Virgil posted the artist's other similar content, found grouped conveniently in a 'monster sheets' sub-gallery.wotmaniac wrote:not that I've been able to find, sadly.RobbyPants wrote:Agreed. Did that guy make any similar write-ups of other monsters?codeGlaze wrote: I also second that the write-up you linked is awesome!
though, I'll make sure to let y'all know if I ever run across anything.
What are the best designed monsters in D&D3e/PF ?
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Last edited by codeGlaze on Sat Feb 23, 2013 4:09 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Thanks.codeGlaze wrote:Virgil posted the artist's other similar content, found grouped conveniently in a 'monster sheets' sub-gallery.wotmaniac wrote:not that I've been able to find, sadly.RobbyPants wrote:Agreed. Did that guy make any similar write-ups of other monsters?
though, I'll make sure to let y'all know if I ever run across anything.
My bad -- I guess I glossed over some of the posts (I'm still waking up)
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OgreBattle
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Bumping this thread back because we just had that discussion on monster generation. I'd like to see more added, with descriptions (and CR) of why you like 'em.
The consensus seems to be for monsters who don't have a single glaring exploitable weakness, and also don't just smash the party in one round.
Here's a summary:
Schleiermacher's likes
-Manticore
-Displacer Beast
- Phase Spider
-Chimera
-Griffon
-Wyvern
-Rakshasa
"They have a good hit die which makes their HD/CR ratios pretty sane, they tend to be intelligent enough to use tactics even if bestial, and they generally have a clear schtick without having any glaring achilles heels. They have supernatural powers which are effective and, even more importantly, distinctive, without just having a slew of spell-like abilities for every occasion."
-Fire/Frost Giant, interesting subtypes
-Ogre, sweet spot of brutishness
"Tactically versatile due to intelligence"
Schleiermacher's dislikes
-Dragon, Outsider "Good at too many things"
-Undead, Fey, "crappy racial hitdice"
-Trolls, Hill Giants "pointless at their level"
Koumei's Likes
-Wyvern: does what you want a dragon to do without being overly complicated, templates well
-Small animated objects for annoyance
-Giant Crabs " :3"
Franktrollman's Dislikes
-Phase Spiders "Always ambush you with fatal poison that often misses, feels like a coin flip, would prefer poison to immobilize to set in tension instead of instant death"
-Fire/Frost/Stone giants "not atrocious, but lacking tactical depth for their level"
-Shadows, Trolls "Fucktarded"
Franktrollman's Likes:
-Hill Giant "beefy, strong in melee, threat at ranged
-Manticore, Chimera, Wyvern
-Willowhisp, chain devil, ettin
-Many CR 6-7 monsters are well designed
-Hullathoin (CR 15, FF) It has a lot of abilities and is actually pretty much a whole combat by itself. Between its minions and its AoEs, it can challenge a whole party, but it doesn't have the kinds of titanic numbers or instant death attacks that would make it roll over individual characters. Can work as a normal challenge at 15th level or as a major villain for a party of 11th level or higher.
-Battlebriar (CR 15, MM3) It's a big dumb brute. It has abilities that allow it to attack and threaten several characters at once. It has the numbers and immunities to stand up to a round or two of late game combat. Its real problem is that it lacks a weapon that can attack an enemy at any great distance, requiring it to show up inside some sort of greenhouse set piece or something.
-Eldritch Giant (CR 15, MM3) It's a Giant, of Huge Size. It does tolerable piles of damage, and has a fuck tonne of hit points. Nothing really interesting there. But unlike lower level Giants, it's not just bigger than the ones that come earlier, it has some tricks. At-will greater dispelling and magic missile allow it to bypass a surprising number of anti-Giant tactics, and having a big Will Save lets it bypass a bunch more. It's a Giant that is an actually different tactical puzzle, which makes it totally unlike any of the Giants from Stone to Cloud. Unfortunately, "Eldritch Giant" is a stupid name.
Ancient History's Likes
-Myconids
Wotmaniac's Likes
-Bulette (with a really nice presentation: http://fc02.deviantart.net/fs39/f/2008/ ... temare.png )
-Greenvise "I've had success with all manners of plant creatures
-Swarms
Angelfromanotherpin's Likes
-Hill Giant with Tome Spheres as his frost/fire equivalents
Maxus's Likes
-Kyton
-Black Stag http://www.planewalker.com/040101/black-stag
Virgil's Likes
White dragon
Bloodseeker
Lurking Lizard
The consensus seems to be for monsters who don't have a single glaring exploitable weakness, and also don't just smash the party in one round.
Here's a summary:
Schleiermacher's likes
-Manticore
-Displacer Beast
- Phase Spider
-Chimera
-Griffon
-Wyvern
-Rakshasa
"They have a good hit die which makes their HD/CR ratios pretty sane, they tend to be intelligent enough to use tactics even if bestial, and they generally have a clear schtick without having any glaring achilles heels. They have supernatural powers which are effective and, even more importantly, distinctive, without just having a slew of spell-like abilities for every occasion."
-Fire/Frost Giant, interesting subtypes
-Ogre, sweet spot of brutishness
"Tactically versatile due to intelligence"
Schleiermacher's dislikes
-Dragon, Outsider "Good at too many things"
-Undead, Fey, "crappy racial hitdice"
-Trolls, Hill Giants "pointless at their level"
Koumei's Likes
-Wyvern: does what you want a dragon to do without being overly complicated, templates well
-Small animated objects for annoyance
-Giant Crabs " :3"
Franktrollman's Dislikes
-Phase Spiders "Always ambush you with fatal poison that often misses, feels like a coin flip, would prefer poison to immobilize to set in tension instead of instant death"
-Fire/Frost/Stone giants "not atrocious, but lacking tactical depth for their level"
-Shadows, Trolls "Fucktarded"
Franktrollman's Likes:
-Hill Giant "beefy, strong in melee, threat at ranged
-Manticore, Chimera, Wyvern
-Willowhisp, chain devil, ettin
-Many CR 6-7 monsters are well designed
-Hullathoin (CR 15, FF) It has a lot of abilities and is actually pretty much a whole combat by itself. Between its minions and its AoEs, it can challenge a whole party, but it doesn't have the kinds of titanic numbers or instant death attacks that would make it roll over individual characters. Can work as a normal challenge at 15th level or as a major villain for a party of 11th level or higher.
-Battlebriar (CR 15, MM3) It's a big dumb brute. It has abilities that allow it to attack and threaten several characters at once. It has the numbers and immunities to stand up to a round or two of late game combat. Its real problem is that it lacks a weapon that can attack an enemy at any great distance, requiring it to show up inside some sort of greenhouse set piece or something.
-Eldritch Giant (CR 15, MM3) It's a Giant, of Huge Size. It does tolerable piles of damage, and has a fuck tonne of hit points. Nothing really interesting there. But unlike lower level Giants, it's not just bigger than the ones that come earlier, it has some tricks. At-will greater dispelling and magic missile allow it to bypass a surprising number of anti-Giant tactics, and having a big Will Save lets it bypass a bunch more. It's a Giant that is an actually different tactical puzzle, which makes it totally unlike any of the Giants from Stone to Cloud. Unfortunately, "Eldritch Giant" is a stupid name.
Ancient History's Likes
-Myconids
Wotmaniac's Likes
-Bulette (with a really nice presentation: http://fc02.deviantart.net/fs39/f/2008/ ... temare.png )
-Greenvise "I've had success with all manners of plant creatures
-Swarms
Angelfromanotherpin's Likes
-Hill Giant with Tome Spheres as his frost/fire equivalents
Maxus's Likes
-Kyton
-Black Stag http://www.planewalker.com/040101/black-stag
Virgil's Likes
White dragon
Bloodseeker
Lurking Lizard
Last edited by OgreBattle on Mon Oct 28, 2013 3:04 am, edited 1 time in total.
I'm gonna put in a vote behind Frank's for the Eldritch Giant. I like them so much I have made them central enemies of entire campaign arcs. They are Giants that make you deal with Giants tricks. They're wonderful. Instead of demanding that you, the DM, put them in a closet with the PC these Giants can teleport onto a player as a swift action and deliver a full attack first round. They can also throw dispel magics at players using some sort of auto-win power against the giant's like etherealness or something. Magic missile on top as a last ditch force effect for when you're really fucked is icing on the cake. One of my favorite monsters.
I also really like Nightwalkers. They have a complex array of tactical abilities that can make them satisfying opponents for even high level parties. They can summon incorporeal minions, go invisible, plane shift, try to SoD a party member, or maybe even smash a problematic magic item. Add that to them using Unholy Blight and their gaze attack every round on top of normal strategy and they make a very active feeling boss enemy.
I love Balors. I think at will blasphemy is sort of a beautiful mistake but it does make them an amazing velvet rope monster. If you can beat a Balor you genuinely know your a badass because literally no part of their monster entry is remotely fucking around. I think whoever designed the Balor genuinely GOT high level play and made something that is still scary to a 19th level Wizard and that's really amazing.
