I still remember the first time I encountered a ghost. Just one of them took out our party of 4, levels 3-5 characters. Saving throws are a bitch in AD&D. The undead, in general were what I feared most in that edition.
I think bugbears are one of my favorites as they are big, mean, and stealthy. the rest of my fav's are from the mystaran monster manual. Two of them being the choker and tortles.
Using a red dragon with an iron golem. Have the dragon breath fire on the golem in the direction of the PCs. I really like using ropers with bait. Have something that looks like an obvious trap but they forget to look up and snatch the party member in the back first. Slimes, oozes, molds, and gelatinous cubes are always a blast to use.
My favorite monster I love to use is one that I created. It's a humanoid female spider-like creature with long limbs, pale skin and big black eyes. Its goal is to bring food(people) into the nest of giant spiders by using trickery and illusions. In my campaign, this monster disguised itself as a Nymph asking for help in the middle of the night. It claimed that a unicorn was stuck into a cave and needed help. The group followed her and after they got to explore a small cave with nothing inside, as they got out, the illusion disappear and they realize they were face-to-face with a whole nest of giant spiders ready to eat them.
This is a great monster. I think creatures you create yourself are often the best you can have at your table. AND your players don't know what to expect.
With Dryads I borrowed something from David Eddings' Belgariad Series. Dryads are only "dangerous" during summer aka "Mating season". However there is one thing adventurers can use to protect themselves...chocolate. Dryads lovechocolate and have an interesting reaction to the candy(think Sleepless in Seattle).😉😁
You talking about orcs being weak made me think about something I've never really liked about D&D or most TTRPGs as a whole: the idea that entire classifications of enemies can be relegated to below the party's standards or abilities once they've reached a certain level. For that reason, I run my games like a modern-day MMO, where player level only equals player power, it doesn't change the rest of the world or how they view the player. My players' actions and feats dictate how the world sees them. For example, I'm not going to have a level 5 party fight a red dragon, but I will modify the red dragon stats (if the enemy fits the campaign) and have a level 5 party fight a decrepit, injured, or near-whelp red dragon. I'm a big fan of WoW and the world they've built there, and the designers have said on multiple occasions that player power and big bads they've killed in the past is not to be taken as a direct corollary to where everything in this world stands; levels and hp are just there so the game has mechanics. Using this method and mindset, you can have orcs that grow WITH the players, rather than have the players quickly outgrow them, and have enemies that become consistent and persistent antagonists to heroes throughout the campaign. Players are level 10? Beef up the orcs' stats, call them berserker orcs, or a new, unknown tribe, or, hell, even throw an orc warlock or (modified) orc ranger in there to lead them and really give the players some headaches - all in good fun, of course.
I think in the old SSI Curse of Azure Bonds computer game had the players come across members of the Mulmaster Beholder Corps. I remember it only took less than 5 minutes before a TPK, without the party even killing one. I like using beholders because they make great boss enemies.
Hmmm, in the 80's I was DM for many groups that had female players. But a lot of our games were in the military and wives and girlfriends were welcome.
@@sebbonxxsebbon6824 ... My 1980s Play Group consisted of High Schoolers; which, included myself. There were no Adult RPGers within my Play Groups; until, I became an Adult and was playing with RPGers of my own Age Group; which, was in the 1990s and as a High School Graduate during the 1980s.
I really enjoyed this video, brought back a lot of memories for me. I was almost always the DM back in the day, and undead were always the most frightening thing the party came up against. On a complete side note...it's been a while since I've seen one of your vids. Whatr the hell happened to Alexander? He looks like a completely different person! Did he level up or something? ;)
Nice choice ! My fab"four monsters include Dragon (the last hunt my players made was in 1995 ! ! ! 8 kills on 15 players ! ! ! ) The Lich (Actually, one of my big badass guy is the former magic-user played by my brother. When he stopped playin, I've asked him to use his PC as an NPC. So was born Verdunagus the Archinecrarque whom is in the center of so much plots) Gnolls (because when I played Everquest Online, I used to go in Black Burrow and had a lot of fun there) Mind Flayers (because they add some conspiracy mood to the world and I really like to add conspiracy in a Low Magic setting). That's all Folks. Pierre - From Belgium ^_^
Mind Flayers almost made the cut in our video. It's a great monster - I tend to use evidence of them for a long time before PCs actually encounter them. When characters know they're out there, it does set a certain mood to playing. Also, great name - "Verdunagus the Archinecrarque." Thanks, Pierre!
