D&D General The core monster lineup across all editions

[Parmandur]

@Parmandur asked about limiting the list to just AD&D forward. That adds 26 monsters to the original 15 and the Basic-less 17, for a total of 58:

• Beholder
• Bugbear
• Bulette
• Carrion crawler
• Displacer beast
• Doppelganger
• Ettin
• Gelatinous cube
• Flesh golem
• Stone golem
• Imp
• Lich
• Lizardfolk
• Mind flayer
• Otyugh
• Owlbear
• Pseudodragon
• Rakshasa
• Roper
• Giant poisonous snake (a.k.a. "deathrattle viper" in 4e)
• Stirge
• Troglodyte
• Umber hulk
• Wererat
• Wolf
• Dire wolf

OK, that gives that extra ampersandy flavor, for sure.

 

[JEB]

And to address @overgeeked's question about what gets added to the 32 if I count all of the OD&D books:

• From Greyhawk: beholder, bugbear, carrion crawler, displacer beast, doppelganger, gelatinous cube, flesh golem, stone golem, lich, lizardfolk, owlbear, stirge, umber hulk, wererat, wolf, dire wolf
• From Eldritch Wizardry: mind flayer

(There's also a version of the rakshasa in Gods, Demi-Gods, & Heroes, but the familiar version appears to be from The Strategic Review #5.)

So that's another 17, for a total of 49.

 

[overgeeked]

And to address @overgeeked's question about what gets added to the 32 if I count all of the OD&D books:

• From Greyhawk: beholder, bugbear, carrion crawler, displacer beast, doppelganger, gelatinous cube, flesh golem, stone golem, lich, lizardfolk, owlbear, stirge, umber hulk, wererat, wolf, dire wolf
• From Eldritch Wizardry: mind flayer

(There's also a version of the rakshasa in Gods, Demi-Gods, & Heroes, but the familiar version appears to be from The Strategic Review #5.)

So that's another 17, for a total of 49.

Thanks. That's awesome. I just downloaded your spreadsheet and was about to manually add in the monsters from the other OD&D supplements. Fantastic stuff. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Parmandur]

And to address @overgeeked's question about what gets added to the 32 if I count all of the OD&D books:

• From Greyhawk: beholder, bugbear, carrion crawler, displacer beast, doppelganger, gelatinous cube, flesh golem, stone golem, lich, lizardfolk, owlbear, stirge, umber hulk, wererat, wolf, dire wolf
• From Eldritch Wizardry: mind flayer

(There's also a version of the rakshasa in Gods, Demi-Gods, & Heroes, but the familiar version appears to be from The Strategic Review #5.)

So that's another 17, for a total of 49.

....so including the OD&D supplements, and limiting the question to the AD&D line ends up being very, very similar.

 

[JEB]

....so including the OD&D supplements, and limiting the question to the AD&D line ends up being very, very similar.

Indeed. I think I've seen it suggested that Greyhawk is really where the familiar D&D starts to emerge, and that certainly helps make the case.

 

[overgeeked]

These 179 monsters appear in at least 3/4 of the TSR editions of D&D.

OD&D (or supplements), Basic (1977 through RC), AD&D, AD&D2E.

