Category Archives: Bestiary

Zombies, Vampires, Dragons, Werewolves, etc…

Monster of the Week: Medusa

medusa
This entry is part 13 of 19 in the series Monster of the Week

I was going to write an article about Cockatrices, having been killed by one in NetHack (a Rogue-like game, more on NetHack later this week). However, I found 4E D&D doesn’t have them… yet. It’s possible they’ll be in the … Continue reading

Posted in Bestiary, Dungeons & Dragons, Game Resources, Role Playing Games | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Monster of the Week: Vampires

vampire
This entry is part 12 of 19 in the series Monster of the Week

Another classic creature born of human fear and storytelling, Vampires are a staple in a host of roleplaying games. They are inherently a strong opponent, and a puzzle, all at once. They are intelligent, and can serve in both combat … Continue reading

Posted in Bestiary, Dungeons & Dragons, Game Resources, Role Playing Games | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Monster of the Week: Hellhound

hellhound
This entry is part 11 of 19 in the series Monster of the Week

Yay, Hellhounds! I’ve favoured them a little ever since DMing a solo game where the player used Handle Animal to tame one, and I let him keep it as his Animal Companion. Anyway, historically, Man has liked two things: dogs … Continue reading

Posted in Bestiary, Dungeons & Dragons, Game Resources, Role Playing Games | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

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

Posted in Bestiary, Dungeons & Dragons, Game Resources, Role Playing Games | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

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

Posted in Bestiary, Dungeons & Dragons, Game Resources, Role Playing Games | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

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

Posted in Bestiary, Dungeons & Dragons, Game Resources, Role Playing Games | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

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

Posted in Bestiary, Dungeons & Dragons, Game Design, Game Resources, Role Playing Games | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

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

Posted in Bestiary, Dungeons & Dragons, Game Design, Role Playing Games | Tagged , , , , , , | 6 Comments

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

Posted in Bestiary, Dungeons & Dragons, Game Design, Role Playing Games | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

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

Posted in Bestiary, Dungeons & Dragons, Game Design, Role Playing Games | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment