Holy shit ten years. I started watching your content when I was in high school. (I'll avoid saying the year to keep us from feeling old) Its been a hell of a ride man. Your ranking videos have shown me some epic monsters I didnt even know existed, and have vastly improved my games as a result. It's always so satisfying when you say the monster's name and you hear your most experienced player say "What in the Nine Hells is that?"
Nah, the Silvers are just fine with being number 2, they’re normally ranked as the second strongest Metallic Dragons after Golds after all, and they’re perfectly fine with staying in the shadows to simply observe.
My first character actually managed to decapitate a lich at lv5 with a string of lucky crits. Cue a panicked search for the phylactery and an exasperated DM informing me that "You were actually supposed to talk to him. I honestly have no idea how you managed to kill him" P.S your first top 10 monsters vid was what got me into D&D in the first place
Did you ever find the lich phylactery? Did he come back for revenge? Oh it's so awesome to know that my old top 10 monsters vid opened the door to many adventures for you!
@@esperthebard After day 2 we decided that the best course of action was to just get out of dodge and come back later. The adventures I had with that character was just absolutely insane. Other highlights from the chronicles of Borya Ironheart include: fighting a Cthulu cult in the middle of a summoning ritual in where Borya cut off one of the tentacles coming through the portal and eating it enraging the lead cultist so much that he lost concentration on the ritual, cutting his way into a pirate storm giant's eye and then doing nasty things to its brain (ended up with a nice belt of storm giant strength from its hide), challenging his biological father (who turned out to be a very nasty Tanarukk) to single combat and won and finally killed a kracken by suplexing it onto a spire impaling it. That last feat got him godhood and an apprenticeship to Hephaestus himself. And some people say that champions are boring lol
@@philleW12 That's Borya for you. Damned half orc is so overprotective he can't be anywhere except between his third family (long story) and anything that threatens them
Sounds like the DM screwed up by presenting a CR 20 creature with only 120 hit points to the players. Probable should've had it flying, on a balcony, or surrounded by bodyguards.
@@esperthebard Fiquei realmente surpreso de ver você falando em português, acompanho o conteúdo a anos e sempre achei que era só em inglês. Amei a lista e adoro o canal, abraços do Brasil também.
Just finished an arc in a campaign I'm DMing where a lich-ruled territory suddenly fell into chaos with undead randomly being released, only for the party to learn that these undead, who had once been controlled by the lich, had been set free when a powerful vampire killed the lich and became one himself. I thought it was an interesting concept having a vampire lich, but it only really works if you're willing to alter the lore and history of vampires and liches for this purpose.
Man, that Silver Dragon bit... wow. What an amazing description! Loved the whole wording of it, and that light music in the background? Very nice, made me feel inspired in a way!
While I only attempted to call one monster (mind flayer, which I was glad to be correct about), I see in each of these choices the ranking videos which correspond to their creature type. I have found those videos to be extremely helpful as a DM, and I thank you for them. They have helped me to use lower and higher ranked creatures in ways that their mechanics are best suited for. Blessings upon your future and efforts, and congratulations on your book!
One of my favorite D&D Stories actually comes from the Ghost. Our Wizard, who only possibly could have suffered the additional effect of Horrifying Visage by rolling a Natural 1 of course rolled said one and was then aged 40 years - and in addition to that OF COURSE he was playing an Aarokocra, who "don't usually live longer than 30 years" And thus he actually died of old age from the ghost. Making it a final death
Fantastic video as always of course! I am looking forward to more of your class ranking lists, and am interested as to why the great Beholder wasn’t honoured or on the list, I would love your opinion on it :D
The beholder is awesome, it barely didn't make the cut. Have you seen my aberrations ranking? In that, I elaborate more on the beholder's strengths and limitations. Amazing mechanics and style, but lacking a little in rp, lore, and versatility.
@@esperthebard I will be checking that out right away! I love a beholder as it gives a little ego nudge, without being mean, to those who rely on high AC!
Oni is my personal favorite monster. Origins and lore may be open-ended, but that only adds to it, as the oni is so foreign to the western fantasy of D&D. Maybe the oni are distant ogre/troll cousins from Kara-Tur, or a tribe of ogres made a pact with a night hag by offering their strength in exchange for magical power. The oni is also such a powerhouse of abilities, with traits that allow it to be one of the most persistent villains in a campaign. It would be the *perfect* underling of a vampire, coven of hags, green dragon, or rakshasa. Spying on foreigners as a lost child, luring the party with the weeping of a fair maiden, disturbing their long rests with an ambush, only to go invisible and fly back into the darkness. Only reason why it's classified as a giant instead of a fiend is that it *is* a creature of this world, making the oni impossible to banish or otherwise exercise by divine magic. I even made a character that resembles one in mechanics. A stygian tiefling hexblade, whose glaive thirsts for the blood of fey and celestials. Oni are nightmare made manifest and they are so goddamn rad.
A very solidly written opening to the video, kudos to you =) Edit: I just finished and...wow! So much passion and elegance in putting together all this audiovisual multimedia. Just...wow!
Esper returns to the Top 10 realm as a multiclass of a level 20th DM and a 20th Utter Legend. I loved those early days :)* An excellent list, as always! Is the sliver dragon a new entry? I think so. Lovely creature! 18:30 Couldn't agree more. There is something very inspiring in them. * The atmosphere you've set on those adventures and the way you acted them out; to me, that was unheard of on youtube. I think that the Island of Horns was the first set of videos I've discovered from you.
Happy 10th anniversary, Esper! Love your Dungeons and Dragons Monsters videos. It has taught me about creatures and monsters in Dungeons and Dragons I have never knew about or never even heard of over the years. I'll try to get a copy of your new book some time! Until then, Happy Season of Haunting!
I'll never get over how Square just straight up took the concept of Mind Flayers (and even used the actual name) for use in Final Fantasy. When DnD (and ultima) used the concept of hobbits they were pretty quickly told not to iirc
I like how two of your highest ranked monsters, nr 3 & 2, are both good creatures who represent the more beautiful and divine aspects of life. Going on an adventure isn´t just about fighting monsters but also experiencing the wonders afforded to us who have been blessed to be born.
@@rangerecho Yeah, I know Esper would do a better job than that, but his Silver Dragon write-up seems like a tough act to follow. It's probably just as well with the Beholder's conspicuous omission. I'm also surprised it didn't at least rate an honorable mention.
The beholder is awesome, it barely didn't make the cut. After doing so many monster analyses, I've come to understand better the beholder's strengths and limitations. It has amazing mechanics and style, but lacks a little in rp, lore, and versatility. In other words, the beholder is great, but the monsters on this list are all amazing, nearly perfect. I probably should have put it in the honorable mentions though.
Hey Esper, Been a fan of your work since 2010. Your an absolute awesome writer and content creator. I find myself listening to your old d&d adventure stories every day, on repeat non stop lol it’s really soothing. My question is are you going to finish the Dungeon of Drossknot series that one was by far my favorite adventure of yours. I would love to see it expanded on its fantastic and very, very good thanks for all your work it’s inspired me to DM my own sessions. Anyways thanks and I hope you continue Drossknot eventually :-)
You and me both. I know he's really busy with a ton of projects these days, but here's hoping he does come out with some more narrated adventures at some point. I've also been watching since 2010, and those are definitely what got me into his stuff.
Actually, the most interesting D&D dragon for me I have heard so far is Steel Dragon. There's just so much complex lore around them...very creative concept.
Imagine a game where a Sphinx keeps turning back the last hour or day before some type of apocalypse, giving the players unlimited chances but very limited time to save themselves.
Completly Agree about the Silver Dragon(obvisously the best dragon)! He is my favorite Monster in the Monster Manual and my favorite Character I ever played was a Warlock who had a silver Dragon as a Patron
Esper, I have pledged and downloaded the sample PDF and I am blown away. Fantastic lore and mechanics that really back up the nature of the monsters. I have a new favourite Hag, Ooze, Amphibian and my goodness what a Devil. Did you sell your own soul? If not may I buy that as well please.
3:40 Yugoloths are notorious for being greedy mercenaries (kind of like the Ferangi, for Star trek fans here) so it actually does make a lot of sense for maraenoloths to be part of their race.
I want to lead with saying another great video. The art alone makes these worth watching, but I know the time it takes just to compare monsters and decide the rankings is immense. Well done. The one jarring decision in this video was the Smiling One. It seems to be the only monster in the list that doesn't have some kind of lore extending outside of d&d, and probably one of the most recent additions to the game. Plus, are you telling me you use the Smiling One more than Mindflayers, Merrenoloths, and Ghosts?? What makes more sense to me as 5th place would be Giants in general, with Smiling Ones being the prime example of the variety inherent to the monster type.
Thank you Taylor! In fact I do perceive the smiling one as an icon/representative, more than just for giants, but for the trickster archetype and the great drama of comedy & tragedy found in storytelling, which is a primary element of D&D. I attempted to express that in the video, but I have such limited time in these rankings, so I have to keep things flowing.
I love the original video, back in the day(less than 10 years ago) there wasn't how to's for how to make DND how to's con sarnit. Was so starved for DND youtube content back then, especially videos that really helped flesh out the beasts and magic of the world giving it more depth past the standard hit point block and attacks. Still digging the content!
My favourite monster has got to be the Mimic it is fascinating and the fact that it's shapeshifting is purely physical is so cool I die a little on the inside whenever I see them used as mere chompy chests
Awesome! That is the sort of thing that motivates me to create these videos. If you end up posting your adventure anywhere, it would be cool to check it out!
The Red Dragon to me has always been the poster child of D&D for me. It puts the DRAGON in Dungeons and Dragons. A close second for me is the beholder. I'm very shocked that neither made the list but regardless of popularity they probably aren't the "best" monsters most of the time.
Your old videos were not bad at all. Especially I liked those solo adventure simulation (4e at that time) that really helped understanding the game to new players. Sure, a lot of videos have more players present, but being single has a lot of advantages, particularly consistent volume and audio quality and no loud laughing which can often kill the mood. And you can delete bloopers after editing. Your audio was good even back then, with good narration and proper background sounds/music which felt in place. I must say I miss those kind of videos.
I agree with most of what you think about the Monsters i woud Just replace the cloud giant smiliing one with the aboleth although i dislike the fact that they don't have legendary resistance
I'll check your video list. I am really wanting to join a group as a player and I think that DDTT of some type would be great for me except for one thing, I don't understand the software well enough to use it. I was wondering if you would do a video explaining how you use it for your group. As soon as I get paid, I'm kicking in on that book, hardcover.
Esper, you are being to harsh with your older video. I just saw it, out of curiosity, and I found it very nice. And no, it ain't bias speaking, the older video still nice
ghouls were missing... they are sentient, alive and still are treated as undead. They got cursed by commining cannibalism... they are a lot, and can spread their affliction as easy as they bite their preys... Resident Evil 4 had a town filled with ghoul-like creatures, and was scary as shit.
Hey can mindflayers take over the body like they do with humans to something like a giant or cave troll? And have their devious brain on the body of a giant creature? just wondering as i watched this..
to be fair, the yugoloths as a hole are known for acting more in line with lawful evil, but being neutral evil they can act on their whims with no issue and do things neither devil nor demon would do, such as lie, neutral evil is the personification of selfishness
Get your copy of Esper's Emporium of Esoterica: www.kickstarter.com/projects/1506416234/espers-emporium-of-esoterica
Are you done doing the subclass reviews?
@@morridin7766 There are more to come 🧝♂️🧙♂️
Can I get the book if I can't or don't support the Kickstarter.
Very excited! Signed up for the kickstarter as soon as I saw!
@@ckiris1990 Thank you Chris!
“May your 2020 be a critical hit”
Very poor choice of words.
Maybe he meant a Critfail.
*pleased DM noises* oh a double critical you say? sure ill allow it.
Holy shit ten years. I started watching your content when I was in high school. (I'll avoid saying the year to keep us from feeling old) Its been a hell of a ride man. Your ranking videos have shown me some epic monsters I didnt even know existed, and have vastly improved my games as a result.
It's always so satisfying when you say the monster's name and you hear your most experienced player say "What in the Nine Hells is that?"
Thanks for being along with me all this time 👍👍 Keep your players on their toes
Are you going to continue your class tier lists, I would love to see your opinion on monks and clerics.
Yes, I intend to continue with those 👍
Oooh monks.. are people still playing that?
@@anderslundtoft2315 If they don't nerf the astral self into the ground I'd like to play one of those :)
@@anderslundtoft2315 Of course, the monk is great
Love for the monk but I really want to play with 4 elements... If only it was a bit more functional.
The Silver Dragon isn’t mad that you didn’t put it at number 1, it’s just disappointed....
The Red Dragon is incredibly mad and will be visiting him in the future.
@@filipferencak2717 they're always angry.