Another underrated monster is basilisk, but yeah Lich is my favourite and was in the center of my mega dungeon: a once wizard, who was curious, wanted to find out more about thecworld, how it eorks etc. At first he was enthusiastic about sharing the knowledge, but as time passed more and more people, adventurers showed up, eho just wanted tobuse him and ortake everything from him, so he became paranoid, and little by little he first just modified hisctower to be deceptive, but as more and more antagonistic characters cam, he expanded and started building a maze, put there monsters and in the end created a pocketvunivers forvhis domain, and also eith time random creatures, tribes settled in the maze, adventurers got trapped in it, so there are quiteca few possibilities.
Cool video. One of the few differences between 1st & 2nd edition AD&D was to beef up some monsters, notably the dragons. Ancient 2e dragons are almost godlike.
Ghost is a favorite of mine too. I ran a 5e campaign where a ghost aged two of the players and even though in 5e the ghost is weaker and the aging is reversible, the session with the ghost and afterwards when they raced to get it cured, was one of my favorites.
Hello Scott! I've found something similar - it's often the aftermath of the actual encounter that is the best part of the adventure. And with ghosts, the lead-up can be equally fun.
I always liked doing a preist lich that worships some eldritch evil God/Goddess. It mixes it up with a lich and makes for something players don't expect. Everyone know a lich come from a mage, but when preist spells start coming at them it throws them off balance.
I threw my L5 party in against a warren of kobolds last week... the little critters had allegedly kidnapped a talking cow, (LOOONG story... involving the usual... prophecies and the end of the world... ) and the party had to chase them down. The players shrugged and mooched through the caves not feeling particularly worried, taking the occasional 2 or 3 points of damage, not realising that by the time they had got through the warren, the cow nappers had reached a point they could defend, and the players were suddenly WAY too deep into the caves, with a LOT of kobold archers surrounding them, slowly running out of resources, and seriously pissed at the amount of traps, snares and trip wires they had blundered through... P.S I had to smile at the index bar saying "Knoll" rather than "Gnoll"... If you drive through Dallas in an open top, those "Knolls" can be a real killer!
Great ideas guys, thanks a lot! It would be amazing to listen to you guys talk about traps. I have never found a way to run them to my satisfaction... :S Cheers!
I like the Lich the most out of what was covered. I feel it is one of the best antagonists to throw into a game, something to work up to and discover as scary and foreboding. Its evil, undead and magical so all bases covered.
They're great creatures to use as the ultimate bad guy in a campaign! We totally agree, they're easy to use and all around great antagonists. Thanks for the comment and keep your sword arm free!
@jamesdeer3129 5th level party vs Lich what system are you talking about? Because in Old School games the Lich is dangerous enough as is, if you're talking 5E then it's a joke as every monster in 5E is too easy.
@jamesdeer3129 okay chill don't get your panties in a bunch. I'm saying the Lich doesn't necessarily need modifications to be formidable, considering that you get to give it a spell loadout and it's a high level caster. Plus it has many immunities so I mean your free to modify it but I think it is a threat as is depending on the characters level and magic items of course.
holy crap i watched the first video talking about 5e vs AD&D and then it autoplayed this video and i wasnt even sure you were the same person.... Good videos and great content!
I freaking LOVE the AD&D Monster Manual. It was my dad's and it was one of the first books I ever read. Even if I didn't really understand all the values and figures, I adored the artwork for all the monsters.
@@theoldwarlock You're very welcome. I got my D&D start in I think 3e or 4e back in the mid-2000s. Didn't get very far as my big brother was the DM and he loved unfair encounters (undead giant spiders the rogue could not ambush or poison thanks to undead and tremor sense) or siccing ghouls on our lvl 1 party as their FIRST encounter in the campaign. Resulting in a session 1 TPK because of their paralysing claws. 5e is where I am most comfortable, but your videos have made me want to get into AD&D to see how it holds up. Sounds like alot of players who do never go back.
My favorite monster is vampires. Specifically vampire lords, kind of like Dracula. I have used a powered up vampire as the main bad guy in one of my campaigns and it was a lot of fun having the party try and kill him. Vampires are already tough to kill but when you increase the stats, give him a powerful magical weapon and get clever with his resting place, it makes for a pretty tough end boss that is really cool.
Sorry that I'm a little late to this party, but this just in Jim, most people use a photo album when reminiscing, but not you, no, you use the Monster Manual. That was an anxious and disturbing trip down memory lane, and you were absolutely glowing. Alex, I can't believe you released a lich in Jim's world! Wow, I've never done anything like that. ;) I can't wait for the Fiend Folio review. Finally, your followers will understand the depths of your cruelty.
Another excellent video, guys! Love the "math" fun. Lol Great idea for your Ancient Red Dragon too...I've always felt it was as well. Elmore's Red Dragons look amazing and should strike terror in any PC of any level....I mean, wow, Smaug! Monster backstory alone spawns many, many adventures....like you guys said, great stuff. 👍
I have been playing D&D since 1978 and AD&D once the first three books were out, and I and others in my time agreed with the weakness of Dragons in the game.
I'm not sure where it came from. I've tried to find references in old publications as to why dragons were, in my mind, weak, but nothing so far. If you're curious, I'll let you know if I find anything out.
@@theoldwarlock I talked to someone at a UK con in Cambridge once (many moons ago) about this and he said that he'd spoken to someone from TSR at an early Gencon, who told him... (I know... friend of a friend of a friend...) that it was originally partly due to Dragons being one of the main monsters when they started introducing fantasy elements to war games right back at the start, and the comparative stat blocks never got properly updated and overhauled when they went full scale into writing the books. In essence the newer "bespoke" monsters like the Beholder had more thought put into them and the Dragons just got a breath weapon, spells and tough attacks. Dragons were basically massive flying siege engines for old style war games rules and stayed that way for far too long, and other "speciality" monsters passed them by on the scary villain scale.
I would love to see a video of you designing an adventure involving a beholder...I never get the motivations of one and how would they act and waht would they do....we only have that shit wotc on volos guide I think...but I would prefer an old school perpesctive....thanks for the great content
I remember my dm throwing an ilithid at us. I tried to reason with it, and got too close. I got killed, my first character death. It was hard because i was very attached to that character. He was an elf that could turn into a wolf. I was ok with it though because i made a mistake it wasnt just the dm being unbalanced
A fine selection, but most of your favorites are not among mine. I prefer to use humans, demi humans, humanoids, animals and magical beasts, since they can be trickier to defeat and really cunning when going offensive, allowing for unlimited different tactics, and are also easier to put in an adventure than any supernatural being. I tend to not use powerful magical beings such as dragons, advanced undead, incorporeals, aberrations or extraplanars, unless I have a really good reason for them being there. They can be so powerful, if used correctly, that I could kill any party, even if well prepared for them. For example, an ancient dragon is so smart and has so many abilities that only by playing it dumb the characters could have a chance to overcome it without any casualties. I admit to have made a few exceptions, though, such as having used a whole bunch of house hunter mimics to lay ambush along a road, posing as a whole village, each one mimicking some kind of shabby building. One of the players went straight for what he believed was the inn, ending right down the gullet of the largest creature there.
Have you considered applying 2nd edition stats for dragons and giants? The 1st edition versions are too weak to be the formidable beings they ought to be. Shouldn't gnolls be a "southern" monster, given they employ hyenas? I swap out Flinds for Gnolls for northern climes.
Try playing a campaign where your players rase a family and the players play the children. I have done this but never could keep it up long enough where they are playing the great great grandchildren of the original.
The real challenge of the beholder is figuring out what the hell its HD is supposed to be for attack and saving throw purposes. ;) And I favor the weaker dragons in general, although there's nothing wrong with the occasional super one. Making them so uber than the players rarely, if ever get to face them down in combat is a missed opportunity to me. They're not demon princes or arch-devils and they're not meant to be. By level four or five, PCs should be more than ready to take on the younger ones. Think back on those medieval depictions of St. George vanquishing a wyrm smaller than the horse he's riding. So I guess you can say I'm no "dragon fanboy." They're cool, yes, but they're ultimately cool sword fodder/potential subdued mounts, not scaly demigods.
Hi John! Thanks! We're not sure when we'll get a play video done. We're trying to figure out how much time and equipment we'd need to do it (and do it right). We'll let you know. KYSAF!
I love running Black Dragons against PCs in underground settings. Check out my video 'Why I like Running Black Dragons in underground settings' on my channel 'Grumpy Old Fart'.
Been playing for almost 23 years and I have yet to encounter a Beholder but would love to throw one at a cocky party just to knock them down a peg or two. I can't stand overly arrogant pc's and love to humble them.
The Beholder is definitely a humbling creature! And I must admit it's fun to see a party quickly go from brashly kicking open doors to walking on tip toes.
@@theoldwarlock I learned very early on not to kick the door in and charge in like a fool. Helped that the first edition of the game I played was Advanced Dungeons and Dragons 2E. I tried pathfinder and 5E with their society play and I swear I felt like Darth Helmet in the surrounded by aholes scene from Spaceballs lol.
I still remember the first time I encountered a ghost. Just one of them took out our party of 4, levels 3-5 characters. Saving throws are a bitch in AD&D. The undead, in general were what I feared most in that edition.
I think bugbears are one of my favorites as they are big, mean, and stealthy. the rest of my fav's are from the mystaran monster manual. Two of them being the choker and tortles.
Definitely can't go wrong with a good old Bugbear. Keep your sword arm free!
Using a red dragon with an iron golem. Have the dragon breath fire on the golem in the direction of the PCs.
I really like using ropers with bait. Have something that looks like an obvious trap but they forget to look up and snatch the party member in the back first.
Slimes, oozes, molds, and gelatinous cubes are always a blast to use.
Ropers are one of my go-to monsters as well. Very versatile.
My favorite monster I love to use is one that I created.
It's a humanoid female spider-like creature with long limbs, pale skin and big black eyes. Its goal is to bring food(people) into the nest of giant spiders by using trickery and illusions. In my campaign, this monster disguised itself as a Nymph asking for help in the middle of the night. It claimed that a unicorn was stuck into a cave and needed help. The group followed her and after they got to explore a small cave with nothing inside, as they got out, the illusion disappear and they realize they were face-to-face with a whole nest of giant spiders ready to eat them.
@Michael Johnson I'll look at it for sure!
This is a great monster. I think creatures you create yourself are often the best you can have at your table. AND your players don't know what to expect.
I personally love using the terrasque as a boss in my level 1to 3 dungeons
The Tarrasque against L1-3?
It would save prep time to just thrown them down a volcano. The result will be the same...
@@andrewtomlinson5237 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 not as fun tho
With Dryads I borrowed something from David Eddings' Belgariad Series. Dryads are only "dangerous" during summer aka "Mating season". However there is one thing adventurers can use to protect themselves...chocolate. Dryads lovechocolate and have an interesting reaction to the candy(think Sleepless in Seattle).😉😁
Nice!
You talking about orcs being weak made me think about something I've never really liked about D&D or most TTRPGs as a whole: the idea that entire classifications of enemies can be relegated to below the party's standards or abilities once they've reached a certain level.
For that reason, I run my games like a modern-day MMO, where player level only equals player power, it doesn't change the rest of the world or how they view the player. My players' actions and feats dictate how the world sees them.
For example, I'm not going to have a level 5 party fight a red dragon, but I will modify the red dragon stats (if the enemy fits the campaign) and have a level 5 party fight a decrepit, injured, or near-whelp red dragon. I'm a big fan of WoW and the world they've built there, and the designers have said on multiple occasions that player power and big bads they've killed in the past is not to be taken as a direct corollary to where everything in this world stands; levels and hp are just there so the game has mechanics.
Using this method and mindset, you can have orcs that grow WITH the players, rather than have the players quickly outgrow them, and have enemies that become consistent and persistent antagonists to heroes throughout the campaign. Players are level 10? Beef up the orcs' stats, call them berserker orcs, or a new, unknown tribe, or, hell, even throw an orc warlock or (modified) orc ranger in there to lead them and really give the players some headaches - all in good fun, of course.
I think in the old SSI Curse of Azure Bonds computer game had the players come across members of the Mulmaster Beholder Corps. I remember it only took less than 5 minutes before a TPK, without the party even killing one.
I like using beholders because they make great boss enemies.
I was introduced to the D&D and AD&D Game Systems back in 1980.
My Mom's Family is from Kenosha, Wisconsin; and, I was born in Kenosha as well.
In 1980, my brother and I spent the Summer in Kenosha, Wisconsin to stay with Mom's Family there.
We had arrived in Kenosha only a Day, or so, after Gencon had ended.
My Mom's Mom talked about The Renaissance Festival & Gaming Festivities that was occurring at Lake Geneva; so, she took my brother and me there.
Although there was nothing left to see of Gencon, there was a Gaming Store that sold the Original Edition of the DUNGEONS & DRAGONS Basic Rules (aka "The Red Book Rules") and the other Associated Rules (Expert, Companion, Master, and Immortal).
Grandma bought a copy of the D&D Basic Rules. The Title Page had in Bold Print "©1980 by Gary Gygax" and in Normal Print "Lake Geneva, Wisconsin".
When my brother and I returned to Texas, Mom had promised my brother and me that she would Dungeonmaster us; so, she cut out the Dungeonmaster Section of "The Red Book Rules".
By the year 1982, Mom had yet to Dungeonmaster my brother and me; so, we begged her to either Dungeonmaster us, or return The Dungeonmaster Rules Section.
We were lucky to get the Dungeonmaster Rules Section back after 2 years; because, Mom's Purse was like The Bag Of Devouring -- chances were good that if your precious item was placed in Mom's Purse, it would end up being lost four good; or, go missing for some Days/Weeks/Months before being seen again.
After attempting to Dungeonmaster ourselves a few times, my brother learned that some of his friends played DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, too.
In 1983, one of my brother's friend brought in a Fire God from the AD&D Game System; and, Dungeon mastered us.
Then, my brother and I started Group Playing AD&D; but, nobody played with the ©1980 D&D Basic Rules Game System.
Between 1984 and 1985, I also acquired the Dungeon Masters Guide and Monster Manual and Fiend Folio and Monster Manual II; and, I used the AD&D Game System to better understand the ©1980 D&D Game System; and, used the ©1980 D&D Game System to better understand the AD&D Game System. This included reading through Monster Manual and Fiend Folio and Monster Manual II.
The AD&D Play Group had a large group of Players, large enough to take down a Beholder.
I had read about both the Beholder and Gas Spore in my studies of the D&D and AD&D Game Systems.
In one Group Adventure, the Dungeonmaster brought in a Gas Spore as a means of challenging the Player Group.
In Real Life, nobody listens to me about anything; and, I am a Nobody in Social Groups; and, this also applied to my RPG Characters.
Upon encountering the Gas Spore, I asked the Dungeonmaster if the Eye was Real or Fake.
The Dungeonmaster made me do a Perception Check; and, I thought that the Gas Spore was actually a Beholder.
The Dungeonmaster was really confused about me knowing what was going on; and, all of the Players were confused and curious about the Floating Feature.
I immediately started telling Players how to deal with the Beholder; and, I charged in just in case it was just a Gas Spore.
Everybody in the Game Session was all in shock and dazed and confused about the encounter and my frantic behavior.
I charged in and hacked at the Beholder; which then, let out a gaseous cloud; and, my Character died saying, "Gas Spore".
The Dungeonmaster asked how I knew about the Beholder and the Gas Spore; and, I told them that I was aspiring to be a Dungeonmaster myself; and, had read about them in the Monster Manual and Fiend Folio and Monster Manual II.
Everybody was like, "¿What?".
The Play Group, both Players and Dungeonmasters, were Hackers-N-Skashers, and not Roleplayers.
Roleplaying only occurred when the Players needed Information, or Items, from NPCs; and/or, if the Monster Group was too tough for the Player Group to defeat.
Thus, the Dungeonmaster gave Tells to the Play Group whether, or not, Roleplaying was required in the Encounter; and, the Roleplaying was generally limited to acquiring Information and/or Items from the NPCs.
I wanted to Roleplay a Character that tried to hide his Magic-User/Thief Profession for Roleplaying purposes; but, it wasn't handled well by the Gamemaster; because, the Play Group was all about Hacking-N-Slashing and everybody knowing everything about everybody else -- who can Pick Locks -- who can cast Attack Spells -- who can cast Healing Spells -- who can Melee Fight -- who can Archery -- et cetera.
Back in those days, Female RPGers didn't exist; except, maybe in Gary Gygax's Social Circles.
These days, I have seen various D&D/AD&D Play Groups that have 1, or more, Female RPGers; and, the Play Groups are more into Roleplaying than into Hacking-N-Slashing.
Hmmm, in the 80's I was DM for many groups that had female players. But a lot of our games were in the military and wives and girlfriends were welcome.
@@sebbonxxsebbon6824 ... My 1980s Play Group consisted of High Schoolers; which, included myself. There were no Adult RPGers within my Play Groups; until, I became an Adult and was playing with RPGers of my own Age Group; which, was in the 1990s and as a High School Graduate during the 1980s.
I really enjoyed this video, brought back a lot of memories for me. I was almost always the DM back in the day, and undead were always the most frightening thing the party came up against.
On a complete side note...it's been a while since I've seen one of your vids. Whatr the hell happened to Alexander? He looks like a completely different person! Did he level up or something? ;)
Nice choice !
My fab"four monsters include
Dragon (the last hunt my players made was in 1995 ! ! ! 8 kills on 15 players ! ! ! )
The Lich (Actually, one of my big badass guy is the former magic-user played by my brother. When he stopped playin, I've asked him to use his PC as an NPC. So was born Verdunagus the Archinecrarque whom is in the center of so much plots)
Gnolls (because when I played Everquest Online, I used to go in Black Burrow and had a lot of fun there)
Mind Flayers (because they add some conspiracy mood to the world and I really like to add conspiracy in a Low Magic setting).
That's all Folks.
Pierre - From Belgium ^_^
Mind Flayers almost made the cut in our video. It's a great monster - I tend to use evidence of them for a long time before PCs actually encounter them. When characters know they're out there, it does set a certain mood to playing. Also, great name - "Verdunagus the Archinecrarque." Thanks, Pierre!
@@theoldwarlock,
You're welcome.
Another underrated monster is basilisk, but yeah Lich is my favourite and was in the center of my mega dungeon: a once wizard, who was curious, wanted to find out more about thecworld, how it eorks etc. At first he was enthusiastic about sharing the knowledge, but as time passed more and more people, adventurers showed up, eho just wanted tobuse him and ortake everything from him, so he became paranoid, and little by little he first just modified hisctower to be deceptive, but as more and more antagonistic characters cam, he expanded and started building a maze, put there monsters and in the end created a pocketvunivers forvhis domain, and also eith time random creatures, tribes settled in the maze, adventurers got trapped in it, so there are quiteca few possibilities.
Cool video. One of the few differences between 1st & 2nd edition AD&D was to beef up some monsters, notably the dragons. Ancient 2e dragons are almost godlike.
As they should be.
Ghost is a favorite of mine too. I ran a 5e campaign where a ghost aged two of the players and even though in 5e the ghost is weaker and the aging is reversible, the session with the ghost and afterwards when they raced to get it cured, was one of my favorites.
Hello Scott! I've found something similar - it's often the aftermath of the actual encounter that is the best part of the adventure. And with ghosts, the lead-up can be equally fun.
I always liked doing a preist lich that worships some eldritch evil God/Goddess. It mixes it up with a lich and makes for something players don't expect. Everyone know a lich come from a mage, but when preist spells start coming at them it throws them off balance.
Nice! We'll be remembering this one.
I threw my L5 party in against a warren of kobolds last week... the little critters had allegedly kidnapped a talking cow, (LOOONG story... involving the usual... prophecies and the end of the world... ) and the party had to chase them down. The players shrugged and mooched through the caves not feeling particularly worried, taking the occasional 2 or 3 points of damage, not realising that by the time they had got through the warren, the cow nappers had reached a point they could defend, and the players were suddenly WAY too deep into the caves, with a LOT of kobold archers surrounding them, slowly running out of resources, and seriously pissed at the amount of traps, snares and trip wires they had blundered through...
P.S I had to smile at the index bar saying "Knoll" rather than "Gnoll"...
If you drive through Dallas in an open top, those "Knolls" can be a real killer!
Cave Crawlers are a must have undergrownd. They make players afraid of every dark roof, and you cant point a lantern straight up!
You know, I don't think I've ever used them. That's gonna have to change!
@@theoldwarlock i meant Cave Fishers 😶
Great ideas guys, thanks a lot!
It would be amazing to listen to you guys talk about traps. I have never found a way to run them to my satisfaction... :S
Cheers!
We might have to give that a try! Thanks for the suggestion. Keep your sword arm free!
I like the Lich the most out of what was covered. I feel it is one of the best antagonists to throw into a game, something to work up to and discover as scary and foreboding. Its evil, undead and magical so all bases covered.
They're great creatures to use as the ultimate bad guy in a campaign! We totally agree, they're easy to use and all around great antagonists. Thanks for the comment and keep your sword arm free!
@jamesdeer3129 5th level party vs Lich what system are you talking about? Because in Old School games the Lich is dangerous enough as is, if you're talking 5E then it's a joke as every monster in 5E is too easy.
@jamesdeer3129 okay chill don't get your panties in a bunch. I'm saying the Lich doesn't necessarily need modifications to be formidable, considering that you get to give it a spell loadout and it's a high level caster. Plus it has many immunities so I mean your free to modify it but I think it is a threat as is depending on the characters level and magic items of course.
@jamesdeer3129 perhaps you shouldn't be commenting on videos while you're menstruating.
holy crap i watched the first video talking about 5e vs AD&D and then it autoplayed this video and i wasnt even sure you were the same person.... Good videos and great content!
I freaking LOVE the AD&D Monster Manual. It was my dad's and it was one of the first books I ever read. Even if I didn't really understand all the values and figures, I adored the artwork for all the monsters.
Thanks so much for the comment! We completely agree with you, we love all of the art from the AD&D manuals! Keep your sword arm free!
@@theoldwarlock You're very welcome. I got my D&D start in I think 3e or 4e back in the mid-2000s. Didn't get very far as my big brother was the DM and he loved unfair encounters (undead giant spiders the rogue could not ambush or poison thanks to undead and tremor sense) or siccing ghouls on our lvl 1 party as their FIRST encounter in the campaign. Resulting in a session 1 TPK because of their paralysing claws.
5e is where I am most comfortable, but your videos have made me want to get into AD&D to see how it holds up. Sounds like alot of players who do never go back.
My favorite monster is vampires. Specifically vampire lords, kind of like Dracula. I have used a powered up vampire as the main bad guy in one of my campaigns and it was a lot of fun having the party try and kill him. Vampires are already tough to kill but when you increase the stats, give him a powerful magical weapon and get clever with his resting place, it makes for a pretty tough end boss that is really cool.
I always enjoy playing against and DMing high intelligence monsters like the Lich, some Dragons, Rakshasa etc...
Agreed. Highly intelligent monsters always allow for more interesting encounters and situations.
Sorry that I'm a little late to this party, but this just in Jim, most people use a photo album when reminiscing, but not you, no, you use the Monster Manual. That was an anxious and disturbing trip down memory lane, and you were absolutely glowing. Alex, I can't believe you released a lich in Jim's world! Wow, I've never done anything like that. ;) I can't wait for the Fiend Folio review. Finally, your followers will understand the depths of your cruelty.
Depths of cruelty?! Huh?? Well, yeah, ok.
Another excellent video, guys! Love the "math" fun. Lol
Great idea for your Ancient Red Dragon too...I've always felt it was as well. Elmore's Red Dragons look amazing and should strike terror in any PC of any level....I mean, wow, Smaug!
Monster backstory alone spawns many, many adventures....like you guys said, great stuff. 👍
Thanks RDMR! Glad you liked the video.
Versus Beholder You need Anti Magic Circle and Ranger / Throw Weapons.
Beholder in action in movie, "Big trouble in little China" 1986
Thank you! And yes please on the others.
Thanks, Todd!
displacer beast been my fav since i was 11
I have been playing D&D since 1978 and AD&D once the first three books were out, and I and others in my time agreed with the weakness of Dragons in the game.
I'm not sure where it came from. I've tried to find references in old publications as to why dragons were, in my mind, weak, but nothing so far. If you're curious, I'll let you know if I find anything out.
@@theoldwarlock I talked to someone at a UK con in Cambridge once (many moons ago) about this and he said that he'd spoken to someone from TSR at an early Gencon, who told him... (I know... friend of a friend of a friend...) that it was originally partly due to Dragons being one of the main monsters when they started introducing fantasy elements to war games right back at the start, and the comparative stat blocks never got properly updated and overhauled when they went full scale into writing the books. In essence the newer "bespoke" monsters like the Beholder had more thought put into them and the Dragons just got a breath weapon, spells and tough attacks. Dragons were basically massive flying siege engines for old style war games rules and stayed that way for far too long, and other "speciality" monsters passed them by on the scary villain scale.
Also, dragons were "fixed" in 2E. Dragons are pretty much OP in 2E. An ancient red dragon can TPK a party of even high level characters.
I really needed AD&D content in internet, all are talking aboult 5e and i dont like to play as a superhero
It seems that the superhero vibe is really what turns old school players off. For a lot of people, it works well. Just not for us.
Player complacency noticed by a DM is dan-ger-ous.
Excellent ty!
Thanks, Andrew!
Welcome back Warlock! So pleased by this one. You also gave me a couple of good ideas (as always). Plus...the "living room" AHAHAHA!!! :D Brilliant!
Thanks, Marco! Thanks for sticking with us during the "hiatus" of this summer. More to come! KYSAF!
@@theoldwarlock Glad to find both healthy and crazier! :D KYSAF
Can we see a video on how to calculate XP based on HD out the DM Guide, its a little confusing.
I would love to see a video of you designing an adventure involving a beholder...I never get the motivations of one and how would they act and waht would they do....we only have that shit wotc on volos guide I think...but I would prefer an old school perpesctive....thanks for the great content
Thanks for the great idea, Henrique! We'll discuss this at our next planning meeting. Glad you enjoy the content.
