Using Non-Monster Manual Monsters

[Bendris Noulg]

Sheesh... Now it's obnoxiously long...

You're not the first to mention that, but I didn't think it was mine (the graphics next-to-eachother aren't any longer than a standard banner). You folks must be on some teeny monitors.

Anyhow, is it fixed?

 

[Eldorian]

change it back Ben, now it's annoyingly long.

Eldorian

 

[Bendris Noulg]

Aha! Take the middle-ground!

I now (hopefully) return you to the thread's actual topic.

 

[NewJeffCT]

Well, I have been playing D&D for about 25 years, and still will feel fear as a player if I encounter an orc or two at first level, or even second. I know a good DM may have something planned (another orc or more lying in ambush, or their <fill in the blank with a higher CR monster or NPC> leader arriving next round) , or whatnot, and I think the group of veterans that I game with are generally good at avoiding meta-gaming. Nobody is perfect, but we also have the DM to occasionally remind us: "How would your PC know that...?"

And, I agree that there are some MM monsters that are too out there/exotic, and I am sure there are plenty of good ideas in the other d20 monster supplements. But, I think we definitely get by far the most "bang for the buck" with the MM.

 

[Voadam]

You never know when the orc you meet is going to be an epic level barbarian with three or four templates thrown in to give him an extra punch.

 

[Drawmack]

Bendris,
The problem is that some of us turn images off so that we can view the forums better when they are sluggish. If you stick a space, just a plain old space not a  , in between them then they will wrap for those of us that have images turned off and will be on one line for those that have images turned on.

 

[hong]

Most of the really big encounters IMC so far have been with classed NPCs.

Or orcs. I really like orcs.

 

[senodam]

I absolutely love new monster books. The more I can get the better- mostly for the look on my resident rules lawyer's face when he realises he doesn't have a clue what he's facing. heheheheh. Besides, it makes things interesting for the veterans when they don't keep fighting the same monsters over and over that they've seen for the past 20-odd years. (Or thats what they tell me).

 

[the Jester]

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.”

Often. If I really like an odd creature I make a reason for it to be somewhere in the campaign, and whether pcs ever meet up with it depends on what they do. Usually I bring 2-4 books with monsters to our sessions and use what seems good.

 

[JoeGKushner]

I enjoy alternative monster books. I remember hoping that when the magic items, and spells of both wizards and clerics were combined into compendiums that we'd see something similiar for the monsters in 2nd edition.

I've grown particuarly fond on the Monsternomicon for its wide range of useful and different material as well as quality illustrations and little bits of info here and there.

The Tome of Horrors brought together a lot of old favorites and in many ways is that compendium I've been looking for.

Monster books tend to best be used when introduced a piece at a time or when you've made allowances for such material to be in the campaign in the first place.