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.
45
votes
26answers
2k views
What alternatives are there to replace orcs, kobolds, and hobgoblins in low-level encounters?
In your average "generic D&D" campaign and setting, orcs, kobolds, and hobgoblins are frequently used to stock low level adventures and dungeons. These are usually nice for 1st/2nd level ...
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.). ...
22
votes
3answers
519 views
Why is Survival not a class skill for animals?
Question in title.
Seems odd that an animal isn't naturally inclined to get bonuses to Survival, which typically involves dealing with the wilds and it's associated difficulties (an animal's natural ...
20
votes
6answers
664 views
How can I make monster knowledge checks fun?
By now most players know, or should know, that a monster knowledge check can make all the difference when you’re fighting a monster for the very first time. But how can we make them both fun and not ...
19
votes
2answers
676 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 ...
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?
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 ...
15
votes
2answers
404 views
How can I play monsters and NPCs up to their potential?
In many cases discussions about balance in 3.5 will, inevitably, involve one side or another invoking an anecdote of the time they fought this monster, or a member of that class, and they didn't ...
15
votes
2answers
818 views
Were Illithids inspired by Cthulhu?
Mind Flayers seem to look a whole lot like Cthulhu. Is there any relationship/inspiration between the two?
15
votes
4answers
457 views
How can I make combat more challenging without making it too frustrating?
My fellow DMs and I have come across a problem. It feels like the party has been doing a good job of dispatching our monsters with relative ease. We are not upset about this part, our party has done ...
15
votes
2answers
585 views
Creating solo monsters
One thing I haven't found in 4th edition online is a plethora of solo monsters. The idea of these fights are fascinating! Sadly though, all the products in 4th focus on multiple opponent fights (with ...
15
votes
3answers
796 views
What updates should be done to older monsters to bring them in line with MM3 era monsters?
I know that to better balance paragon and epic level players against similar level monsters, WotC changed the math used for monsters for MM3, and I believe that they changed some of the types of ...
14
votes
2answers
922 views
Are there any Animal Companions that are not actually Animals?
I’m just curious if any supplement out there includes an Animal Companion that is not, in fact, an Animal. As in the type.
I mean that just any Druid of sufficient level can take; there are ...
13
votes
3answers
737 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 ...
13
votes
3answers
454 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?
13
votes
7answers
390 views
How much should characters know about encountered creatures in 4e?
The shift from 3.5e to 4e in D&D has meant a big shift towards emphasizing tactics during combat. While I was apprehensive about this at first, it turns out it's quite entertaining, and a good ...
13
votes
3answers
310 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 ...
13
votes
2answers
649 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 ...
12
votes
8answers
362 views
How do I use the same type of creature as characters level up without using more of them?
Is there a good formula/strategy for making monsters harder as characters level up without just throwing more of them? My kids, for example, love Kobolds but I just don't want combats of 30 of them.
12
votes
3answers
721 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?
12
votes
3answers
611 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, ...
12
votes
7answers
292 views
What would be some good monsters for Planet of the Apes D&D?
A while back I got the idea of Planet of the Apes as an classic D&D game with "ape as class". Gorillas would be fighters, Orangutan clerics, Chimpanzees magic users, and Humans thieves making ...
12
votes
3answers
10k 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.
...
12
votes
1answer
132 views
Are there guidelines for creating & customising MM3-style monsters?
I've heard that Monster Manual 3 came with an improved design philosophy for monsters (particularly solos), and there are questions about updating pre-MM3 monsters for MM3.
I want to create and ...
11
votes
8answers
376 views
10-100 Troglodytes is too many!
I'm picking on troglodytes as an example. In MMI, the number of troglodytes appearing in their lair(cave system/dungeon) is 10-100. Troglodytes are a nice, not-too-tough, HD2 monster with some ...
11
votes
8answers
598 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 ...
11
votes
4answers
1k views
A medusa and a beholder look at each other. What happens?
What happens when a medusa and a beholder look at each other? Will the beholder petrify, or will the medusa lose his power?