Nah, the Silvers are just fine with being number 2, they’re normally ranked as the second strongest Metallic Dragons after Golds after all, and they’re perfectly fine with staying in the shadows to simply observe.
My first character actually managed to decapitate a lich at lv5 with a string of lucky crits. Cue a panicked search for the phylactery and an exasperated DM informing me that "You were actually supposed to talk to him. I honestly have no idea how you managed to kill him"
P.S your first top 10 monsters vid was what got me into D&D in the first place
Did you ever find the lich phylactery? Did he come back for revenge? Oh it's so awesome to know that my old top 10 monsters vid opened the door to many adventures for you!
@@esperthebard After day 2 we decided that the best course of action was to just get out of dodge and come back later.
The adventures I had with that character was just absolutely insane. Other highlights from the chronicles of Borya Ironheart include: fighting a Cthulu cult in the middle of a summoning ritual in where Borya cut off one of the tentacles coming through the portal and eating it enraging the lead cultist so much that he lost concentration on the ritual, cutting his way into a pirate storm giant's eye and then doing nasty things to its brain (ended up with a nice belt of storm giant strength from its hide), challenging his biological father (who turned out to be a very nasty Tanarukk) to single combat and won and finally killed a kracken by suplexing it onto a spire impaling it. That last feat got him godhood and an apprenticeship to Hephaestus himself.
And some people say that champions are boring lol
You sir have made Leeroy Jenkings very proud!
@@philleW12 That's Borya for you. Damned half orc is so overprotective he can't be anywhere except between his third family (long story) and anything that threatens them
Sounds like the DM screwed up by presenting a CR 20 creature with only 120 hit points to the players. Probable should've had it flying, on a balcony, or surrounded by bodyguards.
We are here to see the pinnacle of dnd on youtube
You honor me, sir!
@@esperthebard no. You honor me Mystic Wanderer Esper
Friendly reminder that neutral evil is by far the most dangerous type of evil.
Neutral evil's motto - "Why settle for the lesser evil?"
Gosto muito do teu conteúdo, fiquei muito viciado. Abraços de Portugal!
I like your content a lot, i got addicted to it. Cheers from Portugal!
Que legal receber um comentário de um Português. Valeu mesmo!
@@esperthebard Fiquei realmente surpreso de ver você falando em português, acompanho o conteúdo a anos e sempre achei que era só em inglês.
Amei a lista e adoro o canal, abraços do Brasil também.
@@pedrodarosamello64 Eba chegou o Brasil aqui também! Abração
Nice always loving the detail description n lore
Just finished an arc in a campaign I'm DMing where a lich-ruled territory suddenly fell into chaos with undead randomly being released, only for the party to learn that these undead, who had once been controlled by the lich, had been set free when a powerful vampire killed the lich and became one himself. I thought it was an interesting concept having a vampire lich, but it only really works if you're willing to alter the lore and history of vampires and liches for this purpose.
Man, that Silver Dragon bit... wow. What an amazing description! Loved the whole wording of it, and that light music in the background? Very nice, made me feel inspired in a way!
While I only attempted to call one monster (mind flayer, which I was glad to be correct about), I see in each of these choices the ranking videos which correspond to their creature type.
I have found those videos to be extremely helpful as a DM, and I thank you for them. They have helped me to use lower and higher ranked creatures in ways that their mechanics are best suited for. Blessings upon your future and efforts, and congratulations on your book!
10 years ago a 10:00 minute video about the 10 best monsters. Yes Esper I would give it 10/10.
Hopefully it got a 10 out of 10
Thank you for including Silver Dragons, Brass Dragons, and Vampires. They're all favorite monsters of mine. :)
One of my favorite D&D Stories actually comes from the Ghost.
Our Wizard, who only possibly could have suffered the additional effect of Horrifying Visage by rolling a Natural 1 of course rolled said one and was then aged 40 years - and in addition to that OF COURSE he was playing an Aarokocra, who "don't usually live longer than 30 years"
And thus he actually died of old age from the ghost. Making it a final death
That's so funny and sad at the same time.
Congratulations on the 10 years Esper!!! You've been inspiring my D&D game for the last few, thank you for what you do. Heres to another decade!!!
My intro to the mindflayer was the drizzt books. The "second" after he left menzo. I'm loving these videos. Giving me so many good ideas
The video that introduced me to this channel, glad to see a sequel to the video that's been on my favorites list for a decade.
Thank you so much. You just helped resolve a huge problem so all players can enjoy. Loved all the great info
Fantastic video as always of course! I am looking forward to more of your class ranking lists, and am interested as to why the great Beholder wasn’t honoured or on the list, I would love your opinion on it :D
The beholder is awesome, it barely didn't make the cut. Have you seen my aberrations ranking? In that, I elaborate more on the beholder's strengths and limitations. Amazing mechanics and style, but lacking a little in rp, lore, and versatility.
@@esperthebard I will be checking that out right away! I love a beholder as it gives a little ego nudge, without being mean, to those who rely on high AC!
Oni is my personal favorite monster. Origins and lore may be open-ended, but that only adds to it, as the oni is so foreign to the western fantasy of D&D. Maybe the oni are distant ogre/troll cousins from Kara-Tur, or a tribe of ogres made a pact with a night hag by offering their strength in exchange for magical power. The oni is also such a powerhouse of abilities, with traits that allow it to be one of the most persistent villains in a campaign. It would be the *perfect* underling of a vampire, coven of hags, green dragon, or rakshasa. Spying on foreigners as a lost child, luring the party with the weeping of a fair maiden, disturbing their long rests with an ambush, only to go invisible and fly back into the darkness. Only reason why it's classified as a giant instead of a fiend is that it *is* a creature of this world, making the oni impossible to banish or otherwise exercise by divine magic. I even made a character that resembles one in mechanics. A stygian tiefling hexblade, whose glaive thirsts for the blood of fey and celestials. Oni are nightmare made manifest and they are so goddamn rad.
Oni are awesome! They amost made it.
Love your videos man
Keep the good work :)
Have always looked forward to and enjoyed your videos. Can’t wait for the book. I pledged as soon as I saw it pop up in my Facebook feed.
Many thanks Bob!
A very solidly written opening to the video, kudos to you =)
Edit: I just finished and...wow! So much passion and elegance in putting together all this audiovisual multimedia. Just...wow!
Esper returns to the Top 10 realm as a multiclass of a level 20th DM and a 20th Utter Legend.
I loved those early days :)*
An excellent list, as always!
Is the sliver dragon a new entry? I think so. Lovely creature!
18:30 Couldn't agree more. There is something very inspiring in them.
* The atmosphere you've set on those adventures and the way you acted them out; to me, that was unheard of on youtube.
I think that the Island of Horns was the first set of videos I've discovered from you.
I admire the reflection back to 'Eldrich Castle'. Such a quality project. I'm thinking it's time to revisit.
Thanks James! That is one of the most satisfying projects I've ever done. It just had a great level of focus and completeness for me.
Great video, as always. Thanks.
Happy 10th anniversary, Esper! Love your Dungeons and Dragons Monsters videos. It has taught me about creatures and monsters in Dungeons and Dragons I have never knew about or never even heard of over the years. I'll try to get a copy of your new book some time! Until then, Happy Season of Haunting!
Thanks Jackson! Indeed October is a special time of year 👻
@@esperthebard Especially this year, since there will be a blue moon out on Halloween.
I may not have been around from the start but I have enjoyed the years i have known. Here's to many more
Thought #1 would be a beholder. Wasn't even an honorable mention...
Hell yeah Esper. Congrats on the book. If i could afford it you would be one of the few i would deff pay to support
I really like your tier lists!
I'll never get over how Square just straight up took the concept of Mind Flayers (and even used the actual name) for use in Final Fantasy. When DnD (and ultima) used the concept of hobbits they were pretty quickly told not to iirc
Your videos are amazing whenever I need ideas I come to these videos
Hi i love your videos they have always been super helpful for me
Thanks for the love from Mars!
Respect my friend
Hey Esper, great video!
You bet I'm going to pick up a hardcover... when I get paid this Friday of course!
I like how two of your highest ranked monsters, nr 3 & 2, are both good creatures who represent the more beautiful and divine aspects of life. Going on an adventure isn´t just about fighting monsters but also experiencing the wonders afforded to us who have been blessed to be born.
The abeloth is so cool. I’m using one for a quest line in my world
For a moment, I figured the beholder would be #1 but apparently I was wrong; excellent video nonetheless
I'm still in disbelief that Esper's top choice wasn't the Beholder
After how lofty Esper's Silver Dragon description was, it's hard to imagine putting Beholder at #1 without just saying, "haha eye lasers go BRRRRR!"
@@RedRemover5000 lol, bit did you even hear his thoughts on the beholder, and how it embodies the game's attributes?
@@rangerecho Yeah, I know Esper would do a better job than that, but his Silver Dragon write-up seems like a tough act to follow. It's probably just as well with the Beholder's conspicuous omission. I'm also surprised it didn't at least rate an honorable mention.
The beholder is awesome, it barely didn't make the cut. After doing so many monster analyses, I've come to understand better the beholder's strengths and limitations. It has amazing mechanics and style, but lacks a little in rp, lore, and versatility. In other words, the beholder is great, but the monsters on this list are all amazing, nearly perfect. I probably should have put it in the honorable mentions though.
Hey Esper, Been a fan of your work since 2010. Your an absolute awesome writer and content creator. I find myself listening to your old d&d adventure stories every day, on repeat non stop lol it’s really soothing. My question is are you going to finish the Dungeon of Drossknot series that one was by far my favorite adventure of yours. I would love to see it expanded on its fantastic and very, very good thanks for all your work it’s inspired me to DM my own sessions. Anyways thanks and I hope you continue Drossknot eventually :-)
You and me both. I know he's really busy with a ton of projects these days, but here's hoping he does come out with some more narrated adventures at some point. I've also been watching since 2010, and those are definitely what got me into his stuff.
You know the list is good when each monster on it could be the centerpiece of a whole campaign.
DUDE great vid holy crap that mind flayer trance music XD
Your Book is a Must Have. I'll be getting it ASAP😁
My favorite from the fiend folio was the race that overthrew the mind flayer. The Githyanki.
Actually, the most interesting D&D dragon for me I have heard so far is Steel Dragon. There's just so much complex lore around them...very creative concept.
Imagine a game where a Sphinx keeps turning back the last hour or day before some type of apocalypse, giving the players unlimited chances but very limited time to save themselves.
Completly Agree about the Silver Dragon(obvisously the best dragon)! He is my favorite Monster in the Monster Manual and my favorite Character I ever played was a Warlock who had a silver Dragon as a Patron
Esper, I have pledged and downloaded the sample PDF and I am blown away. Fantastic lore and mechanics that really back up the nature of the monsters. I have a new favourite Hag, Ooze, Amphibian and my goodness what a Devil. Did you sell your own soul? If not may I buy that as well please.
Wow, this is a great video. For me, the only creatures that caught my eyes in DnD, Dragons. Who doesn't love a badass Dragon?
Merrenoloth was called Charondaemon back in AD&D and they're the skeletal servitors of Charon.
3:40 Yugoloths are notorious for being greedy mercenaries (kind of like the Ferangi, for Star trek fans here) so it actually does make a lot of sense for maraenoloths to be part of their race.
I want to lead with saying another great video. The art alone makes these worth watching, but I know the time it takes just to compare monsters and decide the rankings is immense. Well done.
The one jarring decision in this video was the Smiling One. It seems to be the only monster in the list that doesn't have some kind of lore extending outside of d&d, and probably one of the most recent additions to the game. Plus, are you telling me you use the Smiling One more than Mindflayers, Merrenoloths, and Ghosts?? What makes more sense to me as 5th place would be Giants in general, with Smiling Ones being the prime example of the variety inherent to the monster type.
Thank you Taylor! In fact I do perceive the smiling one as an icon/representative, more than just for giants, but for the trickster archetype and the great drama of comedy & tragedy found in storytelling, which is a primary element of D&D. I attempted to express that in the video, but I have such limited time in these rankings, so I have to keep things flowing.
hi just wanna say love the moster episodes
When i was able to play this as a kid, i enjoyed reading the manuals nearly as much as actually playing.
I love the original video, back in the day(less than 10 years ago) there wasn't how to's for how to make DND how to's con sarnit. Was so starved for DND youtube content back then, especially videos that really helped flesh out the beasts and magic of the world giving it more depth past the standard hit point block and attacks. Still digging the content!
It's crazy how much all this D&D stuff has grown. I'm really honored to have helped lay the foundations.
My favourite monster has got to be the Mimic
it is fascinating and the fact that it's shapeshifting is purely physical is so cool
I die a little on the inside whenever I see them used as mere chompy chests
I of course backed your kickstarter. signed, superbacker (190+ and counting)
I don't like to use monsters with ingrained lore, I might take inspiration from it but I rarely use it as is.
