D&D 5E New Wandering Monsters - Hulking Out

[Hussar]

The Umber Hulk, the Chuul, and the Gray Render.

Always like Chuul. Can't say I've ever used an Umber Hulk.

http://www.wizards.com/dnd/Article.aspx?x=dnd/4wand/20130611

 

[pemerton]

Wyatt says that Chuuls don't have psionic abilities, but in 4e they have a psychic lure ability, and I'm pretty sure that they had something like that in an earlier edition too, because I included it in my adaptation of them into Rolemaster well before 4e came out.

 

[JamesonCourage]

I don't read most of these articles. Is "not community-focused, so not that intelligent" a theme? Just curious.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I do not get the appeal of a gray render. I have plenty of big dumb guys already and these don't seem to offer anything new or different.

 

[zoroaster100]

I like the umber hulk. For some reason I find that old weird D&D classic fun to use in dungeons, underdark and even other settings. Maybe its their confusion ability combined with brute strength, plus their burrowing. I never felt the grey render was very interesting. The chuul is more interesting than the render but not that exciting either. Its similarity to a piscodaemon is weird. Two bizarre monsters yet they look they same?

 

[Zaukrie]

Love the umber Hulk, I use them all the time. Great monster. I don't care either way about the other two all that much.

 

[Sunseeker]

Big, hulking monsters are obviously a staple of fantasy gaming, but how different are they really from trolls or ogres? I mean the Chuul...does that even really belong in this list? It's more like a space alien than a hulk. I could reason having the Umber Hulk or the Grey Render(with a better name) and the Chull as distinct creatures, they obviously are. Significantly different designs, habitats, strategies, etc.... But the Umber Hulk and the Grey Render really seem like more or less the same thing, save one lives underground only.

Between the two, I find the mindset of the Grey Render more interesting, as everything the Umber Hulk does can be covered by the Grey Render...with an added touch of emotion and curiosity for players. Keep the Chuul as the massive underground monstrosity.

 

[pemerton]

I've been GMing since 1984 or so but have never used an umber hulk! I have used chuuls. I don't know much about grey renders - are they a 3E innovation?

 

[the Jester]

Big, hulking monsters are obviously a staple of fantasy gaming, but how different are they really from trolls or ogres? I mean the Chuul...does that even really belong in this list? It's more like a space alien than a hulk. I could reason having the Umber Hulk or the Grey Render(with a better name) and the Chull as distinct creatures, they obviously are. Significantly different designs, habitats, strategies, etc.... But the Umber Hulk and the Grey Render really seem like more or less the same thing, save one lives underground only.

Between the two, I find the mindset of the Grey Render more interesting, as everything the Umber Hulk does can be covered by the Grey Render...with an added touch of emotion and curiosity for players. Keep the Chuul as the massive underground monstrosity.

One word: Confusion.

 

[1of3]

Grey render I dig. The "bonds with creature" is always interesting. The village heroes at one time were a few kids with their render. They called it Grey or Render, because it was grey and rent. To be fair, the naming of many real world creatures isn't any different: Sloth, Aardvark (Earth pig), Armadillo (little armor), tyrannosaur (tyrant reptile).

Never used a Chuul, though.