11
votes
4answers
338 views
Would flying monsters ever land during combat?
Spooney asked this question in one of his podcasts, and I've started wondering about it myself.
In a D&D 4.0 encounter, why would an at least moderately intelligent creature (including, but not ...
11
votes
2answers
171 views
Reducing a monster below CR 1
There are many instances in Pathfinder and other 3.5 based systems when you might need to reduce a monster below 1 or 1/2. For example, if I'm using a CR 1/2 monster from a 3.5 source in Pathfinder, ...
10
votes
4answers
209 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 ...
10
votes
5answers
355 views
Where can I find good 2D representation of AD&D 1st edition monsters
I am looking for a good source of images of the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 1st edition monsters from the Monster Manual, Fiend Folio, and Monster Manual II.
Sure, there are drawings of most of ...
10
votes
2answers
681 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 ...
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
2answers
337 views
Is that blackguard riding a dragon? Nope, but their pony sure looks evil
In Elder Evils, there is a bodak blackguard who has a really cool mount. It's a flying construct with a nightwing's essence bonded to it. Very reminiscent (perhaps borderline steal?) of the Hobgoblin. ...
10
votes
2answers
203 views
Yummy, I love the taste of ghosts..?
The SRD says
An incorporeal creature has no physical body.
Do incorporeal creatures have matter - any at all?
If one argues that ectoplasm is matter (with some supplements such as Ghostwalk), ...
9
votes
11answers
1k views
How do you make a vampire cleric stay dead?
In our current D&D 3.5 campaign we have made enemies with powerful drow vampire clerics. They have an annoying habit of resurrecting as their god is one who brings people back from the dead to ...
9
votes
1answer
122 views
Where are a monster's skills?
If you grab a goblin for example, and the goblin test to escape it says to have it make an acrobatics or athletics check but I can't seem to find where it says there skills? Any help?
9
votes
3answers
288 views
How can I convert monsters from 4e back to 3.5?
For Christmas this year, I got the Monster Manual Three. Only problem is, this one is for 4e and I play almost exclusive 3.5. However, I started flipping through the pages anyway out of curiosity.
...
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 ...
9
votes
2answers
522 views
How to update a monster using the D&D4 Monster Builder?
I'm new to Monster Builder (part of Adventure Tools) and I'm hoping there is a good way to update pre MM3 monsters to the latest standards (in the errata).
As an example, I'm trying to update the ...
9
votes
1answer
259 views
Likelyhood of Feywild creatures in Nentir Vale
What are the population level of Feywild creatures in Nentir Vale? It must not be massive. For example, everyone should be terrified of scarecrows.
8
votes
5answers
1k views
Standard monster tactics for 4E D&D combat
In a similar vein to a question on tactics sources, I'm interested in knowing what are common tactics for monsters to use. The DMB and the MV mention monster groups, which are very useful, but I want ...
8
votes
3answers
710 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 ...
8
votes
1answer
280 views
Constitution drain, energy drain, dominating gaze - but incapable of crossing running water?
I'm interested in when this constraint from vampire lore was first integrated into Dungeons and Dragons mechanics: has it been there since the first D&D vampire?
Vampires are... unable to ...
8
votes
5answers
751 views
What is the relationship between Yuan-Ti and Nagas?
Yuan-ti are snake humanoids. Nagas are snake humanoids. What are the differences? What different roles do they serve? Is there in-game history about this?
8
votes
3answers
163 views
How does acquiring a template that changes hit dice affect pre-existing hit points?
When an existing creature acquires a template, and that template changes the creature's hit dice, does this change the creature's existing hit points?
Example:
A 3rd level human cleric with no bonus ...
8
votes
2answers
435 views
Do Druid animal companions go up in size with HD and gain size-based stat increases?
I have an animal companion which has just gained its 5th HD. On page 291 of Monster Manual 1, the Improving Monsters section says that an increase in Size also changes stats.
Do animal companions ...
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
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 ...
8
votes
1answer
988 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, ...
