Top 10 Worst D&D Monsters

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  • čas přidán 21. 04. 2021
  • Let's roast the most annoying, immersion-breaking, and underdeveloped monsters of Dungeons & Dragons.
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Komentáře • 308

  • @plucas1
    @plucas1 Před 3 lety +42

    "If guards are so powerful, why don't they save the world?"
    Because that hassle isn't worth minimum wage, that's why.

  • @royrieder2113
    @royrieder2113 Před 3 lety +132

    I didn't agree with half the stuff on your list, but every single roast was absolute gold! Hilarious

  • @diegodankquixote-wry3242
    @diegodankquixote-wry3242 Před 3 lety +54

    Cookie monster ending words in his famous speech about the struggle for happiness in the modern age.

  • @Icebrick2
    @Icebrick2 Před 3 lety +118

    I love about half the creatures listed here. Sure they look a little.... unique, but they provide a little levity in a serious game or you can just run them serious, I had no issue with using flumphs and owlbears and my players didn't see them as jokes.

    • @esperthebard
      @esperthebard  Před 3 lety +38

      Well done! I usually do the same with these creatures. If you DM things in an immersive, serious way, they don't come off as jokes.

    • @matthewbennett1972
      @matthewbennett1972 Před 3 lety +8

      A Flumph monk would be awesome lol #tenteclesoffury

    • @ismirdochegal4804
      @ismirdochegal4804 Před měsícem

      When I brought the 5e Monster Manual, I flipped it open to see, if that was the book I wanted to buy. I landed directly on the Flumpf, read it's entry and had immediately an idea for an adventure. I knew at this moment, to buy this book would be a good choice.

  • @quincykunz3481
    @quincykunz3481 Před 3 lety +41

    anyone else notice how many frog people there are in dnd? Slaadi, bullywug, grung, banderhobb, Nergaliid, Hezrou, Hydroloth... Also is it telling that I love every single monster in this video?

  • @EnnuiElpis
    @EnnuiElpis Před 3 lety +53

    The Giff were included to tease Spelljammer. That's where they came from, and the designers have outright admitted that that's why they included them.

    • @wesleyvalk9129
      @wesleyvalk9129 Před 3 lety +6

      Spelljammer is stupid, and it's own thing, those stupid monsters should never mix with D&D.

    • @RoninCatholic
      @RoninCatholic Před 3 lety +4

      Dracons would've been more appropriate for a wider array of settings, hahaha ("centauroid dragon" would work in a lot of places, but might step on the toes of the Dragonborn if given PC stats due to its flatly superior aesthetics). In fact I think they chose the Giff specifically _because_ they don't look like they fit into other D&D settings with that outfit and gun.

    • @RoninCatholic
      @RoninCatholic Před 3 lety +21

      @@wesleyvalk9129 Spelljammer _is_ D&D. This is like saying Dark Sun isn't D&D or Planescape isn't D&D just because I dislike some things from those settings and they don't translate well to all other settings. In fact, Planescape and Spelljammer are both parallel versions of how to travel from one setting to another.

    • @elmeromogollon
      @elmeromogollon Před 2 lety +1

      ​yeah I like spelljammers but I add sci fi stuff, it basically becomes star trek with elves and wizards xD, if you want something like lord of the rings then dont add gith or mindflayers.

  • @thetattooedyoshi
    @thetattooedyoshi Před 3 lety +72

    Okay, hear me out. While withdrawn, the tortle could still speak & ask the Goliath of the group or the Wizard of the group with the Catapult or Telekenesis spell to use them as a weapon. And if you're playing as a war cleric, a moon druid, or a fighter, having a friend use you as a living cannonball isn't all that bad of an idea

    • @RoninCatholic
      @RoninCatholic Před 3 lety +14

      "Look at me, I'm a Koopa shell!"

    • @Jeezusehchrist
      @Jeezusehchrist Před 3 lety +4

      Not a terrible way to maintain concentration on a spell either.

    • @elgatochurro
      @elgatochurro Před 3 lety +3

      "yes, use my spine to deal damage"
      No...

    • @thetattooedyoshi
      @thetattooedyoshi Před 3 lety

      @@elgatochurro if bone clubs are a thing so are tortle shells :3

    • @elgatochurro
      @elgatochurro Před 3 lety

      @@thetattooedyoshi bones are strong, hard to fix

  • @philleW12
    @philleW12 Před 3 lety +51

    Wonderful to see you quoting the marvel that is the Cookie Monster

    • @clockworkpanda8
      @clockworkpanda8 Před 3 lety +1

      Well i know c is for cookie and that is good enough for me.

  • @stavros2956
    @stavros2956 Před 3 lety +32

    I bet the worst monster in this entry will be the owlbear................... yep, its the owlbear.

    • @MrDmitriRavenoff
      @MrDmitriRavenoff Před 3 lety +5

      I like Owlbears, but I usually add some stuff to them. They make a good base monster.

