Using Non-Monster Manual Monsters

[Jeph]

I like to change a monster's appearance, while keeping the stats (except for maybe adding/subtracting a Fly speed, and other minor tweeks like that). Foils metagaming, and is little/no extra work for me.

Of course, in Feng Shui, you don't even need stats. Just a number between 7 and 10.

 

[Desdichado]

Indeed, what is "out there" and what isn't is very campaign specific. Lots of MM monsters would never fit into my homebrew. Lots of Monsternomicon creatures do. That's just the way it is.

 

[Carnifex]

I like to change a monster's appearance, while keeping the stats (except for maybe adding/subtracting a Fly speed, and other minor tweeks like that). Foils metagaming, and is little/no extra work for me.

Of course, in Feng Shui, you don't even need stats. Just a number between 7 and 10.

Gotta love mooks

 

[roytheodd]

How often do you use exotic monsters? The reason I ask is that I see a lot of alternate d20 versions of the Monster Manual out there. However, I flip through them and often think, “Well, these are some good (and not-so-good) ideas, but I don’t think I’d ever use something that strange/unusual/exotic in game as a DM.”

I use monsters from as many sources as I can find as often as I can. The reason why I do it is because I have a player in my group who knows the WotC monster books backwards and forwards. I have, however, found that he doesn't know a lick about monsters from any other source (even the TSR monster books). Thus, when the group faces an Adherer they have no clue as to how to defeat it other than hack. I'm just waiting to spring a Husk on them this weekend and watch them collapse into spasms of terror as it mows through their Strength stats.

I must say, though, that I am selective about what I use. I usually go for creepiness, utility, and special powers. I don't use even half of the mosters from any given book because most of them don't fit what I'm going for. I particularly don't use underwater creatures, surprise killers, carniverous plants, dire anything, animal-like creatures, psions, lycanthropes, or most flying things. I'm not much of a fan of templates, but I've been giving monsters levels in classes since 1st ed. I'm a huge practitioner in modifying things.

 

[Jeph]

Here's an excercise to try: Pick three monsters. One slightly below your party's average level, one on it, and one slightly above. Now, over the next few sessions, have about 3 encounters with each type of creature--but change their appearance, and possibly a few minor aspects (change a speed from 50' to 30', fly 30' [average], or swap out Fireball for Lightning Bolt). See if your players catch on . . .

 

[Dr. NRG]

...but, but if I don't exclusively use MM monsters my players won't automatically know every strength, weakness, and feat of every monster. Wouldn't that take all the fun out of it?

NRG

 

[Psion]

Here's an excercise to try: Pick three monsters. One slightly below your party's average level, one on it, and one slightly above. Now, over the next few sessions, have about 3 encounters with each type of creature--but change their appearance, and possibly a few minor aspects (change a speed from 50' to 30', fly 30' [average], or swap out Fireball for Lightning Bolt). See if your players catch on . . .

hmmm....

 

[Bendris Noulg]

I tend to be selective about what I use. Primarily, I'm more into race-types with Class/Levels. Monster encounters (except for specific campaign regions) are often the rarity, particularly the big and nasty ones (after all, what's a campaign without dire rats?). As such, I often only include monsters that are most fitting to the situation and the environment.

The result, of course, is that I've probably only used about 5% of the monsters available. This includes MM, MM2, CC, CC2, Tome of Horrors, MotP, ELH (Glooms! Gotta love them Glooms!), D&M, D&M2, Bestiary of Loerum, Monsters o/Faerun, BoVD, OA, Creatures of Rokugan, and a bunch of odds and ends gleamed from the multitude of sources (Fantasy Flight Adventures, AEG's one-word title series, etc.).

If it inspires an encounter, I use it. If it creates its own niche, so much the better.

By contrast, however, I never pass up a chance to buy a new monster book (although I passed on Minions and Monsternomicon so my DM can actually surprise me with some new stuff in our upcoming Oathbound Campaign). While only a few things have inspired me enough to use, I'm always on the look-out for new things (for instance, the new book coming from Inner Circle Games looks kewl, and there's one by Fantasy Flight (I think) that I'll be picking up soon). I even picked up NG's Necropolis just because it had a killer monster section.

 

[Voadam]

Bendris,

You might want to put those websites in your sig onto separate lines, as it is the text of your posts go off the screen and are a pain to read.

 

[Eldorian]

When I DM, I like to use monsters that my players have never seen before, and as such, I prefer to use monsters out of books other than the MM. However, this idea of swapping the physical description and changing the type of damage on an attack or other minor abilit change on an already statted monster in the MM is a new one to me, and a really good idea! I'll have to try that next game.


Thanks

Eldorian Antar