For 2020’s double criticals we rolled double natural ones in saving rolls. With the year almost over I pray 2020 doesn’t have any legendary actions.
I love the title of your book
Up till the giant, I thought this was "monsters for Spooky campaigns" or something and you forgot to bring it up.
I’m also a fan of vampires, yaun-ti and flayers. Also celestials.
Out of all the monsters in this list, the sphinx and silver dragon are my favorites
Rest in Peace Tora.
May the legend live on for eons to come.
Hell yeah, I love silver dragons.
Thanks.
Kinda want to create an adventure with these monsters in it now... I see like a 4 to 6 part quest. Thank you 🖤
I actually wrote it all down and I think I've created a classic gem of a story using every monster you listed.
Awesome! That is the sort of thing that motivates me to create these videos. If you end up posting your adventure anywhere, it would be cool to check it out!
I'm glad to see my patron was there I had a celestial warlock with a sphinx patron
There's a reason the most famous campaign is curse of Strahd
I like Stygian Ferrymen for the Merrenoloth.
I wonder what Esper's thoughts will be on the new book that's coming out.
The Red Dragon to me has always been the poster child of D&D for me. It puts the DRAGON in Dungeons and Dragons. A close second for me is the beholder. I'm very shocked that neither made the list but regardless of popularity they probably aren't the "best" monsters most of the time.
Your old videos were not bad at all. Especially I liked those solo adventure simulation (4e at that time) that really helped understanding the game to new players. Sure, a lot of videos have more players present, but being single has a lot of advantages, particularly consistent volume and audio quality and no loud laughing which can often kill the mood. And you can delete bloopers after editing. Your audio was good even back then, with good narration and proper background sounds/music which felt in place. I must say I miss those kind of videos.
I miss making those narrated adventures so much! I plan to do more eventually.
Well, great.
I agree with most of what you think about the Monsters i woud Just replace the cloud giant smiliing one with the aboleth although i dislike the fact that they don't have legendary resistance
I'll check your video list. I am really wanting to join a group as a player and I think that DDTT of some type would be great for me except for one thing, I don't understand the software well enough to use it. I was wondering if you would do a video explaining how you use it for your group. As soon as I get paid, I'm kicking in on that book, hardcover.
You never see the Ki'rin in these lists. They show up when the SHTF, very dire need.
Or the Dragonhorses as a prelude to the Ki'rin.
Esper, you are being to harsh with your older video.
I just saw it, out of curiosity, and I found it very nice. And no, it ain't bias speaking, the older video still nice
Hoping to see some feature of mastermind rogues.
I think the Yuan Ti are based on the Snake people of Velushia.
I'm really surprised that beholders aren't on here
No beholder 0 out of fish. To the lowest layer of the 9 hells with you. XD
When the 2020 DM hasn't let you level up all year. 😔
Am I the only one waiting for the D&D CLERIC RANKING video?
It wasn't a Nat 20 on us,we all rolled a double Nat 1.
Edit:Also,I thought number 1 was Changling.
I'm partial to la Shay and bodak.
ghouls were missing... they are sentient, alive and still are treated as undead. They got cursed by commining cannibalism... they are a lot, and can spread their affliction as easy as they bite their preys...
Resident Evil 4 had a town filled with ghoul-like creatures, and was scary as shit.
Should do best of Unorthodox Monsters.
Hey can mindflayers take over the body like they do with humans to something like a giant or cave troll? And have their devious brain on the body of a giant creature? just wondering as i watched this..
Surprised Oni wasn't on the list.
I do like them too. Definitely should be included in the top 50 monsters.
I'm not saying Ben Shapiro is a Yuan-ti, but he does fit the description.
Yall got anymore of those sleep pies?
to be fair, the yugoloths as a hole are known for acting more in line with lawful evil, but being neutral evil they can act on their whims with no issue and do things neither devil nor demon would do, such as lie, neutral evil is the personification of selfishness
Demons don't need to lie they just change their minds and do whatever it was they said they wouldn't do anyway.
I'm super early
Wraith Reaper gets a surprise round before anyone else has acted.
@@esperthebard that's not good for everyone else, that character is 20 levels of Goolock 😈
I will be fun to play as a vampire
Hey wait a minute!!!! Were is the Ki-rin? You didn't put the Ki-rin on the list what are you thinking.
Didn’t the Serpent folk create Yuan Ti?