  • @devin5201
    @devin5201 Před 3 lety +14

    Now I want to include that Theodore Roosevelt hippoman in a game, maybe he's the master of a hunters guild and gives the party some hunting quests to prove their worth and be recognized by the guild.

  • @kaleb2643
    @kaleb2643 Před 3 lety +44

    I find the flumph's goofiness helps to offset the grimness of the underdark so that players (and DMs) don't get too bummed out.
    Also: tortle catapult.

  • @Nazo-kage
    @Nazo-kage Před 3 lety +17

    11:53 here’s an idea for a DM.
    A small kingdom of Giff that are embroiled in the Civil War.
    The joke is that the reason for the war is whether their race should be pronounced as:
    Giff or Jiff.

    • @user-vm9xz4kv9z
      @user-vm9xz4kv9z Před 2 lety +4

      From 5e UA 80: “The giff are split into two camps concerning how their name is pronounced. Half say it with a hard g, half day it with a soft g. Disagreements over the correct pronunciation have often blossomed into hard feelings, loud arguments, and headbutting contests, but rarely escalate beyond that.”

  • @nessesaryschoolthing
    @nessesaryschoolthing Před 3 lety +25

    Ideas/ comments
    10. I think if you combined the roleplay characteristics of the Flumph with the cooler appearance of the Netch's from Morrowind, you would get an entirely descent monster. Other way around, and you would get stupid looking floating cows.
    9. To rethink the modrons, I would take inspiration from the Homeworld gems from Steven Universe, or at least take the same inspiration as they did. They are quite cartoony, but in a way that emphasises their axiomatic nature, harkening back to animated propaganda and the disturbing implications of childhood indoctrination. If you find these things creepy, there's a good reason for that, and we should make that clear.
    8. These things remind me of one of the enemies in Darkest Dungeons that explodes some turns into the fight if you don't kill them fast enough. That would certainly give it something cool to do.
    7. You think you're big because you pick on a baby? That's pathetic, man. Leave the tyke alone!
    6. Am I wrong that Skyrim guards are actually pretty well balanced compared to most? They're definitely a threat at lower levels, but they don't scale too hard and you can see yourself mowing them down if you go on a rampage.
    5. Any animal that can't tell that a colorful frog is especially dangerous won't be long for this world. It was nice knowing you, Esper.
    4. I would love it if you could use your shell like a Koopa from Mario or Squirtle in Smash Bros. Use your own shell as an improvised weapon.
    3. I just assumed this was an Eberon creature, this is from Mordenkainen's Tome? Wtf? They do mention that they're spacefaring mercenaries, but it would be much better to include them in some dedicated Spelljammer compendium in that case, wouldn't it?
    2. I do like the idea of a mind flayer that's more squid than person. Imagine them scuttling around in the dark, it's vestigial body dangling limply from its head. I could make these horrifying.
    (In terms of CR, sometimes I think they give creatures such low rating just to make them low value for XP. You don't want to try to farm these things, it's not worth it, just avoid them at all costs. That's the message I think they're supposed to give.)
    1. I like your variations with actual wings.

  • @paddlesawtactic9788
    @paddlesawtactic9788 Před 3 lety +9

    The Giff and its lore make it seem like a rejected Starfinder monster.

  • @potatointhesky1232
    @potatointhesky1232 Před 3 lety +22

    Ah yes, the quote at the beginning - inspirational

  • @duaneepps7346
    @duaneepps7346 Před 3 lety +10

    Esper video out? It's a good day now.

  • @SubSimpich
    @SubSimpich Před 2 lety +4

    Not gonna lie, I actually like the owlbear. When I read through the Monster Manual and looked at the creativity of most of the monsters in it, the owlbear was there as one of the more simple creatures that I took a liking to. I saw it as the creators mixing it up.
    EDIT: And since you choose to improve the owlbear, I might do the same thing. I do this thing called "Bestiary Brawls" where I have random 5E D&D monsters fight. The next fight the owlbear is in. I'll give it keen hearing and climbing.

  • @officialc1459
    @officialc1459 Před 3 lety +12

    HE HAS RETURNED to bless us once again with a look at the beasts of D&D.

  • @peterhaberstroh8017
    @peterhaberstroh8017 Před 3 lety +5

    Manes is a natural plural. It’s proper singular would be Mane, since it’s based on the Di Manes (spirits of the departed). The other enemy named like this is the Erinyes with its singular being Erinus (or just call them the Furies!).

    • @esperthebard
      @esperthebard  Před 3 lety +1

      Thank you for the linguisti lore. Though I must wonder why the Monster Manual uses manes in the plural. It doesn't do that with other creatures.

    • @peterhaberstroh8017
      @peterhaberstroh8017 Před 3 lety

      @@esperthebard I would guess that it has to do with the Di Manes rarely being referred to in the singular, so you just assume.

