Classifying Monvesian Creatures

RETCON NOTE:  Portions of this posts are sysematically being replaced by a series of posts under the heading of "Classifying Monvesian Creatures":

• Aberrations, Celestials, Fiends
• Anachromisms, Doubles, Thoughtforms
• Beasts & Monstrosities
• Divinities
• Elementals
• Fey [& Plants]
• Humanoids & Giants
• Undead

General information about creature classification in this setting will remain in this post.

As has been pointed out in previous posts, the nature of Monvesia is different from that other D&D worlds.  To accommodate these differences, there needs to be some minor shuffling of creatures.  A few new monster types have even been created.  The creature types of Monvesia are listed below, showing those both new and altered.

Beasts

Many creatures normally classified as monstrocities are included among the beasts of Monvesia. 

• Catoblepas [beast]
• Roc [beast]

Daemons (Multiple Types)

Daemons are a family of several monster types, each tied to one of the three-Sphere transitive planes. Five of these types already exist in the game, and three are new: Aberrations, Anachronisms, Doubles, Celestials, Fey, Fiends, Thoughforms, and Undead.

The most powerful daemons are the beings that form pacts with mortal warlocks.  Archdaemons are unique creatures with individual identities and appearances.

Transitive Plane	Spheres	Daemon Type	Archdaemon	Warlock Pact
Abyss	Hydro-, Litho-, Necro-	Undead	Undying Ones	Undying
Dreaming	Aero-, Hiero-, Hydro-	Thoughtform	Muses	Seeker
Empyrean	Aero-, Hiero-, Pyro-	Celestial	Virtues	Celestial
Eternity	Aero-, Necro-, Pyro-	Anachronism	Legacies	Horologius
Faerie	Hiero-, Litho-, Pyro-	Fey	Archfey	Archfey
Inferno	Aero-, Necro-, Pyro-	Fiend	Vices	Fiend
Infinity	Hiero-, Hydro, Litho-	Double	Deep Reflexions	Man in the Mirror
Limbo	Litho-, Necro-, Pyro-	Aberration	HMDJVNW	Great Old One

Aberration

Aberrations not part of beholder or illithid lore are the daemons of Limbo (sometimes called the Plane of Nightmares), which is analagous to the Far Realm (and, loosely, the outer plane of Limbo).  Creatures like the aboleth, flumph  and star spawn find their place in Monvesia among their ranks.  The most powerful of these are the Great Old Ones.

A small handful of aberrations have bee reclassified as grotesque doubles (see below).  Any aberration not reclassified as a double and not explicitly omitted from the setting can be found in Limbo,

Anachronism (New)

Anachronisms are creatures out of time--even creatures that would otherwise be classified as beasts or humanoids.  Specifically, they are creatures that would or could exist if different events took place in the past or present.  Historic and extinct creatures that inhabit lost lands (such as dinosaurs) are not classified as anachronisms. They are the daemons of Eternity, the temporal plane.  Creatures like the modrons and inevitables find their place in Monvesia among their ranks.  The most powerful of their kind are the Legacies.

Races like the giff or gith would classify as anachronisms if they otherwise has a place in the world of Monvesia.

Celestial

Non-Angel celestials are the daemons of Empyrean, which is analogous to the Ethereal Plane.  Angels have been re-classified as divinities.  The most powerful of these are the Virtues.

Double (New)

Double is a new creature type; it includes at least one sub-types, the grotesques.  They are the daemons of Infinity, the mirror plane.  Their ranks are filled primarily by monstrosities, but may also include some aberrations.  Many doubles are shapechangers, the most common of which is the doppelganger.  The Deep Reflexions are unique and powerful doubles that rule their kind and often interfere with the Mortal Plane. Doubles still require food, drink, and sleep, just as monstrosities do.

Fey

Fey are the natives of Faerie, also called the Feywild.  Some creatures otherwise classified as plants are fey in Monvesia.  They are also further divided into courts (relating to the archfey), so bear these designations as new tags.   The archfey, semi-divine archetypes of the elfish race, are the most powerful of these beings.

Fiend

Non-Demon, non-Devil, non-Yugoloth fiends are the daemons of Inferno, which has also been called the Plane of Will or Plane of Desire.  Their archdaemons are unique being called Vices--analogous to the Archdevils and Demon Lords.  Other fiends have either been removed from the setting, or else have been re-classified as divinities.  

