D&D MONSTER RANKINGS - MONSTROSITIES (pt. 2)

[@maromania7]

I don't always agree with you, in fact I find I disagree with you more often than not, but I always appreciate how clear you are about why you feel the way you do and how you feel it should be improved. That and the fact that you actually make monsters yourself, for I always pay FAR more heed to criticism from someone who is actually familiar with the subject they're criticizing.

[@esperthebard]

Much appreciated Maromania, and yes, my monster-spawning pits have been quite active since ... well, since always

[@maromania7]

@@esperthebard as have mine, longer than I've had the pleasure of this game. It's just that we enjoy different aspects of the game. It's why I enjoy your content even when I disagree. You're clear and have obviously care a lot about the subject, which challenges me to think about why I might disagree, either prompting a change or a more developed view. Either way, I come out a better DM. And you strike me as the sort of person who can also see value in a thought out and reasonable differing opinion, which I respect.

[@dakotacross1519]

@@esperthebard they should add a japanese mythological monster the oni-bozu its literally a gargantuan sized semi-humanoird looking black slime that has yellow glowing eyes and it lives in the ocean who wouldn't want to fight a giant black mass of liquid ooze with glowing eyes! in the game nioh you get to fight it take some ideas from that boss fight if your willing

[@anyoneatall3488]

What don't you agree with him about? I would be interested in knowing your opinion...

[@blank7508]

"Mimic is a fairly weak monster" Ever been karate kicked by a dark souls mimic?

[@Tengu125]

@RAINY DAY Hey, everyone needs a hobby, right?

[@hadeskingoftheunderworld7010]

It's a DnD mimic thoe

[@digunder14]

darksouls mimics are basically what if u gave a mimic levels in monk :P

[@ZombboniZZ]

Ever been karate kicked by a Kid Icarus Uprising Mimicutie?

[@hermitpurple3224]

@@hadeskingoftheunderworld7010 woooooooooooooosh

[@tobathetura7482]

"production challenges of gargantuan sized minis"? You haven't lived till you've battled a 5$ ancient red mushu plush

[@theghostretort7058]

Decades ago we used army men and cardboard.

[@whitecreamymilk8436]

Smh back in my day we did it all in our head.

[@theghostretort7058]

@@whitecreamymilk8436 we did that when we started ad&d.

[@Babbleplay]

Or when the cat walks across the gaming table.

[@Babbleplay]

@@whitecreamymilk8436 Unless you are VERY old indeed, they had paper/cardboard standup figs that came with the basic set . You may have done it in your head, granted, but ,the figures, of a sort, were available.

[@paulofkintyre8348]

A pack of mimics pretending to be a tavern with a doppelganger pretending to be a barkeep luring weary travellers has potential

[@2MeterLP]

a pack of mimics and an elder oblex posing as an entire villlage. "Oh, the sulphurous smell? We had an alchemist until recently, but you know alchemists... that was a big fire. Anyways, why dont you rent a room and stay for the night? Sleeping in the open is far too dangerous for you!"

[@hadeskingoftheunderworld7010]

You enter the tavern devoid of sound and people. The barkeep sitting behind the bar jumps up and say "by the gods customers please sit we have plenty"

[@hadeskingoftheunderworld7010]

As you pull up your chairs they bite down and the barkeep reveals himself as a doppelganger. Roll initiative

[@DunantheDefender]

My favorite mimic trap ever was a room that was empty save for a chest. The players in all their meta gaming glory spent ages messing with it, repeatedly saying it must be a mimic. Eventually they opened it, to find modest treasure. They then grabbed the doorknob to enter the next part of the dungeon.... and promptly got stuck to the door.

[@zachbahamutson5477]

You don't even need a pack of mimics you could just have one large one since they do exist in the game there's just very rare.

[@cpudraner]

Can I just point out the first edition mimic art? It just *DECKS* you

[@pacorico8618]

Get a dark souls mimic, nothing prepare you for a kung fu blood thirsty chest

[@destonnight5444]

An absolute UNIT

[@brendanshaw7401]

ABSOLUTE UNIT

[@squidincanimation5519]

"heck they don't even have opposable thumbs" -shows tarasque grabbing things

[@squidincanimation5519]

Big Lincoln I made the joke because it looked like it had opposable thumbs in the picture. I do understand what you are saying though

[@ohplease1809]

You are a butt nugget

[@squidincanimation5519]

@@ohplease1809 I'm sorry you feel that way

[@Aledahal]

What happened here...

[@squidincanimation5519]

@@Aledahal ngl I don’t remember

[@ethanbentley7057]

Put my party of complete noobs against a displacer beast. I told them there were two (which is what it looked like) they were convinced one teleported when the hit and one disappeared. Immediately they went from a ‘fighters at the front casters in the back’ to an ‘oh no where did he go, let’s all group up’ style of fighting.

[@pzalterias5154]

Why nobody says that the Tarrasque has a real-life lore ?