Finally Inevitables are all good. I've been able to design tactically rich combats with Inevitables on a consistent basis. They are a bit over CR'ed so they often can't quite bring enough raw killing power to the table but they all have diverse enough ability sets that the combats will challenge the party if not really worry them.
I also really like Nightwalkers. They have a complex array of tactical abilities that can make them satisfying opponents for even high level parties. They can summon incorporeal minions, go invisible, plane shift, try to SoD a party member, or maybe even smash a problematic magic item. Add that to them using Unholy Blight and their gaze attack every round on top of normal strategy and they make a very active feeling boss enemy.
I love Balors. I think at will blasphemy is sort of a beautiful mistake but it does make them an amazing velvet rope monster. If you can beat a Balor you genuinely know your a badass because literally no part of their monster entry is remotely fucking around. I think whoever designed the Balor genuinely GOT high level play and made something that is still scary to a 19th level Wizard and that's really amazing.
Finally Inevitables are all good. I've been able to design tactically rich combats with Inevitables on a consistent basis. They are a bit over CR'ed so they often can't quite bring enough raw killing power to the table but they all have diverse enough ability sets that the combats will challenge the party if not really worry them.
DSMatticus wrote:Fuck you, fuck you, fuck you, fuck you. I am filled with an unfathomable hatred.
My players are still talking 1.5 years later over a very small change I like to make to giants -- simply swapping out a couple of the completely worthless feats for Quick Draw and Rapid Shot. Completely changes the nature of the encounter(s) .... they are now stricken with mortal fear anytime I throw a giant on the table.
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- Mark Cuban
"Game design has no obligation to cater to people who don’t buy into the premise of the game"
TGD -- skirting the edges of dickfinity since 2003.
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darkmaster
- Knight-Baron
- Posts: 913
- Joined: Fri Apr 29, 2011 5:24 am
Wyvern has the most votes and no votes against it. So I think the obvious answer is that the Wyvern is the best monster in D&D.
Kaelik wrote:Fuck you Haruhi is clearly the best moe anime, and we will argue about how Haruhi and Nagato are OP and um... that girl with blond hair? is for shitters.darkmaster wrote:Tgdmb.moe, like the gaming den, but we all yell at eachother about wich lucky star character is the cutest.
If you like Lucky Star then I will explain in great detail why Lucky Star is the a shitty shitty anime for shitty shitty people, and how the characters have no interesting abilities at all, and everything is poorly designed especially the skill challenges.
Are there any good 3.X monsters that fill a Leader role, the Bards of the Monster World, as it were?
Last edited by virgil on Fri Feb 19, 2016 6:29 am, edited 1 time in total.
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angelfromanotherpin
- Overlord
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If you want your monster to be Buffy the Vampire Buffer, then I can point out a couple:
Bloodfire Ooze from MM Fucking IV. It's generally a waste of paper and ink, but that ooze is interesting in that it automatically Empowers any Fire spells cast nearby. So you attach it to a monster (or NPC spellcaster) that casts fire spells. Sadly doesn't apply to Supernatural or Spell-Like Abilities or whatever, so you can't just buddy it up with one of the many things that gets Fireball (Sp) or a flaming breath weapon. But you still have things like Aranea, True Dragon (why would you do this?) or those weird Incorporeal colour-coded fuckheads from... MMII? I can't even remember their name.
Slaymate from Libby Morty applies a Metamagic Reduction to Necromancy spells cast. So again you're looking mostly at enemy NPC spellcasters, not SLA users. But it is something.
Lillends are automatically sixth level Bards (music and casting) as part of being CR 7 monsters with 7 Outsider hit dice, flight, constriction and a handful of decent SLAs,
Bloodfire Ooze from MM Fucking IV. It's generally a waste of paper and ink, but that ooze is interesting in that it automatically Empowers any Fire spells cast nearby. So you attach it to a monster (or NPC spellcaster) that casts fire spells. Sadly doesn't apply to Supernatural or Spell-Like Abilities or whatever, so you can't just buddy it up with one of the many things that gets Fireball (Sp) or a flaming breath weapon. But you still have things like Aranea, True Dragon (why would you do this?) or those weird Incorporeal colour-coded fuckheads from... MMII? I can't even remember their name.
Slaymate from Libby Morty applies a Metamagic Reduction to Necromancy spells cast. So again you're looking mostly at enemy NPC spellcasters, not SLA users. But it is something.
Lillends are automatically sixth level Bards (music and casting) as part of being CR 7 monsters with 7 Outsider hit dice, flight, constriction and a handful of decent SLAs,
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