Looking for monsters

[TotallyNotEvil]

So, as someone trying to build their own setting, I've come to the part where I stat out various kinds of "wilderness" to fuel some monster-hunting economies (enchantment ingredients).

I also need to pick the staple "regional" monsters for each zone.

Thing is, especially for higher level stuff, I'm having a lot of trouble finding appropriate challenges. Source is no proplem, and I'm usually game for PF content, but to take the SRD as example, past CR 15 or so, it's only dragons with the odd outsider thrown in.

Where are the monsters? The beasts and magical animals and dangerous plants for CR14+? I need to populate the deep, dark heart of the Jungle! The ancient canyons of the desert! The oppressive passageways of the underground!

Are there truly so few choices that aren't Demons/Devils or Dragons at high level?

Also, besides some easy answers such as "Griffons", "Manticores" and "Wyverns", could you guys suggest good choices for monsters that act as "staple" in the region? Dire Tigers are fairly dangerous, but filling a forest full of them feels just odd, unlike filling a valley with wyverns.

I'd like, besides for non-dragon/'Demon' high level creatures, for your guys' help in putting together a good list of 'monsters' to populate the world with, focusing on mid-level ones. I'm shooting for a wide variety of terrains, so sand-y ones are as welcome as jungle-y ones.

My aim is to make the world fairly dangerous, so I need to balance variety and consistency with mid-level CRs, to keep it interesting.

@edit: To make it clear, what would be your recommended monsters to fill the CR5-10 (ish) spectrum for the following terrains:
-Jungle
-Desert
-Arctic
-Hills
-Steppe
-Mountain
-Forest

[Blymurkla]

I am confused. You go on about problems in finding CR 15 monsters, then want help with CR 5-10? Or am I understanding you wrong?

For Arctic or cold environments in general:
Winter Wolf
Remorhaz

Swamps:
Chuul
Water Naga
Emperor Cobra (a sufficiently large snake, really)

Steppes:
Capramace
Wooly rhinoceros
Gorgon (also hills)

Forests:
Delgeth
Shambling Mound
Treant


Just a few things, don't know if they work for you.

[Inevitability]

There's a number of monsters at slightly lower CRs that remain viable threats if advanced by HD. Maybe look in that direction a bit.

[Nibbens]

There's a number of monsters at slightly lower CRs that remain viable threats if advanced by HD. Maybe look in that direction a bit.

I second this answer. In the "secret places" of the world - canyons and jungles that haven't been touch by humanoid civilization for thousands of years it would make sense that some natural animals could reach immense sizes and power, respectively.

Adding templates and HD increases to them should be an effective way to make mundane beasts stronger. Giant, Advanced, and other templates retain non-magical bonuses that could be useful here as well.

Also, you might want to look into dinosaurs. And then advance them through HD or templates. Those are natural beasts, aren't they? *Checking*

*Back* Yes, PF lists dinosaurs as Animals. There'd be nothing cooler than springing dinosaurs on unsuspecting party members. 'Here, have a T-Rex to the face! Oh, it swallowed you whole? Have fun cutting your way out!"

[ExLibrisMortis]

Earth-like ecosystems simply top out at CR 5-10. CR 15 would require a flying teleporting shapeshifting magic-eating ultralizard, which is approximately what a decently built dragon is.


One of my all-time favourite "just part of the ecosystem" monsters is the Zeugalak (LoM, CR 12). Reason:

Zeugalaks are especially active during thunderstorms, and cavort atop mountain peaks during such weather. Their terrible bellows of delight when they are struck by bolts of lightning can carry for miles. When struck, they use their electrical teleportation ability to teleport high into the clouds above so they can enjoy the long feather fall back to the ground below through the surrounding storm.

That's just the kind of tidbit that really adds character to a monster. These guys live in low tropical mountains.

[TotallyNotEvil]

There's a number of monsters at slightly lower CRs that remain viable threats if advanced by HD. Maybe look in that direction a bit.

Yeah, I had that realization yesterday, after going through MMs I and II.

I am confused. You go on about problems in finding CR 15 monsters, then want help with CR 5-10? Or am I understanding you wrong?

For Arctic or cold environments in general:
Winter Wolf
Remorhaz

Swamps:
Chuul
Water Naga
Emperor Cobra (a sufficiently large snake, really)

Steppes:
Capramace
Wooly rhinoceros
Gorgon (also hills)

Forests:
Delgeth
Shambling Mound
Treant


Just a few things, don't know if they work for you.

Indeed, I'm asking two things:
- "Just part of the ecosystem" threats of high CR. Something that, unlike a Dragon, isn't a boss monster, it's just that strong in order to live there.
- Help populating the various ecosystems, which takes more than those odd high-CR ones, and making them fairly dangerous in a world where a seasoned soldier has roughly 4 HD, a fresh Knight is a Fighter 4.

Things like Blood Apes and Girralions, for example. MM II is all kinds of fun.

[Thurbane]

D&D Monster Finder can be useful for search by environment and CR. It's missing a couple of books, but it's a good resource.

[TheBeggarDwarf]

The Fiend Folio has some good choices. I've had fun times with Ahuizotl (CR 6, any warm freshwater). Always fun to have lurking about a murky pool. The Century Worm as well, also from FF (CR 19). I had one pop out of the ground to grab an elephant and drag it under the earth; irritated the party Druid to no end. Greater Flame snake (CR 16.

If there's room in the campaign for creatures that were once magically created beasts of war that have now become either a breeding population or lone relics wandering the countryside, the kaorti-created creatures like the Skybleeder (CR 12) and the Rukanyr (CR9) can be interesting. The kaorti background can always be ignored if you like.

[TotallyNotEvil]

Oho, sounds good. Are the often referred Kaorti from Faerun?

I thought they were only interesting for making cheese weapons.

I'm pretty happy with Beast subtype from MM II, and the expanded Dire line, such as Elk and Snake too. Just what I was looking for, ways to make a Dire Forest.

"Welcome to Dire Canada, bitches!"

On a related topic, making all the regions fit together is so. Damn. Hard.

[Thurbane]

Kaorti are Far Realm creatures (originally natives of the Prime Material plane, went to the Far Realm, got mutated, now they come back and live in self-contained hives); they aren't tied to any specific setting AFAIK

[Zombulian]

Athach, Ettercap, Ettin, and Gray Render are all interesting humanoid-shaped monsters that I feel don't get enough love in most games, probably because they're not crazy enough to be super exotic but not common enough to be a staple in a setting. Making them natives and fairly common occurence in specific regions would add a decent amount of flavor to areas and give them a little bit of time in the spotlight.