Underrated monsters

[Ronnocius]

What monsters do you guys think are underrated or not used as much as they should be? I think the tlincallis from Volo's Guide to Monsters are underused; I have never heard or read about them being used.

[HolyDraconus]

Tortles are underused...

[Protato]

I like Nothics, creepy former magic-users corrupted by the very power they sought out, that can learn about a person or even cause them to rot just by looking at them.

[Chugger]

Owlbears ... just cuz someone had to say it. Sorry. I'll try harder next time.

[DarkKnightJin]

Nilbog.
Then again, none of the games I've seen so far haven't had regular Goblins either.

[Unoriginal]

Mephits.

I've never heard anyone use mephits in their games, even though elemental imps are great.

[mephnick]

Perytons. A great low CR monster with Flyby. I try to use them on as many parties of new players as possible as my "This is why you always bring a ranged weapon or learn to Ready." lesson.

[Anderlith]

Mephits.

I've never heard anyone use mephits in their games, even though elemental imps are great.

I used a handful of different ones protecting a hot springs the character stopped at. I like mephits, & i use them when i can.

I think actual animals are underused. When was the last time the heroes were hunted by wolves as they run low on provisions in the frozen north? Or stumble into a snake pit? How about coming face to face with a hungry lion after the ranger accidently steals his kill while foraging?

Its more likely to be winterwolves, lamias, & displacer beasts. Nature is scary too, maybe through in a monsterous/dire creature as a pack leader if the party is high level.

[mephnick]

When was the last time the heroes were hunted by wolves as they run low on provisions in the frozen north?

If perytons are my "ranged weapon/ready lesson", packs of wolves are my "nature be scary yo" lesson. Pack tactics, trips, fast movement speed, tracking and perception abilities. Harry a low level group with a large pack of wolves throughout a trip between cities. I've dragged off a few unconscious PCs for dog chow in the last few years. I think my players would rather take their chances with Displacer Beasts

[Sariel Vailo]

Rust monsters weak yet effective in groups and a warforged be scared

[ZorroGames]

Mephits.

I've never heard anyone use mephits in their games, even though elemental imps are great.

Fought fire, mud, steam, Ice (?) versions of the little ****s. One of the highly damaged by big Bads PCs was dropped to zero by a series of exploding Mephits occurring late in a battle. ROFLMAO - we won but the PC just rolled his eyes when it happened.

[DracoKnight]

Mephits.

I've never heard anyone use mephits in their games, even though elemental imps are great.

I've used mephits loads of times, and now my players are paranoid that any planar enemy they fight is going to explode. They're likely to knock it unconscious when it gets close to 0, and then shoot it from a distance, so that if an enemy does explode it doesn't hurt them.

If perytons are my "ranged weapon/ready lesson", packs of wolves are my "nature be scary yo" lesson. Pack tactics, trips, fast movement speed, tracking and perception abilities. Harry a low level group with a large pack of wolves throughout a trip between cities. I've dragged off a few unconscious PCs for dog chow in the last few years. I think my players would rather take their chances with Displacer Beasts

Note to self: use wolves.

[Dalebert]

Nilbog.
Then again, none of the games I've seen so far haven't had regular Goblins either.

I've used him twice, much to the frustration of my players. I like him so much, he inspired a PC. I made a lore bard goblin by that name. He was possessed by Nilbog and it left a permanent impression. He sincerely believes he's THE Nilbog.

[AshLake]

What monsters do you guys think are underrated or not used as much as they should be? I think the tlincallis from Volo's Guide to Monsters are underused; I have never heard or read about them being used.

Slimes are very underrated, no one has been using them in any campaign i have done.

[Potato_Priest]

I've used mephits loads of times, and now my players are paranoid that any planar enemy they fight is going to explode. They're likely to knock it unconscious when it gets close to 0, and then shoot it from a distance, so that if an enemy does explode it doesn't hurt them.

I too have fought and used mephits and magmins aplenty. At one point, the cleric cast create/destroy water and made a big cloud of water that rained down on the magmins around him. The DM being a jerk, decided that it killed all of the 7 or 8 magmins. The blast threw the cleric's unconscious body a couple hundred feet down the side of the volcano, and I had to chase him down and pull him to a halt before he landed in a lava field.

[Regitnui]

Mephits.

I've never heard anyone use mephits in their games, even though elemental imps are great.

I had mud mephits dripping off a giant starfish that had grappled a ship the players were on. They killed the last one with a ballista bolt.

[kivzirrum]

Mephits.

