History Main / MonsterAdventurers

* Along similar lines and years earlier, Creator/DCComics' Creature Commandos. Unlike the Howling Commandos, who were taken from a pool of supernatural creatures known to SHIELD, the original Creature Commandos were all normal humans at one point, deliberately transformed into monsters by scientific means for the purposes of psychological warfare.

This trope is not for {{Mons}}, {{Pet Monstrosit|y}}ies, or MonsterAllies. This is when a lone adventurer, an entire party, or at the very least a core party member are of a 'monster[[note]]"Monster" here meaning "normally AlwaysChaoticEvil in this {{verse}}".[[/note]]' species. By definition either a ReluctantMonster or a DefectorFromDecadence, a Monster Adventurer might also be a HorrifyingHero depending on ''how'' monstrous they are. The civilian version is a FriendlyNeighborhoodVampire.

** One of the friendly [=NPCs=] you can summon to aid you on your quest is a [[SnakePeople serpent man]] who, unlike the rest of his brethren, is actually on your side..

* ''VideoGame/GoblisAdventure'', the sample game that came with the original UsefulNotes/PlayStation UsefulNotes/RPGMaker tool starts with an A.I. controlled party slaughtering goblins. After respawning, Gobli decides that he'd rather be an adventurer than XP fodder, and sets out on a quest to do so. He is joined by a literal hole in the wall that wants to become an NPC and a kitten that wants to be a FinalBoss.

* As featured in the picture, the core cast of ''Webcomic/RustyAndCo'' consists of a fast-talking [[ChestMonster mimic]], a [[MooksAteMyEquipment rust monster]], and the [[MemeticBadass silent-but-deadly]] [[BlobMonster Gelatinous Cube]], plus usually an ActionGirl from a rotating GuestStarPartyMember roster.

** In 3e, this became a routine procedure. As mentioned in ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'' example, there are rules for monster [=NPC=]s, but most of the monster races aren't really that good as player characters. The reason for that is ''level adjustment''. It means that to pay for the increased power of, say, being able to eat your opponents' brains and mindblast them, some of your levels don't actually count for the character's advancement, meaning you're perpetually between 2 (drow) and 6 (mindflayer) levels behind every other player character. While the abilities you gain are pretty cool, they're often no match for the increased HitPoints and ''especially'' spellcasting power actual levels would give you. This is largely because ''Savage Species'', the book that gave the rules for monstrous [=PCs=], was written by an author who ''hated'' the idea and went out of his way to make the monsters underpowered.

[[caption-width-right:239:There's ''always'' room for jello. Even in AngelsPose.]]

** Throughout the series, one of Carter's most stalwart allies and best friends is Tars Tarkas, a sixteen-foot tall, [[MultiArmedAndDangerous four-armed]] [[SpaceOrcs Green Martian]], and [[{{Conlang}} jeddak]] (high chief) of the nation of Thark. It should be noted that even on Mar, Green Martians are considered monstrous, being nomadic raiders, and relations between them and the [[HumanAliens more humanlike]], city-dwelling Red Martians pretty overtly echo the relationship between contemporary white Americans and the Plains Nations. As Carter rises in political influence, he's able to improve these relations, forging a lasting alliance between Thark and the Red city-state of Helium.

** In ''The Chessmen of Mars'', Ghek is a [[DefectorFromDecadence defector]] from the Kaldanes, a race of PuppeteerParasite beings who [[StrawVulcan consider emotion a weakness]]. He joins the heroes on their quest and becomes a key member of the party, gradually learning to understand unquantifiable concepts like beauty and friendship.

*** If you play an all-monster party the level adjustments aren't as much of an issue. It's only when monster PCs play along the normal player-races that they get outpaced.

This trope is not for {{Mons}}, [[PetMonstrosity Pet Monstrosities]], or MonsterAllies. This is when a lone adventurer, an entire party, or at the very least a core party member are of a 'monster[[note]]"Monster" here meaning "normally AlwaysChaoticEvil in this {{verse}}".[[/note]]' species. By definition either a ReluctantMonster or a DefectorFromDecadence, a Monster Adventurer might also be a HorrifyingHero depending on ''how'' monstrous they are. The civilian version is a FriendlyNeighborhoodVampire.

Note that this trope only applies when there's an AlwaysChaoticEvil (or [[NonMaliciousMonster Always Neutral Hungry]]) morality for the MonsterAdventurers to [[HeelFaceTurn break free from]], otherwise they're just normal adventurers of an unusual species. The Monster Adventurer's natural habitat is the RPGMechanicsVerse, though they're also frequently found in settings with LoadsAndLoadsOfRaces. See also BreakoutMookCharacter, MySpeciesDothProtestTooMuch, PerspectiveFlip and PlayerCharacter.

