Skip to content

Monster Party Members

13

Comments

  • MeanbunnyMeanbunny Member Posts: 107
    edited August 2014
    There are a few problems I see with my Ettin idea and some of the other ideas some of us have here. For one, an Ettin, like a lot of these monsters, are very large creatures. Aesthetically, they wouldn't fit in well with a normal sized party of adventurers. They would definitely need a magical item of shrinking to fit into the shops, taverns and inns in the city. If it was role played realistically, you would have some serious trouble getting the city guards to not attack you on site, much less give access to the city gates. Even if you can teach these monsters common language and get through the aforementioned problems, there then exists the issue of power level.

    I read that it is a very complicated situation when a PC wants to play a monster character in a game since most of them have level modifiers and exp penalties. Needless to say, even a low level Beholder, Ettin, Hill Giant etc. would do some serious damage compared to their non monster race counterparts. Realistically if I had an Ettin in my party at level 1, none of the early encounters in the game would pose much of a threat whatsoever. All the gnolls, kobolds, skeletons and bandits would just get run over and even the mid leveled encounters would theoretically get crushed by just having one of these monsters in your party.

    To me, it sounds like a balancing nightmare. Even though it sounds like a ton of fun to have a sentient monster in your party, it would be hard to bring them down to an even playing field with your other normal party members.

    Now if we are talking smaller sized monsters similar to the existing races like those listed in the poll, that would definitely seem feasible. Minotaurs, Kobolds, Aviens (birdmen), Orcs, Undead, those all seem like they could with a little work be implemented into the game.

    It really kinda sucks that your imagination in a way has to be constrained to smaller sized monsters when thinking about what would work together well with the existing races in the D&D universe. I am sure there is a kid somewhere that would love to play a dragon in their D&D game. I personally think even the most imaginative and skilled DM would have trouble making that adventure work. Unless of course if they have some magic item that gives them the power to shrink down to size and become a mini dragon. Still though, it seems tough to get around those constraints.

    I am enjoying hearing everyone's fantasy recruitable monster NPC ideas. You all have really interesting suggestions. :))
    JuliusBorisovSmilingSword
  • booinyoureyesbooinyoureyes Member Posts: 6,164
    Pibaro said:

    What a great thief he would be. No need for stealth when you can shapeshift in whatever you like.

    This is actually EXACTLY what I was thinking when I cast my vote.

    I also think it would make an interesting bard choice, since the character could always "look the part". Maybe you could meet him in a quest involving Biff the Understudy or something.
    jackjack
  • shawneshawne Member Posts: 3,239

    I'm going to go with 'Other' and interpret it as 'None', because frankly I think Hexxat is already a bit too 'special, shiny, awesome', and too gratified with the uniqueness of a race to compensate for her lack of personality. Equally, I can only imagine that a Sahuagin NPC would be just that: a Sahuagin that follows you round, rather than eventually shutting up and dying after you've had enough of it's remarks about your odd fleshy appearance and inability to breath underwater.

    Because that's exactly how Viconia the drow, Haer'Dalis the tiefling and Aerie the avariel turned out?
    jackjackElrandirNonnahswriterSmilingSword
  • ArdulArdul Member Posts: 211
    element said:


    how about a fairy

    LISTEN to me!!!
    elementVallmyr
  • ElrandirElrandir Member Posts: 1,664
    While I love the idea of kobolds (Mostly thanks to Deekin), I think a gnoll would be my ideal monster party member. Of course I'd take any monstrous creatures, but a gnoll would be my first choice.
    JuliusBorisov
  • recklessheartrecklessheart Member Posts: 692
    @shawne I don't genuinely believe that you don't see the obvious distinction between a Drow/Avariel as a subcategory of Elf, or Tiefling as a subcategory or Human, and a Sahuagin or Gnoll. To that extent, I'm sorry that you feel the need to condescend upon what was entirely my own opinion, and in no way an attack upon the creator of this poll.
  • shawneshawne Member Posts: 3,239

    @shawne I don't genuinely believe that you don't see the obvious distinction between a Drow/Avariel as a subcategory of Elf, or Tiefling as a subcategory or Human, and a Sahuagin or Gnoll. To that extent, I'm sorry that you feel the need to condescend upon what was entirely my own opinion, and in no way an attack upon the creator of this poll.

