Monsters with "Traction"

[demiurge1138]

So on the Wizards website, there was a column about the idea of "traction", the ability of a monster to be memorable enough to invoke an inherent response, and one that either is or has the potential to be a "classic". In the column, they asked why the owlbear, for example, is well-known and loved, whereas other animal hybrids, like say perytons, are practically forgotten.

I personally think that it's a combination of humor and terror. I mean, on the face of it, an owl-bear hybrid is ridiculous. It sounds like a parody of all the composite animals in folklore and myth. But they're burly. So the DM says "owlbear", and the players snicker... until they get eaten. And its that duality that really sells them.

Another traction-packed monster, I've found, is the chuul. They're a new face on the monster lineup, and they too sound sort of silly on the face of it - a giant crab with tentacles. Every time I use one, the players start quoting Dr. Zoidberg from Futurama. But every chuul encounter I've run or participated in has ended in frantic retreat. A monster too tough to fight is memorable. It has some traction, even if it only applies to the group.

So what monsters have you found to have traction? Which ones do you have the fondest memories of?

Demiurge out.

 

[Shade]

There was a similar thread on this awhile back before they coined the "traction" term publicly. In it, some of the WOTC designers explained how the folks working on the Fiend Folio were tasked with creating the "next githyanki". Erik Mona wrote about it in his blog as well. I wish I could find it, as it had some good "monsters with traction" within.

Anyway, here's a few that I submitted to the Design Team's query:

1.) Chronotyryn (Fiend Folio): These guys have achieved traction for several reasons. First, their time-related powers make them a dangerous adversary that is quite memorable. Second, they are magical beasts, while most would expect them to be evil outsiders. Finally, the artwork and descriptive text is very evocative.

2.) Atropal and Xixecal (Epic-Level Handbook): These guys are definitely not scalable themselves, but can become the cornerstone for an entire campaign. As soon as my gaming group picked up the ELH, these two immediately became the subject of much hypothesizing over the next several years over how to defeat one of them. The artwork is fantastic (old white dragons look like sparrows next to it!) and its abilities are awe-inspiring.

3.) Nerra (Fiend Folio): These guys meet several of the guidelines you've laid out in the article. They are highly-scalable, having both several varieties at different levels of power and advancement by character class. They are incredibly player-friendly, having a neutral alignment and relatively low LA (for the varoot). The artwork is great, and they could easily be tied to a number of other game elements (other reflective creatures, mirrors of opposition, mirror image spells, etc.)

4.) Nimblewright (MM II): Intelligent, highly-dextrous constructs that look like people and possess incredible rapier skills? Sold.

5.) Hellfire Wyrm (MM II): If it weren't for them being over-CR'ed (they aren't much better than a mature adult red dragon, and definitely not 8 CR's better), these guys have many of the traction points covered. They are tied in to a campaign setting (in this case, the Great Wheel and the Nine Hells). They are connected to two of the most popular monster types in D&D history (dragons and devils), and although not mentioned directly, are perfect servants of Tiamat. And, once again, the artwork is phenomenal.

6.) Living Spells (Eberron CS/MM III): A simply brilliant idea that was long overdue, they are tied into a specific part of the rules set (spells).

7.) Ragewalker (MM III): Finally, a fey that elicits true respect from players. It is tied into any campaign setting easily (war-torn fields), tied to other monsters (living spells), and wields a spiked chain, probably the weapon with the most traction in 3E.

8.) Swarms (FF and thereafter): The swarm subtype was another long overdue concept, and gained traction immediately. Last I checked, at over 40 different swarms have been published in WOTC products.

 

[Ralif Redhammer]

Hmmm. Interesting theory there. If something can inspire fear and laughter at the same time, that certainly is a memorable creature. And it would certainly explain some of D&D weird iconic creatures.