Blog Archives

Monster of the Week: Rakshasa

This entry is part 1 of 19 in the series Monster of the Week

The fearsome Rakshasas, originally demons in Hindu and Buddhist mythology, are evil magical shapeshifting spirits. Fictional usage has developed far beyond the original myths, so much there’s a wikipedia page on it. In fiction, they are often humanoid with animal … Continue reading

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Monster of the Week: Dark Elf

Dark Elf
This entry is part 2 of 19 in the series Monster of the Week

This week we look at the Dark Elves, known as Drow in D&D. Like many of the creatures, Dark Elves have their history in mythology. Norse mythology places Dark Elves as evil underground creatures, which is exactly what Drow generally … Continue reading

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Monster of the Week: Gelatinous Cube

This entry is part 3 of 19 in the series Monster of the Week

Unlike the previous two Monsters of the Week, this week I look at a monster which is completely unintelligent, has no tactics, and is a pushover for any party: and yet can be the most dangerous thing they ever face. … Continue reading

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Monster of the Week: Golems

golem
This entry is part 4 of 19 in the series Monster of the Week

(Er, Monster of the Month, due to sickness and the whole Christmas thing) Golems are a classic part of D&D. Everyone knows the deal: you find a statue with massive eye gems, you pry the gems out, and the statue … Continue reading

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Monster of the Week: Mimic

mimic
This entry is part 5 of 19 in the series Monster of the Week

The Mimic is a classic monster dating back to the beginning of D&D. It’s a creature that, in standard Gygaxian fashion, tries to kill you despite looking like a piece of furniture. It can assume the shape of just about … Continue reading

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Monster of the Week: Lycanthropes

wolf
This entry is part 6 of 19 in the series Monster of the Week

Lycanthropes, or Werewolves, are a strong part of our standard mythology. Wolf attacks on humans combined with the human penchant for imagination lead to an obvious result. Oh, look, wolves ate my sheep. It was totally that next door neighbour … Continue reading

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Monster of the Week: Zombies

zombies
This entry is part 7 of 19 in the series Monster of the Week

Ah, Zombies. A classic creature from various mythologies that, like many others, has been revived through modern film and literature, and is thus standard fare for roleplayer gamers such as us. Ironically, many of the aforementioned reviving pieces are set … Continue reading

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Monster of the Week: Ettin

ettin
This entry is part 8 of 19 in the series Monster of the Week

Originally just a word for a giant, an Ettin is now a two-headed giant or ogre-like creature. The fit a nice niche in D&D: they’re stronger than Ogres, which are a good foe for a low-level party, but they are … Continue reading

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Monster of the Week: Humans and PC races

human-duplicate
This entry is part 9 of 19 in the series Monster of the Week

Humans, and, to a lesser extent, other player races, are quite handy for use as enemies in many campaigns. I mean, the real world’s done pretty well with just Humans, even without magic! Incredible, yeah. Anyway, in both campaigns set … Continue reading

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Monster of the Week: Hydras

hydra
This entry is part 10 of 19 in the series Monster of the Week

From the trials of Heracles, we get a classical monster which is instantly recognisable, and a dangerous opponent. Tough and strong, with enough heads to attack everyone at once, the Hydra is a good “monster-y” monster: it’s only purpose is … Continue reading

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