Your Favorite C&C
Your Favorite C&C
Inspired by a "most iconic" thread on another site, I would like to ask what's your favorite C&C:
1. Monster
2. Magic Item
3. Spell
Mine are:
1. Dragon - who doesn't like dragons?
2. Giant Slayer Longsword - I almost always play a Ranger, so when I earn one of these, life is wonderful
3. Color Spray - packs a lot of punch for a low level spell
Have at it!
1. Monster
2. Magic Item
3. Spell
Mine are:
1. Dragon - who doesn't like dragons?
2. Giant Slayer Longsword - I almost always play a Ranger, so when I earn one of these, life is wonderful
3. Color Spray - packs a lot of punch for a low level spell
Have at it!
- Go0gleplex
- Greater Lore Drake
- Posts: 4065
- Joined: Fri May 30, 2008 7:00 am
- Location: Keizer, OR
Re: Your Favorite C&C
Black Pudding (the silent killer from the shadows)
Ring of Regeneration ('cause clerics are iffy)
Major Image (the possibilities are limited only by imagination)
Ring of Regeneration ('cause clerics are iffy)
Major Image (the possibilities are limited only by imagination)
"Rolling dice and killing characters since September 1976."
"Author of Wardogs! and Contributor to Iron Stars and Starmada-Admiralty ed."
"Certified crazy since 2009."
"Author of Wardogs! and Contributor to Iron Stars and Starmada-Admiralty ed."
"Certified crazy since 2009."
Re: Your Favorite C&C
Mimic (Almost always causes a PC casualty)
Ring of invisibility (Used intelligently makes for awesome offensive and defensive opportunities)
Polymorph Self (when you add the spell's duration to all the things you can change into it's hard to beat)
Ring of invisibility (Used intelligently makes for awesome offensive and defensive opportunities)
Polymorph Self (when you add the spell's duration to all the things you can change into it's hard to beat)
Re: Your Favorite C&C
Gelatinous Cube (great for low-level shenanigans)
Bag of Holding (great for carrying extra stuff)
Wall of Thorns (battlefield changer when used right)
R-
Bag of Holding (great for carrying extra stuff)
Wall of Thorns (battlefield changer when used right)
R-
Castles & Crusades: What 3rd Edition AD&D should have been.
TLG Forum Moderator
House Rules & Whatnots
My Game Threads
Monday Night Online Group Member since 2007
TLG Forum Moderator
House Rules & Whatnots
My Game Threads
Monday Night Online Group Member since 2007
Re: Your Favorite C&C
In all my years of playing I've never encountered a Black Pudding. How do you play them?Go0gleplex wrote: ↑Tue Jun 21, 2022 6:28 pmBlack Pudding (the silent killer from the shadows)
Ring of Regeneration ('cause clerics are iffy)
Major Image (the possibilities are limited only by imagination)
RoR is one of the best items in the game.
Re: Your Favorite C&C
I've had a few mimics in my campaign. My son is fooled by them every time!
Ring of Invisibility is a great item, but not fool proof.
Haven't used Polymorph Self much, but I've used Polymorph Other on the party much to their frustration.
Re: Your Favorite C&C
My son had his Ranger fall into a trap with a GC at the bottom... classic look on his face. They managed to rescue him and get a nice sword out of the deal.
BoH is key to have at mid level
Never really used Wall of Thorns. Did we use that in your Kalamar campaign at all?
- Go0gleplex
- Greater Lore Drake
- Posts: 4065
- Joined: Fri May 30, 2008 7:00 am
- Location: Keizer, OR
Re: Your Favorite C&C
If you've ever seen the classic Blob movie, that's one way. The thing keeps coming...it doesn't stop for sleep...it finds the smallest of cracks in obstructions and oozes thru...its coloring allows it to blend in with shadows in holes and crevices...etc. I had one party get ambushed by a B.P. that had hidden itself in a very narrow crack in the wall which is used to drop down on top of them by surprise. (only one survivor out of 9...and that only due to a teleport item, the rest tried running away and got chased down after they foolishly split the thing into three...good times. )
"Rolling dice and killing characters since September 1976."
"Author of Wardogs! and Contributor to Iron Stars and Starmada-Admiralty ed."
"Certified crazy since 2009."
"Author of Wardogs! and Contributor to Iron Stars and Starmada-Admiralty ed."
"Certified crazy since 2009."
