Preferred hordes: What's your favorite evil humanoid?

[Norfleet]

I'm a kobold fan. I've always been a kobold fan, simply because they're so mean, that properly used, they inspire surprise, terror, fear, and loathing amongst even high level characters. Their small size, agility, and general evilness allows them to attack from places that player characters least expect. Of course, most DMs don't have kobolds that use VC tactics.

 

[d4]

i like using human opponents, gnolls, and goblins. just goblins -- i don't care too much for hobgoblins or bugbears.

i also like ogres for the big lumbering threat.

 

[Richards]

Originally posted by AFGNCAAP:

Also, wasn't there a winged variety of Kobold/Xvart?

The urd was a winged kobold in previous editions of the game.

Johnathan

 

[s/LaSH]

Goblins and undead here. Well, when I can be bothered sticking to the predictable. There was a memorable fight with a small horde of histachii at one point...but mostly goblins and undead are the things I offer in large numbers.

The orcs are gonna be much harder...

 

[Pants]

Gnolls, Undead, Demons.

 

[d4]

wow, gnolls have surpassed orcs as the #4 most used humanoid! (goblinoids #1, kobolds and humans tied at #2 and #3.)

go gnolls!

you know, i never particularly cared for gnolls in previous editions of D&D. but the 3e gnoll, with its mention of gnoll rangers and gnoll druids in its MM write-up, is just too cool to ignore.

 

[Nifelhein]

D'oh! I completely forgot about undead! Very cool, & very viable en masse opponents.

Well, they would be my favorite just after orcs, mybe undead orcs are my favorites... hmmm... Fells!! <midnight rumble>

 

[S'mon]

I like gnolls - they hit hard and are fairly durable, especially the leaders - 4th level gnoll Ranger can easily have 60hp. Also their pack mentality is fun to play.
Orcs are good but regular orcs die very easily, "eggshell armed with hammers" effect makes low-level area effect spells a bit too lethal on them IMO: a 5th level grunt fighter PC fighting great-axe wielding orcs is in a lot of danger, while the flying & fireballing wizard has it very easy.

 

[green slime]

Insectoids.

Alien, Swarms, Intelligent en masse, and relentless.

 

[Jürgen Hubert]

I really like the yuan-ti - because they embody the "fear of taint" that H.P. Lovecraft showcased so perfectly with his Deep Ones. Finding out that your lineage - or the lineage of a loved one - includes ancestors that were less than human makes for a nice atmosphere of horror.

I liked them so much that I made them the rulers of a major region in
Urbis. And then, of course, they were removed from the SRD, which means that I can't use them if I want to publish the setting.

Bummer.

I've got a few ideas for a substitute - a race of psionics (norma, untainted humans cannot learn any psychic powers in Urbis) that use psychometabolism to breed with any terrestrial creature (i.e., living beings that aren't extraplanar or aberrations) of approximately their size. In southern regions, snakes remain popular for their breeding experiments, but now they can prosper in other regions as well...


Apart from that, I like hobgoblins - a goblinoid race that isn't dumb, and is highly organized. In Urbis, they are a major force with their own kingdom and available as player characters.