[@opota4113]

I know right?! The Tarrasque has a lot of lore, mostly from France, and in the actual lore the Tarrasque didne even come close to looking like the one from DnD

[@laurenkifer9145]

Omg I completely forgot I think I know about that it looks like a weird turtle lion thing in a dragon book I have what even lol

[@taddad2641]

@@opota4113 i would say it does, but the features kinda melding together more.

[@tonydanatop4912]

@@taddad2641 Yeah the silhouette is the same but it's less a chimera more it's own deal I'm kinda neutral to this take on one hand it looks a bit more realistic and on the other it's kinda less striking

[@AL4LVE79]

who has lived thru it to tell the tale ?

[@adviel]

I found that 5e has a lot of low cr monsters and it is up to the DM to create superior versions of it. by adding class levels.

[@jadedoptimistt]

adviel an NPC weapon mimic enchantment wizard that buffs itself

[@Bluecho4]

Or, you know, you could just bump up their stats, and adjust final CR accordingly. It's not THAT hard, once you know how ability scores interact with other aspects of character stats. Another way to buff low-CR monsters is to take higher-CR NPC stat blocks, and affix the monster's unique traits to that "shell". Obviously this works better for creatures already roughly humanoid in appearance, like Medusas, Centaurs, Minotaurs, and the like.

[@Aplesedjr]

That’s a huge amount of work for the dm. Do you want to create a few hundred characters over the course of a campaign? Just max their health and either increase the die type or number of dice they roll for damage. Maybe add spellcasting if they are particularly strong or intelligent.

[@lordjub-jub5254]

Level 1-3 characters should have something other than goblins and kobolds to fight too

[@arminkuburas1696]

There is good reason for this. Players and monsters alike have low CR but higher HP because it was tested that players enjoy hitting more often then not since it doesn't feel like a waste of a turn if you hit something even if that thing has high hp

[@Hazel-xl8in]

THAT UMBER HULK IMITATION WAS TERRIFYING

[@DunantheDefender]

*Hears that sound in a tunnel* "Well, never thought I'd say this, but I hope that's someone fapping furiously 'round the bend of that tunnel..."

[@purplehaze2358]

One of my favorite campaigns actually used a medusa which had settled in an abandoned castle previously besieged by a swarm of basilisks and cockatrices, eventually taming them and using their petrifying abilities to mask her own. I also included gargoyles to make it difficult to decide which statues were petrified people and which were monsters waiting in hiding.

[@engelrivera5233]

The astral dreadnought reminds me of that 1 floating demon from doom, only with a body

[@amannamedsquid313]

I'm pretty sure that the astral dreadnaught is what inspired the creation of the Cacodemon from doom.

[@viniciusdinizarantes3227]

We call them meatballs in brazil

[@UNSCMarine117]

What's with the accent when you talked about the tarrasque? "Now that I have told you about the monster *pumbs shotgun* get the hell off my land YEEEEHAY!"

[@digunder14]

sad part is, seems he was going only off the info from the 5e stat block, which leaves out why it dose not need a burrow speed and why it is still immortal but doesn't mechanically have a regeneration mechanic

[@leviv168]

@@digunder14 I mean yea. In part 1 (and I'm pretty sure in the beginning of this as well) he specifies he's primarily using 5e

[@DunantheDefender]

Yeah I had to just skip over that whole part.

[@witchBoi_Connor]

digunder14 The point of these tier lists is that he’s only using what’s in the 5e books. If he was going off potential, the tier list would be like an upside down pyramid with a lot of higher tier creatures because it would be possible for him to homebrew everything disappointing into something more interesting. This doesn’t change that the terrasque has no nuance to its interactions; its a monster meant for killing. Being the _biggest, strongest_ monster on the material planes doesn’t really change this fact. Sure it’s the living apocalypse, but you can’t reason with armageddon.

[@docartemis2878]

Tyler Actually, The Tarrasque has real life lore it was a monster, supposedly in southern france, that rampaged over everything and slaughtered any knights that tried to hunt it. Eventually a saint, I forget which one exactly, managed to tame the creature with her virtue and faith. Then it was killed when she led it back to town because the townspeople thought it was back to kill them all.

[@Mr_Maiq_The_Liar]

Why wouldn’t a Medusa use weapons? I can't imagine intelegient creatures turning down the inherent advantage that is weaponizing their hands..

[@TheMightyBattleSquid]

I think he just meant we have SO MANY humanoid monsters, if you want to give them extra attacks, use what makes them stand out in their weaponry choices as well. For a goofy example, maybe the medusa carries a pickaxe to break apart the enemies once they've been turned to stone to prevent resurrection.

[@paulmackay7265]

@@TheMightyBattleSquid oh...that's a good one!

[@dilanlimoncostelos2]

@@paulmackay7265 Little heavy on the goofy, imo

[@kevinwijnaendts9]

I had a gorgon that was a bbeg of the early campaign (before true bbeg was revealed) and I armed her with a magical bow that enchanted arrows with a moderate con save petrification effect. The players were so happy when they scored the bow haha

[@lordm0918]

Wait hold on, are you telling me... That animalistic creatures... LIKE TO EAT! A unforgivable oversight of the developers.