Re: Your Favorite C&C
Not my favorite movie.. lol. I remember in the remake, how the one guy got sucked down the toilet, with all the sound effects. Don't think I'll ever watch that again..lolGo0gleplex wrote: ↑Wed Jun 22, 2022 3:01 pmIf you've ever seen the classic Blob movie, that's one way. The thing keeps coming...it doesn't stop for sleep...it finds the smallest of cracks in obstructions and oozes thru...its coloring allows it to blend in with shadows in holes and crevices...etc. I had one party get ambushed by a B.P. that had hidden itself in a very narrow crack in the wall which is used to drop down on top of them by surprise. (only one survivor out of 9...and that only due to a teleport item, the rest tried running away and got chased down after they foolishly split the thing into three...good times. )
Re: Your Favorite C&C
No, I played a Druid with a Staff of the Woodlands in one of Nate's games. I was devastating with the Wall of Thorns.maximus wrote: ↑Wed Jun 22, 2022 12:30 pmMy son had his Ranger fall into a trap with a GC at the bottom... classic look on his face. They managed to rescue him and get a nice sword out of the deal.
BoH is key to have at mid level
Never really used Wall of Thorns. Did we use that in your Kalamar campaign at all?
R-
Castles & Crusades: What 3rd Edition AD&D should have been.
TLG Forum Moderator
House Rules & Whatnots
My Game Threads
Monday Night Online Group Member since 2007
TLG Forum Moderator
House Rules & Whatnots
My Game Threads
Monday Night Online Group Member since 2007
Re: Your Favorite C&C
Silver Dragon – Argentius, he was a central character in all my modules He would use his powers to assume an alternate form as a half-orc barbarian library assistant. I hid his identity for about half my first module. So many great powers and not really a monster . . . and the most fun using him as an NPC to the adventuring party.
Helm of Brilliance - seemingly fantastic item, unless certain bad circumstances occur. If the wearer gets hit with magical fire, and saves are failed - then all hell breaks loose. Remaining gems overload and detonate. [Hopefully, Rigon will elaborate . . almost unexpected TPK]
After this disaster, I always left this magic item within easy pickins and NO, no PC ever grabbed it!!!
Best spell, no choice – too many are great and favored.
Helm of Brilliance - seemingly fantastic item, unless certain bad circumstances occur. If the wearer gets hit with magical fire, and saves are failed - then all hell breaks loose. Remaining gems overload and detonate. [Hopefully, Rigon will elaborate . . almost unexpected TPK]
After this disaster, I always left this magic item within easy pickins and NO, no PC ever grabbed it!!!
Best spell, no choice – too many are great and favored.
Lord Tadhg - Lejendary Keeper of Castle Ardmore
"Enjoy a 'world' where the fantastic is fact and magic really works!" ~ Gary Gygax
"By the pricking of my thumbs, Something wicked this way comes:" - Macbeth
"Enjoy a 'world' where the fantastic is fact and magic really works!" ~ Gary Gygax
"By the pricking of my thumbs, Something wicked this way comes:" - Macbeth
Re: Your Favorite C&C
Agree, I like "The Stuff" much better.paladinn wrote: ↑Wed Jun 22, 2022 5:37 pmNot my favorite movie.. lol. I remember in the remake, how the one guy got sucked down the toilet, with all the sound effects. Don't think I'll ever watch that again..lolGo0gleplex wrote: ↑Wed Jun 22, 2022 3:01 pmIf you've ever seen the classic Blob movie, that's one way. The thing keeps coming...it doesn't stop for sleep...it finds the smallest of cracks in obstructions and oozes thru...its coloring allows it to blend in with shadows in holes and crevices...etc. I had one party get ambushed by a B.P. that had hidden itself in a very narrow crack in the wall which is used to drop down on top of them by surprise. (only one survivor out of 9...and that only due to a teleport item, the rest tried running away and got chased down after they foolishly split the thing into three...good times. )
Re: Your Favorite C&C
Absolutely great use of a dragon as something other than a mindless killing machine. Sounds like lots of fun to play.Tadhg wrote: ↑Thu Jun 23, 2022 1:38 amSilver Dragon – Argentius, he was a central character in all my modules He would use his powers to assume an alternate form as a half-orc barbarian library assistant. I hid his identity for about half my first module. So many great powers and not really a monster . . . and the most fun using him as an NPC to the adventuring party.