  • @pirwzy
    @pirwzy Před 3 lety +8

    Quadrones are like an Alice in Wonderland creature that would speak in rhyme.

  • @purplehaze2358
    @purplehaze2358 Před 3 lety +8

    I love how every other D&D monster tier list and countdown video on your channel uses quotes from influential writers and philosophers, but here you used a quote from the Cookie Monster.

  • @Snyperwolf91
    @Snyperwolf91 Před 3 lety +5

    About the tortle , i can say they are cool and very useful in homebrews or own module interprtation .
    And better yet they fit perfectly if your world has tortles and a hare-folk too which are contradicting folks for centuries . You can bring the turtle and the rabbit story into another level and it fits perfectly into D&D.

    • @RoninCatholic
      @RoninCatholic Před 3 lety +1

      They were also cool in their native home setting (Mystara). Never spectacular world-shakers, but interesting and worthwhile.

  • @veteran673
    @veteran673 Před 3 lety +5

    10. Flumph 0:55
    9. Modrun 2:53
    8. Manes 4:02
    7. Yeti yke 6:04
    6. Guard 7:24
    5. Grung 8:32
    4. Tortle 9:33
    3. Giff 11:54
    2. Gnome whatever 13:20
    1. Owlbear 16:12

  • @quincykunz3481
    @quincykunz3481 Před 3 lety +4

    Modrons do take work to find their slot in the game, but when they do it's fantastic. Nordom and the modron cube in planescape torment are one of my favorite parts of that beautiful game. While I don't think they can just show up anywhere and feel right, I do leave a few modron figures that lead to the rubikon dungeon project in my settings.

  • @dcyphermanplays8233
    @dcyphermanplays8233 Před 3 lety +10

    I'm kind of with you at the modrons unless it happens to be the time of the modron March across the Planes then there's thousands and thousands of them Muhahaha

  • @RoninCatholic
    @RoninCatholic Před 3 lety +6

    My fix for Flumphs: Take away their eyes and mouths entirely. They are otherworldly and the closest the only human-audible vocalizations they can do sound like bees buzzing (or the jellyfish from Spongebob); they're not hostile unless attacked and not evil, but they are alien and otherworldly and need special measures to communicate with. While overall good, they do have a somewhat selfish interest in causing stress in others as stress feeds them, most of them actively abstaining from bringing more strife into the world because, being the Underdark, nobody needs any help with that. Take them out of that environment, though, and they start having issues with taking on an attitude somewhat more like an Internet troll (and suffering Troll's Remorse whenever not starving, feeling guilt over having caused suffering in others however minor).
    My fix for Modrons: Either make them more mechanical in appearance or less so. They should either look like physical embodiments of geometry or like perfectly crafted machines, not asymmetrical steampunk cyborg Mike Wazowskis. Mechanically, I'd give them abilities based on nullifying magic or other special powers, particularly powers that are chaotic in their origin (Fey Pact Warlocks, Wild Magic Sorcerers) or otherwise simplifying them. Maybe something to flatten/smooth out terrain, giving them advantage and others disadvantage as they flatten the hills and fill in the gaps.
    For the Manes: My first idea for a fix is to say their stat block (HP, basic attack, whatever) are _in addition to_ class levels or racial abilities of the appropriate former-mortal. I'd also clarify the methods to wind up in the Abyss rather than Hell if using the default D&D cosmology instead of lumping all fiendsinto a single faction.
    Yeti Tyke: Every monster should have stats for its young provided so we know how easy they are to kill. It's weird how few we get, if anything. If we're going to have a stat block for a full grown yeti we should absolutely have one for a baby yeti.
    Guard: I see literally no issue here. Character level 1, class of "slightly worse Fighter variant" (1d8 HP like a Cleric instead of 1d10 like a full Fighter; _this_ type of warrior is where the cleric's weapon proficiencies and HP come from instead of being squishy, poorly armed, and poorly armored like the other full casters), with stats 10 across the board is what an _average_ warrior is supposed to be. If anything his STR, DEX, CON and two HP dice instead of one listed in that stat block are rather generous. This is the measuring stick against which your player character warriors are meant to be compared. Random foot soldiers and conscripts shouldn't randomly be stronger and more competent than main characters. Basically, this guard makes _perfect sense_ from a worldbuilding perspective even if it's lackluster game mechanically; strong enough to credibly keep orcs and goblins at bay _when using the town's fortifications to his advantage as intended_ but weak enough that you can easily see why they're sending you and your pals to go clear out the infestation instead. Looking at his stats, if anything I'd say that the basic goblin and wolf are probably stronger than they should be, not that the guard is too weak.
    Grung: "Do we really need two species of frog people?"
    No, but we didn't need to have both gnomes and halflings, didn't need both wood elves and high elves (even before getting into the dozens of elf variants added later), didn't need both orcs and hobgoblins, didn't need all three of ogres, bugbears, and hill giants, didn't need a dozen colors of dragon (two at minimum for each "element" they could think of for a breath weapon) and the list goes on. D&D has always had a lot of redundancies (such as the shaky distinction between a cleric of a nature-focused deity and a druid, or between a cleric of a lawful and good deity and a paladin in 3e and earlier, or between what defines a valid warlock patron vs. a cleric patron deity). Being a system containing a huge mass of everything, including endless and at times pointless redundancies, is a big part of D&D as a system.
    Tortles: Were cool when tied to the lore of the setting they were originally from, but aren't appropriate to all others; as it does for most others, Faerun/Toril/Aebir-Toril/Forgotten Realms just nicks this cool and distinctive thing from another setting and unceremoniously plops it into its own without any consideration for how it got there (those sagacious elements you mention from other fictional turtles were there). The shell should absolutely be a Reaction to use!
    Giff: I'd use hippofolk in a campaign...as an excuse to make one a huge barbarian brute with a pot belly, a pair of spiked gauntlets painted bright red, and a comically tiny crown on his head. I'd pair him up with an evil wizard who specializes in a spell to polymorph others specifically into walking but otherwise defenseless eggplants.
    Gnome Flayer: Way to ruin a perfectly serviceable gnome antagonist by merging it with a mind flayer!
    Owlbear: "Look at these two stat blocks." _Sees one uses the word 'beak' and the other 'bite'_ I know which one is the Owlbear. Owlbear is actually outright stronger on every level, even if not by a lot; except Wisdom, LOL, I guess "wise owl" didn't translate here. Honestly I think the Owlbear should've had the full combined suite of all abilities from the owl and bear (flight, climbing) and some extras for the _memetic_ value of the two (higher intelligence and wisdom than a _real_ owl because it's a _fantasy_ owl) and so forth.