[@tristanswan1067]

Lordm09 I agree with you here. As a huge monster hunter fan, I don’t really mind it when animals be animals, it makes sense

[@alexandresilveira6905]

Actually it is. Animals normally wouldn't even try to eat something that fights back toe to toe with them. They would rather not risk their lives and eat something easier to catch, though I admit that could be just boring in a game, so we must make concessions.

[@kalacs32]

@@alexandresilveira6905 That's definitely not general animal behaviour. Bit of a false generalisation.

[@Wraithlet]

@@alexandresilveira6905 I like how you imply that the books say every monster fights to the death with any creature.

[@SassyCassie89]

​@@kalacs32for predators he is absolutely right, a panther doent want to spend more calories than the prey would give. Go watch or read some predator ecology.

[@righteyeofraamun3858]

I'd have to throw my hat in the ring and request that the next list be a ranking of Fey creatures - they'd be loaded with lore, style, roleplaying and versatility points! Or maybe I'm just biased with my love of hags...

[@witchBoi_Connor]

that’s a weird kink that I should probably shame

[@trollzynisaacjohan1793]

they're is potential for mimics. Put a demi lich skull inside one that hops out when an adventurer opens it,

[@davidsmith7752]

I have a DM that made mimics a bit more intelligent. He set up a false campsite where every structure was a mimic so that when the party went exploring a large number of us would be attacked at once and we would be split up a bit.

[@mollymauktealeaf]

@@davidsmith7752 I hope you don't mind me stealing that for my game!

[@davidsmith7752]

@@mollymauktealeaf It wasn't my idea, I just had to find a way to survive it. I'm sure he (the DM) wouldn't have a problem with other people using it.

[@alganhar1]

@@davidsmith7752 I had a similar DM, and I have stolen the idea myself on occasion. In one memorable encounter almost everything EXCEPT the chest was a mimic, the door was a mimic, many of the floor 'tiles' were mimics, most of the furniture, about half the statues, even one of the damned curtains was a mimic! The chest, that was just an empty chest! An inventive DM can do a lot with a mimic, making them stronger might be a mistake given how much an inventive DM can do with a monster that can literally look like anything.....

[@Xenibalt]

dumb

[@DrLipkin]

I've been wanting to run a homebrew giant Mimic that impersonates a shipwreck. Call it the Mimic King.

[@brickmaster199691]

I've been using one secretly as a local haunted fountain in our city. Someday someone's gonna bite that hook

[@twilightgardenspresentatio6384]

Shipwreck mimic with a few skeletons around!

[@paperbullet1945]

Esper, behirs can speak. That makes them at least 50% more awesome

[@esperthebard]

Strangely the MM says they speak Draconic, but they were created by giants to help fight against dragons. Seems like they should speak Giant then.

[@brickmaster199691]

Oh see they're just learning the language so they can swear at Dragons while they try to kill them.

[@patrickardagh-walter6609]

@@brickmaster199691 so basically they're football fans?

[@zachary37]

@@brickmaster199691 Dragons hate them because Behirs just make a shit-ton of yo mama jokes when they fight

[@tracysmith2999]

They also make thier homes in burrows dug into sheer almost 90 degree cliffsides. They also (if thoroughly bribed with treasure and live meat) will join clans of kobolds or other creatures

[@aaronapley258]

The Tarrasque portion was excruciating

[@cashincheks]

And not entirely accurate. His knowledge was actually minimal.

[@JadeDRail]

I though it was funny.

[@Reptrilian]

Current Tarrasque definetly could be better, as editions before seem to have had it far stronger, what with regeneration and the ability to PHASE THROUGH THE GROUND. I like some of Espers' ideas like the roar, thats pretty cool.

[@MrHaveck]

I skipped it, fucking annoying.

[@jamescampbell2353]

It’d be great and terrible if it wasn’t immune to charmed so a saint (a nature cleric) could tame it and then lead it away from civilization.

[@squashedeyeball]

You are doing amazing man! I'll say this: You have one of the greatest d&d related content in the history of youtube. You're one of the most veteran in this field and you're also one of the best.

[@esperthebard]

Thanks man, it's crazy to think that I'm coming up on a decade on youtube

[@squashedeyeball]

@@esperthebard Time is passing too fast

[@MerlosTheMad]

2:00 youd think thered be multiple varieties of mimics. There needs to be a mimic capable of growing to the size of a buildings with age. disguises itself as a food store or an inn to trap travelers

[@s-o-tariknomad6970]

I actually had a Mimic the size of a large house in a campaign I ran.

[@MerlosTheMad]

I wonder if a cloud of dust that's actually millions of tiny mimics would be too much...

[@AL4LVE79]

@@MerlosTheMad thanks you just made my 30th level bard fairy go into catatonic relapse . she got almost eaten by one .

[@joaovs580]

The potty hut with tentacles in monsters manual art, in index... I always suppossed it was a mimic!!

