1eyedking Quintessential RPG monster(s)

[Zed Duke of Banville]

The Rust Monster, a bizarre-looking creature endowed by its creator, Gary Gygax, with the ability to destroy metals, for the sole purpose of making life difficult for the players.

That, and the Gelatinous Cube

 

[Hyperion]

Went with skeletons because of their versatility in terms of encounter variation, difficulty, and design. Skeletons can be archers, magicians, fighters, fight you with their own dismembered limbs, can be skeletons of animals (skeletal rats!) like the Skeletal Dinosaurs from Final Fantasy 4. They can be like the fast, parrying skeletons outside the Catacombs in Dark Souls, or the giant Murakumo-wielding ones, the 4-armed variant of 4-1 in Demon's Souls, King Leoric, the 6-armed Sword Dancer in Tales of games, or attached to a wheel as in Dark Souls, or attached to a wheel and charged with electricity in Path of Exile. Those stationary, fire-breathing things from Castlevania.

They can be made to have certain damage resistances like piercing and slashing, status immunities like sleep and poison, can be made semi-immortal like Red Bones in Castlevania, and the aforementioned skeletons from Dark Souls.

Great variation with encounter design from resurrecting random bones as an ambush, generic low level encounters, King Leoric as a major boss fight with some exposition, Bassilus the crazy bastard's "friends," Oceiros a skeletal dragon from DS3. They can even be misleading, and be your bro, like the Skeleton that gives you the Manor Key in Shining the Holy Ark!

Seeing Giant Rats in an RPG is usually a disappointment, and are a sign of laziness when creating the the opening "clean the cellar!" quest to get the Hero started, save a few examples like Fire Rats from Inindo, or the Sewer Rat boss from Earthbound. Maybe their bite can add some sort of status effect, but skeletal enemies are really only limited by a developer's creativity. Most players probably wouldn't be upset if you made a fantasy RPG without rats at this point, but a well-designed skeleton is always welcome.

 

[V_K]

Went with skeletons because of their versatility in terms of encounter variation, difficulty, and design.

So would you play a game where you fight only skeletons?

 

[V_K]

The Rust Monster, a bizarre-looking creature endowed by its creator, Gary Gygax, with the ability to destroy metals, for the sole purpose of making life difficult for the players.

That, and the Gelatinous Cube

Jellies are a variation of slimes! Please proceed to the voting booth.

 

[V_K]

I'm pretty sure winged bowling balls aren't that widespread.

That would make for an oddly distorted bowling ball.

Well, since it has wings, it doesn't have to roll anymore, so the aerodynamics requirements are different.

 

[HeatEXTEND]

I'm pretty sure winged bowling balls aren't that widespread.

That would make for an oddly distorted bowling ball.

Well, since it has wings, it doesn't have to roll anymore, so the aerodynamics requirements are different.

...........yes

 

[JarlFrank]

Skellingtons.

 

[Unkillable Cat]

Eight-legged freaks get my vote. Giant Rats are almost a mainstay of RPGs, but they're intended as entry-level monsters. Giant Spiders is where you go when you want a worthy opponent.

 

[fantadomat]

This gets my vote:

 

[V_K]

This gets my vote:

Bard's Tale was a real unholy abomination, that's true.

 

[fantadomat]

This gets my vote:

Bard's Tale was a real unholy abomination, that's true.

Yeah it was PS garbage.But it had some funny writing.This could be the only game that will benefit a skip battle button.

 

[HoboForEternity]

Rats.

-matt barton

 

[V_K]

Rats.

-matt barton

So does RPG stand for "Rats Popping Game"?

 

[Iznaliu]

This gets my vote:

That looks like a dog's chew toy.

 

[Zed Duke of Banville]

Should also have mentioned mimics:

 

[Neanderthal]

Surprised nobodies mentioned Dragons, but its Elves o course, nothing more monstrous.

 

[Jimmious]

I'm still butthurt by the lack of Orcs in BG so I voted for them

 

[laclongquan]

Slime! Work for both SF and fantasy.

Giant Rat is a possible candidate but it's not very , well, fantastic. A bit realistic~

 

[lukaszek]

deterministic system > RNG

 

[V_K]

Aren't they just rats with wings?

 

[Luckmann]

I wanted to say Giant Rat, but honestly, Giant Spiders are much more common and probably more iconic at this point.

Went with skeletons because of their versatility in terms of encounter variation, difficulty, and design.

So would you play a game where you fight only skeletons?

Honestly, yeah, I would. Absolutely. In fact, I'd say that an RPG with practically only variations of skeletons could make for an excellent adventure.

When we're taking CRPG:s, I can't even remember one that was completely centered around necromancy and the threat of the undead. It's sometimes a major aspect, but rarely is it the grand threat. Fuck yes I'd like to see a zombie apocalypse & undeads-R-us necromancy-centered campaign with everything from skeleton phalanxes to mindless crypt-skellies waking up in their tombs, to intelligent liches, both good and evil.

Make it the fall of an entire nation into necromancy, now threatening the peace of the peaceful lands.

Spoiler

Plot twist:

Spoiler

The skellies are

Spoiler

actually evil.

 

[Storyfag]

I wanted to say Giant Rat, but honestly, Giant Spiders are much more common and probably more iconic at this point.

Went with skeletons because of their versatility in terms of encounter variation, difficulty, and design.

So would you play a game where you fight only skeletons?

Honestly, yeah, I would. Absolutely. In fact, I'd say that an RPG with practically only variations of skeletons could make for an excellent adventure.

When we're taking CRPG:s, I can't even remember one that was completely centered around necromancy and the threat of the undead. It's sometimes a major aspect, but rarely is it the grand threat. Fuck yes I'd like to see a zombie apocalypse & undeads-R-us necromancy-centered campaign with everything from skeleton phalanxes to mindless crypt-skellies waking up in their tombs, to intelligent liches, both good and evil.

Make it the fall of an entire nation into necromancy, now threatening the peace of the peaceful lands.

Spoiler

Plot twist:

Spoiler

The skellies are

Spoiler

actually evil.

Would trade my soul for that.

Spoiler

I approve of the plot twist.

Spoiler

But make it possible to join them.

Spoiler

And take over!

 

[funkadelik]

If you're killing rats, you know you're playing an "RPG".

 

[Iznaliu]

When we're taking CRPG:s, I can't even remember one that was completely centered around necromancy and the threat of the undead. It's sometimes a major aspect, but rarely is it the grand threat. Fuck yes I'd like to see a zombie apocalypse & undeads-R-us necromancy-centered campaign with everything from skeleton phalanxes to mindless crypt-skellies waking up in their tombs, to intelligent liches, both good and evil.

If you're counting part of an RPG, the first section of D:OS1 is mainly undead.

 

[fantadomat]

When we're taking CRPG:s, I can't even remember one that was completely centered around necromancy and the threat of the undead. It's sometimes a major aspect, but rarely is it the grand threat. Fuck yes I'd like to see a zombie apocalypse & undeads-R-us necromancy-centered campaign with everything from skeleton phalanxes to mindless crypt-skellies waking up in their tombs, to intelligent liches, both good and evil.

If you're counting part of an RPG, the first section of D:OS1 is mainly undead.

D:OS is not a real rpg,doesn't have rats!