Five Dungeons and Dragons Online Monsters for Newbies

The five monsters described in this article are common throughout Dungeons and Dragons Online. Beginner adventurers will likely encounter some or all of the beasts and it is never a bad idea to know your enemy. Each of the monsters described within this article has its own way of causing serious problems for adventurers.

Instead of trying to do too much with common monsters, DDO keeps simple monsters simple. They live in simple dwellings and have acquired modest wealth, if any. They focus on simple pleasures like hunting, eating, and sleeping and that being the case, DDO was good enough to have players encounter the monsters while they're engaged in their day to day activities.

They aren't powerful and exciting like dragons or giants, but they do play significant roles in the story lines throughout the adventures on Xen'drik. These story lines are well-developed and give adventurers a sense of realism as they explore an underground hobgoblin city or delve deep into dank caverns populated by evil trolls.

Ogres are neanderthal-like brutes that inhabit dank caves littered with the bones of adventurers. Most bellow in rage at the mere sight of humans. Low level players that suffer a wound from one of these monsters might not survive. They are ferocious, strong, and they normally attack in some sort of leaping combination of blows. If one or more of those blows land, weaker players could potentially find themselves unconscious or worse.

Trolls are slightly more powerful than ogres but they are more susceptible to damage from fire. Unfortunately for adventurers, this race of monster prefers the company of other trolls. If an adventure party happens upon one, it's likely there are more nearby.

Both ogres and trolls usually live in smaller cave systems with few companions, but some become more powerful by learning various arts, including magic. The majority of them aren't going to beat anyone in a wits contest, but then they don't need wits to charge at you in a rage, with the intention of flattening you into a pancake with their clubs.

Below are listed a few tips for when players new to Dungeons and Dragons Online inevitably run into ogres or trolls.

• For goodness' sake, don't charge into them. You might hit hard, but hit hard, too. The best formation to employ is for the melee (hand-to-hand combatants) characters to stand well forward of the casters or ranged attackers. Then you let those behind attack and draw the beasts forward. Once they reach the line of melee characters, everybody let them have it. Melee characters who have spent points on the Intimidate skill would be wise to use it before the monsters get past.
• Use fire. Trolls regenerate hit points. They can be very hard to kill for players that aren't doing huge amounts of damage per strike. Use wall of fire and draw them into it. If you are fighting ogres, charm or incapacitate one or more of them.
• Don't let them hit you. If the melee players aren't getting the attention of the ogres or trolls, the monsters will head for the rear in search of the caster, or ranged player, that is doing the most damage to them. If this happens, it's better for that player to run and let the others attack. A low level wizard is not likely to survive even one blow from these creatures.

Hellhounds and hobgoblins will occasionally be found in each other's company. Since hobgoblins are fond of underground cities and have heaps of treasure to protect, hellhounds make good pets. Hellhounds can be found in DDO traveling with, or protecting, ogres or other humanoids. Hobgoblins are more intelligent than most other humanoids. They are very good at acquiring wealth and it's worth it for adventurers to make hobgoblin lairs a common questing choice. There are ways to successfully fight both of these monsters.

• Fire or cold resistance. Hobgoblin casters frequently cast fire and cold spells (this is dependent on monster level of caster). If you run into a large mob of hobgoblins, and they have multiple arcane casters, you will get badly damaged by fire or ice while you are trying to fight their melee attackers. Hellhounds breathe fire as their main attack. They claw and bite, but it is their fire that will do the most damage if you don't have any fire resistance. Use potions, items, or spells to get some fire resistance (or cold resistance) up before engaging these foes.
• Listen. Having somebody in the party with a high listen skill is important because hobgoblins and hellhounds both are able to hide in shadows more than ably. Hellhounds like to sneak into the midst of a party and then light them up like barbecue.
• Use mind control. Hobgoblins can be charmed by casters with high DC (difficulty class) or high level. Low level casters will see some success charming them, too. The best way to fight hobgoblins is to cast charm person or charm monster on them. This will cause them to immediately attack one of their clansmen, or even other monsters traveling with them.

Rust monsters are one of the few creatures in the Eberron game world that can cause experienced adventurers to choose avoidance rather than a fight. They aren't particularly harmful to adventurers themselves, but, as their name implies, they eat metal.

Fighters, paladins, and clerics who were just moments before displaying acts of great heroism in a fight against a fierce foe, have been sighted fleeing from rust monsters like cowards while fumbling in an attempt to get a wooden club into their hands.

Getting a treasure reward for defeating a rust monster is unlikely. This lends to the general opinion among those that use metal weapons or armor that it would be better if "someone else" took care of the rust monsters. The creatures have the unique ability to cause some pretty hilarious moments among adventure groups.

Arrows are wooden and are a quick way to get rid of these annoying creatures from a safe distance. If you attack with metal, you will find yourself weaponless after a few blows upon the alien-like creatures.