What are the Ten Most Important monsters for a GM to have stats for?

[Raven Crowking]

As the title says, I am looking for your idea as to the 10 most important monsters for a GM to have stats for. This is to prepare a document for RCFG to be timed with the Players' Guide release.

Thanks in advance.

RC

 

[frankthedm]

I'd say 5 are enough.

Sneak
Grunt
Heavy
Blaster
Dragon

 

[Michael Silverbane]

I'd say that's a very campaign dependent question...

Assuming a pretty vanilla fantasy, however, I might use a list something like the following...

Orc, Ogre, Giant (any evil type)

Manticore, Chimera, Dragon (any evil type)

Stirge, Owlbear, Golem

And something slimy... Gelatinous Cube, maybe?

 

[Jhaelen]

I'd say that's a very campaign dependent question...

This. Do you have a default setting?

Generally speaking though, you'll want to include at least one intelligent humanoid monster species that has not yet been featured in a major role in any other game setting. Better two or three.

Did you have a look at the 3.0 PHB? It included full stat blocks for the following monsters:
- Red dragon (mature adult)
- Gelatinous cube
- Ghoul, ghast
- Goblin
- Hell hound
- Ogre, merrow
- Skeleton (small, large, medium)

 

[Wulf Ratbane]

Something both complex, and yet fairly common.

Honestly, I'd say Beholder and Mind Flayer but I don't think you'll be including them.

 

[nnms]

As the title says, I am looking for your idea as to the 10 most important monsters for a GM to have stats for. This is to prepare a document for RCFG to be timed with the Players' Guide release.

Thanks in advance.

RC

Some sort of monster-man. Be it an orc, a goblin, a hobgoblin, a beastman/broo. Something that walks, talks, uses tools/weapons but is monstrous/evil.

Some sort of big monster-man. Like above, but big. An ogre or a small giant. Perhaps a troll.

Some sort of flying terror. A dragon. A manticore. A chimera. Basically it needs to fly around, be scary and be hard to kill.

Undead grunt. Zombies, skeletons, ghouls, whatever.

Undead leader. Vampire, lich, wights. Something that's tougher/stronger and leads/commands/creates the grunts.

Something insidious. It infiltrates society. Perhaps infecting it. A doppleganger. Or something with mind control powers that creates a cult. Intelligent werecreaters/lycanthropes could also work here.

 

[Uber Man Beast Child]

i would think... undead... dragons... minotaurs... some kind of goblin... a beast(bear, wolve, or hyena)... something evil(succubus, devil, or other demon)... NPCs(if your group is as crazy as mine)... and a few huge intimadating things help(titans, giant) something uber nasty(flesh golem)... and a swarm(needlefang or spider)

 

[xechnao]

Assuming what you want is fantasy/sword & sorcery

1-ratmen (like WHFB skaven)
2-cthulian horrors ala Earthdawn that can also possess people and create spawn
3-necromancer/cultist/hag witch that can plague places
4-undead/lich dragons
5-dire dogs/wolves (or something like the resident evil monster)
6-some subterranean critter that can strike on surface (something like giant worms)
7-elemental spirits/demons
8-yeti like beasts (perhaps bugbears?)
9-golemns-constructs
10-beasts that spit poison or acid (giant insects-bugs?)

 

[Hereticus]

What are the Ten Most Important monsters for a GM to have stats for?

Without a doubt, rival non-player characters.

 

[Raven Crowking]

I'd say 5 are enough.

Sneak
Grunt
Heavy
Blaster
Dragon

I am intending on going for something a little less.....generic.

Do you have a default setting?

Gygaxian.

Something both complex, and yet fairly common.

Honestly, I'd say Beholder and Mind Flayer but I don't think you'll be including them.

I was thinking of including the Thulids from Basic Fantasy (OGC generic octopus-headed brain-sucker) and perhaps later the Eye Orb. But neither is one of the monsters you describe.


RC