[@WraythSkitzofrenik]

A brothel. Angler Mimic

[@gasparperalta3725]

Centaurs can carry medium creatures, and are medium creatures themselves *Insert Centaur tower throwing arrows everywhere*

[@seanmcfadden3712]

Centaurs are a player race now thanks to Guildmasters' Guide to Ravnica. Centaur party that forms Voltron!

[@Hazel-xl8in]

Gaspar Peralta sadly mm manual says they are large creatures

[@coyraig8332]

@@Hazel-xl8in The playable version in the ravnica book is medium, like how the playable minotaur is a humanoid, but the tower was fixed after some playtesting

[@justsometroglodyte4056]

can the next list be giants + giantkin?

[@nightowlanimate7813]

just some twit that could be really cool

[@blakebailey22]

I vote for this as well

[@justsometroglodyte4056]

@@nightowlanimate7813 i feel like storm giants would rank high while ogres would rank low

[@BigBoi237]

Hill Giants would definitely be low on the list. They just want to eat things...

[@esperthebard]

Thank you for the suggestion, I am definitely considering this

[@nessesaryschoolthing]

You didn't even bring up the Tarrasque's most legendary weakness: the humble clay golem!

[@jadedoptimistt]

nessesaryschoolthing yeah ik right?

[@lbozo6629]

Please identify yourself (that was a TAZ reference)

[@nessesaryschoolthing]

@@lbozo6629 Junebug!

[@Happygernade123]

@@lbozo6629 The clay golem is immune to ALL damage the Tarrasque can deal, and the clay golem can hurt the Tarrasque, soo with enough time a clay golem can beat the Tarrasque to death.

[@witchBoi_Connor]

Siege monster

[@SabirKhan-wu6je]

Boy oh boy does the Creature Codex has something of a more powerful mimic. In the form of a - *HOARD GOLEM*

[@lordjub-jub5254]

I do this is good humor, so don’t take it personally (I don’t think you will but saying it in advance) How to get to the top of Esper’s lists 1. Have an intelligence or 10+ and speak a language 2. Have a real life legend counterpart 3. Legendary actions, lair actions and legendary resistances plus high AC and HP 4. Have about a page of lore

[@teratoma.]

lmao exactly

[@Answerisequal42]

"Indulge in their most basic instincts" And shows Got pictures with all examples. Perfect.

[@014matt]

as a fellow lover of lore, you may like MrRhexx, a youtuber who is wholly dedicated to lore videos. most of the lore he uses is cited from 3e splat books and are really well put together.

[@BelegaeraHithaeglir]

I was playing Angband while watching this and somehow, right as I encountered my first Drider, you started talking about it, freaky.

[@edkopik]

you forgot a monstrosity: Gnomes

[@esperthebard]

I hope to keep forgetting them :P

[@Bluecho4]

They aren't monstrosities. They're Aberrations.

[@RoninCatholic]

Gnomes are just more flavorful halflings. The issue being that their flavor is mostly defined as " _not_ halflings! Also totally not dwarves or elves!" which for most writers doesn't leave much; druids and artificers, mostly. Different writers keep trying in vain to make the highly redundant player character race options distinct.

[@Jpteryx]

Regarding the sizes of serpentine creatures like the Behir, I usually assume that their length is about double the size of a non-serpentine creature in the same size category. So a Huge Behir could be anywhere from 32 to 64 feet long, making it as long as a typical whale, though much thinner.

[@Jpteryx]

Evidently Pathfinder agrees, as its Behirs are Huge and 40 feet long.

[@Biochemitra]

"If the behir is huge sized, then this is what it looks like next to a human." What? No it wouldn't? That's large. That size comparison is definitely for a large-sized monster. Huge is in the vicinity of T.rex-sized.

[@witchBoi_Connor]

RiftWitch Huge is based on how many squares the creature takes up. The begin is very long, so it’s length makes up its size more than its height.

[@digunder14]

krakens were from the gods' war with the aboleths

[@n0isyturtle]

The Tarrasque has earthglide, that's how it appears and gets around so fast and why you cannot find it when it sleeps. Being able to move through rock and earth at will and appear anywhere in the material plane should put it at top tier.

[@somekindofdude1130]

The root of Hydra and hydrogen is the ancient greek word which is still used today “ύδωρ” pronounced ydor. There’s an unwritten rule in language that when a greek word starts with η or υ is used in the English language with an H. Example “Υδρα” hydra «Ήλιος» Helios (yes helium has as root the word Helios/ήλιος)

[@animefan3794]

13:13 should have used a French accent since it comes from Christian French legend.

[@cotton1983]

Tarasque in 3.5. The safest place is in fact inside of him for my games. My house rule removed damage reduction when your swallowed whole. I had 2 characters refuse to leave but to continue to attack from inside with light weapons.

[@coyraig8332]

That's what the gag reflex is for

[@monkeypunch6284]

Haha I love this video but: Beginner D&D player: Oh look a rabbit! Esper the Bard: NEEDS MORE AC AND HITPOINTS!!!

[@yonglu532]

It would be cool to see a ranking list of Homebrew monsters

[@SuperAmaton]

I often wonder what kind of other Monsters other DM's come up with.

[@pepsicrusader535]

I think crab I know big crab I dm

[@digunder14]

*points to the artificer class's ALCHEMY subclass*

[@Bluecho4]

For that matter, Transmuter Wizards are all but explicitly Alchemic in nature, what with their alchemical stones and the ability to turn one type of material into another. I'm also of the opinion that, while hardly powerful in the adventuring sense, there's something to be said about a character just having proficiency with Alchemist Supplies. It's the bread and butter of Alchemy as a _profession_ , and one that should never be overlooked. It's how you make fancy potions or powders. If I have any gripe about 5e, it's that we get fewer selections of items that Alchemist Supplies can make, unless you infer it. Things like Smoke Sticks. (I also think Alchemist Supplies should be able to make Healing Potions, and not just Herbalism Kits). If a character wants to create some sort of elixir of life, or other form of "Great Work", you're not looking at the classes, my friend. You're looking at a _very_ dedicated guy with Alchemist Supplies proficiency, who sits in his lab and does research for years. (Probably use the Sidekick rules from UA, to model the character's increased Proficiency Bonus as an experienced Alchemist).

[@apenguin6424]

@@Bluecho4 You're absolutely right, but when Esper said it, Ithink he ment more of a potion-based class like the artificer's, not a true "transmutation" alchemist class.

[@seanmcfadden3712]

Thanks to Guildmasters' Guide to Ravnika, both Minotaurs and Centaurs have player character options. Possible idea for a revisit?

[@Bluecho4]

I have an issue with the Centaurs being made into Fey, rather than humanoids. The playtest material presented the idea of a playable race that is _both_ Humanoid and Monstrosity, vulnerable to effects that affect either. But then the final version came out, and they were neither of these. Instead being Fey. It's...inelegant, and brings up concerns about game effects that target Fey but not Humanoids (and vice versa), as it pertains to game balance. It's just weird to have that single exception. Even the duel-typing was, at least, straight-forward. Magic: The Gathering gets away with that sort of thing all the time.

[@lordjub-jub5254]

4e had things with “you are considered both Fey and a humanoid, and are susceptible to effects that target both, if it had a different effect depending on type, you choose” Some of the basic player races even had that

[@lorddevilfish5868]

I always found the existence of the Tarrasque amusing in a good way! D&d has all these hyper xenophobic creatures from devils to mind flayers all of them are super intelligent but yet they are all nearly defenseless to this one animalistic beast. Reminds me of one of the themes in some of the Godzilla films as powerful and arrogant humanity is, we are all defenseless against nature, from simple human instinct to natural disasters there are some forces we may never be able to conquer. Also you’re right we should give the Tarrasque a ranged attack such as sonic roar or maybe atomic breath! Plus I don’t know how you could portray this but the beast should be more kaiju size than big dinosaur size. Have it be more of a force of nature rather than just a simple monster. P.S. Astral Dreadnoughts are bad ass! (Edit) thanks for hearting my comment! I really think that for such classic and Iconic monsters D&D really needs to up there game. We definitely need more variety in terms of ascetic and character. For example what if there was some kind of ancient desert kraken like a sarlac pit in Star Wars where horrible war lords would drop their enemies into. What if the purple worm wasn’t actually a worm at all but rather a larval stage for some horrible airborne creature. Imagine a giant astral dreadnought big enough not just to swallow people but entire planets it bumps into in the astral sea kind of like Galactus. Going back to the Tarrasque as well as the Godzilla ascetic, what if a group of demons had taken an ancient Tarrasque to the abyss and mutated it into an even greater creature and sent it back to Earth however because of it’s chaotic nature it turned on it’s masters and became a protector rather then a destroyer. Although the beast would care little for the well-being of mere humanoids when the an otherworldly threat would come to Earth (or Toril) it would defend its territory. Just my 2 cents.

[@isamusherman5731]

The Tarasque always reminded me of SCP-682 (the hard to kill reptile) taking away the tarasque's regen is taking away it's soul IMO. Yeah it's just a giant dumb reptile monster, but NOTHING can kill it.

[@SquizmWizzerd]

rip... edits remove hearts

[@lorddevilfish5868]

Squizm Wizzerd oh no I didn’t know that :/!

[@miggypeso909]

Thats actually really awesome!

[@bastionunitb7388]

"History shows again and again how nature points out the folly of man"

[@digunder14]

kobolds are actually known for taming and using rust monsters against their foes since they don't typically use metal and most other races do

[@Deadscheme]

Man I'm addicted to your ranking videos. Thanks for the great work.

[@esperthebard]

I'm glad you're enjoying them! Thank you too!

[@davidsmith7752]

You missed out one of the best RP Monstrosities; the Döppelganger. They are perfect for intrigue based campaigns, have decent stats and, using their skill in Deception, can easily turn a party against itself or a group of NPCs against the party using it's Read Thoughts ability to learn what would push their buttons. They also can hold their own in a fight decently well, especially if they can get the first blow, since their Surprise Attack and Ambusher abilities allow them to make attacks against Surprised enemies with Advantage and deal 4D6+4 damage per hit. They have Multiattack, so they can deal up to 8D6+8 in the opening exchange of a fight if played right.

