Today's Topic is Favorite Monster as we continue our celebration of International Original Dungeons and Dragons Month!
I have quite a few favorite monsters, so it is a little hard to choose.
I really like the Gelatinous Cube, you can really have a lot of fun with it, once my players ran into a Gelatinous Cube that had somehow gotten(or was helped) out of the dungeon into the wilderness. It had grown to a huge size about 50 times the size of a normal one although it was more like a mountain than a cube at this size. They had a really tough time killing it and did end up setting the forest on fire. They back-tracked it through the forest looking for anything it might have dropped along the way, they followed a trail that was bare ground 100 feet wide that gradually become more narrow as they went until it was only 10 feet wide. They found a number of weapons near the beginning of the trail, nothing magic, along with some gold, silver and copper.
I really like Giants and Dragons, my players have had some frightening encounters with them. One time when the campaign moved on the ocean and stayed mostly there for the next two years of real world time (10 years game time) the were chased by a giant and they were rowing for their lives to their ship while those on ship were waiting for the giant to come in range of their ballistae. They were chased by a dragon that burned their sails off as a parting gift. Again the ballistae saved their bacon.
And Trolls, I like trolls a lot, ravenous eating machines that regenerate and have no alignment, they just are. Trolls – Most trolls that adventurers will encounter run from 7-10 feet tall and weigh from 300-600 lbs. The most common troll has a green and purple glossy rubbery hide; however there are many different types of trolls, some of which have long hair that changes color with the season and the location they are found. Mountain trolls blend right into the rocks and boulders. Trolls, like dragons, are immortal unless they die by violence. Although rare there are rumors of trolls that are 10's of thousands of years old or even older. The average troll is a mindless hungry eating machine that feeds and sleeps. But it is said that if they live long enough that their intelligence grows to the point that they become sentient and thus obtain the skills and craftiness to grow even older. If pieces of a troll are separated by at least a mile each piece will grow into a complete troll.
But all that said, I think my favorite is the Beholder.
In Greyhawk Supplement I, Beholders are written this way:
Table
Beholder - Number Appearing 1, Armer Class 4/2, Move in Inches 3, Hit Dice - Special, % in Lair 90% Type or Amount of Treasure I(Treasure) and F(Magic). They can bite once per round for 2-5 points of damage plus the eyes.
Write-up
Beholders: These monsters are also known as Spheres of Many Eyes, or as Eye Tyrants. The body of these creatures is a great globe of about 3' in diameter. Atop it are ten eye stalks, while in the center of the spherical body is a great eleventh eye. The body can sustain 40 points of damage, each eye stalk 10 points, and the central eye can withstand up to 20 points. The armor class of the body is 0. the eye stalks 2, and the eyes proper 7. Each eye functioning is a different manner: From 1 -4 of the small eyes are able to function at one time.
In addition, the Beholders are able to levitate themselves and float slowly about. These monsters are avaricious. They are neutral in nature, although they tend to be chaotic.
So what do I do differently, for starters I divide them up into age groups and types. Some types are like chameleons and blend into their surroundings. Some types can move much faster, etc. Young ones have fewer eyes, the oldest have more eyes and can use more at one time. Young ones have fewer hit points and older ones more. The young ones are inexperienced, while the older ones are wise and crafty, they have been Tuckerized (note that we did this with a lot of monsters way before we ever heard of Tucker all the way back in '75 in our case).
I vary the spell list, while they all have the Anti-Magic Ray, aside from that no two Beholders have all the same spells other than by random chance.
I like to throw young beholders at a party when they are lower level and empathize to them when they barely survive how young, weak, inexperienced it was and what a pushover it was compared to an old one. Then they start doing research to find out more about them and try to devise tactics and strategy to fight one and to avoid if they can. It is a rare player that eschews missile weapons in my game.
Why do I like Beholders? Because of the sheer terror it inspires in the PCs and the Players themselves. No one wants to lose to a Beholder.
Oh, I almost forgot to tell you the topic for tomorrow, so here we go the 30 Day D&D Challenge for Day Six - What Was Something Wild in Your Game.
I have quite a few favorite monsters, so it is a little hard to choose.
