A List of (5e) Basic D&D Monsters by Type

Because “why not?” (And because I don't have access to any Savage Worlds books.)

 
Also, some observations at the end.

 
 
***

Aberration: Nothic, Spectator

Beast: Allosaurus, Ankylosaurus, Ape, Axe Beak, Baboon, Badger, Bat, Black Bear, Blood Hawk, Boar, Brown Bear, Camel, Cat, Constrictor Snake, Crab, Crocodile, Deer, Dire Wolf, Draft Horse, Eagle, Elephant, Elk, Flying Snake, Frog, Giant Ape, Giant Badger, Giant Bat, Giant Boar, Giant Centipede, Giant Constrictor Snake, Giant Crab, Giant Crocodile, Giant Eagle, Giant Elk, Giant Fire Beetle, Giant Frog, Giant Goat, Giant Hyena, Giant Lizard, Giant Octopus, Giant Owl, Giant Poisonous Snake, Giant Rat, Giant Scorpion, Giant Sea Horse, Giant Shark, Giant Spider, Giant Toad, Giant vulture, Giant Wasp, Giant Weasel, Giant Wolf Spider, Goat, Hawk, Hunter Shark, Hyena, Jackal, Killer Whale, Lion, Lizard, Mammoth, Mastiff, Mule, Octopus, Owl, Panther, Plesiosaurus, Poisonous Snake, Polar Bear, Pony, Pteranodon, Quipper, Rat, Raven, Reef Shark, Rhinoceros, Riding Horse, Saber-Toothed Tiger, Scorpion, Sea Horse, Spider, Stirge, Swarm of Bats, Swarm of Insects, Swarm of Poisonous Snakes, Swarm of Quippers, Swarm of Rats, Swarm of Ravens, Tiger, Triceratops, Tyrannosaurus Rex, Vulture, Warhorse, Weasel, Wolf

Celestial: Pegasus 

Construct: Animated Armor, Flesh Golem, Flying Sword, Stone Golem

Dragon: Adult Red Dragon, Wyvern, Young Green Dragon

Elemental: Air Elemental, Earth Elemental, Fire Elemental, Gargoyle, Water Elemental 

Fey: Blink Dog, Satyr 

Fiend: Hell Hound

Giant: Cyclops, Fire Giant, Frost Giant, Hill Giant, Ogre, Troll 

Humanoid: Goblinoid (Bugbear, Goblin, Hobgoblin), Gnoll, Kobold, Lizardfolk, Merfolk, Orc, Shapechanger (Werewolf)

Monstrosity: Basilisk, Centaur, Chimera, Cockatrice, Death Dog, Doppelganger, Grick, Griffon, Harpy, Hippogriff, Hydra, Manticore, Medusa, Minotaur, Owlbear, Phase Spider, Winter Wolf, Worg, Yeti

Ooze: Ochre Jelly 

Plant: Awakened Shrub, Awakened Tree, Twig Blight

Undead: Banshee, Flameskull, Ghost, Ghoul, Mummy, Skeleton, Wight, Zombie

***
 

A few things stick out at me from this list.


1) Why are centaurs “monstrosities?” They’re a good-aligned sentient race, for eff’s sake! What kind of weird Island of Dr. Moreau-like racism makes biped hyenas “humanoids” and quadruped horse-dudes “monstrosities?”
 
2) Dinosaurs, giant animals, monsters from Greek mythology… The emergent setting of Basic D&D looks like a supercut of Ray Harryhausen films.
 
3) The weird way true dragons are represented only by young green dragons and adult red dragons inspires me to imagine a world where dragons mature – almost Pokémon-like – from amphibious green dragons into powerful red dragons. It would be similar to the life cycle of Komodo dragons, for that matter; young Komodo dragons live in the trees because mature Komodo Dragons eat them. Red dragons are obviously the only natural predator for green dragons, so imagine that the young greens spend their time lurking in non-flammable swamps and lakes while they wait for their gaseous breath weapon to eventually become flammable whereupon they shed their green scales and become adult reds. 
 
4) I suppose it’s too complicated if banshees are both fey and undead, right?

5) Given the preposterous number of giant animals, I find myself speculating about the existence of giant dinosaurs – like, kaiju-sized Giant Ankylosaurs and Giant Tyrannosaurs. Hee-hee-hee!

6) So many “beasts.”

7) If, for some perverse reason, I restricted a campaign to only what ‘s in Basic D&D, I would probably fold Pegasi into fey, or fold the few celestials, fey, and fiends into monstrosities. Not that it would matter, since Basic D&D doesn’t have rangers.

8) The DIY RPG crowd has been making alternate archetypes for Basic D&D, right? Like making “ranger” a fighter archetype? I hope so (not that it matters since I’m not going to try to run a campaign only using the Basic rules).

9) Flameskulls, but no vampires? What the eff? Jack Shear must be rolling in his grave.

Young Komodo Dragon
http://perthzoo.wa.gov.au/wp-content/gallery/komodo-dragon/komodo1-web.jpg
We actually have Komodo dragons at the San Antonio Zoo, but I couldn't find any pictures I liked.

Comments

Popular Posts