Under your bed. In your closet. Is it better to out-monster the monster or to be quietly devoured? This tag covers questions relating to monstrous antagonists.
9
votes
1answer
146 views
How is the clockwork soldier priced?
I've been looking at the possible constructs in current Pathfinder bestiaries looking for options for a crafter character and I couldn't help but notice that the pricing of the clockwork soldier ...
2
votes
2answers
99 views
How does a Cloaker's Engulf ability work?
From the 3.5 SRD,
A cloaker can try to wrap a Medium or smaller creature in its body as
a standard action. The cloaker attempts a grapple that does not
provoke an attack of opportunity. If it ...
19
votes
2answers
680 views
How do I use minions effectively?
I'm a newbie DM. It seems that minions in an encounter benefit the PCs more than they benefit me:
The Barbarian can kill them for free THP and a Swift Charge (I thought they were supposed to slow ...
3
votes
3answers
236 views
Monsters that are more dangerous when knocked down/forced movement
A PC who can knock mobs prone or force their movement can wreck an encounter singlehandedly.
So...thinking of ways to get around this, other than the bad idea of completely neutralizing the power by ...
6
votes
7answers
219 views
Need some recommendations for monster manuals
I run and play lots of indie-style games (Burning Wheel and Apocalypse World in particular). Perhaps the one thing they lack that I miss from my D&D days is the tomes full of monsters to excite ...
6
votes
1answer
239 views
Gelatinous Cube damage
This seems really basic, but I'm not really sure how to treat the case where a creature has been engulfed by a gelatinous cube. Does the creature simply take 1d6 acid damage as if it were attacked, or ...
13
votes
3answers
748 views
Does a summoned monster's alignment matter?
I am playing in a 3.5 game recently, and a question has come up that none of us could really answer.
Does the alignment of a summoned monster (as per the Summon Monster I-IX spells) matter at all?
For ...
8
votes
1answer
147 views
Can I attack a Bulette when it's underground?
Do other characters know where the bulette is if it doesn't attack? If they can attack it, how do I handle it? Do I give it total cover? Can they even attack it when it is underground?
If they don't ...
2
votes
1answer
564 views
What are the highest level solo monsters in all official supplements released for 4th Edition Dungeons & Dragons?
Which is the highest level solo monster in all current supplements released for DnD 4.0? I think that it is Bahamut, but there are too many books which I'm not aware of (and also I have read somewhere ...
2
votes
1answer
364 views
Do monster templates still exist in post-Essentials D&D 4e?
In the D&D 4e Monster Manual, there are monster templates such as 'lich' which increase a standard monster to elite or an elite to a solo.
Do monster templates still appear in more recent core ...
7
votes
5answers
411 views
Are there rules for skinning animals and making leather armor with the hide?
Recently I was DMing a game, and my players ran into a giant lizard. After they defeated it, they asked if they could skin the lizard and make it into armor. I basically just made it up on the fly; ...
31
votes
11answers
1k views
What are some dangerous non-fantasy creatures?
We're running a fantasy game where the adventurers frequently travel through the wilderness. Too many of the threatening encounters they have are with fantasy creatures (like goblins, orcs, etc.). ...
6
votes
2answers
219 views
In creating a monster what cautions should be taken?
The DDI Adventure Tools make it very easy to refluff or restat a monster in no time. Creating a monster is still easy, but can be difficult due to trying to not create an overpowered monster. Aside ...
5
votes
3answers
182 views
Resources on undeads and their creation
I'm searching for resources on undeads in general and their creation, as I want to develop a new realm for my homebrew setting, in which necromancy and magical-alchemical research on undeads, ...
15
votes
6answers
418 views
What would clever creatures do to protect their lair?
(This question is for fantasy worlds like in D&D and other such games.)
Usually, as the adventuring party goes up in ability, they end up facing stronger and more powerful characters. Let's say ...
7
votes
1answer
207 views
Can Monsters with class levels take Monster Feats instead of Regular Feats?
I'm designing a monster which through virtue of high intelligence and me being evil, that has 13 class levels.
However, I also want to bump up the save DC on its special ability. The feat Ability ...
10
votes
1answer
1k views
How to make monsters with class levels?
