Monsters for RPG game (lufia/Final Fantasy style games)

Started by Sincubus, November 09, 2012, 06:59:53 AM

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Hello all monster fans!

I have some questions for you (the ones that play games and especially games with monsters in it)

I'm creating my own fan-based RPG game with RPG maker and my own bought artwork of monsters sprites, I'm very much into the less-famous monsters & Cryptids of this world so they all gonna be there.

My questions to you guys are:

1: What monsters are pure classics and can NEVER be left out of games.
2: What monsters are you sick off and never wanna see again (or in a long time) + which ones do you think are overused. (like giant rats and goblins in every single game you play)
3: Which monsters should get more screentime? Which monsters should appear more in games?

Extra questions about my own game's monster list: (only if you have the time to read through that huge list)

1: Are there some monsters that you miss in this list?
2: Which monsters should I leave out? (because you find them silly or maybe pathetic, give me the reason)
3: Are there too much monsters? Too few? Or just enough?

This is a RPG (lufia style, not the animated final fantasy style) game so the monster sprites aren't that hard to create of course.




Now for the list:

Bosses & Sidequest Bosses

Pazuzu / Baba Yaga / Jersey Devil (with other name) / Springheel Jack (with jack the ripper attitude)
Tempest Totem / Tiamat / Geryon / Ghost Ship
Nemean Lion (with other name) / Grendel / Echidna / Lilith (succubus)
Serket / War Golem / Chimera (flesh golem-like) / Excalibur the living sword
Ifrit (efreet) / Anansi / Salem (burned witch) / Kampe
Typhon / Nosferatu / Graeae / Andras
Tempest / Dagon (frog king) / The Red Hand (Ly Erg) / Lorelei
Baron Samedi / Tarrasque / Aspidochelone (the living island) / Circe
Atlas / Namazu / Beelzebub / Ismenian Dragon (other name + Summons Sparti Warriors)
Pandora Box / Polyphemus / Fafnir / Jack Frost
Ouroboras / Garm / Orcus / Grootslang
Hel / Laelaps / Quicksilver (Teumissian Fox) / Balor (fomorian)
Prometheus / Leanan Sidhe (Inside paintings) / Jabberwock / Tzitzimitl
Rainbow Serpent / Demilich / Humbaba / Loki (endboss)


Normal Enemies:

UNDEAD
Ghul (Genie variant) / Mummy (non humanoid) / Sea Bonze / Bakekujira (Ghost Whale)
Draugr / St.Elmo's Fire / Heikegami (Samurai Crab) / Vrykolakas (horseman of pestilence servant)
Will o Wisp / Ghast (The Mist) / Aswang / Baykok
Manananggal / Guecubu (like mudmen from Moonstone: A hard days knight) / Voodoo Puppet / The Wild Hunt
Adlet (spiritual werewolf) / Banshee / Worm That Walks (lovecraft) / Nightgaunt (lovecraft)
Soul Devourer (devourer from D&D) / Berbalang / Valkyrie (nasty undead angel version) / Mad Gasser (very different from myth)
Dybbuk / Poltergeist / Grim Reaper (servant of horseman of death) / Yuki-Onna
Shadow / Legion (much like the castlevania version) / Gashadokuro (giant skeleton) / Zombie
Skeleton / Wraith (Revenant) / Chon Chon / Claw (severed hand)
Lemure (not D&D version) / Obariyon (Undead parasite that grows from victims back)

VERMIN
Scarab Swarm / Myrmecoleon (ant lion) / Gold Digger Ant (golden ants) / Death Worm (Mongolian)
Sun Spider (Giant Solifigud) / Con Rit (sea centipede) / Shen (illusion using giga clam) / Carcinos
Maneater (from castlevania but reworked) / Black Spot Urchin / Dragonfly / Bog Strider
Colour out of Space (colourfull land-based jellyfish version) / Mage Bane (magic eating mosquito) / Assassin Bug
Killer Bees (Swarm) / Bombard (beetle) / Giant Snail (unnamed as yet) / Rust Monster (D&D)
Remorhaz (different from D&D version) / Gloomwing (moth)



