Your Favorite Monsters, And Why

[blargney the second]

YES. I've had a doppleganger present in my 4e game since the very first session. And the PCs have no idea s/he's there....

GAH! I can't unread a spoiler!

 

[Wik]

GAH! I can't unread a spoiler!

Consider it more like a deliberate hint. Because the campaign is almost over, and I enjoy teasing my players.

 

[cignus_pfaccari]

Recaps from 4e's MM2 are definitely a cool monster.

I attempted to get a DM to let me play one in a gestalt game, taking racial HD on one side and something barbarianlike on the other.

Oooo, that'd've been rude.

Brad

 

[GAAAHHH]

Remorhaz. Ever since I first saw them, I wanted to use one in an adventure.

Also, Modrons (2e version) - Whimsical, yet deadly.

 

[messy]

otyugh, aka "dung-eater." nuff said.

 

[karlindel]

I am a fan of Devils as the quintessential corrupters and tempters. They are very useful as distasteful sometimes allies.

I like Hobgoblins as the organizers of the goblinoid world. I had a hobgoblin empire in one campaign that was a lot of fun. I have also used them as evil knight-types, who have codes of honor that they follow, but whose rules are not necessarily in line with what a good character would follow.

I like carrion crawlers, owlbears, and beholders, because they bring a feeling of nostalgia and are very D&D monsters in my mind.

 

[Almacov]

Owlbears- Because despite any silliness that may or may not be inherent in the concept, they can be pretty terrifying in-game. The power of a bear, and the mad, relentless pursuit of some crazed bird of prey. The owl features make for a nice dose of creepy.

Gnolls- Hyenas are already a pretty frightening creature in the right setting. They cackle unnervingly, and their jaws are among the strongest out there.
You'll see the gleam of their eyes as they huddle around some unidentifiable carcass. Mix all that pack instinct and inherent spookiness with bipedal movement and a culture that has them draping themselves in the body parts and items of their fallen prey, and you have a striking adversary.

Kobolds- Traps. Cunning. Their almost comical frailty and cowardice leads the party to assume they'll be easy to manage, which makes it all the more shocking to them when the kobolds actually do gain the upper hand. They're a good way to lure the party way over their heads. Especially with a dragon tossed in the mix.

Wraiths- They could come at you from anywhere, and the damage they traditionally deal is far more grave than sword slashes.

Hybsils- Not sure I can explain why these are so appealing.

Barghest- They think they're fighting goblins. They think they're fighting wolves. They're not. So much fun...

 

[Noumenon]

I like mephits because they have a million little abilities, kind of like a 4E monster.

 

[BrokeAndDrive]

Mind Flayers. Insufferable geniuses who own you and want to suck your brraaaiiinnnsss.

Gods and/or world-ending abominations. What could be more satisfying than defeating this guy? Or him? Or her? Yes, I'm a sucker for deicide.

Owlbears. I used to hate them, but the following changed my mind forever:

Funny you brought this up. I made my D&D group laugh until they cried when the Owlbear they had been tracking charged them with an ear-shattering "HOOOOOOOOOOOT!" Delivered at the top my lungs, naturally.

The Owlbear is simultaneously the best and worst monster in Dungeons and Dragons.

 

[Noumenon]

I like allips.

• A change of pace from physical monsters
• tend to have backstory
• make an location all haunting and ghostly
• hypnotism is like suggestion only it puts you in a cool trancelike state while you march to your doom
• PCs with Wisdom drain get to roleplay doing extremely silly things
• Having your Wisdom go to 0 is very serious, but not as final as death.

Goodman Games had an allip who was the ghost of a lighthouse keeper, and I had it hypnotize people and have them climb the winding stair to the top of the lighthouse while it took opportunity attacks and tried to trap them at the top. It was awesome. I ended up with two naked PCs from that encounter -- the male one was left comatose and had all his clothes stolen, and the female one had 4 wisdom left and decided to go skinny dipping with the merfolk out in the bay.