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Sploosh
2009-11-24, 03:45 PM
I've started playing DDO to avoid TV relaspe and while playing I am encountering a lot of monsters I've read in the MMs but never had the chance to actually fight.

I started to look at what we normally fight in our games and I got a tally where we often fight the classic undead and humans, dragons, kobolds, illithid, goblins, hobgoblins, ogres and demons.

I dont believe I've ever fought an ooze, trog, beholder or giant spider. I've only fought two elementals, two golems and a single rustmonster.

Do you have any "trends" you seem to encounter and any noticable lack of certain ones?

Eldariel
2009-11-24, 03:50 PM
Depends on the campaign. But within what makes sense, we have a good deal of variety though the various aberrations are underpresent (beyond the obvious Beholders, Illithid, Chuuls and the other more famous ones). Also, we've had way too few plants in most campaigns I've played. And I'm still waiting for the first Kraken.

But given the number of campaigns I've played, we usually have good mixes of things. Everything from Dire Animals to Outsiders.

Dusk Eclipse
2009-11-24, 03:51 PM
Well, In the campaings I play we encounter mostly undead, some mind controled minions of varie races and in once demons (or was devils...I don't remember), and I have never battled a dragon (unless you count the BBEG who was a dracolich, but they are undead type)

dsmiles
2009-11-24, 03:52 PM
I generally have an old school "Encounter Table" for random encounters, and I populate it by region and terrain type. I may personally place more classic undead and humans, dragons, kobolds, illithid, goblins, hobgoblins, ogres and demons, but there is at least a chance that the players will find themselves fighting something out of the ordinary.

Also I have an unexplainable attraction to using Bulettes (Buletti?) anywhere I can get away with it.

Kantolin
2009-11-24, 03:54 PM
I have a mix, but my primary preference comes from humanoids with class levels.

These class levels are then, usually, incredibly varied - I make it a point to use almost all base classes throughout a game. But those definitely take precedence over other options.

AslanCross
2009-11-24, 04:18 PM
I stick to the campaign's theme. Since I'm running RHOD, it's mostly goblinoids and dragons along with some giants. My next campaign might be an aberration-based one.

TheCountAlucard
2009-11-24, 05:04 PM
Just from what I remember off the top of my head, the group I DM for has fought a good number of devils and demons, one dragon, plenty of goblinoids, a pair of orcs, a handful of ogres and other giants, vampiric trees, some zombies, human and gnoll bandits, a couple of necromancers, a would-be assassin, a summoned farastu, around fifteen or so skum, one aboleth, and two first-level commoners.

The Tygre
2009-11-24, 05:19 PM
I use the Mother of All Encounter Tables unless I have something special in mind. Strangely, it keeps giving me giant beetles of various sorts.

jiriku
2009-11-24, 05:31 PM
Most of the stuff in the monster manuals is just plain weird. I probably use humanoids with class levels as 70% of my monsters, another 20% is "common" d&d monsters, mostly advanced or given class levels (go go ogre chaintripper and mindflayer monk!). If I look at a monster entry and I think of this article (http://www.headinjurytheater.com/article73.htm), you can bet that's never going to see play.

Inhuman Bot
2009-11-24, 05:34 PM
We fight lots of humanoids, monsterous humanoids and constructs. Other things are thrown in for wilderness travel, though. So we fight a fairly wide variety of critters.

Vizzerdrix
2009-11-24, 05:39 PM
In our games it's always humans or orcs, with a tiny smattering of other things. But a ranger can reliably take humans and orc as favored enemies and never regret it with us. And I find it so damn boring I could cry :smallsigh:

Delandel
2009-11-24, 05:41 PM
Zombies. Lots of zombies. Can't get enough of 'em.
:smallfrown:

AshDesert
2009-11-24, 05:42 PM
In most campaigns I tend to use the "classic" D&D monsters, you know, goblinoids, dragons, the "famous" aberrations, kobolds, undead, humanoids with class levels. However, every so often I like to run oddball campaigns, based on stuff like living plants and fungi. In aberration-based campaigns I like to use the lesser known DnD aberrations, like the Gibbering Mouther, instead of just the same old Beholders and Illithid.

Shademan
2009-11-24, 05:56 PM
I use the Mother of All Encounter Tables unless I have something special in mind. Strangely, it keeps giving me giant beetles of various sorts.

where can I find this table?

gdiddy
2009-11-24, 07:46 PM
http://www.amazon.com/Encounter-Dungeons-Dragons-Fantasy-Roleplaying/dp/1931275548

Oslecamo
2009-11-24, 08:36 PM
I'm currently throwing celestials and dragonspanws at the party I'm dming, with a touch of undeath. And litle they know what awaits them down the line...

In other campaigns, I have used demons, duergars, kythons, and my favorite, undead swarms!

I do have a strange fixation for undead monsters.

Inhuman Bot
2009-11-24, 08:56 PM
http://www.amazon.com/Encounter-Dungeons-Dragons-Fantasy-Roleplaying/dp/1931275548

Was that... 142$ for a random encounter table? :smalleek: