D&D MONSTER RANKINGS - ABERRATIONS

[@esperthebard]

The nothic slipped past my scrutinizing gaze. Glancing over it, I'd give it: mid-B Tier Mechanics: 3 Style: 3 Roleplaying: 4 Lore: 3 Versatility: 4 This would put it just above the slaadi, on part with the intellect devourer Also, according to D&D Beyond, Otyugh is pronounced "Oaty-Yug".

[@SamuraiJACsr]

It IS dang creepy looking. Idk why, but it creeps me out.

[@adiveler]

What about the Mimic? They are also highly iconic Aberration monsters.

[@johnunterzuber329]

It makes a good guide in the underdark or abandoned under cave

[@esperthebard]

@Unraveler 31:26

[@adiveler]

@Esper the Bard Oh come on, why did they change that?

[@belainegibsson.2082]

"I could make an entire video devoted solely to Mind Flayers." Oh, please do. They're so damn cool.

[@christianlangdon3766]

I second this abberations are one of few more untapped monster catagories vs the other monsters and mind flayers and beholders each have enough for a full 30 minutes each with the others being their own section.

[@carsonrush3352]

I feel that aberrations fall into two categories: alien monster movies and Lovecraftian psychic terrors.

[@debreczeniarpad9956]

What about the WTF-LOLs?

[@lordnul1708]

@@debreczeniarpad9956 or the WTFBBs short for what the fuck buffalo bill if you're curious.

[@EvetheFurry]

Fwuumph is it’s own category

[@pringlelingle6827]

I wish we did just get some more plain weird stuff.

[@aceanarchy4284]

They are a combination of both derp

[@XX-sp3tt]

And the Illithid, whose response to seeing any other sapient being is, "Hello food."

[@mjohnson5030]

... or, "hello, mind-slave/minion". 'Flayers have only those two criteria: food or slave.

[@chrism8860]

Aboleths only respect respect the mind flayer and vise versa!

[@RosiePosie-el3lj]

I once used a Gibbering Mouther and a Mimic in conjunction with what I'd like to believe is some pretty good roleplay. It was a level one party, in the first session. The players roll into town, looking for somewhere to stay for the night. The local (slightly senile) bartender, Dusty Pete, tells them he'll give them free room and board if they clear the rats out of his basement. Just wanted a generic hook to get them to bite. They clear out the rats and proceed to converse with him, looking for more adventure hooks, at which point I start making him slowly more and more deranged, including the now infamous quote within my player group, "I have fingers for toes!" Despite all the players clearly knowing something was wrong with him, they decided he was humorous and didn't smite him immediately. I gave them a hook from a different NPC telling them about a tribe of Gnolls outside of town that have been harassing the locals. Again, just something simple to move the plot along. Over the course of their time in town, I keep on making a downward spiral of Pete's sanity, mentioning strange noises coming from the basement, and the sort. At one point he and one of the players had a moment of what I can only refer to as "competitive blair witching." Towards the end of their time in the town, they go to collect their reward from the NPC who told them about the gnolls, and when they go to find him at the bar, I inform them that the entire bar is missing. However through a nat 20 in a tracking check, they go about following this bar out of town and just outside the gates of the next town. Of course the bar was in all reality a mimic, and Dusty Pete was a Gibbering Mouther. They had formed a symbiotic relationship, with the mouther luring in prey for the mimic to devour, and the mouther basically getting scraps and being defended by outside forces. Not perfectly canon with lore? Probably. Fun as hell? Yes.

[@sectionsixty4020]

Great comment. I will screenshot this and read it again while on the john four months from now

[@2MeterLP]

Get a couple of big mimics and an elder oblex and you can make a whole fake village.

[@nash0089]

Hell yeah, very creative for a 1st level adventure! Sounds fun

[@freakydudetiki]

Stealing this

[@debreczeniarpad9956]

@@sectionsixty4020 How it went?

[@archenpanganiban3359]

Wait. Is mike wazowski a degenerate beholder?

[@Buli0n]

Potato Mato Gnaars from Serious Sam are.

[@derrickpack5162]

……...I can never look at him the same way I used too

[@TalosAcephalos]

Why? Why must you do this?

[@everblue2277]

Welp, that severely changes the tone of monsters inc.

[@gracefool]

How did yous not notice this before? He's a cute and stunted beholder-kin.

[@IVINimasIVI]

Mindflayers have the "Detect Thot" ability? Shit, I need that myself to save some time.

[@catman9222]

I'd rather gain thee coveted "Begone Thot" ability, but I suppose beggars can't be choosers.

[@vinnregi4882]

As if you're getting any xD You're playing DnD

[@catman9222]

Bitches love rangers

[@derrickpack5162]

Well if you a Bard then you can never get rid of thots

[@nocthemedic2951]

@@derrickpack5162 I just use detect thought and then use heat metal (considering all thots wear jewelry) and if that doesn't work I'll just use vicious mockery on her ass

[@Bluecho4]

RE: Cloakers I suspect their lack of "civilization" has to do with their deficiency in limbs capable of fine manipulation. They have neither dexterous hands nor prehensile tentacles, which tends to inhibit development of tools, fire, or writing systems. Moreover, there's probably something to be said about social tendencies. We humans develop complex societies because we are, at our core, highly social creatures. So we spend a great deal of time talking to each other, which in turn transfers and iterates on ideas, concepts, and cultural norms. Cloakers may, because of their nature as predators, have less of an impulse towards socializing. Meaning their ideas end up being unrefined, and die between generations (requiring the species as a whole to repeatedly re-discover ideas they learn). So it's not that the Cloakers lack the intelligence to form what we know as "civilization". It's just that their biology dis-incentivizes it. Some creatures are just not suited towards certain life styles. That said, there's nothing to say the Cloakers _couldn't_ have a degree of culture, after a fashion. I can see Cloakers lacking written records, but having a rich _oral_ tradition. Though given their innately predatory nature, I wonder what sort of stories and topics would be important to such creatures. Since Aberrations are Lovecraftian, I suppose alien mindsets are to be expected.

[@Bluecho4]

RE: Beholders I think I prefer a little mystery to the origins of the Beholders. There isn't some grand creation tale. Beholders ARE. Or, rather, a Beholder IS. All Beholders see themselves in the singular sense, and consider themselves the epitome of what it means to be a Beholder. All others - including the "progeny" they produce from dreams - are pale and inferior imitators. But they are DANGEROUS imitators, and the inferior beings who are LEAST inferior. Thus, all other Beholders are a Beholder's greatest foes. After all, if one of them kills the Beholder, that would mean they would be the next least inferior. Bringing down the whole standard of Beholderdom. And we can't have that, now can we? Getting back to possible origins, I like the idea some of the WotC staff had. That Beholders were a cosmic error, a glitch in the system that gained a life of its own. Hence why Beholders are singular beings, unlike and apart from all others. They are creatures that no power in the universe _wants_ to take credit for.

[@Bluecho4]

RE: Mind Flayers One sort of edit I like to toy with is to modify the Illithid diet. In my conception, Mind Flayers don't need to eat the brains of intelligent beings. What few physical nutrients they require can be synthesized in their laboratories, or taken from the brains of vermin if they are truly desperate. A Mind Flayer CAN eat the brain of an intelligent being, of course, but would do so to get a lump sum of what they're really after: psychic energy. My Illithids subsist on the psychic energy found in minds, but can obtain it quite easily. Without needing to kill or seriously harm a person (at least physically). Rather, they can use the psychic link created with telepathy to draw out mental constructs in a creature's mind. Their thoughts, feelings, hopes, dreams, memories, delusions, fixations, and even hallucinations. These get sucked out of the creature's head, and feeds the Illithid. Of course, different mental constructs "taste" differently to a Mind Flayer. As such, while an Illithid could subsist entirely on whatever he can covert siphon from people, most Illithids demand more. They want a range of sensations - a plethora of tastes - and will do what they must to obtain it. Thinking themselves superior to all lesser races, they have no qualms about "coaxing" vessels towards particular strains of mental activity, through whatever means necessary. Hence the horror. My Illithids built enormous prison complexes, where intelligent creatures are held and psychologically _tortured_ . All to elicit particular thoughts, feelings, memories, and derangements, to supplement the refined palettes of the Mind Flayers. If a particular vessel breaks from repeated and regular draining, they can always be repurposed as test subjects and thralls. Until then, though, their minds are fertile soil in which these mental vampires grow their crops. If a lone Mind Flayer can't accomplish the whole "torture prison" thing, they can always infiltrate a community and subtly manipulate the residents. Sow discord and emotionally twist people, and they provide all the sustenance a solitary Mind Flayer could require. I can also see one teaming up with a Hag, in order to cause mischief. The Illithid produces new "dishes" to consume, and the Hag just loves doing evil for evil's sake. Win win.

[@thefatone4378]

One word, thumbs.

[@frick1926]

Write a book ...

[@Thesaurus_Rex]

I'd think of Cloakers as similar to Octopi. They're relatively intelligent (on par with the average humanoid), but they probably don't care for their young (either because they don't survive reproduction, or because they don't stick around afterwards), so a young Cloaker has to teach itself how to survive, meaning inter-generational teaching opportunities, and thus cultural development, are limited. While they do probably work together with other beings in their biome sometimes, their hunting tactics are effective enough that they often don't need to. As an aside, the fact that a Cloaker is intelligent and can disguise itself as a cloak means that it can have some fun uses at times.

[@TheLostArchangel666]

The Flumph looks like the Flying Spaghetti Monster

[@thevoidcritter]

"Well hi there, my name is Floaty." Me, writing up NPCs for a setting: "Yup I'm yanking this"

[@BushBumperBaker]

"Devours the intellect of its prey" So, it's Cardi B.

[@themostdiabolicalhater5986]

Need a bucket and a mop for your wack ass personality

[@asabothseraph9374]

@@themostdiabolicalhater5986 oof you got one!

[@Overdoseplus]

The answer to Cloakers not having a civilization are opposable thumbs.

[@thejurassicwarewolf3300]

you do realize that elephants and octopie don't have thumbs and yet they are perfectly capable of tool use as much as a person is

[@AmigoRoberto]

But... they dont have houses or architecture or anything either..

[@thejurassicwarewolf3300]

@Mackenzie Jackson i still don't believe a humanoid body plan is needed for sapience

[@Mr_Maiq_The_Liar]

The Jurassic Warewolf being able to manipulate your environment is. Otherwise you’re in the same position as dolphins. Higher brain to body mass ratio than humans. Can’t effectively manipulate their environment

[@garrett_with2ts736]

Mindflayers need 5 on style but that's just my opinion

[@frick1926]

This whole video is opinion

[@AmigoRoberto]

*gasps in spanish*

[@arandomzoomer4837]

I think Aboleths need a 5 in lore.

[@louisbabycos106]

WIZARD "Guard this animated Armor " SPECTATOR "OK" CENTURIES LATER AFTER THE WIZARD DIES . A walking suit of armor with a spectator as it's head decides to go adventuring .

[@andsmith3780]

My favorite way to use an Oytugh is as a feature of a location. Example: The party fights guards in the sewer entrance, where an Oytugh has settled to eat the waste.

[@TekRobo]

Adventure Time basically IS Dungeons and Dragons, my man.

[@Star-pl1xs]

i'm sayin

[@Artrysa]

hmm, never thought about it that way. But yeah, i can see that.

[@RokuroCarisu]

So is Goblin Slayer, btw.

[@johns7150]

“I cant just beat up the ice king for no reason man, thats against my alignment” -Finn, Chaotic Good Arcane Fighter

[@tonylu2471]

I saw a Dungeons and dragons adventure time manual being sold online once a while ago.

[@XX-sp3tt]

Hey! The Slaadi are supposed to be the equivalent for Chaos what Angels and Friends are for good and evil, their sworn enemy is the equally bizarre but far more logical Mondrons!

[@Oznerock]

Friends are trully the greatest of all evils.

[@carsonrush3352]

I'm so stoked for the aberrations part 2 video. I don't usually watch longer videos, but the content for these are just so densely packed! Keep up the awesome work!

[@timpappot9873]

Could you maybe do a construct tier list??? I’d like that, so I can use that for my D&D campaign

[@lukecash3500]

Aberrations are easily my favorite monster type, being sort of D&D's love letter to Lovecraft.

[@johnunterzuber329]

The first arc of my campaign my antagonist was a death knight. He was supported by a black dragon with the knowledge to remove the gems from these slaadi. Embedding them in his Armor and shield he controlled a group of slaadi. Now that he's dead the sladdi were free creating arc 2. As a reaction 3 times a day he could send the damage to the gem instead and Id it dealt enough damage shatter the gem and kill the sladdi

[@johnunterzuber329]

Oh and all but 2 of them are currently impregnated and its about a month in so side effects are bound to start taking place

[@skuarf]

Oh man. we love the lists Esper. Keep these bad boys coming.

[@esperthebard]

thanks Skuarf! more to come ...

[@flunkiebubs2002]

A monster named 'primus' with 'nirvana' in it's title, I think we all know what kind of music this monsters writer listens to.

[@j2dragon109]

Primus is a god.

[@livedandletdie]

The Clockwork god can go fuck himself. Most useless god of order ever created, man he failed to bring order to the chaos plane and accidentally created the weirdest race of chaotic beings...

[@حَسن-م3ه9ظ]

"Clockwork Nirvana" is the place he rules, more commonly known as mechanus

[@nicolasmartins5601]

I love the metal references in the category names! great job!

[@sblower9410]

I would like you to redo your "Versatility" stat for your rankings. The way you are doing it, a creature loses versatility by having specialization and the creatures with no specialization loses points for not having fun roles. Your thinking on this is to narrow which is why you never give a creature more than 3 on versatility. You should be ranking these creatures on how easily you can work a creatures specialization into a story rather than its ability to hit a magic butter zone between specialization and infinite possibilities.

[@esperthebard]

I appreciate the effort you put into this feedback, though unfortunately your points are not quite accurate. Versatility has to do with a creature's ability to express itself in different ways, take different approaches, and have a variety of goals. The gibbering mouther has Versatility 1. Is it a cool monster that I enjoy running? For sure. But other than an encounter here or there, I can't do anything else with it. It's always the same over and over again. The mind flayer and aboleth maybe should have received Versatility 4, but the Versatility 3 represents how they do have some different motivations and approaches, but also are typically within a somewhat limited frame of routines. Having a specialization does not necessary exclude a creature from versatility. The intellect devourer is quite specialized in what it does, and it has Versatility 4, due to the large variety of goals and tactics it can employ, especially once inhabiting a host body. Yuan-ti received Versatility 5, and they are by no means uninteresting or lacking in fun roles. Again, I thank you for your input, and I'll try to be a little less stingy on the Versatility attribute.

[@carsonrush3352]

@@esperthebard, could you cover the aberrations from Volo's guide and Mordenkainen's Tome?

[@Reinreith]

@@esperthebard have a gibbering mouther that has mutated in such a way that it splits apart, and each mouth is able to separate with a pair of eyes, somewhat resembling a face, luring heroes and adventurers alike to the big beast, make it a very primal trapper, or use it as a giant unmoving hunk of madness within the central chamber of a dungeon, one so bloated and loud that no matter where you are, you hear it, but are unable to kill it, and every time you travel to a new floor or wing, it's there, a constant reminder of your fate should you fail, and lastly, you could make it something that isn't even there, it's not a spirit, it's not a ghost or magical apparition, it's just a collection of madness of fallen adventurers, sorrowful and resentful villagers, a mental manifestation giving way to emotions, voices to chaos, and it is only visible to those who have seen a real one, or suffers or has had suffered from some form of madness, because who would imagine a creature so twisted without having seen one or being maddened yourself? Versatility isn't a rating you should give to the monster itself as is, but rather the ability of dungeon masters, and to a slightly lesser extent, players, to interact and play with a creature, it's the ability of the dm to build on to the building blocks given to us, and abarations are some of the most flexible and intangable building blocks we have just because of how alien they are, they aren't wolves who are very basic and hunt in packs, that has a basic breeding origin and nothing more, needing some sort of outside force to make them mystical, alien by nature means alien by focus, go nuts

[@Star-pl1xs]

that might have been the most respectful and personal response to critique i've seen on KZbin

[@joselazo9799]

Allow me to correct you friend. "Versatility has to do with a creature's ability to express itself in different ways, take different approaches, and have a variety of goals." One example, to save space and energy for us both. The beholder, if you truly did the research you say you did, should have easily received both versatility 4 and roleplay 4. Beholder's literally become different beholder's based on the way they express themselves. Their lairs change to reflect their dreams, nightmares, and thoughts. They wear adornments and act based on their own personal goals, which could be a solitary terror controlling an elderbrain in the underdark or a mighty master pulling strings in waterdeep (both canon representations of two different beholder). Their goals can change at the drop of a hat. Whether from a defeat, a victory, a shift in its plan, or even a random dream. They have many goals, as you can take from studying Xanathar himself, and then reading up on The Eye and Uthh who both had many and varied goals. Beholder's could be evil, good, benevolent, crazed, blind, mad, foolish, and the list goes on. They are whatever they believe themselves to be and they change themselves and those around them based on that fact. If a foe or ally can mastermind then they certainly "take different approaches." If you didn't want to give them a 5 in either, that I suppose I could understand. All beholders, after all, are paranoid... unless they imagine themselves not to be. You could do with rethinking the intricacies of your ranking system and doing a bit more research on the more complex creatures.

[@XX-sp3tt]

You forgot the signature trait of the cloaker, that when you look at them, they're mistaken for cloaks just hanging on the wall.

[@stripeybag6977]

10:06 Looky here birdbrain you might be a tentacle monster but it ain't that kinda party. It's a party of murder, a murder party, run by murder hobos.

[@Oddmanoutre]

Hear, hear! Now, tell that to 28:10

[@maelstrom8897]

30:28 damn sneks

[@WotansSohn]

I guess that most tv shows and mass media in general are Intellect Devourers (in disguise?). Well, the answer lies in the Eye of the Beholder... Great series, Esper! Thank you!

[@Jay_Hendrix]

I've always pictured the Chaos Stone as a giant red crystal d20 floating through space pumping out evil red lightning. Truly a symbol of pure chaotic evil...

[@destonnight5444]

That's one thing I never understood about slaadies You telling me these are just "chaotic"? No, There's a difference between the free spirited chaoitc natural pirates and these malevolent frog bastards Too much for the plane of chaos, huh? Anyway, aberrations are like undead, there's so much value to be had from them, but unlike undead, there isn't as much monster entries. Kinda disappointing Oh well

[@LAZERAK47V2]

I always thought Slaads were literal embodiments of Chaos until they hit Death Slaad level. Their behaviour is completely unpredictable, they could be your best friend one second and trying to rip off your head the second. They don't have ANY sense of order or law. Even a pirate has some rules they follow, Slaads are liable to do anything at any time for any reason. The reason they're a threat is simply due to their unpredictability. You can't coexist with them because there's no way to ensure they'll cooperate.

[@destonnight5444]

@@LAZERAK47V2 It's true, you're right Chaotic sentient creatures doesn't mean they have no moral compose Except that's what they are, the slaadie have no moral compose I would forgive it if there were other chaos-spawn characters that counter the slaadi by being more reasonable but still chaotic The Githzerai effectively live in limbo, and are lawful natural, but I wouldn't consider them aberrations

[@TenositSergeich]

Slaadi being purely typed as aberrations is something new to D&D. In D&D 3e, their type was Outsider - a being native to Outer or Inner planes. In chaoskampf-inspired cosmology of D&D 4e, slaadi's origin was elemental, just like demons', who were also described inhabitants of Elemental Chaos. The foundation of slaadi lore is that they are "exemplars" of Chaotic Neutral - native inhabitants of Limbo who embody the randomness of the plane. As D&D 5e replaced vague and wide cathegory of "Outsider" with "Celestial", "Fiend" and "Elemental", modrons and slaadi, as well as many less-known planar creatures who are neither good nor evil nor native to Elemental planes, were left out. Thus, modrons are now officially constructs and slaadi are now officially aberrations, though both are actually closer to celestials and fiends in their nature.

[@Ajmes]

Aberration entries are less common because they're among the most difficult to design and still be interesting. Especially without violating copyrights.

[@Ajmes]

@@dankeller4103 Talking about DnD's Aberrations. Most of them are specifically copyright IP. Beholder, Astral Dreadnought, Illithid, etc

[@adiveler]

I'm highly disappointed with the Slaad in overhaul. If you want to change a type of monster to something which it was never before, you should tweak and change other aspects of it as well to fit the criteria of this type. The Slaads might have some nice lore that fits the Aberration type, their appearance is anything but Aberration. All the other monsters on this list have something with their appearance that gives you a sense of discomfort - something alienish that shouldn't exist, even in a fantasy world like D&D. The Slaad monsters, on the other hand, are basically bland humanoid lizard people, and that's it. Nothing that mocks the fabric of creation itself or anything, just another mix of a human with a random animal. Even Mind-Flayers have that kind of malicious look that gives you a chill by just looking at them!

[@livedandletdie]

They fit the category of aberrations, they are ordered chaos. Which can only repopulate through slaying other beings, or impregnate other beings, or being spawned from a motherfucking crystal in the sky...

[@TenositSergeich]

Well, modrons were originally just geometric shape people, and we came to love them. Slaadi look like twisted toad humanoids because why the hell won't they look like twisted toad humanoids. As some wise man once noticed, the only creatures aside from toads and frogs that undergo more pure change in its form, shape and lifestyle are internal parasites, which slaadi also mimic. And slaadi aren't supposed to be outright horrific - not any more than modrons. The problem with slaadi in 5e is that there is no cathegory for outsiders that are neither good nor evil nor elemental, thus modrons being constructs when they are as much alive as angels and demons and devils, and slaadi being aberrations when inherently not being much different from the same.

[@lorenabell4713]

I've been waiting for you to do this class. Some of my favorite enemies. The Eye of The Beloder got me into dnd first as a kid!

[@gracefool]

Huh you just named a new monster! Beloder, the levitating monster that acts as a magical lodestone, attracting all metallic objects (eg. weapons and armour) to itself, such that it usually looks like a great flying ball of junk. It can manipulate magnetic fields in close proximity, for instance magnetising items attached to it and flipping their polarity to send them shooting outward as missile weapons. By dint of this power over magnetism it is immune to lightning and can reflect it as desired, and has a chance to dispel magic every turn.

[@Beastlango]

Thanks for all the Metallica references 😂😂😂

[@Jpteryx]

I'd have given an Otyugh much higher Roleplaying, because of how its picture-based telepathy creates so much potential for fun roleplaying by the PCs, plus its potential to be a living toilet monster for a more dangerous monster or more numerous group of monsters.

[@jakegray1723]

I understand im an exception but Ive used otyugh as simple minded but curious creatures, kind of like big dogs, numerous times. Each party interaction has been different in every new encounter. I think the great part of aberrations, other than their otherworldly style and mechanics, is the vagueness of them, easily allowing the DM to mold most of them as he sees fit to his world or style.

[@lostmage2d]

I just found this channel and immediately subscribed. Inspiring and entertaining. Truly the work of a Bard.

[@esperthebard]

Welcome LostMage!

[@mercaius]

I tried the Balhannoth, CR 11, against my party of 5 lvl 8 PCs. It didn't last two long, but did get in a KO and a few close calls thanks to its lair actions and legendary actions. With 500 ft blindsense, teleportation, and invisibility, it makes a great monster to single out party members, and can even pick off scouts without the party any the wiser if the player doesn't think quickly. Even when the party is active, the balhannoth can grab one target and teleport away to another chamber, making it particularly nasty in an underground maze. I give it big kudos.

[@antidotelizard5855]

i think the uniformed look of the slaad fit their chaotic nature you go into it thinking theyll look weird but in the essence of chaos they looks semi original

[@mattc6192]

I always called it Oh-Tee-Yug.

[@esperthebard]

yep, I found out that D&D Beyond has the official pronunciations, and that's how Otyugh sounded

[@buboniccraig896]

If the Flumph doesn't have an amazing style, I don't know what does. How does a boring looking lobster dog beat an adorable psychic tentacle flying spaghetti monster jellyfish in style?

[@dilophosaurussk4333]

A: B: intellect devourer, nothic, mind flayer, mind flayer arcanist C: green slaad, gray slaad, death slaad, beholder, spectator, aboleth D: otyugh, flumph, chuul, red slaad, blue slaad, grell, cloaker F: slaad tadpole, gibbering mouther

[@endermage77]

3:01 : I like to go with "Oa(t)-tyoog" for the Otyugh.

[@cyrusbrother7402]

Not tryin to toot my own horn here but I was born the same day as H.P. Lovecraft

[@evilscientistrecords]

23:35 - I love that little piece of Spectator monologue!!

[@Ryarat]

This is what I was waiting for since you started this series. Aberrations have long been favorite monsters to use.

[@DLAlucard]

It's interesting you'd bring up Adventure Time when talking about the Flumph. It, or something very similar, was in an episode called Mama Said. Fourth episode in the seventh season.

[@zoroearc2582]

DLAlucard the giant floating fact mushroom?

[@shashankwarudkar5091]

I love Abberitions, I'm running a whole campaign built around them. Thanks for this their list, can't wait for part 2 and your opinion on Star Spawn.

[@TheSkeletonVA]

The forgotten secrets of the Aboleth are what allowed me to be this early to this video.

[@metermaide1726]

when i think of "abberations" i like of lovecrafts work, "the thing that should not be" something clearly void inspired,a creature so mind bending even looking at it or thinking about it would make your head explode.(BTW the FLUMPHF is adorable)

[@XX-sp3tt]

The Beholder, the monster that demands to know, "What OTHER BEHOLDER sent you after me?!" Because nothing but another beholder could challenge it in its mind, and at the same time thinks "All other beholders in existences are just inferior copies of me!"

[@samgafford2371]

Now I wanna homebrew an entire xenomorph life cycle. Maybe even make xenomorph variants of several playable races like xeno-elfs, xeno-orcs, or even xeno-dragonborn.

[@mxxstro]

Your voice is like a hot knife through butter, magnificent. I immediately subscribed.

[@jorgh5255]

I made a riddeling mouther for my campaign. Instead of whispers that they had to withstand with their wisdom they had to reply to the riddles. It was so much fun😋

[@ianyoder2537]

Personally Mind flayer are my favorite dnd monster. I have so many story plans for them. One overarching plot is the mind flayer cavil war. For me mind flaters work sort of like the mecanicus from 40K. All the best technology has already been invented (from the future) so to an ilithid inventing something new is tech heresy. Especially if it resembles the use or methods similar to those employed by lesser life forms. So in my setting, the ilithids have a bit of a cavil war. The larger and more united but predictable force of the traditionalists who are basically the standard RAW mind flyers. VS the wildly unpredictable fractured disjointed scattered radical, experimental, sometimes individualistic, separatists.

[@fuzzyzombielove]

Flumphs look like Muppets and there's nothing wrong with that. Also, they are S tier cuddlers.

[@JohnSmithAprilMay]

In memoriam for the foulspawn. You only lived for one edition, but what a life you lived.

[@maxblake5564]

I like the Intellect Devourer’s current look, personally. Although that may just be from my nickname for them: Brain Frogs.

[@adiveler]

Great list! I would love to see part B for Aberrations!

[@StarForgers]

20:06 I remember seeing a movie or a game with this style creature like 10 years ago somewhere. It scared the hell out of me then but till this day I cannot remember where I actually saw it.

[@Kaldortangerine]

My buddy hosted a random encounter dungeon and my first door with my team(4 teams of 4. 4 dms and one dude randomly going to different tables based on a random timer he set. He was a illithid ) , was a grell. This grell attached to my face and I swung at it, cut a few tentacles. My moment of glory went to terror when the dm said “ and you get blasted with electricity. Roll for save.”

[@MetallicA7X315]

Just stopping in to say your tier names are metal af! 🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻

[@Emajenus]

Beholders should be a tier by themselves. They're pretty much the most iconic monster of DnD as a whole. Even people who don't play it or even know anything about it would immediately recognize a Beholder. Also, to be honest, DnD does a poor job fleshing out most monsters. While that does leave a lot of room for creative roleplay, it also makes it quite shallow if you learn about monsters only from the monster manual.

[@internetcatfish]

Imagine how much you would be able to troll a party using a spectator. You could have them debate the aberration in an attempt to get it to let you in, just for it to end with it saying "Although I do agree with your sentiment and wish to aid your quest, I am contractually bound to guard the location you seek and the items within. I simply have no choice but to oppose this endeavor."

[@The_Sharktocrab]

Are you going to revisit the aberrations by looking at volos guide and mordenkainens tome?

[@Cthalpa]

I do love these ranking videos and if you could make some videos on maybe the lore surrounding the different planes that would also be cool 😁

[@ShyDaniel2112]

I think the Slaadi have such weirdly regimented forms has to do with how they came to be. They’re a corruption of the raw chaos of Limbo by the perfect order of Mechanus. Of course, that plot point really ought to be in the book, not some I literally just dreamed up to explain it. In other news, I just realized how much the flumph looks like the Flying Spaghetti Monster

[@ripplerbr]

Simply the best D&D content. Thank you.

