What Monster(s) are Overexposed?

[Stormonu]

Lycanthropes should have probably been on that list, as well as probably the Gith races.

I'm personally sick how it seems that a demon or devil is behind every major upper-level adventure arc - Demogorgon, Orcus, Graz'zt, etc. Get some variety folks; demons don't need to behind every evil thing that happens in the world. I'd like to see some adventure arcs that extend into the high levels that don't have even ONE demon in them or anything with a fiendish template or blood.

Drow have also been overused - especially when you mix in Lolth's demonkin. In D&D, if it occurs underground and is bad, odds are the drow are behind it - or at least involved in it somehow.

 

[the Jester]

Drow for sure.

I voted for the kobold pick because low-level humanoids seem to be in every goddamn encounter for pcs of levels 1-4, and they don't get used very originally in most of those encounters. Kobold Hall, H1, H2, most low-level delves- they're humanoid encounter after humanoid encounter! Sheesh.

I also voted for undead, but what I mean is "ghouls" since they seem to have become 4e's go-to undead type for everything from level 4 up.

 

[Fifth Element]

I picked the first option, but really it's only for the kobolds. Oh my god enough with the kobolds already. Orcs are also a bit overused, I think.

 

[the Jester]

Hmm, I forgot to add that both kruthiks and tojanidas are overexposed simply by existing. Some would argue that the phantom fungus also fits in this category, but I think those can be made cool with the right (hallucinatory) approach to using them.

 

[Doug McCrae]

The Far Realms are overexposed, especially if everything with tentacles and odd anatomy is linked to it (as in 4e), but I felt the same way at times in 3.x as well. Not lovecraftian monsters in general, but those with a defined link to the Far Realms as a 'generic land of gooey more evil than evil that cannot be defined even more evil than chaotic evil its that evil'.

There's a reason for that. Chaotic evil wasn't evil enough any more. Demons and devils had become too familiar, too sympathetic. They interacted with the PCs too much. Too many tiefling and cambion PCs and sociable NPCs.

Like in Star Trek when the Klingons became a 'PC race' with Worf, so they had to create the Borg. But then there was Seven-Of-Nine so they needed Species 8472. And so on.

It's surprising there isn't something more evil than the Far Realm now, but the Mythos seem quite resistant to colonisation. Despite Cthulhutech and Plush Cthulhu.

 

[Theo R Cwithin]

Drow. They seem to be everywhere in the published literature & resources. Unfortunately for me, I've always had a pretty "meh" attitude toward them.

Aberrations/cthulhoids. Aberrations should be, well, "aberrant": disturbing, rare, icky deviations from the norm. In the default D&D, there are many kinds of them, and usually many members of a given kind. Imho, they lose their creepy interestingness when they're so common, which really works against the whole "horror" ideal that underlies their origin in horror literature.

(Note that I'm referring to the powerful aberrations here: beholders, mind flayers, aboleths, etc. Most of the lesser ones, like gricks, chokers, mimics, rust monsters, etc, I simply view as weird but more or less natural races, beasties, or vermin.)

 

[Doug McCrae]

Get some variety folks; demons don't need to behind every evil thing that happens in the world. I'd like to see some adventure arcs that extend into the high levels that don't have even ONE demon in them or anything with a fiendish template or blood.

How about an angel as BBEG? He has his minions commit incredibly wicked acts in the hope of persuading humanity to rise up in a great crusade against evil. He feels we've become too complacent.

 

[obiwansolo18]

I think that orcs, giants, and goblins are over used. Though I could easily put drow up there with them.

 

[amerigoV]

For Eberron, its the Emerald Claw. I am not sure about Dungeon adventures, but I think every published 3.5 module has them as an adversary. They are supposed to be the Nazi's of the world, but they are pretty much the keystone cops since they keep getting their ass kicked by low level adventurers (so much for being an elite knighly order).

 

[Klaus]

Low-level Humanoids - D&D doesn't need a bajillion humanoid races to fill in the low-level adventures. What's wrong with using ... I dunno... HUMANS?!? If you're going to have kobolds/goblins/hobgoblins/orcs/gnolls, make that racial choice meaningful to the adventure

Demons/Devils - When they show up, it should be momentous. And fairly overwhelming odds, btw (A Paladin in Hell, anyone?).

Drow - As tiresome as bad guys as surface elves are tiresome as perfect good guys.