View allAll Photos Tagged 3rdEdition
A relatively "new" player race in D&D, Goliaths made their debut in 3rd edition, but quickly gained traction, so much that ther's a Goliath in the third D&D movie (Ha! Didn't know there was a third, did you?).
Goliaths are related to the Earth, but not made of stone. Sons of the stone, they are big, ponderous, strong... but not slow, and not stupid. They make great barbarians for that reason - like the very avalanche, when they start moving, nothing will stop them.
This old, classic monster takes a few cues from Swamp Thing, Man-Thing, The Heap, and loads of other swamp monsters! A sentient plant monster made of tangled mounds of vegetable life, Shambling Mounds possess rudimentary intelligence and a surprising amount of bloodthirst. An odd thing to note is that they aren't just immune to lightning, but electricity heals them, and can occasionally turn them into Stormrage Shamblers - powered-up, berserk variants.!!
One of the absolute lowest levels of demon, Dretches are slow, stupid, lumpy little creatures that really just serve as cannon fodder. They are better than Manes or actual demon vermin, like Abyssal Stalkers, but not by much. The good news (for them, not you) is, Dretches have a chance to upgrade if they prove themselves worthy.
Every so often when you tour a dungeon, you just have to stop and ask, "Okay, do they REALLY expect me to think that these statues aren't gonna try to kill me in a second?"
And then they do. They do kill you.
The Blue Slaad, a Talon Slaad is very big, rotund (or cookie-monsterish), and has WOLVERINE CLAWS! Since slaads are creatures of chaos, their appearance can vary - notice how one is a round, spiny almost-frog-beast, whereas the other demands COOOOOOOKIES.
One of Prince's Rejected song titles, Purple Chaos accidentally summoned Shoggoths to devour his name. The symbol he switched to was an Elder Sign to keep them locked away in the dimension beyond time.
So that's why he did it!
Nearly formless, Shadow Demons melt into the darkness to do their evil deeds.
Very obscure (ha ha!) among demonkind, Shadow Demons are nonetheless feared for their ability to strike terror into the hearts of men.
Likely inspired by the Lungthief Beetle from Dreamblade (it's in this photostream. Look it up), Runespiral Demons are strange little insectile creatures who operate best in packs, with magic chaining from runecarved shell to shell, much like a sort of chain lightning. They aren't very high in the hellish hierarchy (being essentially animals), but they can be quite useful in the proper circumstances.
The armor brings water to life, creating this elemental guardian - and if only that base weren't part of the figure!
A race of strange monkeylike spider-creatures, Ettercaps herd spiders the way shepherds herd sheep. They live deep in the forest, constructing coccoonlike homes high in the treetops out of sight, and live their spidery lives out of sight of most people. Also, they'll web you up easily.
It's always good to have a spellbook on hand, especially when you subscribe to Vancian Magic, when you have to memorize your spells anew every day!
Even though his face isn't terribly well-painted, this is one of my favorite PC minis. Good costume, pose, and the book prop is a nice touch.
Through the science of alchemy and the magic of necromancy, this artificial being can guard many an evil lab... even if it has the googliest eyes ever on its exposed little brain.
Ha ha, look at those eyes! Don't look at the syringes!
Formerly known as the Dracotaur, Drakkoths are a race of dragon-centaur-dudes. That's most of what there is to them, although they make good barbarians, and actually have the option to be a player race. Odd thing is, they physically resemble lizardfolk more than they do dragons.
Forest camo is much easier for people who are already the same color as the woods.
Hey, maybe it IS easy being green!
Magic Versus Technology? No, Magic AND Technology! Since Warforged are officially alive despite being constructed beings, they, too, can wield magic. In fact, you even see robotic clerics in Eberron. But you know, the wizard is just a classic way to get the point across to people.
When it comes to undead, creativity is key - case in point, Skull Lords are powerful triple-faced spellcasters that essentially have three lives. If you do enough damage to destroy one, it merely sacrifices a skull to continue fighting. Of course, it also loses the powers associated with that skull, but its resurrection is likely to take an opponent off guard.
Some of the odder earth-elemental creatures, Xorns are strange tripod beings that tunnel through and deviour stone as easily as we swim in and drink water. They especially like precious metals and gemstones, and are not above using SPOILED PUPPY tactics to rob you.
Yes, a Xorn will look cute until you get near, and then eat your wedding ring. The scoundrel!
I swear, every time I turn around, D&D ogres look totally different. Remind me to get a picture of that gray monkeylike one sometime.
Gruumsh-worshipping Ogres seem slightly more humanoid than others, though!
The Black Dog, a death-omen in irish Myth, was co-opted in D&D as a demonic goblin-dog shapeshifting beast. Close enough, though the face seems a lot more like a baboon to me.
And yes, the Barghest and The Grim of Harry Potter fame are the exact same thing.
Something new introduced about two-thirds of the way through D&D 3.5's lifespawn was the concept of Dragonspawn. Different from Draconians or Dragonborn or other dragon hybrids, these mutants were bred directly by Tiamat, and their forms vary from almost humanoid to one that looks like a spider crossed with a Black Dragon.
Redspawn Firebelchers are related to Red Dragons, but lack the intelligence of their kin. They behave more like evil dinosaurs, and their use is really more of mobile artillery than anything else. It vomits fire and lava like a walking flamethrower, able to spit more fire than yoru average Red Dragon, it's just not very smart.
