D&D General Most iconic (fantasy) enemy groups?

[Tonguez]

HUMANS
Barbarians
Savages (beware racist stereotypes)
Raiders
Bandits/Thugs/Gangsters
Pirates
Cultist
Assassins
Murderers/Serial Killers (beware mental illness stereotypes)
Ninjas
Mercenaries
Nazis
Inquisitors/Zealots
*Plaguebearers (infected, mindless - beware disease stereotypes)
Mutants (beware disability stereotypes)
Cannibals
Thieves
Ratcatchets

 

[EzekielRaiden]

Cults, pirates, tyrants, slavers, invaders.

Other than maybe the first one, I don't really see any of those as fantasy opponents. Cults, pirates, tyrants, slavers, and invaders have been fully real opponents for...let me check my sources...literally all of human history. You can't go 50 years, at any point in human history, without tripping over serious, often horrifying demonstrations of at least one such thing going on somewhere.

 

[Maenalis]

If we're speaking of the most iconic, as in genuinely understood by multiple different cultural groups to be A Thing, ...

"Iconic: regarded as a representative symbol "
I personally would be interested in YOUR opinion and not the opinion of some form of fictional general audience, which doesn't exists anyway.

 

[Dioltach]

Other than maybe the first one, I don't really see any of those as fantasy opponents. Cults, pirates, tyrants, slavers, and invaders have been fully real opponents for...let me check my sources...literally all of human history. You can't go 50 years, at any point in human history, without tripping over serious, often horrifying demonstrations of at least one such thing going on somewhere.

The OP asked about...let me check my sources..."the most iconic monster groups, clans, races, organizations, etc. in fantasy rpgs" (emphasis mine). Nothing about imaginary opponents that don't occur in human history.

 

[EzekielRaiden]

The OP asked about...let me check my sources..."the most iconic monster groups, clans, races, organizations, etc. in fantasy rpgs" (emphasis mine). Nothing about imaginary opponents that don't occur in human history.

"Iconic: regarded as a representative symbol "
I personally would be interested in YOUR opinion and not the opinion of some form of fictional general audience, which doesn't exists anyway.

My apologies for giving the opinion I thought I was asked to give. I'll be sure to take it elsewhere.

 

[Ulorian - Agent of Chaos]

Other than maybe the first one, I don't really see any of those as fantasy opponents. Cults, pirates, tyrants, slavers, and invaders have been fully real opponents for...let me check my sources...literally all of human history. You can't go 50 years, at any point in human history, without tripping over serious, often horrifying demonstrations of at least one such thing going on somewhere.

Real world issues aside, these are prototypical fantasy opponents.

 

[EzekielRaiden]

Real world issues aside, these are prototypical fantasy opponents.

I don't personally think so. I mean, they appear, sure. But that's because they're prototypical opponents in general. Not only is there nothing fantastical about them (except, sometimes, the cults), but they're often used very specifically to distance a work from fantasy. Fighting ordinary brigands, slavers, pirates, etc. is a way to reduce how fantastical a work is.

 

[Maenalis]

Do I understand the situation correctly?

1. I asked a simple one sentence question and even gave 20 "right" example answers to it.
2. People "misunderstand" the meaning of the word iconic.
3. People start to argue about the meaning of "fantasy".

Could you guys move to another thread and give people the chance to actually answer the question?

 

[Ulorian - Agent of Chaos]

Do I understand the situation correctly?

1. I asked a simple one sentence question and even gave 20 "right" example answers to it.
2. People "misunderstand" the meaning of the word iconic.
3. People start to argue about the meaning of "fantasy".

Could you guys move to another thread and give people the chance to actually answer the question?

I was defending the purpose of your thread. You're welcome. Now I'll move on.

 

[Ulorian - Agent of Chaos]

Repeating some of the human classic villains already mentioned:

• bandits/pirates
• cultists
• tyrants
• slavers
• invaders
• murderers/assassins

Monsters:

• dragons
• orcs, goblins, giants, etc.
• wolf in sheep's clothing (changeling, doppleganger, vampire, succubus, etc.)
• faeries
• 'save my crops/basement/attic from' type of monster (ankheg, rats, etc.)