    • @user-vm9xz4kv9z
      @user-vm9xz4kv9z Před 2 lety +1

      About the Manes:If you die in d&d, you go to the plane that best fits your alignment, souls that go to the abyss become manes
      Demons also buy Soul larva from Night hags in Hades and transform them to lesser demons, such as manes

  • @Koraidon152
    @Koraidon152 Před 3 lety +4

    Esper: *Talks about how turtles dont work ad anthropomorphic*
    The tmnt:Allow us to introduce ourselves
    (Note this is just a meme)

  • @shadowviruz
    @shadowviruz Před rokem +2

    alternate title for this video: "10 monsters for a Wacky D&D Campaign"

  • @noah509
    @noah509 Před 3 lety +5

    How dare you put down the Tortle!
    Its a million times better than the other beastfolk with recycled features. Its shell ability isn't super useful but at least its flavorful and whimsical.
    And having inherent 17 AC is actually wonderful for spellcasters and other builds trying not to be M.A.D.

  • @gdragonlord749
    @gdragonlord749 Před 3 lety +2

    The thing that bugs me the most on the owlbear is that they left out the grab ability from every other edition.

  • @Dr0neshuffler
    @Dr0neshuffler Před 3 lety +3

    On the point of what Manes are:
    Hell is for the Lawful Evil. There they may end up becoming a part of the plane, enduring torture for their sins, or become a petitioner.
    The Chaotic Evil descend into the madness of the Abyss. They may end up merging with the plane or becoming an abyssal petitioners, or they may just become a Manes.
    Also, I'm fairly convinced that no one actually uses the guard out of the MM and just creates first or second level fighter NPCs to use as the town guard for large settlements.

  • @subcaratothemoon1982
    @subcaratothemoon1982 Před 3 lety +2

    That last one HAD to be the Owlbear.... WOW 😅😂

  • @loganfrandrup6590
    @loganfrandrup6590 Před 3 lety +15

    Well some one wanted to flex his Viscous Mockery spell skills.

  • @survivalveteran4031
    @survivalveteran4031 Před 3 lety +3

    Lawful evil goes to hell chaotic evil to the abyss

    • @esperthebard
      @esperthebard  Před 3 lety

      That makes no sense. The Nine Hells specifically was created to punish mortals who are evil (and to house the angels who became devils after fighting demons for ages). The Abyss is a timeless, boundless realm that spontaneously spawns demons.

  • @elitemook4234
    @elitemook4234 Před rokem +1

    "If guards are so powerful, why don't they save the world?"
    Let's see your Party save the world on minimum wage.

