Ancient Greek Style Monsters [Archive] - Wizards Community

Ancient Greek Style Monsters [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
D20RollPlayer
10-17-05, 01:05 PM Hey, me and a few other players have started a campain set in ancient Greece, with the god's changed to greek god's etc. We are getting a bit stuck on which monsters to use, any ideas appreciated.
ShinQuickMan
10-17-05, 01:39 PM Just a couple:
Chimera
Hydra
Cockatrice
Hill and Cloud Giants
Nymphs
Dryads
Lamia, but instead make them Yuan-ti Abominations with constrict and improved grab as their only special attacks.
Titans
Annis Hags
Centaur
Minotaur
Satyr
Tritons
Merfolk
Harpies
Medusa
D20RollPlayer
10-17-05, 01:43 PM All really good, but I was thinking more along the lines of a comman enemy, you know like a version of orcs or something.
Yak of Darkness
10-17-05, 01:46 PM How accurate to the myths do you want to keep it (notice my use of the word "accurate" in referring to a fantasy role playing game based on mythological stories ;) )? As in, do you want there to be only one medusa or minotaur in the world, because that's how the myths go, or do you want to have a Greek-myth-flavored world with things like medusae and minotaurs being the kinds of monsters fought, instead of things like standard D&D ogres, trolls, and whatnot?

The Sword and Sorcery book (third-party source . . . doom doom doom!) Relics and Rituals: Olympus makes the distinction by having two sets of stats for most of the monsters there . . . one for a generic "common" version of a mythological monster (a ladon is a gargantuan CR 13 beastie) as well as an upgraded version for the monster of legend (Ladon weighs in at a whopping colossal CR 25!). The same treatment is given to Cerberus, Charybdis, Medusa, and Scylla, so the PCs can go out and fight some iconic baddies before they become the stuff of homeric epics.

Really, if you're planning on going for a Greek mythology campaign, you ought to check out R&R:O. It's not a perfect book by any means, but it's definitely worth the sale price for a long-term campaign. Not only does it have the aforementioned monsters, but other unique baddies, some great spells and domains that fit the setting (clerics of Hera can take the Marriage domain and gain its associated spells, as can clerics of Dionysus with the Wine domain), Greek takes on the base races/classes, and (my personal favorite part) an optional "hubris" system to make sure no characters get too self-posessed.

A hubris system . . . I mean, how can you not love that?

R&R:O aside, you can just selectively use the core books to keep in line with what your PCs would expect for this type of game. Aside from the obviously Greek-influenced monsters (the aforementioned medusa and minotaur, as well as your harpies {who are really more like sirens}, hydras, and all), you can use things like dire animals to represent the exceptional dangers of the wild (or for special cases like the Nemian Lion). Hill giant stats can be coopted for cyclopses. Stormwrack has a decent Charybdis-like monster, and can be invaluable if you want to do Odyssey-esque seafaring adventures.

And don't forget the most common monster of all--human fighters. Especially those with plenty of unarmed combat feats (blow through Complete Warrior for all your wrestling needs). You may even want to pop in some of the unarmed combat feat trees from d20 modern (there's a modern SRD if you don't own the book), as while non-monk unarmed combatants are fairly well screwed in standard D&D, it really ought to be a perfectly acceptible fighting style for a Greek myth game.

Good gaming.

EDIT:
All really good, but I was thinking more along the lines of a comman enemy, you know like a version of orcs or something.Definitely human fighters (Spartans, Macedonians, Trojans, Egyptians, northern/eastern barbarians, etc.) . . . unless you want to "D&D-up" the Greek myths, adding in the standard PHB races. In which case, you might as well just use orcs, too. ;)
ShinQuickMan
10-17-05, 02:03 PM And don't forget the most common monster of all--human fighters.

Well, human warriors would seem to be a better fit as common enemies. Human fighters would probably lead them

