Most hated (by the book) monster

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Lurker
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Most hated (by the book) monster

Post by Lurker »

So with me running the Monday night Ne'er-do-well Masque of Red death Amazing Adventures game, and a few weeks ago a parent of a class mate from my girls school asked if I would run a game for them – that is a husge suprise since the girls go to a very small Christian church, so I figured my girls were the only ones who had ever heard of D&D & RPG in the school – I have had to start digging through the monster books and looking at creatures fitting those settings


As I flipped through the books – 1e 2e & C&C – my mind wandered a bit, and I started chasing rabbits.


One of those rabbits was 'what is my most disliked monster'


I know previously I mentioned drow, but I think that was more because of the over use elements than dislike of the monster itself.


That said, for this I think I will have to vote for the AD&D Troll.


It isn't that is dislike the idea of a tall skinny ravenous regenerative monster. They have a use and have terrified more than one of my lower to mid level paladins. I have also used them to good effect against hapless characters


However, when I hear TROLL, I think the Norse & Tolkien flavor of the monster. Ogre like, brutal, not that bright (but dangerously clever), and some vulnerability to sun light.


With that, I prefer the MERP or the 1 Ring version, or even the Symbaroum version of the troll. Heck I even like the AD&D 2e Norse source book version of troll better than the standard by the book version.


I can see trying to have the troll balance the ent (I think I read or heard somewhere that was why the basic troll was written as it was), but why call it a troll when it doesn't fit the original base of the monster.

I will say C&C did bring their version back closer to the feel of troll. But I guess the taint from AD&D troll still leaves a bad taste in my mouth.
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Re: Most hated (by the book) monster

Post by Go0gleplex »

Giants. All of the myths, legends, stories, art books, etc. speak of fantastically tall creatures that are capable of wrestling dragons to submission, stepping over several houses in a single stride, and towering above even the tips of ancient redwood trees. So large that when they sleep they are mistaken for hills after a time.

So what does the books give us? Stunted runts that would barely be a significant challenge for a decent legendary ogre...on a good day. Giants...just do not come off as very giant in any stretch of the imagination and have been one of the largest disappointments since I began running things four decades ago.
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Re: Most hated (by the book) monster

Post by Lurker »

Stunted runts … Ha … Rgr that
'
I can see your point, and I agree. I hate hearing 'You face a giant. it towers over you standing 12 ' up to 26 ' tall' … Come on they should be 40 ' 50 ' 60 ' not a max of a pathetic 26 ' tall

I think I heard somewhere that the argument for this is that the 'giants of legend' are what you have on Jotunheim and other lands of the giants. What we have BtB are their diluted offspring.

To me that is a weak argument but still it explains it to a point. However, if it is true, then the characters should FEAR the time they come across a real giant and beg for forgiveness for all the little giant kin they have been picking on over the years !
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Captain_K
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Re: Most hated (by the book) monster

Post by Captain_K »

Norse giant's, they grow them tall up North... good call.

Goliath was maybe 6 or 7 foot tall.. so giant is relative.

Dragons... too easy to kill in the old days... many attempts, some successful, to make them tough.
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Re: Most hated (by the book) monster

Post by serleran »

Any with an excessive amount of additional bookkeeping built into it, like a deepspawn or living wall.

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Re: Most hated (by the book) monster

Post by maximus »

Lurker wrote:So with me running the Monday night Ne'er-do-well Masque of Red death Amazing Adventures game, and a few weeks ago a parent of a class mate from my girls school asked if I would run a game for them – that is a husge suprise since the girls go to a very small Christian church, so I figured my girls were the only ones who had ever heard of D&D & RPG in the school – I have had to start digging through the monster books and looking at creatures fitting those settings


As I flipped through the books – 1e 2e & C&C – my mind wandered a bit, and I started chasing rabbits.


One of those rabbits was 'what is my most disliked monster'


I know previously I mentioned drow, but I think that was more because of the over use elements than dislike of the monster itself.


That said, for this I think I will have to vote for the AD&D Troll.


It isn't that is dislike the idea of a tall skinny ravenous regenerative monster. They have a use and have terrified more than one of my lower to mid level paladins. I have also used them to good effect against hapless characters


However, when I hear TROLL, I think the Norse & Tolkien flavor of the monster. Ogre like, brutal, not that bright (but dangerously clever), and some vulnerability to sun light.


With that, I prefer the MERP or the 1 Ring version, or even the Symbaroum version of the troll. Heck I even like the AD&D 2e Norse source book version of troll better than the standard by the book version.


I can see trying to have the troll balance the ent (I think I read or heard somewhere that was why the basic troll was written as it was), but why call it a troll when it doesn't fit the original base of the monster.

I will say C&C did bring their version back closer to the feel of troll. But I guess the taint from AD&D troll still leaves a bad taste in my mouth.
I was never a big D&D troll fan either. The ogre is a lot closer to the classic or Tolkien troll.

I've always hated the piercer. They just don't make any damn sense.

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Re: Most hated (by the book) monster

Post by Fizz »

I have always liked the D&D Troll. I recognize it's not in keeping with Tolkien or Scandanavian trolls, but they're good nasty monsters whatever they're called.

As for least favorite... does the flumph count?

-Fizz

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