Helm of Brilliance - seemingly fantastic item, unless certain bad circumstances occur. If the wearer gets hit with magical fire, and saves are failed - then all hell breaks loose. Remaining gems overload and detonate. [Hopefully, Rigon will elaborate . . almost unexpected TPK]
After this disaster, I always left this magic item within easy pickins and NO, no PC ever grabbed it!!!
Best spell, no choice – too many are great and favored.
Never had a Helm of Brilliance, but absent the possible catastrophic event you list, it sounds like an item that can be used to great effect. Great thing is from a DM's point of view, it has a limited life cycle.
Re: Your Favorite C&C
Just because it unintentionally blow the top off the mountain doesn't mean it wasn't useful.Tadhg wrote: ↑Thu Jun 23, 2022 1:38 amHelm of Brilliance - seemingly fantastic item, unless certain bad circumstances occur. If the wearer gets hit with magical fire, and saves are failed - then all hell breaks loose. Remaining gems overload and detonate. [Hopefully, Rigon will elaborate . . almost unexpected TPK]
After this disaster, I always left this magic item within easy pickins and NO, no PC ever grabbed it!!!
R-
Castles & Crusades: What 3rd Edition AD&D should have been.
TLG Forum Moderator
House Rules & Whatnots
My Game Threads
Monday Night Online Group Member since 2007
TLG Forum Moderator
House Rules & Whatnots
My Game Threads
Monday Night Online Group Member since 2007
- Go0gleplex
- Greater Lore Drake
- Posts: 4065
- Joined: Fri May 30, 2008 7:00 am
- Location: Keizer, OR
Re: Your Favorite C&C
Of course...it probably happened to anger just about every druid in the region over the damage to nature and the environment. Just how many cute helpless bunnies did all that falling rock crush after all?Rigon wrote: ↑Thu Jun 23, 2022 6:30 pmJust because it unintentionally blow the top off the mountain doesn't mean it wasn't useful.Tadhg wrote: ↑Thu Jun 23, 2022 1:38 amHelm of Brilliance - seemingly fantastic item, unless certain bad circumstances occur. If the wearer gets hit with magical fire, and saves are failed - then all hell breaks loose. Remaining gems overload and detonate. [Hopefully, Rigon will elaborate . . almost unexpected TPK]
After this disaster, I always left this magic item within easy pickins and NO, no PC ever grabbed it!!!
R-
"Rolling dice and killing characters since September 1976."
"Author of Wardogs! and Contributor to Iron Stars and Starmada-Admiralty ed."
"Certified crazy since 2009."
"Author of Wardogs! and Contributor to Iron Stars and Starmada-Admiralty ed."
"Certified crazy since 2009."
Re: Your Favorite C&C
The monster is a toss up between Penanggalan and Son of Rhealth
Portable Hole... thought this could easily change with mood...
Animate Dead, of course
Portable Hole... thought this could easily change with mood...
Animate Dead, of course
Imaginatio est Vita
Grand Knight Commander
Grand Knight Commander
Re: Your Favorite C&C
Haven't played either monster. Why are they favorites?
Portable Holes have never come up in my games yet.
Animate Dead? I should have known!
Re: Your Favorite C&C
At that point, the PCs didn't care.Go0gleplex wrote: ↑Thu Jun 23, 2022 10:17 pmOf course...it probably happened to anger just about every druid in the region over the damage to nature and the environment. Just how many cute helpless bunnies did all that falling rock crush after all?Rigon wrote: ↑Thu Jun 23, 2022 6:30 pmJust because it unintentionally blow the top off the mountain doesn't mean it wasn't useful.Tadhg wrote: ↑Thu Jun 23, 2022 1:38 amHelm of Brilliance - seemingly fantastic item, unless certain bad circumstances occur. If the wearer gets hit with magical fire, and saves are failed - then all hell breaks loose. Remaining gems overload and detonate. [Hopefully, Rigon will elaborate . . almost unexpected TPK]
After this disaster, I always left this magic item within easy pickins and NO, no PC ever grabbed it!!!
R-
Castles & Crusades: What 3rd Edition AD&D should have been.
