D&D General Need Help: Most Used Monsters From Monster Manuals

[TheFantasyHistorianYT]

I am currently doing write-ups for Monsters from the monster manuals that includes: D&D lore, biology, ecology, and actual history they are inspired from. I hope that these can help DMs create immersive scenarios and encounters with this information. To be the most helpful, I am thinking that I should see what monsters are being used the most by DMs, rather than just picking my personal favorites.

What are everybody's favorite monsters from monster manuals that are used the most? Any help is appreciated! (Older manuals are also fair game. I try my best to update them to 5e and add some historical mechanics/lore while I am at it if it's interesting).

 

[Clint_L]

My favourites are the D&D originals: owlbear, displacer beast, gelatinous cube, beholder, mind flayer, mimic, and so on.

 

[not-so-newguy]

stirges
carrion crawlers
hill giants
rust monster
skeletons, zombies
ghouls, wights
wraiths
werewolves
gnolls, kobolds, orcs, goblins, hobgoblins, etc.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Kobolds (which formed the basis of my campaign for years), goblins, skeletons, worgs, ghouls, owlbears, chimera, dragons.

 

[Chaltab]

Honestly a huge chunk of my Monster Manual usage has been humanoids. Orcs, Gobins, Mages, and even the humble Thug (now called Tough in the newer Monster Manual).

I've gotten a lot more mileage about of VGM and MTOF since I actually owned those books on Roll20 before I did the Monster Manual.

 

[not-so-newguy]

If we're including humans (and whatnot), then Cultist should be added.

 

[aco175]

I would start with the low-level monsters and add a few mid level to start. Something like goblins, skeletons, ogres, and maybe something like a displacer beast.

 

[Koloth]

Orcs, kobolds, goblins, skeletons, zombies, stirges, for common 'monsters'. Variations on caravan raiders, town guards, stupid drunks, and other adventurers for NPC 'classed' opponents.

Been a while since I have seen a rust monster but it is a good way to flip the script on the heavily armored fighter. Shriekers were always good traps/warning systems for the real monster. Various molds, slimes and such as traps for the unwary.

Things with level drain were things to avoid in earlier versions as level drains were permanent. The ones today are shadows of the threat of earlier versions.

 

[Omand]

Used the most? Where to start ....

Since I am an always DM (although not in a group at the moment), I have a few, most of which have already been mentioned:

Assassin Vine
Black Pudding
Bugbears
Carrion Crawlers
Chimera
Darkmantles
Displacer Beast
Dragons
Fire Giants
Frost Giants
Gelatinous Cube
Ghasts
Ghouls
Gnolls
Goblins
Green Slime (used to be in the MM)
Hill Giants
Hobgoblins
Kobolds
Mimic
Mummies
Orcs
Owlbears
Rust Monster
Skeletons
Stirges
Werewolves
Wights
Worgs
Wraiths
Wyverns
Zombies

Plus, on top of all of these, using the 5E model, lots of the templates:

Bandit, Thug/Tough, Mage/Wizard, Pirate, Cultist