    Last I checked, pointing out facts isn't considered condescending. D&D CRPGs have a long history of "exceptional" party members - and whatever you may think of her today, Viconia would certainly have been considered "special, shiny, awesome" 16 years ago: not only a drow but a surface drow, not only a surface drow but a surface Sharran drow, and one who maintains her racial bonus of 50% magic resistance to boot?

    As for the distinction between subcategories: you were the one who equated vampires and sahuagin by arguing that, since Hexxat's vampirism is meant to "compensate for her lack of personality", a sahuagin NPC would be shallow for those very same reasons. Can't have it both ways...
    SmilingSword
  • DreadKhanDreadKhan Member Posts: 3,857
    For those arguing that 'cities will freak!!!', we all visited the Mermaid, right? With the ogre bounty hunter?

    There was also the Ogre Magi house, the Iron Throne ogres, various kobolds, etc. And Athkatla is vastly more cosmopolitan. You dtill might get discriminated against though, in both cities.
  • jackjackjackjack Member Posts: 3,251
    You already get plenty discriminated against just for being an adventurer.
    Elrandirlolien
  • JuliusBorisovJuliusBorisov Member, Administrator, Moderator, Developer Posts: 22,714
    This minotaur as an NPC reminded me of Might and Magic 8. How I wish that game (and other games in that series) could be enhanced...

    In that game you could take minotaur characters, troll characters into your party. You could even take a dragon. Not "dragonborn" or "dragon disciple", the dragon itself.
    jackjacklolien
  • DungeonnoobDungeonnoob Member Posts: 315
    shawne said:

    @KidCarnival: Riddle me this, then - how would a Beholder party member fit through doors? ;)

    Hah..Teleport :D
  • DungeonnoobDungeonnoob Member Posts: 315
    A Yuan-Ti must be hilarious,but il have to choose Smaug *rawr*
  • CoM_SolaufeinCoM_Solaufein Member Posts: 2,607
    I would prefer my very own red dragon buddy.
    jackjackCrevsDaak
  • SharGuidesMyHandSharGuidesMyHand Member Posts: 2,579
    For anyone who may be curious, a typical sirine's stats read as follows:

    Str - 14
    Dext - 18
    Con - 12
    Int - 14
    Wisd - 14
    Char - 20
    jackjacklolienJuliusBorisovNonnahswriter
  • NimranNimran Member Posts: 4,875
    edited August 2014
    Neilah the fire breathing ferret. Yeh, I have a ferret.
    ElrandirjackjacklolienJuliusBorisov
  • DreadKhanDreadKhan Member Posts: 3,857
    Looks legit. ;)

    A myconoid would certainly have strange abilities... animate dead, potion brewing, great physical stats, telepathy. And spawning new rings of course, you dirty fungus! :p
    lolienjackjackJuliusBorisov
  • DreadKhanDreadKhan Member Posts: 3,857
    @OneAngryMushroom‌ were you told about your cameo? ;)
    jackjacklolienOneAngryMushroom
  • FinneousPJFinneousPJ Member Posts: 6,455
    I love the lore
    lolienjackjackJuliusBorisov
  • JuliusBorisovJuliusBorisov Member, Administrator, Moderator, Developer Posts: 22,714

    I've always wanted to roleplay an ogre"

    *Looks at the post. *Looks at the person.

    Ladies these days... We should better watch out:)
    ElrandirlolienNimran
  •  TheArtisan TheArtisan Member Posts: 3,277
    edited September 2014
    A long while back I also toyed with the idea of a hound archon (lesser angel with bestial features) party member. Canonically they sometimes live on the prime disguised as canine pets for good mortals, so it wouldn't be hard to figure out a plot to make him follow a good CHARNAME. The problem is that PnP celestials, even lesser ones are meant to have ridiculous stats which come at the cost of level adjustment. I've given up on the idea of making this work, but I may as well share my initial idea in case someone more talented than me wants to give it a bash.

    I had ideas for stats and abilities, but that's as far as it went.

    STR: 18/90
    DEX: 14
    CON: 18
    INT: 12
    WIS: 13
    CHA: 18
    Class: Paladin
    Abilities: Elemental resistances, infravision, unlimited shapeshifts to dog (+4 DEX, -2 STR, -8 CHA, increased movement rate and AC)
    lolienElrandir
  • OneAngryMushroomOneAngryMushroom Member Posts: 564
    DreadKhan said:

    @OneAngryMushroom‌ were you told about your cameo? ;)

    I have a cameo?
    I'm famous?
    I leave for a week and this happens!
    jackjacklolienJuliusBorisov
Sign In or Register to comment.