[@esperthebard]

Many thanks

[@DrKosmosis]

Nothics?

[@littlecmb1874]

DrKosmosis if I had to guess mid B tier, but I was waiting for it the whole time

[@esperthebard]

The nothic slipped past my scrutinizing gaze. Glancing over it, I'd give it: mid-B Tier Mechanics: 3 Style: 3 Roleplaying: 4 Lore: 3 Versatility: 4

[@thefool3130]

the only thing i don't entirely like about this video is how you treated flumphs. Flumphs have long been one of my favorite DND monsters, and I feel like you glossed over one of the most interesting things in Flumph lore: They, a psionic-feeding creature from the underdark, are Lawful Good. that makes them not only one of the few good creatures of the underdark, but a one of the few lawful good monsters to have existed. This makes their possible usage much more interesting, for example a Flumph cloister could provide a group of adventures with sanctuary after they'd been being chased by drow, you you could happen upon an entire nation of Flumphs warring against mind flayers. their alignment alone opens up an array of possibilities for their use.

[@GavinMercer]

I’m just glad you left the darkmantle off this cause... that monster still gives me nightmares.

[@Seomus]

When did Slaadi become aberrations?

[@GoGoOnGordon]

I think since the stupid 5th Edition, maybe 4th... I was always a 3.5 player

[@Seomus]

@@GoGoOnGordon Thanks. 3.5 where it's at.

[@GoGoOnGordon]

@@Seomus Amen to that brother!

[@nobodyimportant4778]

Yknow what would make the slaad more interesting? Have elder slaad that look completely different because they were born "correctly" implying that humanoids are being used in place of some other creature that they're supposed to use to feed their eggs

[@Mr_Maiq_The_Liar]

Will you make a volos guide + tomb of foes aberration list?

[@shsl-nerd8834]

Probably not judging by the fact that's its almost been 2 years since it was released

[@midshipman8654]

I really like the flumph as quintessential weird non hostile npc creatures. good info contacts with their own weird but mostly benign practices.

[@phalamy9180]

Actually there are *Even higher* Slaadi. White and then black.

[@TheKing-qz9wd]

Wait, so red and blue are about equal, green is a caster and it gets more and more potent in some fashion when it goes to grey, then death, then white, then black What the hell kind of system is this?

[@amannamedsquid313]

@@TheKing-qz9wd A chaotic one.

[@TheKing-qz9wd]

@@amannamedsquid313 Indeed.

[@mosshivenetwork117]

+Phalamy your profile picture is scary.

[@madcat789]

You mentioned Adventure Time. Now I'm sad.

[@1visualfxguy]

The Flumph reminds me of those aliens from Sesame Street who go like yip yip yip yip yip lol.

[@Gorgonath]

In volo's guide there is even the greater mind flayer, the ulitharid, that is cool it has even decent physical stats

[@SeñorDossierOficial]

Imagine a xenomorph tadpole

[@IRLSpain]

O una larva de Cthulhu

[@SeñorDossierOficial]

M’aiq the Liar a cthulhu xenomorph :v

[@dolphinboi-playmonsterranc9668]

Beholder: Okay

[@theghost9479]

My favorite monster type! Thank you for doing this one.

[@DJbeeker421]

My table is having so much fun with the NPC flumph paladin. Part lg suicide bomber, part sentient magic item, part party mascot.

[@jarekhartwell6235]

Aberrations: 20% weird eldritch monsters 80% S L A A D

[@lawaern3474]

19:23 Ah that one. It appeared in the first session of my first campaign as the DM... Mistakes were made. The Party's Cleric, a loyal servant of Tempus, almost got brain-swapped. In fact the dice gods said he did, but it was his first ever session and went easy on him... He is actually having a lot of fun RPing as a victim of it's psychic predation.

[@jimjoyce4423]

I have spent my entire life being fascinated by everything dnd has to offer, learning the lore of the lands, races, monsters etc. But I have never actually picked up some dice and actually played table top style. Many a video and computer game but never with real dice. I am finally ready to start my table top adventures so I ask you Esper, what advise can you give to someone like me?

[@ananass8030]

I keep getting surprised at how epic D&D monster lore can be. and so much of the artwork is so awesome and unnerving at times! i would absolutely would like to see ABERRATIONS part 2 (beholders and mind flyers are probably my favorite monsters tho) also, did anyone else notice that the very most of aberrations in this video has a watery theme to them? it's either tentacles or resemblance to frogs

[@esperthebard]

Good call, definitely an aquatic theme throughout

[@petsan97]

Considering how many aberrations take HEAVY influence from Lovecraft's works, it's not surprising. Especially considering some of his biggest players (Like Cthulhu and the Elder Things) are all aquatic beings in some sense. "Ocean is more ancient than the mountains, and freighted with the memories and the dreams of time." In short: He was fascinated with the unknowable depths of the ocean as it paralleled the unknowable reaches of the universe.