Also, human barbarians would be a suitable enemy as well: they make perfect highway men and leaders for slave rebellions.
malykoth
10-17-05, 05:43 PM Why not come up with an "evil" (or at least imperialistic) human nation across the waves. Sort of like Persia, Sparta or Rome to the core nation's "Athens". Each nation allied with different divine powers is also a good way to distinguish them (Ares/Athena, Zeus/Posidon, etc.). Most of the intelligent monsters might be members of old, dying races, willing to ally with either of the two human powers. Each nation might also have distinct intelligent non-humans that aren't usually found elsewhere. For example; the enemy's armies can be renown for their minotaur charging units, or maybe they employ merfolk to scuttle their opponent's ships. The other side could have centaur cavalry or superior, cyclops-made weaponry.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
D20RollPlayer 10-17-05, 01:05 PM	Hey, me and a few other players have started a campain set in ancient Greece, with the god's changed to greek god's etc. We are getting a bit stuck on which monsters to use, any ideas appreciated.
ShinQuickMan 10-17-05, 01:39 PM	Just a couple: Chimera Hydra Cockatrice Hill and Cloud Giants Nymphs Dryads Lamia, but instead make them Yuan-ti Abominations with constrict and improved grab as their only special attacks. Titans Annis Hags Centaur Minotaur Satyr Tritons Merfolk Harpies Medusa
D20RollPlayer 10-17-05, 01:43 PM	All really good, but I was thinking more along the lines of a comman enemy, you know like a version of orcs or something.
Yak of Darkness 10-17-05, 01:46 PM	How accurate to the myths do you want to keep it (notice my use of the word "accurate" in referring to a fantasy role playing game based on mythological stories ;) )? As in, do you want there to be only one medusa or minotaur in the world, because that's how the myths go, or do you want to have a Greek-myth-flavored world with things like medusae and minotaurs being the kinds of monsters fought, instead of things like standard D&D ogres, trolls, and whatnot? The Sword and Sorcery book (third-party source . . . doom doom doom!) Relics and Rituals: Olympus makes the distinction by having two sets of stats for most of the monsters there . . . one for a generic "common" version of a mythological monster (a ladon is a gargantuan CR 13 beastie) as well as an upgraded version for the monster of legend (Ladon weighs in at a whopping colossal CR 25!). The same treatment is given to Cerberus, Charybdis, Medusa, and Scylla, so the PCs can go out and fight some iconic baddies before they become the stuff of homeric epics. Really, if you're planning on going for a Greek mythology campaign, you ought to check out R&R:O. It's not a perfect book by any means, but it's definitely worth the sale price for a long-term campaign. Not only does it have the aforementioned monsters, but other unique baddies, some great spells and domains that fit the setting (clerics of Hera can take the Marriage domain and gain its associated spells, as can clerics of Dionysus with the Wine domain), Greek takes on the base races/classes, and (my personal favorite part) an optional "hubris" system to make sure no characters get too self-posessed. A hubris system . . . I mean, how can you not love that? R&R:O aside, you can just selectively use the core books to keep in line with what your PCs would expect for this type of game. Aside from the obviously Greek-influenced monsters (the aforementioned medusa and minotaur, as well as your harpies {who are really more like sirens}, hydras, and all), you can use things like dire animals to represent the exceptional dangers of the wild (or for special cases like the Nemian Lion). Hill giant stats can be coopted for cyclopses. Stormwrack has a decent Charybdis-like monster, and can be invaluable if you want to do Odyssey-esque seafaring adventures. And don't forget the most common monster of all--human fighters. Especially those with plenty of unarmed combat feats (blow through Complete Warrior for all your wrestling needs). You may even want to pop in some of the unarmed combat feat trees from d20 modern (there's a modern SRD if you don't own the book), as while non-monk unarmed combatants are fairly well screwed in standard D&D, it really ought to be a perfectly acceptible fighting style for a Greek myth game. Good gaming. EDIT: All really good, but I was thinking more along the lines of a comman enemy, you know like a version of orcs or something.Definitely human fighters (Spartans, Macedonians, Trojans, Egyptians, northern/eastern barbarians, etc.) . . . unless you want to "D&D-up" the Greek myths, adding in the standard PHB races. In which case, you might as well just use orcs, too. ;)
ShinQuickMan 10-17-05, 02:03 PM	And don't forget the most common monster of all--human fighters. Well, human warriors would seem to be a better fit as common enemies. Human fighters would probably lead them Also, human barbarians would be a suitable enemy as well: they make perfect highway men and leaders for slave rebellions.
malykoth 10-17-05, 05:43 PM	Why not come up with an "evil" (or at least imperialistic) human nation across the waves. Sort of like Persia, Sparta or Rome to the core nation's "Athens". Each nation allied with different divine powers is also a good way to distinguish them (Ares/Athena, Zeus/Posidon, etc.). Most of the intelligent monsters might be members of old, dying races, willing to ally with either of the two human powers. Each nation might also have distinct intelligent non-humans that aren't usually found elsewhere. For example; the enemy's armies can be renown for their minotaur charging units, or maybe they employ merfolk to scuttle their opponent's ships. The other side could have centaur cavalry or superior, cyclops-made weaponry.