D&D Monsters that Scare You and Your Players

[demiurge1138]

What monsters really push your player's buttons? This can, also apply to what monsters scare you. And why?

My players get really freaked out by illithids and rakshasas. In the Eberron game that recently folded (everyone died), they met a rakshasa who they suspected was also their employer (she was; they ran into her in her natural form while on a sidequest) and then one of the characters was captured by illithids for experimentation purposes. They got freaked out when they realized they were being manipulated by a tiger-headed fiend, but the illithids just revolted and horrified them just by their existence. The brain-eating, the utterly alien outlook, and their grotesque parasitic reproduction all terrifyed at least a couple of my players, and gave one of them nightmares.

And, in the Planescape game I'm now running with most of the same people, one of my players (the one who knows the most Planescape) is completely terrified of yugoloths, in and out of character. He's worried about being in the path of their schemes, and even on planes where they're active.

It now strikes me that all three of these monster types are as well known for manipulation and trickery as they are for running up to adventurers and hitting them until something dies. Maybe that has something to do with their fear.

Demiurge out.

 

[Arc]

As a player in some of demiurge's campaigns, I'd definitely agree. The fear of being manipulated, set up for a trap, double-crossed, or simply cut out to dry after doing something for someone makes manipulative enemies far more dangerous than head on foes. I think the best way to describe it is that there is no CR for intrigue. An enemy might be difficult to fight in battle, but it's generally not too hard to cut and run if necessary. If you play rationally, it's hard to be afraid of anything you face in combat (though your character might be scared) When you can't do that, and don't even know what you're fighting... then you get worried out of game. The worst bit is that the fear doesn't necessarily occur in character as well. Putting on a brave face when you're about to be screwed is a lot more challenging than playing scared when you know the odds.

 

[Testament]

Manipulation is a damned site scarier than a beatstick. You can fight back against the beatstick, but not so easily against the puppeteer.

 

[Keeper of Secrets]

Sheer power? Demons and Dragons are up there. For terror on subtle danger? Beholders and Mind Flayers.

 

[DarrenGMiller]

I have a player who is absolutely terrified of displacer beasts. His character will not hang around for long if one is nearby.

DM

 

[DaveMage]

Only one scares me - the blackball (epic monster in 3E).

 

[WayneLigon]

Dopplegangers.

Also, when I even hear the word 'Beholder', I start thinking about what my next character will be like.

 

[kigmatzomat]

Beholders. They are frightening things.

Lava wights. Nothing should do permanent ability damage. Ack!

 

[werk]

Yugoloths, for sure, and devils/baatezu. add in shapechangers like rakshasa and doppleganger. and weird,smart,leader-types like illithids, beholders, aboleths.

I'm going to agree, the monsters that scare me are the schemers, not the bashers...because schemers always seem to have a supply of bashers at their disposal.

add in there any human or humanoid types that are above average intelligence.
I also hate swarms. I saw a fellow player have the worst day ever in ravenloft, and it was the swarm that did him in. (he was in a prison cell, and the party enemy found him, paralyzed him, then summoned swarm on him - wasps) it's one thing to be bashing it up with a fire-breathing dragon, it's quite another to be lying on the putrid floor of a dungeon, helpless, while wasps mercilessly sting you (in your eyes/nose/ears/mouth/etc) and some BBEG just stands there laughing at your agony.

I think it might come down to evil and smart vs evil and physical. Devils/baatezu scare me much more than demons/tanarri for that very reason.

Metagame, as a player, I always hate monsters that either cause disease, poison, or ability drain.

 

[Turjan]

Illithids and rakshasas are a good kind of scare. They are tough and often deadly, but you still have a chance. The real agony arises when something like a bodak appears. As a DM I try to avoid them.