Say I was trying to make a 3rd level Harpy bard. Do I remove its seven hit dice, feats, BAB and skills etc and start from scratch? Or do I add the class levels on top of all that? How does level ...
10
votes
4answers
210 views
Do I need to stat out & measure everything?
I am preparing a session that contains a fair amount of absurdity. Many of the creatures and situations that my players will encounter will probably not be encountered again.
On the one hand, I know ...
8
votes
3answers
713 views
Why does the “insubstantial” quality exist?
Aside from minor rounding errors for very low damage, a monster with x hit points and the insubstantial resistance type is exactly the same as a monster with 2x hit points.
So, why does the ...
5
votes
5answers
844 views
What's a good defense against silence?
Well, a dungeon master keeps throwing characters who can silence spells at me. It's a pain in the butt when trying to fight as a group, as most of my friends and I are casters. We're dealing with ...
3
votes
2answers
307 views
What's the impact of a monster being immune to Unconscious?
Some monsters have immunity to being Unconscious. Since monsters die when they hit 0 HP (barring a PC deliberately inflicting nonlethal damage), what's the impact of this? Do they fight on when ...
5
votes
2answers
468 views
What monster tokens are these?
Here is a snap shot of some monsters that I found while being bored today. I couldn't identify what the monsters were (sort of).
the monster on the top left marked (3) turns out to be a "Vampire ...
7
votes
1answer
258 views
Which products contain Monster, PC, or NPC tokens for Dnd4e?
Which books/boxes/etc contain sheets of tokens and or maps for Dnd4e? I have the monster vault, which I believe came with tokens, and the outdoors and indoors tiles I think came with some tokens ...
8
votes
3answers
167 views
Good source for a dark/weird dryad concept?
I'm working on an adventure that involves obtaining the wood from a dryad's tree, and would like to present the dryad as something other than the typical depiction. I have some ideas, but am curious ...
12
votes
3answers
726 views
Is there a creature half dragon and half horse?
Is there a specific such creature, with a name for it and description, in any lore or game?
10
votes
2answers
686 views
Flanking and swarms in 4e
Can swarms be flanked by two PCs? What if the swarm is occupying the same square as a PC?
Does a PC grant combat advantage to a swarm if a regular mob is adjacent in a flank? Does it matter if the ...
3
votes
3answers
2k views
How do you as GM's level/de-level monsters in adventures that are premade
I am getting ready to start a new campaign that was made for higher level characters.
I want to use the campaign but want to lower the monster levels and may want to raise monster levels inthe future. ...
6
votes
4answers
384 views
Sources for officially published GURPS monsters
When I recently purchasing the Dungeon Fantasy collection of monsters, I noticed that most of the listed monsters are not "every-game" monsters. It seems to be lacking simple goblins, harpies, etc. ...
6
votes
1answer
120 views
Does Invulnerable include Magic Weapons?
Some creatures in Savage Worlds are Invulnerable to wounds except for something they have a Weakness to. For example: a Vampire has a Weakness to Sunlight and other standard anti-Vampire attacks.
...
12
votes
3answers
612 views
Where does the distinction between “Mindflayer” and “Illithid” come from?
I know that a Mindflayer is an Illithid and visa versa. And, I know in some of the D&D fiction, like Forgotten Realms and the like, that Mindflayers refer to themselves or their race as Illithids, ...
8
votes
1answer
994 views
How many rays can a beholder use in one full-attack action?
What it says on the tin. Beholders and beholder kin are given a number of rays that they can use. The entry for the Beholder-kin: Watcher notes that each eye can use one of its powers every round, ...
13
votes
2answers
652 views
Do fire spells cast underwater still affect creatures vulnerable to fire?
Related Question: Can magic items that deal fire damage function underwater?
As mentioned in the above question:
From the DMG p93:
Spells or spell-like effects with the
fire descriptor are ...
7
votes
6answers
4k views
Is there a playable undead race?
Is there a playable race of undead in Dungeons and Dragons 3.5? I would prefer a race that isn't a vampire or lich. If possible, please share their stats.