[@prestonsmith2156]

"AT-yugh? Oh wait it was written by a British bloke. OT-yugh. There we go" Fucking LOL'd

[@GRex7777]

At 1:29, is that Kozilek or just a generic Eldrazi? Either way, I don't recognize that artwork. I gotta go find that for my wallpaper. lol

[@stasisarbiter8710]

It's the MtGO promo for Kozilek, the Great Distortion

[@edwardsalo3481]

About intellect devourer, if it devours all memories of some person, does it start behaving like that person? Like, how "smart" is it at base level, how likely is it that personality devoured by it will take over the body? Or does it just glance at the memories, says "yeah, cool." and forgets them?

[@Fools_Journey]

Hey, man. Solid review and wonderful concepts about new monster creation, off of user-input. Novel idea. I have one such idea, as thanks - combining the ancient, failed old with the distant, failed future; something between Aboleth and Ilithid.

[@CameronHimlie]

I'm running a campaign with a kraken, flavored to be the son of Cthulu, has just destroyed the home city of the PCs and is now raising an aberration army. Currently the players don't even know that is what's happening, but this video helped me flesh out some good enemies to show the gradual increase in madness across the world. Thank you

[@hereticjoe4366]

I think a pretty neat idea to use with the Chuul would be when a Player Character gets ahold a powerful magic item (maybe as a delivery quest?) they will be pursued by chuul through out their quest.

[@Wimikk]

Ok but can we hold up and focus on that art at 26:50? I’ve run a campaign featuring Slaad/Ilithid Hybridization but holy crap... Orcus vs. Elder Brain is the best thing I’ve seen today.

[@emilybroderick2421]

I had my party face an otyugh as the final boss of a dungeon, and I used the otyugh's telepathy to haunt a single party member with an illusion of a creepy, smiling figure always lingering in the corner of the eye and beckoning in the direction of the boss room. It proved pretty effective for setting the dungeon atmosphere and upping the suspense leading to the final fight. I used a gibbering mouther in that dungeon too, but couldn't do much with it before the party quite literally smashed it into goo lol.

[@fumarc4501]

Spectators sound hilarious and wonderful.

[@TreeFolkDruid]

I would love just giving "Gibbering Mouther" some kind of camophlage and lure my future PCs into a room where they are covering the walls, but since they are camophlaged (unless someone is doing a mid - high perception roll), having a mimic treasure chest in the far wall, having my trap shut behind them as they start to fight the mimic. How many would cover 3 walls? 3-4?

[@silvertheelf]

The cloaker can’t do one of the following which is why it can’t have society. It probably can’t do the 1st and last one. 1: The ability to manipulate the environment 2: The ability to control fire 3: The ability to communicate 4: The ability to manipulate magic (this one only applies to fiction)

[@magiv4205]

It is also a meateater and a solitary, generally stationary creature. A big part of what allowed us to become so successful is our strong social structure, allowing for the development of languages and intergenerational learning. This is the same problems octopi face. They are technically very intelligent beings, likely on the level of primates, but they are solitary and thus don't form societies.

[@Skullofdarkness1]

Not sure if a creature akin to this already exists, but when he was talking about the Slaad, particularly when he got to the green Slaad and it's shape shift ability, all I could think of was how cool and terrifying a fusion of green and red Slaad. Capable of taking on a humanoid shape and infiltrating a settlement and laying its eggs in the townsfolk, the adventurers come in to find that many of the townsfolk have started exhibiting strange symptoms, only later as the adventurers investigate do they find themselves completely surrounded by Slaad tadpoles with the green/red slaad revealing its true nature. Perhaps one of the characters would even have eggs implanted before the reveal and would have to hurriedly find a way to rid themselves of the eggs.

[@world8one]

Slaad all looking the same makes sense as a sort of rigid chaos. Perhaps a side effect of Primus's meddling? Lawful in function but chaotic in nature?

[@aleplayer1712]

I set the Aberrations as the main antagonists of my setting for their master comes from the far realms in which case "The Goddess" had no control over. Its merely empty space in which she didn't fill her light into.

[@Mr_Maiq_The_Liar]

I do think your versatility stat is a bit skewed to being BBEG, or social encounters (which is what the rp Star is for) Gibbering mouther a 1! Hardly. It’s dangerous to hear them! Which makes them environmental hazards. And their mimicry of sounds can freak party members out hearing a woman scream for help in the next room, see what they do. See if they trust it. That’s at least a 2 or 3 in terms of what roll it can fulfill. What does versatility mean? Does it mean that one monster might be distinct from another similar monster? Why is that a virtue? And why do intellect devours have such a high versatility and role play? You can’t talk to it can you?

[@percyvee5260]

Ah, the Grell. The first thing that ever killed me. Kind sticks in your head when you are 12 to be grabbed by that many-tendrilled horror and ripped to shreds. Still with me after 30 years.