I really like the Gelatinous Cube, you can really have a lot of fun with it, once my players ran into a Gelatinous Cube that had somehow gotten(or was helped) out of the dungeon into the wilderness. It had grown to a huge size about 50 times the size of a normal one although it was more like a mountain than a cube at this size. They had a really tough time killing it and did end up setting the forest on fire. They back-tracked it through the forest looking for anything it might have dropped along the way, they followed a trail that was bare ground 100 feet wide that gradually become more narrow as they went until it was only 10 feet wide. They found a number of weapons near the beginning of the trail, nothing magic, along with some gold, silver and copper.
I really like Giants and Dragons, my players have had some frightening encounters with them. One time when the campaign moved on the ocean and stayed mostly there for the next two years of real world time (10 years game time) the were chased by a giant and they were rowing for their lives to their ship while those on ship were waiting for the giant to come in range of their ballistae. They were chased by a dragon that burned their sails off as a parting gift. Again the ballistae saved their bacon.
And Trolls, I like trolls a lot, ravenous eating machines that regenerate and have no alignment, they just are. Trolls – Most trolls that adventurers will encounter run from 7-10 feet tall and weigh from 300-600 lbs. The most common troll has a green and purple glossy rubbery hide; however there are many different types of trolls, some of which have long hair that changes color with the season and the location they are found. Mountain trolls blend right into the rocks and boulders. Trolls, like dragons, are immortal unless they die by violence. Although rare there are rumors of trolls that are 10's of thousands of years old or even older. The average troll is a mindless hungry eating machine that feeds and sleeps. But it is said that if they live long enough that their intelligence grows to the point that they become sentient and thus obtain the skills and craftiness to grow even older. If pieces of a troll are separated by at least a mile each piece will grow into a complete troll.
But all that said, I think my favorite is the Beholder.
In Greyhawk Supplement I, Beholders are written this way:
Table
Beholder - Number Appearing 1, Armer Class 4/2, Move in Inches 3, Hit Dice - Special, % in Lair 90% Type or Amount of Treasure I(Treasure) and F(Magic). They can bite once per round for 2-5 points of damage plus the eyes.
Write-up
Beholders: These monsters are also known as Spheres of Many Eyes, or as Eye Tyrants. The body of these creatures is a great globe of about 3' in diameter. Atop it are ten eye stalks, while in the center of the spherical body is a great eleventh eye. The body can sustain 40 points of damage, each eye stalk 10 points, and the central eye can withstand up to 20 points. The armor class of the body is 0. the eye stalks 2, and the eyes proper 7. Each eye functioning is a different manner: From 1 -4 of the small eyes are able to function at one time.
Eye Number Function
1 Charm Person Spell
2 Charm Monster Spell
3 Sleep Spell
4 Telekenesis
5 Flesh-Stone Ray
6 Disintegrate Ray
7 Fear Ray
8 Slow Spell
9 Serious Wound Spell
10 Death Ray
11 Anti-Magic Ray
In addition, the Beholders are able to levitate themselves and float slowly about. These monsters are avaricious. They are neutral in nature, although they tend to be chaotic.
So what do I do differently, for starters I divide them up into age groups and types. Some types are like chameleons and blend into their surroundings. Some types can move much faster, etc. Young ones have fewer eyes, the oldest have more eyes and can use more at one time. Young ones have fewer hit points and older ones more. The young ones are inexperienced, while the older ones are wise and crafty, they have been Tuckerized (note that we did this with a lot of monsters way before we ever heard of Tucker all the way back in '75 in our case).
I vary the spell list, while they all have the Anti-Magic Ray, aside from that no two Beholders have all the same spells other than by random chance.
I like to throw young beholders at a party when they are lower level and empathize to them when they barely survive how young, weak, inexperienced it was and what a pushover it was compared to an old one. Then they start doing research to find out more about them and try to devise tactics and strategy to fight one and to avoid if they can. It is a rare player that eschews missile weapons in my game.
Why do I like Beholders? Because of the sheer terror it inspires in the PCs and the Players themselves. No one wants to lose to a Beholder.
Oh, I almost forgot to tell you the topic for tomorrow, so here we go the 30 Day D&D Challenge for Day Six - What Was Something Wild in Your Game.
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