  • @Wolfbane971
    @Wolfbane971 Před 3 lety +3

    i mean you still need the rabbits and the fodder in the underdark, Flumphs make the perfect cattle/ heard to hunt for the monsters not everything in the underdark can be an apex predator you still need prey

  • @ded2thaworld963
    @ded2thaworld963 Před 3 lety +2

    Sir..you dare diss turtle folk..😭

  • @KingAndy1992
    @KingAndy1992 Před 3 lety +12

    I'll never understand the appeal of the cutesy tone shift we're seeing in 5e. I'm fully on board with some of the changes made in this edition intended to be more inclusive, but I don't think chibi monsters pull new people into the hobby - they push dedicated players away. Maybe I'm wrong and there actually are players out there who want neopets monsters in their game, but I've played D&D with a lot of different kinds of people, and if I told any of them they were fighting cute gnome mind flayers, they'd probably ask if I needed to take a break.

    • @esperthebard
      @esperthebard  Před 3 lety +1

      Hear, hear!

    • @ender4101
      @ender4101 Před 3 lety +1

      I think that would be a consequence of D&D's transition to the "Overall Generic RPG." You can use the 5e ruleset to play most fantasy settings, with probably any kind of tone no matter how childish or mature. I has a bit of everything in it.
      I don't personally think the inclusion is bad. Even though most of my games are mostly serious, I sometimes find some way to include something light-hearted or even "cutesy," and my players tend to enjoy it. But no group is the same, and if you think they wouldn't like to see something like that, you might as well not use it.

    • @danielmarks874
      @danielmarks874 Před 3 lety

      I totally agree, i mean an occasional cutesy creature can be nice like a friendly kobold or a hydra that someone managed to magically shrink to the size of a squirrel, but these creatures should be firstly rare and secondly, they should be cute in the same way a pet bearded dragon or snake is or hell even just a normal cat or dog, but when you go full big adorable eyes it just seems like a total tonal shift from the rest of the game

    • @MLJ-zp3ju
      @MLJ-zp3ju Před 2 lety

      Go play FATAL you salty boomer. The only reason why you think D&D was "dark" is because shit would kill you instantly for lulz. Even in my lightest games, there's a number of gruesome deaths and gory scenes that would make traumatize real people if they saw them as regularly as me and my fellow players do. Plus, most of the general "scary" monsters are in the game. Unless you're sad your favorite poo-poo cancer demon from Dragon Magazine #69 hasn't been converted to 5e.

  • @Rogurt6
    @Rogurt6 Před 3 lety +2

    Have you considered having full mindflayers telekinetically yeet gnome mindflayers as a ranged brain drain attack.

  • @georgeuferov1497
    @georgeuferov1497 Před 9 měsíci +1

    5:30 - it's literally what all Outer Planes including the Abyss are for

  • @keithvanboskirk7327
    @keithvanboskirk7327 Před 3 lety +1

    how to kill a grung. Make them so happy they jump for joy. Standing Leap 15ft. over 10ft, 1d6 falling damage. Keep 'em jumping. Challenge them to jumping contest best 4 out of 7 wins!

  • @Olav_Hansen
    @Olav_Hansen Před 3 lety +3

    With manes: I am reading from an interactive story app that has a lot of dnd style stories. In that story whenever a mortal dies the one with the strongest claim takes the soul. Any soul without a strong claim has a chance to be taken in in the abyss. Creatures with a tainted soul, such as happens when you become a vampire (in that world it is a form of demonic possession, not sure if it's the same for dnd), almost automatically go to the abyss. The most common way you end up in hell is to make a contract there. Don't forget that the dnd hell and christian hell are different.
    In Christianity there is only one god, in dnd there are many. Therefore it is logical that not all bad souls are automatically claimed by hell.
    If you go by the "asmodeus is only 1 god so can't claim all the bad people", a lot of the unimpressive will end up in the abyss.

    • @user-vm9xz4kv9z
      @user-vm9xz4kv9z Před 2 lety

      According to Planescape, your soul goes to the outer-plane that best fits your alignment, unless a diety or patron holds a claim over it

  • @TheCobraCom
    @TheCobraCom Před 3 lety +2

    Always check your tortles. Sometimes there are discworlds on their back.

  • @robotdude2206
    @robotdude2206 Před 2 lety +1

    The only thing worse than a Grung is a Grung PC. Played one session with a Grung ally. It was really stupid. DM had to make a convoluted way to rehydrate the character despite us being nowhere near a body of water.
    Player missed the next session, and DM canceled the campaign after that.

  • @darkenedblade2585
    @darkenedblade2585 Před 2 lety +1

    Advantage statistically gives you a +5 to attack. Tortles get +4 to ac when they go into their shell and go PRONE, which means melee attacks have advantage on them. They just make themselves easier for the fighter to hit.

  • @martinbaraldilobe3334
    @martinbaraldilobe3334 Před 3 lety +1

    A man is way too angry at antropormophic animals for 20 minutes.

  • @fredsuper6792
    @fredsuper6792 Před 2 lety +1

    I got so triggered when I saw the owlbear on screen. Then, I heard the reasoning and we completely agree. The owlbear is such a cool concept and lovable design, but completely falls flat on stats.

