What monsters are poorly designed?

[Ulorian - Agent of Chaos]

Personally I think it's high time monsters started working a lot more like classes and a lot less like stop-gap challenges. They also need to start acting as part of the world, rather than reclusive things that only emerge when the PC's are around.

I've got no problem with monsters that you can use smart tactics to overcome...the ultimate purpose of a monster is to expend party rescources, be it reviving the barbarian or helping out the halflnig who couldn't fly.

What gets me is paper tigers (mindflayer! pretty much any fey!), melee monsters (Yes, I have seven attacks on a full attack, plus rend and pounce, why do you ask?), and undead (sooooooo many....sooooo few hp!).

By "acting more like classes," I think monsters should get more features with their HD than just hp, and that 1 monster HD should approximate 1 PC HD, and everything that comes with it. I think that the powers of monsters should be tied to HD and advancement, so that a mind flayer out of the box may not have very many powers, but as you give it HD and advance it, it explodes with psionic goo (dness).

But now I'm giving away inspiration for things I should be writing. Heh. If I get my way, you'll be seeing better monsters in the future.

I hear you brother. I started this thread a few weeks ago: Monsters like Classes

 

[Samuel Leming]

The Hullathoin & the Ulgurstasta, otherwise known as the pus dragon & the snot worm, from the 3E Fiend Folio. They seem more like aberrations than undead to me. Somebody needs to tell their designer that disgusting != undead.

Sam

 

[hong]

I've seen two explanations. The more physically believable is that its digestive system has only the one opening. When it has to get rid of any internal waste, including the undigestible parts of food, it essentially vomits.

The other option is that its whole metabolism is magical. Any matter that can't be dealt with by biological processes is magically disintegrated.

Beholders in my campaign:

I solved this tricky problem by banning its mouth. Easy!

 

[seankreynolds]

I, Tyrant, the 2E D&D book on beholders, has an anatomy diagram for them. They do have an elimination orifice on their "lower back."

 

[John Q. Mayhem]

Beholders in my campaign:

I solved this tricky problem by banning its mouth. Easy!

Gazer from Ultima VI, yes?

 

[Ridley's Cohort]

I'll concur with the idea that many of the creatures seem like they have really low armor classes. I mean, I suppose that some things could increase their chances, like a wizard ally casting mage armor on them but for higher level encounters, I am always amazed at how some creatures just don't seem quite protected enough.

It is a conscious design decision that most monsters have one or more glaring weaknesses -- AC is the most common one. I would not call that a flaw in most cases.