Upgrade your account to a Community Supporter account and remove most of the site ads.

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="Shade" data-source="post: 2313613" data-attributes="member: 287">I definitely think it is possible, but not necessarily easy.  The main ingredient is time.A new subtype, on the other hand, can hit coolness immediate.   Look at the meteoric rise of the swarm subtype.  Briefly mentioned in BOVD, then expanded in FF, it immediately spawned numerous monsters and made it into the MM 3.5.While not a guarantee for success, the following elements seem to be common for "iconicness"<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">A good backstory</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Links to other creatures</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Fills a niche that was heretofore unfulfilled, but probably needed.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Deeply embedded in a particular plane, world, or area</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Expandable:  Able to make many interesting creatures associated with it (ie. mind flayers).  Of course, this may eventually lead to its death of coolness (i.e. many people's current opinion of drow).</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">The immediate feeling that you could build an entire campaign around them.</li> </ul>I do think that some of the monsters new to 3E have a shot at iconic-ness over time.   I think the following all have a good shot at iconicness.<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Chronotyryn:  It has a cool niche (time mastery), is an unexpected type (magical beast rather than outsider), and is thematically tied into Acheron.   </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Abominations:  Each of the creature's of this subtype from the Epic Level Handbook could have an entire campaign built around them.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Nerra:  Given the right placement in a module or expanded out in a future book like Lords of Madness, these guys could really shine.  They are from a little-used plane with lots of potential.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Aspects:  Similar to swarms, these things fill a niche that has long been unfulfilled.  Want your 10th-level characters to battle Tiamat...here's your chance.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Deathless:  First introduced in Book of Exalted Deeds and then expanded upon in Eberron, this allows for good undead that actually make sense.  Of course, I'd also mark this one as the most likely to be done to death (pun intended) quickly.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Symbionts:  Another nice niche that needed filling, once again brought to us by the Fiend Folio.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Ragewalker, Siabrie:  These two demonstrate that fey can kick your ass, big time.</li> </ul></blockquote>

Verification