  • @Noobie2k7
    @Noobie2k7 Před rokem +1

    I took an Owlbear, gave it a fly speed, climb speed and also the Pounce special ability. It was now like a sort of bulkier, less agile but tougher Gryphon type creature. I mean you already got Gryphons and Hippogryphs, I added Owlbear's to that similar niche of a mishmash of beasts with added fly speed.

  • @adventuringwolf8517
    @adventuringwolf8517 Před 3 lety +1

    Gnome ceremorphs have the same energy as Ringwraith hobbit.

  • @matthewbennett1972
    @matthewbennett1972 Před 3 lety +1

    I don’t think the trouble is the monsters but the half ass stat blocks. How about a fiend touched Owl Bear. Making cutesy monsters deadly can be quite horrifying

  • @filipe_paixao
    @filipe_paixao Před 2 lety +1

    Imagine a Troll that hunts this beings and mutates into the ultimate Worse BEING in D&D...
    Trololobolomorolorobololol

  • @patrickdees5256
    @patrickdees5256 Před 3 lety +1

    I actually remember saving two flumphs in out of the abyss when I was in a trap. I tried casting a spell, but the wild magic trap that where I was being sprayed with acid, and accidentally summoned them. I managed to break out of the trap using my own natural strength.

  • @golgarisoul
    @golgarisoul Před 3 lety +1

    I did always wonder what happened if Ilithid was made from a gnome.

  • @michaelsinclair1343
    @michaelsinclair1343 Před 2 lety

    Almost every picture I see of the Giff immediately makes me think of Teddy Roosevelt.

  • @dunker-roo9552
    @dunker-roo9552 Před 3 lety +1

    Flumph as a breed of myconid is a good idea. I’d use flumph at my spa to eat the stress

  • @zednumar6917
    @zednumar6917 Před 3 lety +1

    Giffs are badass, you should try playing one. I use them as in a city-state based an a blend of ancient Egypt and the later Ottoman Empire, where they wield scimitars and flintlocks, and worship the Egyptian hippopotamus mother goddess. They are large and in charge, you do not mess with them.

  • @nilsjonsson4446
    @nilsjonsson4446 Před 3 lety

    I replaced my guards with reskinned Thugs and haven't looked back

  • @generaldreagonlps6889
    @generaldreagonlps6889 Před 3 lety +1

    I definitely think the giff can actually work quite well. The problem is that it's just kinda there in the book. It needs a bit more context.

  • @Empressofnight
    @Empressofnight Před 3 lety +3

    Most of this is a list of things to reskin (also in one of my settings Giff are only out of place in default outfit)

  • @vadaritis
    @vadaritis Před 3 lety +2

    '...Poultry lore...' i see what you did there. XD

  • @DarkAvatar1313
    @DarkAvatar1313 Před 2 lety +1

    The Giff can be cool, but they *only* work in Spelljammer as player hunters with a Victorian/Steampunk style vibe.

  • @japphan
    @japphan Před 3 lety +1

    After the two first entries, I thought I misread the title, because those 2 are some of the best. I think modrons have the possibility of even being creepy, if you really play the orderly hive mind well. The fact that they look goofy and cute can make it even scarier.
    The Flumph is just the best.
    Scary place, scary monster, and suddenly, out of the corner of your eye, you see ..... CUTENESS.
    The rest of the entries are great.

  • @billyboy8534
    @billyboy8534 Před 3 lety

    The flumph looks like a monster from a cheesy 1950's sci-fi movie.

  • @daikaijugamer
    @daikaijugamer Před 3 lety +1

    I got some alternative name suggestions for the tortle race: Chelonian, Taruga, Tuga, Testudon, Terrakin.

  • @MySqueezingArm
    @MySqueezingArm Před 3 lety

    The hippo folk people seem like they were pulled from the Doctor Who episode. Space Hippo Police locked down a ship looking for a criminal.

  • @MarkLewis...
    @MarkLewis... Před 3 lety +6

    The abyssal chicken is AWESOME!!!
    They go great with abyssal fries and a medieval fire-rum & coke.

    • @esperthebard
      @esperthebard  Před 3 lety +5

      They're a nice appetizer before the main course of roasted owlbear.

    • @MarkLewis...
      @MarkLewis... Před 3 lety

      @@esperthebard 😂 lol

    • @lemonZzzzs
      @lemonZzzzs Před 3 lety

      are there 5e books for creative monster recipes? that chef feat needs something to apply it to :P

    • @MarkLewis...
      @MarkLewis... Před 3 lety

      @@lemonZzzzs Yes... the medieval mad town-Wizard Sanders is opening up a new chain of taverns called AFC's. (Abyssal Fried Chicken) and in need of classes with a chef feat. For all the adventure parties on the go.
      Try the feast of "trough-o'-chicken vardo tail-gater" for the entire party needing rations in a dungeon, but for the lone adventurer to slay a dragon..., try the Abyssal Tenders with the honey-mead dipping sauce!