Aerial servant; Ant, giant [driver ant]; Antelope; Banshee [wailing ghost]; Basilisk [stone-eye]; Bear, black; Bear, brown [grizzly]; Bear, cave; Beholder; Blink dog; Boar; Boar, giant [great]; Brain mole; Bugbear; Camel; Carrion crawler; Catoblepas [nekrozon]; Cattle; Centaur; Centipede, giant [monstrous]; Chimera; Cockatrice; Couatl; Crab, giant; Crocodile; Crocodile, giant [large]; Demon, balor [Type VI]; Demon, marilith [Type V]; Dinosaur, pterosaur - pteranodon; Dinosaur, triceratops; Dinosaur, tyrannosaurus rex; Displacer beast; Dolphin [porpoise]; Doppelgänger; Dragon turtle; Dragon, chromatic - black dragon; Dragon, chromatic - blue dragon; Dragon, chromatic - green dragon; Dragon, chromatic - red dragon; Dragon, chromatic - white dragon; Dragon, metallic - brass dragon; Dragon, metallic - bronze dragon; Dragon, metallic - copper dragon; Dragon, metallic - gold dragon; Dragon, metallic - silver dragon; Dryad; Dwarf [hill]; Elemental, air; Elemental, earth; Elemental, fire; Elemental, water; Elephant; Elf [high]; Gargoyle; Gas spore [blast spore]; Gelatinous cube; Genie, djinn; Genie, efreet; Ghost [tormenting]; Ghoul; Giant, cloud; Giant, fire; Giant, frost; Giant, hill; Giant, stone; Giant, storm; Gnoll; Gnome [rock]; Goblin; Golem, flesh; Golem, stone; Gorgon [iron]; Griffon; Hag, sea; Halfling [hairfoot, lightfoot]; Harpy; Hell hound; Hippogriff; Hobgoblin; Homunculus [clay scout]; Horse, draft; Horse, heavy; Horse, light; Horse, medium; Horse, wild; Human, aborigine/caveman [neanderthal]; Human, bandit/brigand; Human, barbarian/nomad; Human, berserker/dervish; Human, merchant/trader; Human, pirate/buccaneer; Hydra; Hydra, lernaean [regenerating]; Intellect devourer; Invisible stalker; Ixitxachitl [devilfish]; Jelly, ochre; Ki-rin; Kobold; Lammasu; Leech, giant; Lich; Lion; Lion, mountain; Lizard, giant; Lizardfolk [lizard man]; Locathah; Lycanthrope, werebear; Lycanthrope, wereboar; Lycanthrope, wererat; Lycanthrope, weretiger; Lycanthrope, werewolf; Manticore; Medusa; Merfolk [merman]; Mind flayer; Minotaur; Mold, yellow; Mule; Mummy; Nixie; Nymph; Ogre; Oliphant; Oni [ogre mage]; Ooze, gray; Orc; Owlbear; Pegasus; Phase spider; Pixie; Pony; Pudding, black; Purple worm; Rakshasa; Rat, giant; Ray, manta; Roc; Roper; Rust monster; Sahuagin; Salamander; Scorpion, giant [monstrous]; Shadow; Shark [bull, medium, large, mako, reef, hunter]; Shark, giant [huge, great white]; Shedu; Shrieker; Skeleton; Slime, green; Slug, giant; Snake, spitting [spitting cobra]; Specter; Sphinx, androsphinx [male]; Sphinx, gynosphinx [female]; Sprite; Stirge; Su-monster; Thought eater; Tick, giant; Tiger; Tiger, saber-toothed [smilodon]; Toad, giant; Treant; Triton; Troglodyte; Troll; Umber hulk; Unicorn; Vampire; Weasel, giant; Whale [baleen, cachalot]; Wight; Will o'wisp; Wolf [gray]; Wolf, dire; Wraith; Wyvern; Zombie.

The demons are spotty because they mostly didn't appear in Basic or 2E. There are no devils because they only appear in AD&D.

All thanks to JEB for putting the original spreadsheet together.

 

[Demetrios1453]

These 179 monsters appear in at least 3/4 of the TSR editions of D&D.

OD&D (or supplements), Basic (1977 through RC), AD&D, AD&D2E.

