D&D General The core monster lineup across all editions

[MatthewJHanson]

Though as all of these were in the original boxed set and '77 Basic, but not included in '81 or '83 Basic , that still suggests the designers saw them as less essential.

Or the designers didn't think it was wise it to include a bunch of high-level monsters when the rules for characters only went up to 3rd level (At least in 1983 version, I never had the '81). I think dragons only made the cut because they were in the name of the game.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

That's why you need trolls to only attack during thunderstorms.

River trolls/scrags are also great for a similar reason.

 

[Clint_L]

I love this project, though I agree that it would make more sense to exclude Basic from the project, as it was explicitly designed for a very small level range.

Back in the day, Basic felt like very much its own thing. We barely considered it D&D, it was all but ignored in Dragon magazine, etc.

 

[Tonguez]

The only thing on that list that surprises me is the ochre jelly. While ooze concepts have existed in literature before I would argue they aren't a staple fantasy monster by the time dnd came out. Dnd pushed the ooze to a more forefront position.

I'm pretty sure that Blobs/Oozes in general come directly from the pulps and Lovecraftian inspired fiction - Conan fights a shapeless horror and iirc so does Fafner & Grey Mouser, plus The Blob. In general though I think you're right in saying that it was DnD that made them prominent

 

[JEB]

Or the designers didn't think it was wise it to include a bunch of high-level monsters when the rules for characters only went up to 3rd level (At least in 1983 version, I never had the '81). I think dragons only made the cut because they were in the name of the game.

If so, they apparently changed their mind about what counted as too "high-level" between Basic '77 and Basic '81, based on what moved into the Expert books. (I'm also kind of surprised that Medusas would be considered low-level fodder.)

 

[JEB]

Still no Green dragon

FWIW, green dragons (along with blue dragons) were only excluded from Basic '77; they're in all of the other core monster books I listed in the OP. They're even included in Basic '81 and '83. Why Holmes left them out, but Moldvay and Mentzer didn't, I don't know.

 

[bedir than]

If so, they apparently changed their mind about what counted as too "high-level" between Basic '77 and Basic '81, based on what moved into the Expert books. (I'm also kind of surprised that Medusas would be considered low-level fodder.)

High powered monsters weren't there to kill. They were there to find unique ways to get around, steal from, etc.

 

[Tonguez]

High powered monsters weren't there to kill. They were there to find unique ways to get around, steal from, etc.

They still doesn't explain why an intelligent high level like Medusa is in basic but less intelligent threats (Basilisk) are held back - unless that was the point, to create an intelligent threat that anyone who read their classics would know the weakness thereof

 

[JEB]

I love this project, though I agree that it would make more sense to exclude Basic from the project, as it was explicitly designed for a very small level range.

Back in the day, Basic felt like very much its own thing. We barely considered it D&D, it was all but ignored in Dragon magazine, etc.

If I exclude all of Basic D&D, that adds 17 more to the original list:

• Basilisk
• Green dragon
• Blue dragon
• Dryad
• Efreet
• Ghoul
• Fire giant
• Hill giant
• Hydra
• Manticore
• Minotaur
• Mummy
• Purple worm
• Treant
• Troll
• Vampire
• Wraith

In other words, the same list we'd get if I included Expert '81 and Expert '83, plus seven more (green and blue dragons, dryads, efreeti, ghouls, minotaurs, and treants).

 

[Parmandur]

If I exclude all of Basic D&D, that adds 17 more to the original list:

• Basilisk
• Green dragon
• Blue dragon
• Dryad
• Efreet
• Ghoul
• Fire giant
• Hill giant
• Hydra
• Manticore
• Minotaur
• Mummy
• Purple worm
• Treant
• Troll
• Vampire
• Wraith

In other words, the same list we'd get if I included Expert '81 and Expert '83, plus seven more (green and blue dragons, dryads, efreeti, ghouls, minotaurs, and treants).

I mean, that seems like a pretty solid list of "Core D&D" tropes.