D&D General The D&D Monster I have never used (or faced) and probably never will.

[Bitbrain]

Quite a few actually, but I suppose the most well-known is probably the Illithid/Mind Flayer. I’ve never run a combat encounter with one, and am unlikely to ever do so.

That said, I have used them for social interactions with the PCs, mostly because I have this weird idea about making the illithids a Lawful Good people, but changing absolutely nothing else about them.

 

[Tyler Do'Urden]

I would much rather use barbarian humans, lizardmen, or even xenophobic wild elves before I employed the Bullywug (MM, p 35). Frogmen???? Really? Run for your life! The frogmen are coming! Give me a break. The artwork in the MM makes it worst.

Dude? Dude!


Now imagine him six feet tall, intelligent, armed, and capable of spellcasting.

Run. Not that it will do you any good.

 

[el-remmen]

Quite a few actually, but I suppose the most well-known is probably the Illithid/Mind Flayer. I’ve never run a combat encounter with one, and am unlikely to ever do so.

I don't think I've ever run an illithid either, not that I can recall. I did once run a super intelligent gorilla with a visible glowing brain sticking out of its skull that I gave a mindflayer mental blast to, though!

 

[Tyler Do'Urden]

GIANT SPACE HAMSTER!! I cant believe it hasnt been mentioned yet.

Back in college my campaign world featured the Gnomish "Hampstire Lancers" - dragoon pistol wielding, giant "space" hamster riding cavalry inspired by the Bengal Lancers.

They were actually pretty formidable...

 

[Laurefindel]

Other than the weird-ass or tongue-in-cheek joke-monsters such as the Mauler and Wolf in sheep's clothing, there are a few 5e Monster Manual critters I have a hard time taking seriously. The Flumph is one of them.

Then there are the too-alien-for-my-fantasy-taste such as the Xorn, which I don't think I'll ever use.

Finally, there are the few nice-to-know creatures that will unlikely ever serve as an antagonist for my games, or blatant deus ex-machina creatures that do little but steal the players' spotlight, such as the Solar Angel, that could have been left out of the MM as far as I'm concerned.

 

[zarionofarabel]

Sure, but can't you name even some of the creatures you feel that way about? Or why?

Dang it! Gimme a second I'll go check Wikipedia as I don't even own a Monster Manual any more...

...skims several websites detailing the stranger D&D monsters...

...realizes how many strange monsters D&D really has...

...I don't know what to choose. There are so many that just make me laugh when I read the description of them. I know I never used any of the demons that were not the one type that looked like the Balrog from LotR.

 

[Tonguez]

GIANT SPACE HAMSTER!! I cant believe it hasnt been mentioned yet.

what!!!! the capture of a mated pair of wild Giant Hamsters helped to entirely define the career of my PC Orbril the Gnome. I originally conceived of him as an alchemist but with the Hamsters he decided to start a travelling Circus. He also became a Hamster breeder and on his travels would leave Hamster pups with various gnome burrows he passed, thus spreading the species around the world and establishing the close connection to gnomes.
Orbrils performed with Hamsters, had Hamsters pull his wagon, ridden Hamsters in to battle, built Hamster farms, gifted hamsters to Kings and Emperors, taken Hamsters to the Fae Realms and done so for over 100 years

 

[Ralif Redhammer]

I've never used a Tarrasque - I had planned to end a campaign with a tarrasque wrecking the city, but the campaign fell apart before we got anywhere near that.

Over the years I've used all sorts of weirdo monsters. Flumphs, catopblepas, stwingers, umplebys, tirapheg, and more. My feeling is that using unusual monsters keeps players on their toes - everyone knows what to expect from a dragon or gelatinous cube, but what will they do when they have to face a void drake or tentamort?

In the current edition, I've yet to use Intellect Devourers. I honestly don't want to throw a monster at them that any PC is what, two failed checks away from complete and total death from.

 

[R_J_K75]

what!!!! the capture of a mated pair of wild Giant Hamsters helped to entirely define the career of my PC Orbril the Gnome. I originally conceived of him as an alchemist but with the Hamsters he decided to start a travelling Circus. He also became a Hamster breeder and on his travels would leave Hamster pups with various gnome burrows he passed, thus spreading the species around the world and establishing the close connection to gnomes.
Orbrils performed with Hamsters, had Hamsters pull his wagon, ridden Hamsters in to battle, built Hamster farms, gifted hamsters to Kings and Emperors, taken Hamsters to the Fae Realms and done so for over 100 years

I stand corrected. Based on their picture in the SJ1 MM, I just always pictured them as uselessly lumbering through space threatening to enter your air envelope and deplete and then just float away.

For Orvils next feat he should start a giant space hamster watch tours throughout wild space similar to a New England whale watch.

 

[R_J_K75]

My feeling is that using unusual monsters keeps players on their toes

100%. Its been awhile since I've played with people who knew the MM's that much but I've still seldom used any WotC MM's, and have opted for 5E Foes, Tome of Beast 1 & 2, Creature Codex and the Tome of Horrors in my 5E games. If nothing but to keep it interesting for myself.