DRAGONS
Basilisk (reptile version, not serpent)  / Ammut (crocodile-like creature)  / Hadhayosh (fire bull) / Jormungdar (midgard serpent)
Mokele-Mbembe (nessie, plesiosaurus model) / Lukwata (ichtyosaurus + Dragon model) / Hydra / Tatzlwurm
Cockatrice / Wyvern / Manticore / Kongamato (and Ropen)
Naga / Quetzalcouatl / Hodag / Peluda
Gorynych  / Sleipnir / Faerie Dragon

(I know there are a lot what-the-f*** monsters here, but Dragons in my game stand for powerfull, mystic creatures, not for the giant winged lizards)


MAGICAL OBJECTS (CONSTRUCTS)
Scarecrow / Iron Maiden / Purple Mirror (much like a purple mirror with a bloody mary-like creature in it)
Alastor (sword monster that animate other weapons) / Taotieh (statue with portal to another realm in its body)
Terracotta Warrior + Mage / Colossus (Talos) / Demon Toys / Symplegades (2 twin stone golems that crush enemies between the two of them, in mythology 2 giant crushing stones that hinder the Argonauts)

(Yes, more needed indeed)


PLANT MONSTERS
Cactus Cat (not as silly as its name) / Kelpie (seaweed seahorse) / Death Cap (mushroom) / Umdhlebi
Jinmenju (tree which creates monsters, minions from its fruit) / Kapre / Mantrap (venus fly trap) / Ladon (plant dragon)
Jubokko (vampire tree) / Alraune (castlevania style) / Jack o Lantern / Mandragora
Wolf in Sheep Clothing (D&D) / Phycomid (D&D) / Ascomoid (D&D)

ELEMENTALS
Dust Devil (sandman) / Phoenix (peacock version) / Ashray (evil undine) / Kijimuna (Ukobach, goblin with fire hair)
Raiju (lightningbeast) / Antaeus (half giant half earth elemental) / Roper (much like D&D version) / Crysmal
Salamander (lizard version, not D&D) / Cherufe (vulcan monster) / Cacus (fire elemental like, not giant)
Gargoyle / Sylph

OOZES
Slime / Blob / Globster (sea slime) / Shoggoth / Mimic (turn into coffin/chest/giant beartrap/giant slingaxe trap)


DEMONS & FIENDS
Ghawwas (evil sea djinn) / Decarabia (demon starfish) / Siyokoy (sea demon) / Kappa
Nue / Popobawa / Omukade (centipede demon) / Baku
Tengu / Empusa (mantis + succubus demon) / Bisan (parasite wasp + female demon) / Kumiho (silver kitsune)
Sagari / Tsuchigumo (spider demon) / Gug (lovecraft) / Moon-Beast (lovecraft)
Hyakume (eyeball demon) / Rakshasa / Nekomata (bakeneko) / Doppelganger
Gremlin / Peryton (Ethon) / Hala (or Ala) / Balrog (copyright? whatever)
Saumen Kar (yeti-like creature) / Chariot of the Apocalypse / Cerberus / Anteros (evil goth-like cupid)
Eurynome (black ghouls) / Imp / Lamia / Acheri (pestilence child demons)
Makhai (servants of the horseman of war) / Incubus (ugly version) / Rokurokubi (long neck hag)
Jorogumo (black widow spider that can take female form)

HUMANOIDS OTHER + GIANTS
Skinwalker (werewolf replacement) / Athach (giant with 4 arms) / Goblin / Maenad (beautiful woman who becomes ugly after you attack her)
Gnoll / Jotun (frost giant) / Hekantonkheires / Bandit / Morlock (people in the sewers and under the stairs)
Berserker (becomes Einherjar if killed) / Gorgon (medusa) / Orc
Harpy / Cyclops / Argus (The many eye giant) / Dvergar (replace own bodyparts with mechanical stuff)
Minotaur / Sabosan (bat humanoids) / Biloko (pygmy) / Lizardman (maybe also chameleon version)
Troll / Pirate / Adaro (shark people) / Deep One (lovecraft)
Ningyo (monkey mermaid) / Girtablilu (scorpion centaurs) / Anubis (not the god)