RUN, STEPHEN COLBERT! RUUUUUUUUUUUUUN!!!!!!!!
A Dire Bear is what you get when you really want to kill someone. They're good at killing, Dire Bears are. Good at a lot of things. But are they good at COMPUTERS? No! The bear revolution may never start now.
This mini makes good tidal wave terrain. It's so-so on water because of its big black base, though it can be pried off with ease. Also, it's got a face. Water with a face!
Anybody wanna tell me how you can kill a water elemental by hitting it with a sword?
Not only is the Ankheg one of D&D's most classic monsters, it's also an original creation! A kind of underground bug, Ankhegs can tunnel through the earth with ease, and spit acid on their victims.
I could spend all day explaining why the ghost's face is split or why it isn't the same as the split-faced Yokai (real Japanese ghost!), or I could just say that this is the same Wraith mini I creatively lit for the volcano ghost picture.
Creatures of lava and flame, Magma Hurlers dwell within their own element, only surfacing to attack intruders. To do that, they vomit magma and throw it, easily burning away even the strongest of enemies.
Somewhere between lesser demon and mid-level demon, Vrocks are fairly powerful and smart, but also willing to serve as beasts of burden for stronger allies. Aside from normal vulture powers (you know, magic spells, hellfire, devouring human flesh), they can also spread poisonous spores, and if there are five or more they can join in a circle for a dance-like ritual that just SLAUGHTERS people.
Sorry about the chipped paint on its beak - I got about three or four from this set, and they ALL ended up scuffing their beak paint before long. It's because of how much it sticks out. Easy to fix, though, if I ever take the time to do it.
Strange, semi-mechanical toadlike beasts, Hezrou are powerful demonic brutes. Not only are they strong enough to demolisha building, but their stench is an offensive weapon that can fell armies!
The hounds of Hell really aren't your typical little fluffy poodles.
Or anything. Honestly. Do YOU wanna pet the doggy?
Compare this lava monster with the Magma Hurler wayyyyyy back at the beginning of my photostream. Two totally different textures! Though it matters not, I like lava creatures all the same. Rockfire Dreadnoughts combine fire and earth just right to be semi-solid hulks of magma, and quite dangerous in or out of their natural habitat.
FOR THE HORDE!!!!
Tolkien imagined Orcs as always-evil, cruel creatures. D&D made them a tribal warrior army. Warcraft really ran with that latter idea... but D&D orcs aren't green!
Of course, you can't expect Rakshasa to be without variants - EVERYTHING in D&D has a variant! So, you take a Rakshasa and give him a sword, and he's a new sub-species! The Zakya are martial and fairly less-magical than their regular brethren, serving as soldiers underneath more powerful Rakshasa barons.
A chief among his people, the Troll Champion is massive, powerful, and bigger than his brethren. Even with fire and acid, this brute will give your party a huge challenge.
They say people look like their pets...
...Okay, that's the punchline. These are actually Pathfinder miniatures, but Pathfinder is the Mexican Bootleg DVD of Dungeons & Dragons, so it's all right.
Animating skeletons is something of an art form to necromancers - not just animating them, but making specialized creations. Sometimes they have four arms, or are on fire, or can operate heavy machinery. Skeleton Champions are designed to fight like experts, and are easily a match for many living, breathing enemies.
Despite being similarly-armed, these guys are higher up on the totem pole than orc drudges - maulers are nasty business!
Also known as Malebranche, War Devils are kind of a variant of the chain-wielding Horned Devils (Cornugon). This was an odd early division that has persisted from edition to edition, rendering them essentially the same except for weapon.
But hey, are you gonna argue with a spear in your gut?
Similar to the aquatic Scrags (water trolls), Ice Trolls are most at home in their frozen environment, and actually need the cold to regenerate. But when they're around snow and ice, watch out!
Some 4th Edition changes are good, some are bad. I LOVE the Cyclops change! They were originally just one-eyed giants, but now...
Cyclopes are the servants of the Fomorians, titanic and insane evil-eyed giants who rule the Feywild with an iron fist. Cyclopes act as their henchmen and smiths, creating weapons and armor for their overlords. Also, they can put the Evil Eye on you and smash you to jelly.
I have to give it to them for creativity. Spider webs are a great resource, so why not make a living construct out of them? The web golem is titanic, sticky, and durable, but also crawling with small spiders, ready to drop them on intruders.
Ever since D&D copied the troll from Three Hearts and Three Lions, it seems that EVERYBODY wants to copy them! Just look at the Reaper troll and the Pathfinder troll - big, green, regenerate... nose length is the only real difference.
But I bet none of them have read Three Hearts and Three Lions.
Animated statues, stone golems, walking statues... hey, they're all the same thing, right? No matter how ancient, how crumbling these constructed guardians seem to be, they will still fulfill their duties, no matter when.
Thief! THIEEEEEEEF!
Ethereal Filchers like shiny things, especially if they are held by heroic adventurers. And they can also teleport in and out of the etereal plane.
So yes, the ONLY reason for these guys to exist is to rob the players blind and then disappear into the aether, never to be seen again. They're almost as awful as rust monsters in their own way.