Aerial servant; Ant, giant [driver ant]; Antelope; Banshee [wailing ghost]; Basilisk [stone-eye]; Bear, black; Bear, brown [grizzly]; Bear, cave; Beholder; Blink dog; Boar; Boar, giant [great]; Brain mole; Bugbear; Camel; Carrion crawler; Catoblepas [nekrozon]; Cattle; Centaur; Centipede, giant [monstrous]; Chimera; Cockatrice; Couatl; Crab, giant; Crocodile; Crocodile, giant [large]; Demon, balor [Type VI]; Demon, marilith [Type V]; Dinosaur, pterosaur - pteranodon; Dinosaur, triceratops; Dinosaur, tyrannosaurus rex; Displacer beast; Dolphin [porpoise]; Doppelgänger; Dragon turtle; Dragon, chromatic - black dragon; Dragon, chromatic - blue dragon; Dragon, chromatic - green dragon; Dragon, chromatic - red dragon; Dragon, chromatic - white dragon; Dragon, metallic - brass dragon; Dragon, metallic - bronze dragon; Dragon, metallic - copper dragon; Dragon, metallic - gold dragon; Dragon, metallic - silver dragon; Dryad; Dwarf [hill]; Elemental, air; Elemental, earth; Elemental, fire; Elemental, water; Elephant; Elf [high]; Gargoyle; Gas spore [blast spore]; Gelatinous cube; Genie, djinn; Genie, efreet; Ghost [tormenting]; Ghoul; Giant, cloud; Giant, fire; Giant, frost; Giant, hill; Giant, stone; Giant, storm; Gnoll; Gnome [rock]; Goblin; Golem, flesh; Golem, stone; Gorgon [iron]; Griffon; Hag, sea; Halfling [hairfoot, lightfoot]; Harpy; Hell hound; Hippogriff; Hobgoblin; Homunculus [clay scout]; Horse, draft; Horse, heavy; Horse, light; Horse, medium; Horse, wild; Human, aborigine/caveman [neanderthal]; Human, bandit/brigand; Human, barbarian/nomad; Human, berserker/dervish; Human, merchant/trader; Human, pirate/buccaneer; Hydra; Hydra, lernaean [regenerating]; Intellect devourer; Invisible stalker; Ixitxachitl [devilfish]; Jelly, ochre; Ki-rin; Kobold; Lammasu; Leech, giant; Lich; Lion; Lion, mountain; Lizard, giant; Lizardfolk [lizard man]; Locathah; Lycanthrope, werebear; Lycanthrope, wereboar; Lycanthrope, wererat; Lycanthrope, weretiger; Lycanthrope, werewolf; Manticore; Medusa; Merfolk [merman]; Mind flayer; Minotaur; Mold, yellow; Mule; Mummy; Nixie; Nymph; Ogre; Oliphant; Oni [ogre mage]; Ooze, gray; Orc; Owlbear; Pegasus; Phase spider; Pixie; Pony; Pudding, black; Purple worm; Rakshasa; Rat, giant; Ray, manta; Roc; Roper; Rust monster; Sahuagin; Salamander; Scorpion, giant [monstrous]; Shadow; Shark [bull, medium, large, mako, reef, hunter]; Shark, giant [huge, great white]; Shedu; Shrieker; Skeleton; Slime, green; Slug, giant; Snake, spitting [spitting cobra]; Specter; Sphinx, androsphinx [male]; Sphinx, gynosphinx [female]; Sprite; Stirge; Su-monster; Thought eater; Tick, giant; Tiger; Tiger, saber-toothed [smilodon]; Toad, giant; Treant; Triton; Troglodyte; Troll; Umber hulk; Unicorn; Vampire; Weasel, giant; Whale [baleen, cachalot]; Wight; Will o'wisp; Wolf [gray]; Wolf, dire; Wraith; Wyvern; Zombie.

The demons are spotty because they mostly didn't appear in Basic or 2E. There are no devils because they only appear in AD&D.

All thanks to JEB for putting the original spreadsheet together.

The missing demons in 2e are likely there, just temporarily re-named.

 

[JEB]

FYI, the spreadsheet has been updated! More details in the other thread.

 

[Ancalagon]

The 2E Monstrous Manual is pretty much the definitive D&D monster collection, with only a handful of monsters that don't get constantly reused as much. Displacer beasts, trolls, treants, behirs, lizard folk, grimlocks, giants, genies, fiends, mummies, ghouls, shadows, liches, slaadi, mephits, elementals, etc. are pretty core to the D&D monster roster.

It's a seminal resource in my opinion. It has a lot of useful "ecology" information, for DMs who like that kind of stuff

 

[Clint_L]

And to address @overgeeked's question about what gets added to the 32 if I count all of the OD&D books:

• From Greyhawk: beholder, bugbear, carrion crawler, displacer beast, doppelganger, gelatinous cube, flesh golem, stone golem, lich, lizardfolk, owlbear, stirge, umber hulk, wererat, wolf, dire wolf
• From Eldritch Wizardry: mind flayer

(There's also a version of the rakshasa in Gods, Demi-Gods, & Heroes, but the familiar version appears to be from The Strategic Review #5.)

So that's another 17, for a total of 49.

That list is so iconic - shout out to Gygax and co. for an incredible burst of monster creativity when he was running that game! I know he'll always be remembered as one of the fathers of D&D, but honestly putting the owl bear, gelatinous cube, beholder, and mind flayer into popular culture is its own kind of immortality.

Edit: thinking more about the main list in this thread - from the perspective of a miniatures collector, it feels like the essentials, the monsters you need to have on hand to run a campaign. I have thousands of miniatures, but this core of 50 or so felt like the "must-haves." So I wasn't surprised to see which monsters came up in every edition.