[@troglodyte4207]

I’ve always had this idea of these 2 lamia that live near each other and are constantly trying to outdo the other one , constantly flaunting their luxury to the other one, and when the party arrives they try and use them to prove a point that they have more treasure

[@darthjedi1016]

So, we were chatting in a tavern about our previous adventures. Bjorn, our fighter had just told a joke about how Astra, the rogue almost got her hand bitten off by a Mimic. The party laughed. The tavern laughed. The table laughed. We killed the table.

[@Duncan275]

Just a thought on the Mimic. I would argue because of it’s notoriety, a DM may only get a chance to dupe a fresh, low lvl party, new to DnD. Making it something for a seasoned group of veterans to take on, would up the challenge. But you’ll never have that classic ambush.

[@boitata2617]

21:30 they would prefer to fight the orcs because the crafting of metal is sacred to the dwarves, that's also why they would not have them for pets, imagine a dwarf who is working with mithral, busy with his work, forgets to feed the Rust monster, wich them eat the mithral over night

[@bboy32167]

I want to correct one thing the kracken was made to fight giants, not demons

[@digunder14]

one thing u mean missed with the nagas is that they don't have a perfect memory so over their long life the memories fade in detail and their immortality is do to not being a mortal body and having a goddess that constantly revives them when they die

[@eliotoole4534]

I think an intellect devourer would be a terrible idea against the tarasque because well now it’s smart (Any/all)

[@finnmchugh99]

I agree that Mimics aren't strong in vanilla stats but they can be altered and another point to note, It's not about if a Mimic is strong or weak, it depends on where the DM puts it as it could be anything, like one of my players accidentally sat on a mimic pretending to be a chair.

[@MrReverseOreo]

Great video! The lack of interesting/challenging 5E monster mechanics is actually what pushed me to using Pathfinder versions of some monsters. I find that they usually come a little more equipped for combat.

[@digunder14]

to be fair, in dnd, least in 5e, the sizes are NOT exclusively how tall it is, but also length and all other such dimensions it exists in, so long and or stocky and fat creatures can still qualify if they are lacking in height

[@ryanschrillacomedy]

Just your description of things has enhanced my rp skills. I'm glad you put out another list. Also congrats on 50k subs!

[@Valandar2]

5th level wizard or sorcerer with Winged Boots and the Acid Splash cantrip can kill the Tarrasque in 150 rounds.

[@dane7961]

That sounds like a lot, but that's only 15 minutes

[@lordofchromium1534]

Valandar2 provided of course that the thing doesn’t run away and kill everything else it doesn’t take +0 intellect to just avoid a minor nuisance like that However they should’ve let the tarrasque have something to get rid of flyers

[@Valandar2]

@@lordofchromium1534 It can't outrun the Winged Boots, actually. Once the caster is in position, the Tarrasque will be dead in an average of 15 minutes.

[@coyraig8332]

@@lordofchromium1534 If only there was some other giant dinosaur famous for being unstoppable that could be used as inspiration. Maybe something radioactive, preferably black with blue highlights. But alas, such a creature does not exist.

[@ixdaeliovadi]

I started playing AD&D with 2nd edition back in the early 90s, and even got my hands on one of the old, original D&D red box sets from an older friend, so I've got memories of a lot of these old monstrosities. It's sad, really, how later editions have neutered some of the most terrifying monsters early- to mid-range adventurers can run across, like the cockatrice and carrion crawler.

[@RoninCatholic]

Or how the Rust Monster used to destroy all of your weapons and armor quickly? I'm pretty sure that's how it used to work, but I never read that entry thoroughly.

[@golgarisoul]

I really like the idea of hydras with human level intelligence.

[@moiramain2k]

My dm did this once saying it was one of the first hydra so with its age and close connection to it's creator it was one of the last intelligent hydra. After pissing it off(the dragonborn paladin called her a brutish beast that lacks the majesty of Dragon kind) we fought her and she fled. She then proceed to rip off the damaged heads as she was smart enough to know that this would heal her and boost her damage out put. This results in us find a f***ing 15 headed hydra in its half flooded lair! We where all on are last legs and I had been downed 5 times being the party sneak who kept rolling ones.

[@youcantbeatk7006]

"If you here that clacking... you better get packing!"

[@AlgaeNymph]

25:34 - 25:43 -- I'm pretty sure it's not college departments that prompted marketing departments to water things down; more likely it's college graduates who want something simple and safe they can play with their families. Happening to Pathfinder too, sadly.

[@travislee4588]

Why is it sad?

[@AlgaeNymph]

@@travislee4588 Pathfinder used to be about edgy entertainment, but not anymore now that they're mainstream and competing hard with D&D. Thing is, Pathfinder is also about social justice, which is _extremely_ unpopular with a lot of gamers. And so _that_ gets snark directed toward it rather than, say, money-chasing cowards.