  • @Babbleplay
    @Babbleplay Před 6 měsíci

    Mind Flayer : Okay, guys, pack it up; we can't warp gnome slaves any more; some people thing the results look silly

  • @mrbananahead2005
    @mrbananahead2005 Před 3 lety

    Fun fact about grungs: although they can jump up to15 feet high, there is nothing in their stat block about not taking fall damage after jumping, so enjoy watching them jump themselves to death.

  • @Sgt-Wolf
    @Sgt-Wolf Před 3 lety

    *teleports behind monster*
    Whispering voice: "fireball"

  • @mattsmith3750
    @mattsmith3750 Před 3 lety +1

    I absolutely hate Modrons. Thank you for roasting them.

  • @JestaKilla
    @JestaKilla Před dnem

    For the dark side of flumphs, you need only look at the fell taints from 4e, which I have always viewed as tainted or corrupted flumphs.

  • @SBaby
    @SBaby Před 3 lety +1

    3:53 - I beg to differ. Here's what it can do. Besides being immune to mind effects, subdual damage, ability damage, energy drain, AND critical hits (yeah, crits don't work on them), it has darkvision, has some resistance to acid, cold and fire and gets extra actions based on what kind of Modron it is. Yeah, Monodrones are pretty weak, but if you throw in Quadrones (in AD&D, most Modrons are either Duodrones or Quadrones), or a Pentadrones, it becomes a very different fight. Pentadrones also have a paralyzing gas breath weapon, and are basically impossible to ambush (any competent DM will have at least one of these with a large group of Modrons).

  • @unmog4223
    @unmog4223 Před 3 lety +1

    So basically to fix the owl bear, give it wings?

    • @kredelmann
      @kredelmann Před 3 lety

      Normal Owlbear: pathetic, unfinished, lackluster, ugly
      Owlbear with wings: perfection, glorious, beautiful, strong

  • @SL-ni6hd
    @SL-ni6hd Před 2 lety +1

    Personally I like the flumph because the underdark is a grim and evil place. I like this because it adds a beacon of light in a world of darkness. But yea the look goofy af

  • @jamesgordon364
    @jamesgordon364 Před 3 lety

    You ever encountered a zombie child in mine craft. Cute and deadly is a potent combo.

  • @danielmarks874
    @danielmarks874 Před 3 lety

    To me the owlbear looks like the creators said "well the idea of a predatory bird head mixed with a carnivores mammal worked really well with the griffin so why not try it again" but really badly dropped the ball, also the fact that it is a higher CR than the griffin makes me mad you know they only made it CR 3 so it wouldn't be irrelevant next to the polar bear/ cave bear.

  • @muddlewait8844
    @muddlewait8844 Před 3 lety +1

    The Grung voice was great.

  • @drewsherod6567
    @drewsherod6567 Před 3 lety +1

    Grungs are adorable! How dare you! In all seriousness... that is the point. They aren't supposed to actually be threatening. They're humorous and make for cute characters. D&D needs more of that.

    • @TuckBolt
      @TuckBolt Před 3 lety

      Grung are very very evil slavers that use their natural poisons they produce from their body to keep people sedate and under control...

  • @raitoiro
    @raitoiro Před 3 lety +1

    14:00 Honestly, while I completely understand why you would dislike the one with the lazer pistol as they do look way too cartoonish. I think the one with the huge head tentacles would fit really well in most settings. To ve fair I don't know their lore, but to me their look would fit really well for the results of some experiences the Illithid would run on gnome or other small humanoid creatures.

  • @zomblesallegoy
    @zomblesallegoy Před 3 lety

    This is why I use the knight statblock for guards, and the guard statblock is for trainees

  • @lemonZzzzs
    @lemonZzzzs Před 3 lety +1

    hmm, aren't yeti tykes explicitly stated to be controllable by larger, threatening looking entities (e.g. just about all kinds of adventurers), have advantage to stealth in snow, have combat stats, etc.? in other words, small, hard to detect spies/scouts for the party, if they figure out ways to communicate... possibly raised into slightly more useful minions too... I mean, most monsters are worse than a +3 polearm, when you have polearm master and sentinel, amirite?

  • @paul_ujb
    @paul_ujb Před 3 lety +2

    Thanks for the new video! I don't feel as strongly about some of your selections but can understand why you chose them all. With you on the distaste for making cute d&d monsters, though flumphs might be an exception.

  • @SBaby
    @SBaby Před 3 lety +1

    3:33 - Love the Simpsons reference here, but I can't stop looking at Marge's derp eyes.