FEY or FAE (faeries and hags)
Qallupilluk (sea hags) / Grindylow (fuath) / Nuckelavee / Bloody Bones
Alp-Luachra / Fossegrim (satyr version) / Merrow (same as Vodyanoi in my game) / Polevik (toadstool people)
Boggart (also known as boogeyman or knocker) / Pukwudgie (porcupine hags) / Dullahan
Cait Sith (evil puss in boots) / Korred (with their animated hair) / Mothman / Redcap
Wendigo / Spriggan (twins, if you kill one the other becomes mad and giant) / Leshy / Black Annis (hag)
Clurichaun (greedy red-wearing leprechaun) / Erlkonig (much like tallman) / Barghest (cu sith or hound of ill omen)
Phooka (black horse version much like d&d nightmare) / Carbuncle / Huldra
Ettin (like the real 3headed version) / Kobold (or pech) / Buggane (mole variant)
Jack in Irons (much like D&D's Kytons) / Kikimora (servants of the horseman of famine, they control insects)
Puck (jester-like fey) / Tooth Fairy (evil freaky version) / Domovoy (evil brownie version)
Rarog (fire dwarf-like creature that travels like meteor)
Barbegazi (much like fachen but frost version creates avalanches) / Urisk (very ugly creature, hate beauty)



BEASTS & MAGICAL BEASTS
Wolf / Black Bear / Sphinx / Catoblepas (rhino version) / Razorback Boar
Wadjet (cobra) / Thunderbird / Stygimoloch (pachycephalosaurus variant) / Megalodon
Kraken / Akhlut (orca wolf) / Siren / Echineis (remora monster with magnetical powers)
White Whale (much like moby penis) / Dunkleosteus (prehistoric fish) / Black Swan (cursed)
Dobhar-Chu / Bunyip / Tiger Fish / Luska (and Iku Turso the disease variant) / Afanc (crocodile + beaver)
Stymphalidies (sharp crane birds) / Lau (electrical giant catfish monster) / Ahuizotl / El Cuaro (manta monster)
Abaia / Mata Mata (giant ugly turtle monster) / Slime Prince (if females attack it this frog turns into a humanoid frog)
Amphisbaena / Miraj (or al-mi'raj) / Lavellan (the most poisonous creature ever) / Ramidreju
Brood Mother (giant toads with their piranha-like spawn on their backs) / Terror Bird / Kamadan
Kasai Rex (red with black tigerstripes t.rex creature) / Mapinguari (giant moss-covered sloth with mouth in stumic)
Veo (giant monstrous pangolin) / Zoog (lovecraft again) / Camazotl (parrot monster)
Kerkope (six armed thief monkeys) / Drop Bear / Tailypo (from the horror story)
Sickle Weasel (hate the asian name) / Aniwye (giant skunk) / Cagrino (evil hedgehog) / Night Raven (nachtkrapp)
Chickcharney (bad-luck owl monster) / Crocotta (or leucrocotta) / Sasquatch / Wolpertinger (a nasty jackalope)
Agrios (magical shapeshifter bear) / Gulon (gluttony wolverine) / Aurumvorax (gold eater) / Chupacabra
Ahool (giant bat) / Sewer Alligator / Rat King (really freaky version) / Fenris (the frost wolf)
Maltese Tiger (blue tiger)

OTHERS
Scylla / Charybdis (like the Pathfinder-Paizo version) / Isitoq (bat winged eyeballs) / Bandersnatch
Intellect Devourer / Otyugh


Thanks for answering/reading! (if any)

Erm... Hold on a minute...

*Goes off to collect pieces of brain and skull from cranial meltdown*

.......

Okay I think I got 'em all...

*Tapes top of head back together*

Geez dude, I think you've got enough monsters already... Why would you need more? I'm assuming you're creating a computer RPG right? I really don't think you need that many... You gotta generate the stats, the models, you gotta ensure the game mechanics and balance is right, you gotta play/bug test 'em... The list goes on... If you're dead set on all these monsters then go right ahead but prepare for your own cranial meltdowns.

In any case, as to your first 3 questions; really hard to answer. Each person will likely have their own take, plus, try to remember that you are creating this RPG not for yourself but for an audience. There's probably a reason why you see giant spiders and orcs/goblins in pretty much every game out there. Remember also that not all the players are jaded ones...