TLG Forum Moderator
House Rules & Whatnots
My Game Threads
Monday Night Online Group Member since 2007
TLG Forum Moderator
House Rules & Whatnots
My Game Threads
Monday Night Online Group Member since 2007
Re: Your Favorite C&C
Taken from folklore of SE Asia, the penanggalan is a great variation of the vampire! I like how it doesn't adhere to the gothic sexiness / emo of modern interpretations of vampires seen in film and art. The original write up in the AD&D Fiend Folio reached out to me long ago. In an AD&D campaign I ran many years ago, the PCs ended up staying in Saltmarsh after dealing with the smugglers. One of the town elders ("granny") was the elderly wife of one of the older town leaders. Granny was always baking pies and cakes and pickling various foods. Granny's interactions with the various party members were always sweet, slightly humorous, and always helpful. After a trip out of town for festival in a neighboring town, it was eventually discovered she had returned as a penanggalan responsible for the deaths of several townsfolk and the "white fever" (sickness with pale appearance) spreading through the community. Granny lead the party on quite the chase before the numbers caught up with her and the PCs ended her existence. The party later traveled to Monmurg, the capital of the Holds of the Sea Princes, for other business. Had they remained for a lengthy stay, they would have eventually discovered signs of the "white fever" in the city and possibly encountered the penaggalan who killed granny.
The sons of rhealth are conversions of the AD&D Fiend Folio's sons of kyuss which are horrifyingly disgusting critters. Over the decades I've used the sons of rhealth/kyuss in several encounters, usually in conjunction with a trap, but don't remember ever having a PC being converted into one of their number. As mentioned elsewhere, I have craptastic luck with the dice.
Extremely useful item!
IndEEEEEEEd.
Imaginatio est Vita
Grand Knight Commander
Grand Knight Commander
Re: Your Favorite C&C
Sounds like you have something on your mind. Don't be shy. Go ahead.
Imaginatio est Vita
Grand Knight Commander
Grand Knight Commander
Re: Your Favorite C&C
1. For power an NPC, for fun a rust monster, for new threats, something not seen like The Former Priest of Virtue (an original adventure coming to you soon).
2. Ring of Evasion plus Boots of Striding and Jumping
3. Animate Dead for clerics and color spray or prismatic spray for arcane (lvl dependent).
'Cause, you can't choose just one...
2. Ring of Evasion plus Boots of Striding and Jumping
3. Animate Dead for clerics and color spray or prismatic spray for arcane (lvl dependent).
'Cause, you can't choose just one...
Wow, Another Natural One! You guys are a sink hole for luck. Stay away from my dice.
Re: Your Favorite C&C
I hadn't considered an NPC for this, but that's interesting. I do have a recurring NPC nemesis the party loves to hate.Captain_K wrote: ↑Sat Jun 25, 2022 12:33 pm1. For power an NPC, for fun a rust monster, for new threats, something not seen like The Former Priest of Virtue (an original adventure coming to you soon).
2. Ring of Evasion plus Boots of Striding and Jumping
3. Animate Dead for clerics and color spray or prismatic spray for arcane (lvl dependent).
'Cause, you can't choose just one...
Interesting combo. Had to look the ring up.
I have never had a party use Animate Dead. Might have to consider it going forward.
Re: Your Favorite C&C
Ancalagon wrote: ↑Sat Jun 25, 2022 4:33 amTaken from folklore of SE Asia, the penanggalan is a great variation of the vampire! I like how it doesn't adhere to the gothic sexiness / emo of modern interpretations of vampires seen in film and art. The original write up in the AD&D Fiend Folio reached out to me long ago. In an AD&D campaign I ran many years ago, the PCs ended up staying in Saltmarsh after dealing with the smugglers. One of the town elders ("granny") was the elderly wife of one of the older town leaders. Granny was always baking pies and cakes and pickling various foods. Granny's interactions with the various party members were always sweet, slightly humorous, and always helpful. After a trip out of town for festival in a neighboring town, it was eventually discovered she had returned as a penanggalan responsible for the deaths of several townsfolk and the "white fever" (sickness with pale appearance) spreading through the community. Granny lead the party on quite the chase before the numbers caught up with her and the PCs ended her existence. The party later traveled to Monmurg, the capital of the Holds of the Sea Princes, for other business. Had they remained for a lengthy stay, they would have eventually discovered signs of the "white fever" in the city and possibly encountered the penaggalan who killed granny.
