Recently, I've been playing through Grandia II and I've been trying to determine which character or enemy is the "flagship monster" for the game. By using the term "flagship monster" I mean an iconic enemy or creature associated with a particular game, series, or franchise. For example, when I think of Secret of Mana, I usually think of Rabites (see attached). Rabites have a very recognizable design and are typically the first enemy encountered in each of the games.

Not including bosses or major antagonists, what are some other memorable enemies or creatures from RPGs you have played? Why?

If possible attach a picture!

Well this topic fell off the board rather quickly...

In that case I'll post another recognizable creature to try to get a discussion going about RPG enemies! When playing Dungeons and Dragons, I typically think of Beholders as the most interesting and iconic enemies of the entire series. Not only are they powerful, they are generally weird looking and easily memorable.

The Dragon Quest series has Slimes, which look like purple Hershey's kisses with smiley faces.

There are also Red Slimes, which are slightly stronger than Slimes.

And then there are Metal Slimes, which have an unusual combination of characteristics:
1. Low HP (like 3 or 4)
2. High defense (so high that, if you are lucky, your non-critical attacks will do only 1 damage)
3. Immune to magic, immune or nearly immune (depending on the game) to breath attacks
4. Likes to run away (in Dragon Quest 6, if you try talking to a certain Metal Slime in the Slime Arena, it runs away)
5. Gives huge amounts of experience if you manage to kill one before it runs away.

Also of note from the series is the Demonite monster, which is a devil that tries to cast powerful spells, but has 0 MP.

Wizardry 1 has an interesting enemy: Creeping Coins. They appear in groups, have 1 hit point, and like to breathe on the party for 0 damage (increased to 1 in Wizardry 4).

Rats? ;)

I remember the room with four groups of coins. If they surprise you, go and make lunch.

CREEPING COIN BREATHES!
*whirrr* [disk access]
ORKO IS UNAFFECTED
*whirrr*
GRIMWERK IS UNAFFECTED
*whirrr*
PALLAVI IS UNAFFECTED
*whirrr*
DOOMBUGGY IS UNAFFECTED
*whirrr*
WILLOW IS UNAFFECTED
*whirrr*
MAGNUS IS UNAFFECTED
*whirrr whirrr whirrr*

Repeat for each of the 32 attacking coins, and then hope MAKANITO works.

I played the game on my father's Apple2, and those critters were my personal nightmare. I used my Tiltowait spell (think atomic bomb) on those 1hp - no damage buggers just to be sure they wouldn't get another round.


Another iconic monster : In Dungeon Master, it was definitely your avatar. the shrieking mushroom, a staple of dungeon ecology (and adventurer survival) :)

Yes, I can still remember my delight when discovering my first screamer slice.

If we're talking about large groups of enemies, how about one particular encounter in the original Bard's Tale consisting of:
99 Berserkers
99 Berserkers
99 Berserkers, and (as if that weren't enough)
99 Berserkers

That battle takes a while, although it isn't that difficult with low AC on the front ranks, Mind Blade, and maybe a Fire Horn.

Rabbibunnies! From Little Big Adventure. They were quite different.

As a German I liked the "Dopplegangers" in the Bards Tale games.
"Will your stalwart band choose to (R)un or (F)ight!" :-)

Planescape: Torment

Cranium Rats! Alone or in small groups they are much more of a threat than normal rats. But encounter larger groups and things can go downhill very quickly. They have a hive-mind, and the more there are, the more powerful and intelligent they become. Large groups can cast devastating spell...

In Morrowind I think it is the cliff racers, cliff racers, cliff racers, cliff racers, cliff racers, cliff racers, cliff racers, cliff racers, cliff racers, cliff racers, cliff racers, cliff racers, cliff racers, cliff racers, cliff racers, cliff racers, cliff racers, cliff racers, cliff racers, cliff racers, cliff racers, cliff racers.

Yeah, I think that’s it. Oh no, wait, there’s more:

Cliff racers, cliff racers, cliff racers, cliff racers, cliff racers, cliff racers, cliff racers, cliff racers, cliff racers, cliff racers, cliff racers, cliff racers, cliff racers, cliff racers, cliff racers, cliff racers, cliff racers, cliff racers, cliff racers, cliff racers, cliff racers, cliff racers, cliff racers, cliff racers, cliff racers, cliff racers, cliff racers, cliff racers, cliff racers, cliff racers, cliff racers, cliff racers, cliff racers, cliff racers, cliff racers, cliff racers, cliff racers, cliff racers, cliff racers.

Actually, if a Doppleganger has infiltrated the party, you don't even get the option to run away.

"I got 99 problems but the beserker aint one of them"

Note, i can be street ;op

Giant Rats.