As for your second 3 questions... I think you have way too many monsters man. As to which ones to keep and discard, I can't answer that either, it's gonna be up to you in the end anyway. All I can suggest is to create the story first BEFORE you create the world. Many of the monsters on your list is erm... "Genre Specific" for instance a Jotun or a Berbalang may not be the best choice if the story has a middle-eastern flavour? There are no silly or pathetic monsters really, it's how you use them in the story that's more important.

If you're looking for monsters which are not part of common folklore or are how shall I say... "unfamiliar" try checking out Talislanta.com they are an somewhat obscure pen and paper (old school RPGs) developer who pride themselves on the uniqueness of their creations. Plus most of their stuff is available for free download :)

Hope this helps... :D

Thanks for your reply!!

Anyway I never like the monsters from current games because they are:
1: Always in a theme (ice/greek/chinese/african) and never in a chaotic mixture of awesomeness, except for Lufia and Shin Megami Tensei series.
2: Always the same monsters (goblins, spiders and other non-special ability having beasties that only have different sprites)
3: Very boring artwork.

The artwork for most of these monsters are already finished and I've paid a very good artist a pretty much big some to get them ready for my own RPG use and cardgame which is almost finished.

I never care for themes, I like to suprise people with monsters much like lufia did way back, greek, irish, chinese and african beasties mixed with cryptids and creatures from ancient folklore and indian tales.
For example while the Sickle Weasel (kaimatachi) and the Rokurokubi may sound asian, I use them in very NON asian ways, the Rokurokubi only has the stretchable neck in common with the true myth, it isn't even a chinese woman in my artwork and more an monster born from experiments, I don't change the names because its difficult and the people recognize the names, and then there is Final Fantasy, who really destroys monsters in an awefull way and nobody seems to care, at least I keep the famous features alive in most cases. In final fantasy rokurokubi would probably end up as a giraffe or a frog...


And of course i'm working on story/spells/characters and all that stuff too, but this is a monster forum so I only post the monsters questions here, I was currious at what people really disliked and liked in their games. (maybe its still the wrong forum but I could try anyway)

You are right about the difficulty of balance tho... its a hell, but gladly is a lufia (old rpg) type of game so its a whole lot easier than modern games,i 'm also not in a hurry its more of a fan-work and something I enjoy doing in my sparetime, somewhere in the far future the rpg is probably done, my cardgame however is almost finished, and all these monsters + legendary heroes are in there.

I have to agree with Mr. weird...too much!!!

If you're serious about an rpg you  need some cohesiveness, first it's element, white wolf is mostly the edgy, gothic sort of world for vampire, breaking off to some more classical approaches. For more nature based they came up with werewolf, more magic based they have mage, for the fantasy super creatures they have exalted, for heaven and hell they came up with demon. To keep things simple you can use one theme with companion books or if you want a more chaotic game you can use several books...exalted with demon for the classic battle of heaven and hell, werewolf with vampire for a classic battle of monster game. They've also created their own monsters, werewolf has the wyrm with an elaborate story about how it's afflicting the natural world and corrupting once healthy natural aspects into horrible monstrosities that they have designed or spots about how to create your own monsters derived from the worm.  Vampire has a variety of clans like the tzimce and tremere that can use things like magic and flesh craft to create your own.

The key to an rpg is in it's simplicity, especially if you're trying to compete against established games like dungeons and dragons, white wolf and a variety of other independent game systems. Research those and come up with something different, just walk into a game shop and see all the options they have. You've chosen a huge endeavor in a big market.
"The world that God made is inherently comprised of relationships, symmetries, analogia, anagogy, poetic wisdom. Thus is the language of symbolism."

I think i'm already different because I use different styles mixed together, they all look no further than goblins, werewolves and vampires, things that get very very very little role in my game other than being weak-level enemies.

The characters i'm gonna use are also pretty messed up and not so good vs evil that most other games do. Nephalims, Fallen Angels, Cursed Pirates and such are the heroes, bound together by fate.

You've chosen a challenging endeavor, just have a good cohesive story and it should be fine.  :)
"The world that God made is inherently comprised of relationships, symmetries, analogia, anagogy, poetic wisdom. Thus is the language of symbolism."