[@OMentertainment]

Sounds like a mimic is from the same world as The Thing

[@jeremyleonjonas7657]

I agree that monsters shouldn't wield humanoid weaponry all that much, but in Medusas case it makes sense: when she doesn't want to potentially petrify her lunch, using a bow to kill it from a far is plausible in hunting.

[@digunder14]

actually the roper is not made of stone, it is a fleshy creature with a rocky shell around it that formed from eating rocks in it's unmatured states, also it's tenticals, despite the wording, are NOT tenticals at all as they can not manipulate things with them, rather they are made of a special one of a kind substance that is sorta sticky and fired at the prey when attacking

[@randomnerdery6511]

If you remember, in the 5e DMG, p249, a gargantuan-sized creature will only take up an area of 4x4 squares. A typical battle mat isn't "too small" for a miniature of a size. Wizkids produces 3 primed ancient dragon minis that are gargantuan-scaled, and are generally $25-30. It seems like your criticism of gargantuan-sized creatures wasn't based on the text of the DMG, but your own opinion. Just sayin.

[@JacobGrim]

The issue of the battlemap size is... Dragons flying at 20 mph. If a battlemap was used to accurately show how a dragon would move, a standard grid would have to be probably dozens of feet wide and still require theater of the mind. The problem isn't the size of the minis, it's the size of the map compared to their simply logical movement

[@364dragonrider]

For the manticore thing, it’s actually often cited as being a misrepresentation of a tiger. The wings were not originally there and the manticore was often described as red. Take the wings and it sounds a lot like a tiger with that info taken into account.

[@josephstalin7458]

I'd argue that the tarasque should be higher in roleplay because you almost can't kill it normally so you have to be creative.

[@henrycooper1369]

Umber Hulks would make great prison guards-tremor sense so you can't sneak out, mind scrambling to keep prisoners in line, burrowing could be used to negate the need for cells to have doors...

[@stevemorris3746]

There is a lot one can do with the "big dumb beast" trope. A lot of real life creatures have interesting hunting tactics. Cats tend towards ambush tactics where as dogs prefer pack tactics as examples. There is a lot of predatory and defensive natures you can pull from to flesh out creatures like ankheg or owl bears. You can also give the creature's context and interaction in the world. Something like the owl bears are in the forest because 50 years ago a mad mage made them with profane experiments and they got out and began to propagate. By doing that you can turn a "big dumb brute" of a monster into a memorable encounter. Having to navigate a dark forest where owl bears lie in ambush is a much more interesting encounter to me than and suddenly an owl bear attacks. As for mimics and rust monsters their infamy is not in their ability to kill players but in their ability to prey on players insecurities. Mimics turn the promise of reward into one of potential punishment. Rust monsters on the other hand threaten something that every adventurer takes for granted. Their gear. As strong as the barbarian is he is far less effective with out his sword. Those two monsters are perfect examples of the fact that not all monsters are designed to kill the party. There is also the parties status to take into account. A mimic fought at the beginning of an adventuring day is far weaker than one fought at the end when spells are spent and hp is reduced.

[@benweiderman446]

Was so happy to see an Esper video in my sub box was elated to see it was an hour long monster video!

[@Klaital1]

I think you missed the monstrosities from Appendix A of Monster Manual, which are Death Dog, Phase Spider, Winter Wolf, and Worg

[@williamlasley4700]

Also missed the froghemoth.

[@DemonaruMusic]

15:11 They don't burrow, the Tarrasque actually acts like an earth elemental and can shift to take the same place as the stone. :)

[@dcyphermanplays8233]

I love the Sphinx I have a Celestial Sphinx as my Warlock Patron

[@crawdawd2036]

ropers...hmmm sounds an aweful like a tentacle that reached out at a certain pirate captain .... :thinking:

[@dudeskeela]

I’m so glad I stumbled onto your channel. These tierlist videos are awesome and informative. Thanks for making them!

[@MyGamerforlife]

1:00:43 "HIT HIM WITH THE CROSSBOW, STEVE!" "Aye, Cap'n!"

[@DaxterL]

I made one Lamia almost good, she owns a brothel in one secluded town. For Nagas and Yaun-ti, in my setting, i changed their lore completely, as i hate the notion of snakes being depicted as purely evil, i like the more eastern depiction of mysterious and wise creatures, such as the east dragon himself, or like the chinese legend of an immortal snake. I see them more as very old and ancient race, perhaps living alongside when dragons came first, or even before them. So yuan-ti are still feared but only because they are not that known. I still need to flesh out details, but those are some of my changes.

[@cameroncox2739]

That harpy description... Who hurt you Esper?

[@williethenerfherder2193]

These bitches ain't loyal!

[@digunder14]

the naga dose NOT have perfect memory and it is a GOD that gives them their imoratallity

[@theghostretort7058]

Once again I love the NIN categories!!!!! Minor disagreements but it wouldn't be fun if I didn't. Please keep it up!!!