The sons of rhealth are conversions of the AD&D Fiend Folio's sons of kyuss which are horrifyingly disgusting critters. Over the decades I've used the sons of rhealth/kyuss in several encounters, usually in conjunction with a trap, but don't remember ever having a PC being converted into one of their number. As mentioned elsewhere, I have craptastic luck with the dice.
maximus wrote: ↑Fri Jun 24, 2022 8:28 pmSounds like a creature I should look into. I also do not like the more recent versions of the vampire. Sexy, misunderstood, semi-good creatures? Not so much.
I do like the sons of kyuss but have never used them. Unlike some others, I did like the original Fiend Folio. Had some junk in there, but some pretty cool monsters too.
Re: Your Favorite C&C
I use animate dead to walk fallen enemies and comrades alike to their graves. Heck they can dig their own graves. very utilitarian.
My most recent use was against a bunch of cloud giant's... having their two front row fighter stand, shed their flesh, pick up their magic weapons and attack their queen. creepy yes, but they were already dead by our paladin. compare that to a druid calling living animals to die, or a wizard summoning creatures from somewhere to die. why using a dead enemy's body to do your fighting rather than bringing innocents into the mix is "bad" always puzzled me.
My most recent use was against a bunch of cloud giant's... having their two front row fighter stand, shed their flesh, pick up their magic weapons and attack their queen. creepy yes, but they were already dead by our paladin. compare that to a druid calling living animals to die, or a wizard summoning creatures from somewhere to die. why using a dead enemy's body to do your fighting rather than bringing innocents into the mix is "bad" always puzzled me.
Wow, Another Natural One! You guys are a sink hole for luck. Stay away from my dice.
- Go0gleplex
- Greater Lore Drake
- Posts: 4065
- Joined: Fri May 30, 2008 7:00 am
- Location: Keizer, OR
Re: Your Favorite C&C
Heh...social norms. Animating dead would be seen as extremely bad taste and raise suspicion of being a necromancer. Using dead monsters or animals against their own kind would be looked down on, but accepted. Using people...must be an evil bugger or someone at risk of falling to evil and whom should be watched...closely...then dealt with appropriately when, not if, they crossed the line. At least how it would likely be viewed by John Q Public and possibly those in the seats of government.
Psychologically speaking, animals and monsters are 'not real' as it were. I mean they are real...but they're not people and therefore it's only natural they are cannon fodder. But using people? Only someone morally corrupt and mentally defective would do something so...wrong and against the natural order.
Desecration of the dead would offend clerics and paladins alike in some religions...and if dealing with a deity that presided over death, would gain the user an implacable enemy for the effrontery to that particular religion and deity for the infringement upon their domain. I actually had this happen to the party my character was in and we spent as much time dodging fanatical death cultists, assassins, and such as we did plundering dungeons and completing monster subjugation quests.
So depending on the setting...the Animate Dead spell can be quite the loaded cannon per se.
Psychologically speaking, animals and monsters are 'not real' as it were. I mean they are real...but they're not people and therefore it's only natural they are cannon fodder. But using people? Only someone morally corrupt and mentally defective would do something so...wrong and against the natural order.
Desecration of the dead would offend clerics and paladins alike in some religions...and if dealing with a deity that presided over death, would gain the user an implacable enemy for the effrontery to that particular religion and deity for the infringement upon their domain. I actually had this happen to the party my character was in and we spent as much time dodging fanatical death cultists, assassins, and such as we did plundering dungeons and completing monster subjugation quests.
So depending on the setting...the Animate Dead spell can be quite the loaded cannon per se.
"Rolling dice and killing characters since September 1976."
"Author of Wardogs! and Contributor to Iron Stars and Starmada-Admiralty ed."
"Certified crazy since 2009."
"Author of Wardogs! and Contributor to Iron Stars and Starmada-Admiralty ed."
"Certified crazy since 2009."
Re: Your Favorite C&C
Monster - goblin. If using extraneous material, the boggle or nilbog. The former because they can be reskinned in any way imaginable. I personally use them as technicians so they're more like "stereotype gnomes" from an ancient tech world. They fear magic. The other two because they are great shockers... nilbogs can be quite fun though they have to be used sparingly and carefully.
Magic item - wand of wonders. I prefer random to predictable, overall.
Spell - depends on the DM, actually, but anything with an effect similar to wish, limited wish, alter reality, dream, miracle... etc. Those "do everything and it is real" type things.
Magic item - wand of wonders. I prefer random to predictable, overall.
Spell - depends on the DM, actually, but anything with an effect similar to wish, limited wish, alter reality, dream, miracle... etc. Those "do everything and it is real" type things.