11
votes
8answers
602 views
Inter-planar Merchants of D&D
What race best fills this role? I'm mostly looking for someone who does this in a Planescape-style setting. Neogi kinda do this, but they're a little too specialized for what I'm looking for. Ditto ...
5
votes
1answer
1k views
Are there any established rules for flying in combat for D&D 3.x or d20 Modern?
My game is d20 Modern, but the two systems are very similar, so either is fine just to give me some templates to work from. I'm basically looking for anything that isn't me pulling stuff out of thin ...
2
votes
1answer
246 views
Rebalancing the Orc Brutes in Thunderspire labyrinth?
The Orc Beserker is a miserably designed sack of hitpoints:
Orc Berserker
HP 66; Bloodied 33
AC 15; Fortitude 17, Reflex 13, Will 12
Speed 6 (8 while charging)
Greataxe ...
8
votes
1answer
332 views
How can I convert monsters from D&D 3.5 to d20 Modern?
What sort of issues would I run into if I wanted to co-opt some D&D 3.5 creatures into a D20 Modern setting? I'm looking mostly at devils, demons and some of the astral creatures.
Will such ...
4
votes
2answers
203 views
What does the Moilian Barrow monster in the Tomb of Horrors Super Adventure look like?
From the read aloud text of encounter M3: Dark Barrow on p55 of the Tomb of Horrors Super Adventure:
Bones and body parts are knitting themselves together into a larger mass in the rubble.
There ...
7
votes
3answers
314 views
What monsters are depicted on the 4.0 DM Screen?
I have the DM Screen included with the DM Kit. It depicts an underdark scene, and I can recognize:
a gargoyle
a beholder
some zombies
a mind flayer
an umber hulk
a black dragon
a bugbear
two drow
a ...
8
votes
2answers
208 views
How can I modify a solo for a 2 player party in Dungeons and Dragons 4e?
Most encounters are scaled down by removing monsters from play. However, solo monsters are designed around a 5 player party.
What is the best way to scale them down to be an interesting fight for 2 ...
8
votes
2answers
365 views
Can a creature be grabbed by two different creatures at the same time?
I've been playing the Thunderspire Labyrinth adventure for D&D 4th edition, and at one point a character was grabbed by two different monsters.
Can two different creatures of different types grab ...
7
votes
3answers
311 views
As a GM, how do you deal with or manage Stirges?
As a GM, how do you deal with or manage Stirges? Equally, how do you make use of them? For them to be a relevant threat, do they have to be in such numbers that they become unmanageable?
6
votes
1answer
308 views
18
votes
6answers
2k views
Is it possible to actually kill a Tarrasque?
I've seen a good bit of conflicting information on this creature. Is it possible to actually kill it? Permanently?
Is the answer to this something that varies from edition to edition of D&D?
12
votes
3answers
11k views
Calculating and balancing challenge ratings
Are there standard rules for calculating CR of groups? For example, in my Pathfinder bestiary, a single Stirge is listed as CR 1/2, and a group of 2d4 (average 5) of them is listed as an average CR 4.
...
13
votes
3answers
311 views
What does a Troglodyte actually smell like?
In 1st Edition AD&D, the Monster Manual states that Troglodytes
...emit a secretion which smells
extremely disgusting to humans...
If I want to keep the party on their toes, I would like ...
7
votes
1answer
380 views
Where can I find a database (sqlite, csv, etc) of Dungeons & Dragons Basic Set character and monster data?
I'm writing an engine for Dungeons & Dragons Basic Set (Red and Blue Box) First Edition (1E) in Python and would like to be able to read from an existing database of what is in the players and ...
13
votes
3answers
457 views
Is an Ooze a living creature?
Is an Ooze or something with Ooze traits a living creature for the purposes of things like Vampiric Touch?
7
votes
3answers
176 views
Can a Piercer attack more than once?
From the 1st Edition Monster Manual:
...and when a living creature passes
beneath their position above they will
drop upon it in order to kill and
devour it.
After they drop, can they ...
7
votes
2answers
325 views
What is a Gremlin?
What is a Gremlin? Is there a conventional, standard-issue portrayal of Gremlins in fantasy settings, much like there is for Dwarves, Elves or Orcs?
What games include portrayals of Gremlins?