Thoughtform (New)

Thoughtform is a new creature type.  They are the astral creations of mortals.  These are the daemons of the Dreaming (or Plane of Dreams), which is [mostly] analogous to the Astral Plane.  As the Taint physically exists in the Dreaming, some thoughforms are affected by it--and through it can appear in the Mortal World; these are tagged as taintspawn. The most powerful of their kind are the Muses, egregores of liberal arts.  Thoughforms do not require food, drink, or sleep.

RETCON NOTE:  Previously called tulpas, that term has now been re-used as a specific type of thoughtform.  Many creatures reassigned as thoughtforms are introduced in Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes.

Taintspawn are a class of thoughtform native to the material plane.

Undead

While some undead have been moved to other categories (such as thoughforms, above), the majority remain daemons of the Abyss, which is analagous to the Plane of Shadows (or Shadowfell).  The eldest and strongest undead are the Undying.

Divinity (New)

Divinity is a new monster type that draws from existing types and incorporates new “monsters”. All divinities have a temperamental tag, linking them to one of the spheres; divinities with the (universalist) tag can be of any dominant temperament.  Since "angels" in Monvesia draw from several different creatures, the (angel) tag has been added.  For the most part, divinities have the ability to sponsor mortals for ascension; those that cannot have the (avatar) tag--including their quasi-mortal descendants.

Angels

"Angel" has become a broader term in Monvesia.  Instead of beings of goodness in service to celestial gods, they are the servants of the Spheres themselves.  Born to and in communion with the aeon of one of the Spheres, angels of Monvesia include creatures once classified as celestials and fiends.

Nephilim

A nephil is the scion of an angel (of any type) and a mortal--which is a rare occurrence, indeed.  Use the same stats asfor a cambion, but applying the different creature type.

Elementals

In order to accommodate Monvesian cosmology, Elementals carry a tag to denote which element they are tied to.  Often, this tag is obvious by the name of the creature.

Humanoids

Tainted humanoids now also carry the tainted tag, as well as the tag of their original species.

Altered Creature Types

RETCON NOTE:  This section is being replaced by type-specific lists.  See links above.

The list below shows some new types and tags for creatures of Monvesia.  The list inludes monsters from the Monster Manual, Volo's Guide to Monsters and Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes.

An asterisk (*) before an entry designates a creature new to the world of Monvesia.  These are (or will be) detailed in other posts.  For new creatures, the type it would have in other D&D worlds is also provided in {brackets}.  As new creatures are developed, they will be linked here.

Azer [elemental (fire)]

* Blackball [elemental (void)] {aberration}

Bugbear [humanoid (human) (tainted)]
Bugbear Chief [humanoid (human) (tainted)]

Devourer [elemental (void)]

Eladrin [humanoid (elf)]

* Elder Elemental, Eclipse [elemental (void)] {elemental}
Elder Elemental, Leviathan [elemental (water)]
* Elder Elemental, Nova [elemental (light)] {elemental}
Elder Elemental, Phoenix [elemental (fire)]
Elder Elemental, Tempest [elemental (air)]
Elder Elemental, Zaratan [elemental (earth)]

Elemental, Air [elemental (air)]
Elemental, Earth [elemental (earth)]
Elemental, Fire [elemental (fire)]
* Elemental, Light [elemental (light)] {elemental}
* Elemental, Void [elemental (void)] {elemental}
Elemental, Water [elemental (water)]

Elemental Myrmidon, Air [elemental (air)]
Elemental Myrmidon, Earth [elemental (earth)]
Elemental Myrmidon, Fire [elemental (fire)]
* Elemental Myrmidon, Light [elemental (light)] {elemental}
* Elemental Myrmidon, Void [elemental (void)] {elemental}
Elemental Myrmidon, Water [elemental (water)]

Flail Snail [elemental (earth)]

Galeb Duhr [elemental (earth)]

Gargoyle [elemental (earth)]

Genie, Djinni [elemental (air)]
Genie, Dao [elemental (earth)]
Genie, Efreeti [elemental (fire)]
* Genie, Khodam [elemental (light)] {elemental}
Genie, Marid [elemental (water)]
* Genie, Shaitan [elemental (void)] {elemental}

Gnoll [humanoid (catfolk) (tainted)]
Gnoll, Flind [humanoid (catfolk) (tainted)]
Gnoll Flesh Gnawer [humanoid (catfolk) (tainted)]
Gnoll Hunter [humanoid (catfolk) (tainted)]
Gnoll Pack Lord [humanoid (catfolk) (tainted)]

The Fang of Yeenohu and Witherling are not present in Monvesia.