[@n.l.g.6401]

My good Sir Esper, I must say, 'tis most in-character for a man who rates the mighty owlbear as bottom tier to make a basal "safe space" joke. Thine production values glitter with finesse, thine analyses tickle the mind, but thine tastes, sir! Thine palate 'tis but a rancid bed of manure!

[@esperthebard]

You seem to have misplaced your headband of intellect, O' Duke Flamingo. The "safe space" quip was not the joke, 'twas but a tiniest morsel in the build-up to the joke-the montage of GoT characters representing some of the foulest acts known to mankind.

[@n.l.g.6401]

@@esperthebard Ah, the montage! That drawn-out segment was as needlessly edgy and redundant as the cambion (another comedic bit that far outwore its welcome, good sir)! Why, even a simple ogre could see that these lengthy segues into edgelord territory do naught but sabotage thy passionate work! Good sir, I beseech thee, cease thine pandering to the most shameful demographic of this fair website, lest thee become beholden to those tasteless cretins! (Also, nightly bloodbaths and orgies are unfortunately par for the course for the unrepentant bastards I'm currently DMing for. Minotaurs, by comparison, seem downright civilized. But as I continue to enable their behavior, I've no right to complain, really.)

[@redevolution686]

there are actually some really interesting pieces of lore surrounding the Tarrasque, that would explain the reason that it is so powerful. Also, it doesn't have a burrowing speed because it can't burrow, after it has gone on a rampage and eaten everything in sight, it simply sinks into the ground. Almost swimming through the stone and dirt, until it reaches a suitable place to rest.

[@Tengu125]

The mimic is easily one of my favourite monsters, for whatever reason. Likely the variety of designs, as there is almost no real way to do it wrong :)

[@johngleeman8347]

That was was a plum bee-yootiful dee-scription of the Tar-ask, Mr. Bard! :3

[@Jay_Hendrix]

The Manticore is and always will be one of my favorite classic monsters.

[@lunatic0verlord10]

21:06 Maybe they're materialists who *really* don't want their stuff to be even *slightly* rusty.

[@purplehaze2358]

I’m about 70% sure that the mimic is one of those monsters that defines D&D as a whole, which is quite interesting for something so...passable.

[@Peanuts507]

It is really gratifying to hear your breakdowns of all the different 5e monsters. I come from 3.5e with nearly 1.5decades of familiarity with the ruleset. I almost always throw ER/CR+1-2 (and for a challenge 2

[@jasperhaunt5115]

The dnd rankings are Nine inch nails Songs?!? Awesome!!!!

[@ailyn2930]

I do feel like the harpy encounter having so many saving throws and such low AC is partially because of the fact that they're expected to be encountered in groups and flying circles around the party. a small group of them up against a party of whichever low level can do a lot to mess with them, especially if the charmed targets go all in on feeling the need to protect them

[@mendaciousphooka]

“A Kraken dreams of casting its tentacles into the heavens and strangling that which birthed it, and when that dream exceeds its reach, it settles for the occasional passing ship. -From “Night of the Kraken Cult” By Malfeore Serreng, Pirate-Mage of Tethyr

[@bishopdarq]

You’ve upset the gods (and dr horror) by not including the hook horror! You WILL fell the wrath of palor

[@one_for_one]

Mimics are actually usually intelligent creatures, the savage breed of mimics you see are actually uncommon because they are killed so often. Mimics have massive potential for rp once you make them able to talk and play off their design, bridging shapeshifters with oozes and slimes. I have mine work with dark dwarves as jailers and guards, and occasionally as a means of diplomacy in the under-dark.

[@digunder14]

the tarrasque has no burrowing speed cuz it walks through the earth like a xorn, save for thick metal ore viens, which it just eats, it literally considers everything food, EVERYTHING, and the reason it don't got it's regeneration in mechanically is cuz it is super strong but also super slow, taking hours to regenerate a limb, but is so strong that unless something like wish is used to stop the regeneration it will regenerate even from nothing but ash, much like majin buu from dbz, it will just take time, lots of time, as despite there only being 1 tarrasque, this slow but basically unstoppable healing factor has allowed it to return from the dead after being killed the few times it has been slain

[@stumperino1177]

An interesting direction with the astral dreadnought could be that the torment of prey In it’s demiplane stomach feeds back into tharazdun, to slowly weaken his bindings.

[@primeemperor9196]

Another thing the Hydra represents: patience. If you attack a hydra too fast, you'll end up causing its heads to grow back extremely quickly, and thus, have more to deal with, because you tried to work too fast.

[@Kajiyaification]

the terrasque part physicly hurt me as a non native speaker

[@carsonrush3352]

Spoilers: C Tier: Mimic, Behir, Manticore, Hydra, Tarrasque, Harpy, Rust Monster, Minotaur, Umber Hulk, Centaur, Astral Dreadnought, B Tier: Banderhobb, Medusa, Drider, Lamia, A Tier: Naga, Kraken, Sphinx,

[@coracorvus]

47:08 'Ironic. They could save others, but not themselves.'