mortals

 

[Stormonu]

Elementals should be these things made of one element. Not the pathetic mixes offered to us in the 4E MM. Those are paraelementals, at least.

And I hate the look of 4E's trolls. My favorite metal mini for years was a troll based on the picture in the 1E MM.

I also dislike the fact that werecreatures now seem to need to carry weapons and wear armor. Their claws and fangs should be deadly enough.

(And please, I never, ever want to see a picture of vampires wielding spiked chains ever again. It just seems...wrong)

Why are zombies following the Left4Dead model - boomer, hunter, smoker, tank? What ever happened to our shambling husk friends?

 

[foolish_mortals]

we need good ol Strahd style vampires. Vamps used to just need their fists to ruin a PC. A vamp with a weapon was the exception not the rule. Not sure where the need for weapons cam from. Too much Underworld most likely


foolish_mortals

 

[Stormonu]

Ah, and Modrons. The 2E versions should really be brought back into the game.

 

[foolish_mortals]

I might add Sahuagin to this list. I'm not sure what edition their heads morphed into fish heads but I think I prefer the 1rst edition heads. They really looked like the devil men of the deep back then. Now their just fish head men of the deep.

foolish_mortals

 

[Li Shenron]

I actually think the much bigger problem is the amount of level inflated monsters from 4th Edition. Which conversely, might be making the others appear weaker.

Level Inflated monsters.

1. Dragons: Dragons should not be Epic Monsters. Tiamat is an Epic Dragon, Ancient Red Dragon should cap out at Level 20.

2. Balors & Pit Fiends: These are not epic monsters. Orcus and Dispater are Epic demons and devils. Balors and Pit Fiends should be statted in and around the mid-high Paragon Tier.

These would be ok for me, if core stopped at lv20. Killing gods or unique uber-demons IMHO should belong to an optional module, not to core D&D.

This way, Dragons and Balrogs should still stand at the top of the D&D core ladder, which sounds appropriate to me.

Overall, I would restrict the core Monster Manual to iconic monsters only, both those from folklore (celtic, greek-roman mythology, modern horror etc.) which are very well heard of by anyone, and those uniquely D&D but which have a strong tradition across the editions. Cut everything else, and avoid new monsters.

Also avoid low-level dragons.