I remember my dm throwing an ilithid at us. I tried to reason with it, and got too close. I got killed, my first character death. It was hard because i was very attached to that character. He was an elf that could turn into a wolf. I was ok with it though because i made a mistake it wasnt just the dm being unbalanced
We've all been there, Josh, we definitely feel you. Thanks for the comment and keep your sword arm free!
“That wasn’t addition.” Lol
Great viedio. But I miss the giant.
Check out dragons in Rolemaster... You might be pleased.
We'll take a look! Thanks Patrice!
A fine selection, but most of your favorites are not among mine. I prefer to use humans, demi humans, humanoids, animals and magical beasts, since they can be trickier to defeat and really cunning when going offensive, allowing for unlimited different tactics, and are also easier to put in an adventure than any supernatural being.
I tend to not use powerful magical beings such as dragons, advanced undead, incorporeals, aberrations or extraplanars, unless I have a really good reason for them being there. They can be so powerful, if used correctly, that I could kill any party, even if well prepared for them. For example, an ancient dragon is so smart and has so many abilities that only by playing it dumb the characters could have a chance to overcome it without any casualties.
I admit to have made a few exceptions, though, such as having used a whole bunch of house hunter mimics to lay ambush along a road, posing as a whole village, each one mimicking some kind of shabby building. One of the players went straight for what he believed was the inn, ending right down the gullet of the largest creature there.
Okay, that use of mimics is great!! I have to believe that's still talked about at your table no matter how long ago it happened.
Aboleths make great villains.
Still believe this is the best book to use.
Yay! You're not dead!
Thanks STI! Not yet anyway.
Have you considered applying 2nd edition stats for dragons and giants? The 1st edition versions are too weak to be the formidable beings they ought to be.
Shouldn't gnolls be a "southern" monster, given they employ hyenas? I swap out Flinds for Gnolls for northern climes.
More fun stuff from the evil masterminds of the past 😄
Try playing a campaign where your players rase a family and the players play the children. I have done this but never could keep it up long enough where they are playing the great great grandchildren of the original.
That sounds like a lot of fun! Thanks for the suggestion!
So did you make the podcast?
Did you give an update to the "Lich Situation" in another video?
We did not. We'll see what we can do.
I never understood why anyone would want to become a smelly gross lich when serial immortality via Magic Jar is *right there.*
Point well taken!
You guys always play 1e or do you play 2e sometimes or do you mix both together?
What we really play is Holmes Basic edition with 1e stuff thrown in (about 30-40%). We're very rules light.
The real challenge of the beholder is figuring out what the hell its HD is supposed to be for attack and saving throw purposes. ;)
And I favor the weaker dragons in general, although there's nothing wrong with the occasional super one. Making them so uber than the players rarely, if ever get to face them down in combat is a missed opportunity to me. They're not demon princes or arch-devils and they're not meant to be. By level four or five, PCs should be more than ready to take on the younger ones. Think back on those medieval depictions of St. George vanquishing a wyrm smaller than the horse he's riding. So I guess you can say I'm no "dragon fanboy." They're cool, yes, but they're ultimately cool sword fodder/potential subdued mounts, not scaly demigods.
Great video guys, when are gonna start getting actual play videos! Your game sounds great!
Hi John! Thanks! We're not sure when we'll get a play video done. We're trying to figure out how much time and equipment we'd need to do it (and do it right). We'll let you know. KYSAF!
I love running Black Dragons against PCs in underground settings. Check out my video 'Why I like Running Black Dragons in underground settings' on my channel 'Grumpy Old Fart'.
Hmmm Alexander looks different... More Worldly.
Just needs a shave.
@@theoldwarlock That's it! He looks like he has been in the wilderness, of life!!!!
Been playing for almost 23 years and I have yet to encounter a Beholder but would love to throw one at a cocky party just to knock them down a peg or two. I can't stand overly arrogant pc's and love to humble them.
The Beholder is definitely a humbling creature! And I must admit it's fun to see a party quickly go from brashly kicking open doors to walking on tip toes.
@@theoldwarlock I learned very early on not to kick the door in and charge in like a fool. Helped that the first edition of the game I played was Advanced Dungeons and Dragons 2E. I tried pathfinder and 5E with their society play and I swear I felt like Darth Helmet in the surrounded by aholes scene from Spaceballs lol.
Troll
Agreed. They've caused me a lot of problems as a player over the years.