What Monsters Are Commonly Used In Your Game?

[Shroomy]

When I design adventures, I generally choose monsters because they fit a specific theme or ecological niche. The first thing I do is go through all of my sourcebooks and Dragon magazines and create a list of monsters that I would match my theme or ecology. It keeps things pretty unique, so I rarely end up using the same monsters twice.

 

[Aries_Omega]

I have Goblins, Orc and Bugbears oh my! In my world humans are VERY dominant. Anything not human is considered lower then an animal...it has no soul. It was only in the last 100 years or so that elves, dwarves and other stereotypical "good" races were upgraded to having a soul.

I did come up with a strange monster to try my hand at monster creation once. I made a half green dragon rust monster named Atroxio the Iron Horror. Here he is...feel free to use him...if you piss off your players with it tell them that AriesOmega sends his regards. If you use him email me at AriesOmega at gmail dot com and let me know how it went.

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Atroxio the Iron Horror is a unique creature. He is a Half-Green Dragon Rust Monster. Like other dragons he covets treasure and hoards what he can except iron, which he feeds on. He eats humanoids not for sustenance but for the sheer pleasure of them squirming and screaming. He is somewhat more intelligent then an animal and does not speak but understands Common.

Atroxio generally sits in the back of his cavern and will attack intruders that enter using his rust ability while using his claws and bite to disarm them as well. He uses his breath weapon if he is losing since he doesn't want to destroy gold and other non-iron valuables.

DM NOTES: The stats presented here represented are using the alternative Vitality Points/Wound Points and Armor as DR from Unearthed Arcana.


Medium Dragon; Int +3 (+3 Dex); AC 21 (+3 Dex, +8 natural), 13 touch, 14 flat-footed; DR 1/- (1/- natural); Spd 40 ft (8 spaces); VP/WP 37/15; VD 5d10+10; Atk +7 melee (1d4) 2 claws, +3 melee touch (rust) antennae or +3 melee touch (rust) antennae and +5 melee (1d6) bite; Grp +7; SA rust, breath weapon; SQ darkvision vision 60 ft, lowlight vision, immunity to sleep, paralysis and acid, scent; SV Fort +2, Ref +4, Will +5; Str 18, Dex 17, Con 15, Int 4, Wis 13, Cha 10; Align LE; CR 5; Skills: Listen +6, Spot +6, Hide +3, Move Silently +3; Feats: Alertness, Track

Rust (Ex): A rust monster that makes a successful touch attack with its antennae causes the target metal to corrode, falling to pieces and becoming useless immediately. The touch can destroy up to a 10-foot cube of metal instantly. Magic armor and weapons, and other magic items made of metal, must succeed on a DC 18 Reflex save or be dissolved. A metal weapon that deals damage to a rust monster corrodes immediately.

Scent (Ex): Can detect approaching enemies, sniff out hidden foes, and track by sense of smell.

Breath Weapon – corrosive gas (Ex): Once per day may spew a 30-foot cone of acid gas. 6d8 damage, save DC is 14 for half damage.
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[Li Shenron]

So, what monsters are commonly used in your game? Do you seem to use any that no-one else seems to use? What supposedly "common" monsters do you rarely or never use?

Writing the whole list would be too long, but at least I use a lot of undead and evil outsiders, but with lots of variations.

Favourite creatures that I use a lot in basically all my campaigns were also Elementals (all), Orcs, Drow, Duergar, Ogres, Planetouched, Giant Spiders, Minotaurs, Werewolves and Lizardfolk.

Common monsters I used only sparingly are Goblins and Kobolds (I do use them, but only as cannon fodder on very low-adventures, I just don't give them more than a couple of class levels). I don't think I ever used an Ankheg or an Owlbear.

I did use Stirges several times by the way

 

[Nifft]

I've heard this called one's Monster Palette, and I like that term.

For my game, the exact palette depends on the area:

Earth: Humans, Goblinoids, Undead, Giants, mythical Magical Beasts, Fey, Dragons

Barsoom (a prime world near Earth): Aberrations, Elves, Fey, non-mythical Magical Beasts

Gehenna: Evil Outsiders, Undead

Plane of Elemental Ash: Fire Elementals, Fire Outsiders, Iron Golems, Steel Predators

Cheers, -- N

 

[el-remmen]

I'm surprised to see Flesh Golems made the list for both Merric and el-remmen. How do you manage to use them so often? I always thought of them as a bit of an oddity.

Olaf the Stout

How are they any more odd than anything else? The "Frankenstein" feel of the monster - having been created by some mad wizard never gets old - whether it be the main monster of a lower level adventure, or one of many guarding a tower in a high level adventure.

 

[The Lost Muse]

In my last campaign, it was warforged a lot of the time, as well as a good bit of undead.

In my current campaign, it'll be more scaly monsters (lizard folk, yuan-ti, etc...), goblinoids, kobolds, and later on probably some psionic mosnters.

 

[el-remmen]

Oh, and I totally forgot to mention the undead I always use:


Skeletons
Zombies
Ghouls/Ghasts
Wights
Ju-Ju Zombies (I love me some Ju-ju)
Shadows.

I rarely if ever use more powerful undead. I used a vampire for the first time ever in this last campaign.

And outside the realm of undead I forgot some of my favorite 1E Fiend Foilio friends:

Bullywugs
Hooked Horrors
Volts

 

[diaglo]

all of the above.

i use everything i can find and make up.

 

[Raven Crowking]

Humans are the #1 "Monster" in my book. Do you fight them or talk to them?

Other creatures that have seen use IMC:

Dire Boar, Green Hag, Ogres, Cave Fisher, Kobolds, Spiderfolk, Monstrous Spiders, Shadow Wolves, Shadow Skeletons, Water Elemental Skeleton, many types of normal animals, Orcs, Treant, Stirges, Minotaur, Greywhethers (carnivorous sheep), Goblins, Bugbears, Shadow Orcs, Dire Badger, Vampires, Sentient Skeletal "Druids", Aboleths, Stone Guardians, Dire Corbies, Caryatid Columns, Giant Archer Fish, Giant Pike, Ghouls, Manticore, Allips, Zombies, Wights, Wraith, Satyr, Many Fey of Various Sorts (templated and/or individualized), The Entombed God Baloraz, Grell, Dimensional Shambler, Skitterhaunt Centipedes, Psuedonatural Rats, Stirges, Fire Beetles, Owlbears, Grey Oozes, Gelatinous Cube, Fire-Breathing Giant Bees, Skeletons of Many Diverse Types of Creatures, Displacer Serpents, Grick, Ankheg, Tunnel Worm, Caller In Darkness, Skum, Mist Walker, Gibbering Mouther, Small Monstrous Ants, Smilodon, and a bunch of other stuff that I'll later kick myself for not remembering now.

 

[Kunimatyu]

Looks like someone has a healthy mini collection!

Olaf the Stout

It'll be healthier once I make that Gargantuan Cachalot Whale!