Goblin [humanoid (gnome) (tainted)]
Goblin Boss [humanoid (gnome) (tainted)]

Gorgon (as Colchitaur) [elemental (earth)]

Colchitaurs are bronze, not iron; they breathe a red-orange smoke that turn their victims into bronze.

* Haunt [undead]; aka. Ghost, Lesser {undead}

* Helion [elemental (fire)] {elemental}

Hobgoblin [humanoid (dwarf) (tainted)]
Hobgoblin Captain [humanoid (dwarf) (tainted)]
Hobgoblin Devatator [humanoid (dwarf) (tainted)]
Hobgoblin Iron Shadow [humanoid (dwarf (tainted)]
Hobgoblin Warlord [humanoid (dwarf) (tainted)]

Hydra [dragon]

* Hydrax [elemental (water)] {elemental}

Invisible Stalker [elemental (air)]

Kraken [dragon (titan)]

* Kryst [elemental (earth)] {elemental}

Magmin [elemental (fire)]

* Mephit, Ash [elemental (fire) (void)] {elemental}
* Mephit, Aurora [elemental (light) (void)] {elemental}
* Mephit, Brine [elemental (void) (water)] {elemental}
* Mephit, Cloud [elemental (light) (water)] {elemental}
* Mephit, Crystal [elemental (earth) (light)] {elemental}
Mephit, Dust [elemental (air) (earth)]
* Mephit, Filth [elemental (earth) (void)] {elemental}
Mephit, Ice [elemental (air) (water)]
* Mephit, Lightning [elemental (air) (light)] {elemental}
Mephit, Magma [elemental (earth) (fire)]
Mephit, Mud [elemental (earth) (water)]
* Mephit, Radiant [elemental (light) (fire)] {elemental}
Mephit, Smoke [elemental (air) (fire)]
Mephit, Steam [elemental (fire) (water)]
* Mephit, Vacuum [elemental (air) (void)] {elemental}

* Nightshade, Nightcrawler [elemental (void)] {elemental}

* Nightshade, Nightwalker [elemental (void)] {elemental}
* Nightshade, Nightwing [elemental (void)] {elemental}

Nightwalker [elemental (void)]

Ogre [giant (goliath) (tainted)]
Ogre, Half-Ogre/Ogrillon [giant (goliath) (tainted)]
Ogre Battering Ram [giant (goliath) (tainted)]
Ogre Bolt Launcher [giant (goliath) (tainted)]
Ogre Chain Brute [giant (goliath) (tainted)]
Ogre Howdah [giant (goliath) (tainted)]

Oni [giant (goliath) (tainted)]

Orc [humanoid (human) (tainted)]
Orc, Orog [humanoid (human) (tainted)]
Orc Blade ... [humanoid (human) (tainted)]
Orc Claw ... [humanoid (human) (tainted)]
Orc Hand ... [humanoid (human) (tainted)]
Orc Eye ... [humanoid (human) (tainted)]
Ord Red Fang ... [humanoid (human) (tainted)]
Orc War Chief [humanoid (human) (tainted)]

The Nurtured One {of Yurtrus} and Tanarukk are not present in Monvesia.

* Phantom, Apparition [undead] {undead}

* Phantom, Shade [undead] {undead}
* Phantom, Vision [undead] {undead}

Salamander [elemental (fire)]

Salamander, Fire Snake [elemental (fire)]
Salamander, Frost [elemental (air) (water)]

Shadow [elemental (void)]

Shadow Mastiff [elemental (void)]

* Spirit, Druj [undead] {undead}
* Spirit, Odic [undead] {undead}

Tarrasque [dragon (titan)]

Troll [giant (goliath) (tainted)]

Undine [elemental (water)]

Will-o'-Wisp [elemental (void)]

Xorn [elemental (earth)]

Edited Sep3, 2017; Sep 13, 2017 [new undead & elementals]; Jul 23, 2018 [Tome of Foes, humanoids]; Aug 4, 2018 [new/edited daemon types]; Aug 7, 2018; Aug 14, 2018; Aug 22, 2018 [removed "hybrids"]; Sep 13, 2018; Jun 2, 2019; Jun 30, 2019; Jul 11, 2019; Nov 11, 2019 [formatting]; Nov 22, 2019.