I've never heard anyone use mephits in their games, even though elemental imps are great.

Thanks to the Baldur's Gate series, I've always had a fondness for mephits. They are a very common enemy in Baldur's Gate 2 and very fun to smash in their stupid faces!

[Potato_Priest]

I've never seen true mindless constructs used as enemies.

They always seem to be special golems that can follow the intent of an order and experience emotions.

[kivzirrum]

I've never seen true mindless constructs used as enemies.

They always seem to be special golems that can follow the intent of an order and experience emotions.

Really? That's interesting. I use them rarely, but a guy who used to DM a game I was in used them a lot!

[Vaz]

Mephits.

I've never heard anyone use mephits in their games, even though elemental imps are great.

Conjure Minor Elemental and make a horde of Mud Mephits and give them all nets. That's like 24 Entangle checks each turn. Also, having a Mirror Mephit for Simulacrum fun in 3.5 was good fun.

[DireSickFish]

Barghest. They would work great as a boss monster for a group of goblins at low level. Or a one off monster. But people just use Bugbears and Hobgoblins for upgraded goblins instead.

[ImproperJustice]

I can’t recall their name exactly, “Leucrotas?” I think. The ferret like critters that mimic voices.

They once drew a pair of happless PCs deep into a series of tunnels they had to crawl through before cutting them off from the rest of the party.
One snuck back near the entrance to tell the other PC’s “We’re fine” repeatedly.

I will second Owlbears having experienced a TPK once when we triggered a trap that released two from their cages on opposite ends of a narrow hall. It got ugly so fast.

[Mortis_Elrod]

I think actual animals are underused. When was the last time the heroes were hunted by wolves as they run low on provisions in the frozen north? Or stumble into a snake pit? How about coming face to face with a hungry lion after the ranger accidently steals his kill while foraging?

Its more likely to be winterwolves, lamias, & displacer beasts. Nature is scary too, maybe through in a monsterous/dire creature as a pack leader if the party is high level.

One of my first experiences in 5e was the entire party nearly being wiped (should have had we learned the rules on spare the dying but whatever) by wolves at level 1. there was like 6 of us.

Ever since then we don't travel in the woods at night. and we have 'wolf watch'.

[UrielAwakened]

The Cadaver Collector should be a mainstay but doesn't have enough exposure to be one.

http://eberron.wikia.com/wiki/Cadaver_Collector

[MrStabby]

Mindless golems are things i use quite a bit. They work as a compliment to undead in the "tomb undisturbed for centuries" feel - for when you want different encounters and not all of them to be solved by turn undead.

For me it is the gibbering mouther. I love these things. Telegraphing weird arcana they pack flavour, they have some abilities to make encounters more tactically complex and their ability to outright kill adds a bit more pressure to a fight. They can work by themselves, in swarms, in conjunction with casters or as part of an encounter with other aberrations.

[Avonar]

Bugbears. Players never think that something that low can deal out so much damage, after the first hit then they're not so silly anymore.

[Arte]

Goblins I think are kind of known to be lethal when played to their potential but in I think Ankhegs are overlooked big time.

[EvilAnagram]

Mephits.

I've never heard anyone use mephits in their games, even though elemental imps are great.

I love mephits! I use them all the time, in multiple campaigns. They are always named Charbles, and they always have the same scratchy old New York accent. I usually use them as gatekeepers and social encounters in dungeons, and they're just so damn fun!

[DarkKnightJin]

I've used him twice, much to the frustration of my players. I like him so much, he inspired a PC. I made a lore bard goblin by that name. He was possessed by Nilbog and it left a permanent impression. He sincerely believes he's THE Nilbog.

I love how the little bastard is almost impossible to take out. Unless you make the save and use Shocking Grasp. Or something else that denies Reactions.

[the_brazenburn]

Honestly, ordinary goblins are somewhat underused. Hobgoblins? Used. Orcs? Used. Kobolds? Used. But goblins don't seem like a threat to DMs. They are often used like Drool from LMoP: weak, pathetic creatures at the characters' mercy. Honestly, though, they can be quite deadly in small ambush groups because of Nimble Escape.

P.S. We actually cured Drool of his chronic cowardice. He became a great ally of our group, and went on to slay Yeemik and King Grol after being upgraded to Goblin Boss. We ended up with a great ally in charge of the Cragmaw goblins, and used them later when we went on to play Princes of the Apocalyse. King Drool was slain by Marlos Urnrayle, but not before fighting his way through a large portion of the earth temple and taking the air temple as a temporary base for his goblin crack squad... but that's a story for a different thread.