  • @benfawefwaeffwaefawfdekk2080

    if you want good references for turtlefolk, stormblood from FFXIV has the Kojin, who are samurai turtles. Despite the TMNT description I gave, they look really cool

  • @VosperCDN
    @VosperCDN Před 3 lety +1

    Tortles ... Reaction: Turn their back to foe, gain +4 AC (like shield spell), get to do this a number of times equal to DEX or some other stat. Lasts till end of turn (or) now facing the opposite way, turning back takes another reaction or part of move .. something like that. Maybe give advantage to save vs AOE spells, if doing it against a fireball or something.

    • @Jeezusehchrist
      @Jeezusehchrist Před 3 lety +1

      Tortle Protector from XGE expanded race feats is this

    • @VosperCDN
      @VosperCDN Před 3 lety

      @@Jeezusehchrist That's cool to know, thanks. Not a race I've ever considered, being a bit beyond the general species in most worlds I've played in, or ran.

  • @SatoruwaFeng
    @SatoruwaFeng Před 3 lety

    His war against the owlbear hordes continues

  • @GrimHeaperThe
    @GrimHeaperThe Před 3 lety +1

    Do not look at CR 5e does it badly I'd always look at stats. The Guardsman has AC 16 and 11 HP. The goblin has AC 15 and 7 hp.
    The goblin does an average of five damage a hit. The Guard does 4-5 dmg. The main deciding factor is the to hit if in a straight up fight.
    The guard kills the goblin in two hits vs the three on average the goblin has access to... They have the same chance of hitting each other. Of course the goblin has a good chance of a surprise attack. It pretty much becomes a coin flip in ini and higher dmg ranges.
    I'm more surprised they'd label them 1/8th simply because of the lack of bonus action ability.
    A Cow is also CR 1/4th. It can one shot guardsman with an average damage of 14 if it gets a gore in.
    The thing does more damage than a warhorse.

  • @poilboiler
    @poilboiler Před 3 lety +1

    #4 is the Turtle F...friends. Turtle Friends.
    Honestly nothing on this list is worse than the awful #9 robot garbage to me. That's just vile beyond comprehension. Like the hippos they belong in a completely different game (but preferably in a garbage can, that's on fire).

  • @turma8eac
    @turma8eac Před 3 lety +1

    What?!
    You dislike the magnificent owlbear?
    How is this possible?

  • @DabIMON
    @DabIMON Před 3 lety +2

    These are legit some of the best monsters in D&D...

  • @xslashsdas
    @xslashsdas Před 3 lety

    You doing my precious boy the Flumph dirty! They're harmless and incredibly friendly, they don't deserve this. Don't talk to me or my sweet floating pancakes ever again >:(

  • @Babbleplay
    @Babbleplay Před 6 měsíci +1

    Think of Grungs as Bullywug halflings.

  • @Torthrodhel
    @Torthrodhel Před 3 lety

    I'm Gnomeword, and my mild mustard pistol deals 12 condiment damage.

  • @thaisahickey8374
    @thaisahickey8374 Před 3 lety +1

    Great video! 👌

  • @twilightgardenspresentatio6384

    I stalk low level parties with an owl bear who snatched their hirelings and ponies but I give them stealth and tracking skills and a nocturnal nature that forces overland travelers to sleep during the day and March through the darkness.
    All mundane but based in horror. They also have an armor breaking beak. Finding torn open shields and mail where the thing has ambushed should let them know that heavy armor might not help so much as alertness and swift movement.

  • @deatherutts
    @deatherutts Před 20 dny

    A Flumph is a Flumph is a Flumph no matter what kind've a Flumph it is

  • @scottburns4458
    @scottburns4458 Před 3 lety

    Excellent video!

  • @smithryansmith
    @smithryansmith Před 2 lety

    Do you know what is better than an owlbear? A regular bear. When your cross breeding makes an animal weaker, you lose as an evil crossbreeder.

  • @TheTiforce
    @TheTiforce Před 3 lety +1

    WHAT the hell is that fish person next to the Tortle at 9:59??? Is that actually in a official D&D book?

    • @esperthebard
      @esperthebard  Před 3 lety +1

      Locathah, in Ghosts of Saltmarsh (they also were in the 3E MM)

    • @TheTiforce
      @TheTiforce Před 3 lety

      @@esperthebard Your point about making Grungs and Bullywugs one race really fits here. I would rather have the Monster Manual have a section for "Seafolk" or even "Waterfolk" that expands on a whole ecology on how a water-based society works, and then have less ridiculous artworks. The Locathah acturally looked like Merfolk in the fucking 3e book, why reskin it to THIS monstrosity?

  • @Notsidgaming
    @Notsidgaming Před 3 lety

    Every time I hear “abyssal chicken” I think of that kid from the Jurassic park. “It’s more like a 6 ft turkey!” I wish they had gone with “abyssal raptor” or something more serious.
    The owl bear in Baldur’s gate 3 can fly lol. Flight in that game is point and click movement. Not the free range Z access that tabletop suggests. So a gliding jump in 5e would be so cool!