What's the quintessential D&D monster?

[Thanee]

Is this Basements & Beholders or Dungeons & Dragons?

That ancient D&D cover is funny!

Bye
Thanee

 

[Halivar]

Per me saying beholders, illithid and drow were WotC trademarks:

Eye tyrants and mind-flayers, yes.

But not the dark elves.

Dark elves, no. Drow, yes.

 

[hong]

I'm not sure about quintessential D&D monsters, but surely the thread reanimator deserves to go on the list of quintessential messageboard monsters.

 

[Kichwas]

Now see, I think you're disqualifying list is flawed.

The creature that most makes me think of DnD is the Orc. Nothing screams DnD more than an Orc - even if it does originate in other sources.

 

[johnsemlak]

Why are so many discounting the dark elves/drow as quintessential D&D monsters?

I mean, they were pretty much invented within the D&D milieu--they're straight up D&D.

They are classic villians because there is so much complexity with them, you can design entire drow cities filled with intrigue, politics, sinister plots, etc.

I love beholders, liches, mind flayers, and the rest, but there's just so much more to drow.

 

[Hand of Evil]

Striges!

The cube rules but Drow are great villian race.

 

[Norfleet]

I'm not sure about quintessential D&D monsters, but surely the thread reanimator deserves to go on the list of quintessential messageboard monsters.

It's Altalazar again. Seems he's our resident archaeologist. Monte should add "Archaeologist" to the encounter table.

 

[hrafnagud]

I mean, they were pretty much invented within the D&D milieu--they're straight up D&D.

Not even close to the truth. The very term 'Drow' has been used at least as far back as the Icelandic sagas. Even then it referred to a dark elf, also known as a svartalf.

Begs the question: How did they get a copyright on that?

 

[Halivar]

Not even close to the truth. The very term 'Drow' has been used at least as far back as the Icelandic sagas. Even then it referred to a dark elf, also known as a svartalf.

Begs the question: How did they get a copyright on that?

Very interesting. IIRC, there was a lawsuit in the late 90's regarding someone else using the term 'drow' where WotC sued somebody out of existance. Again, that's IIRC.

PS: In hindsight, that might have been 'duergar', so take it as you will.

 

[hrafnagud]

Don't get me wrong; I have no doubt they could pull off obtaining a copyright. They just have no right to a copyright, unless I am sorely mistaken (and this is possible, I am no lawyer).