''VideoGame/EldenRing'':

** One of the friendly [=NPCs=] you can summon to aid you on your quest is a [[SnakePeople serpent man]].
** [[spoiler:Rya]] of the Volcano Manor serves as a scout for her adoptive mother by wandering the Lands Between.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Fangface}}'' was a '70s cartoon series about a bunch of teens who drive around [[TheyFightCrime solving mysteries]], and one of them (the title character, in fact) was a werewolf.

* Several [=NPCs=] in ''VideoGame/{{Mabinogi}}'' are monstrous humanoids, like Elatha the [[HornyDevils incubus]]. There's also the option of playing as one of your pets, so [[PetMonstrosity Pet Monstrosities]] like [[GiantSpider spiders]] or vipers might count.

* ''VideoGame/PlanescapeTorment'', as can be expected from its setting, indulges in this trope. Morte, Fall-From-Grace and Nordom are all adventurers from 'monster' species that traditionally function as foes and [=NPC=]s: Morte is a sentient Mimir (a flying OracularHead shaped as a skull that functions as a lexicon) [[spoiler:and is later revealed to be the head of a dead liar from the Pillar of Skulls]], Fall-From-Grace is an AscendedDemon [[HornyDevils Succubus]] who is trying to experience all aspects of TheMultiverse, and Nordom is a RogueDrone Modron (beings of pure law and order who resemble geometrical shapes) and is trying to come to grips with this 'individuality' thing. [[CompleteImmortality The Nameless One]], [[ManOnFire Ignus]] and [[OurGhostsAreDifferent Vhailor]] [[WasOnceAMan were normal humans at some point]], while Dak'kon and Annah are from other sentient humanoid species and therefore merely 'exotic adventurers'.

* Iron Fist Alexander from ''VideoGame/EldenRing'' is a [[AnimateInanimateObject warrior jar]] who's left his home of Jarburg for good to go on an adventure to become a mighty warrior. He travels the Lands Between to train and hone his body and searches for the remains of great fallen warriors to absorb into his body. He's a jolly fellow who can be summoned for bosses and has a unique GroundPunch move unlike other enemy living jars. [[spoiler:His quest ends with a DuelToTheDeath against you, and on his defeat tragically laments that he could never surpass you, but is happy to die a warrior's death and entrusts you with his remains.]]

*** The first, "Tall Tales of the Wee Folk", was all about classic fairies, such as brownies, redcaps, pixies, pookas, dryads, fauns/satyrs, leprechauns, and sprites, alongside both "D&D fae", like the centaur and treant, and Mystaran fae, like the [[OwlKnowingOne Hsiao]], Wood-Imps and Wooddrakes.

** In 3e, this became a routine procedure. As mentioned in ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'' example, there are rules for monster [=NPC=]s, but most of the monster races aren't really that good as player characters. The reason for that is ''level adjustment''. It means that to pay for the increased power of, say, being able to eat your opponents' brains and mindblast them, some of your levels don't actually count for the character's advancement, meaning you're perpetually between 2 (drow) and 6 (mindflayer) levels behind every other player character. While the abilities you gain are pretty cool, they're often no match for the increased HitPoints and ''especially'' spellcasting power actual levels would give you. This is largely because ''Savage Species'', the book that gave the rules for monstrous [=PCs=], was written by an author who ''hated'' the idea, and went out of his way to make the monsters underpowered.

** 5e features the supplement ''Volo's Guide To Monsters'', which includes player character templates for some monster races, such as goblins, hobgoblins, kobolds, orcs, yuan-ti, etc. All of these are roughly on par with other playable races so as to prevent punishing level adjustments (although the yuan-ti is an obscene GameBreaker with permanent AntiMagic and innate access to the powerful Suggestion spell). That said, the book makes it very clear that the Dungeonmaster doesn't have to allow these races for player characters.

** ''TabletopGame/{{Eberron}}'': The setting provides multiple options for this, fitting every definition of "monster." The goblin nation of Darguun is the easiest, as goblinoids are at the same power level as the standard races; Darguun is a mercenary nation that is still young and fragile, but other than an uncomfortable amount of slavery and some FantasticRacism from their neighbors, the place is normal enough. The nation of Droaam is the MONSTER nation, formed when three ancient hags stepped right out of myth and conquered a region for the uncivilized and dispossessed. If you want to be a minotaur or a gnoll, this is where you most likely come from. Droaam doesn't get as much attention as most of the other nations, but much thought has been put into how a nation full of extremely powerful creatures would work in a world where level 3 is considered exceptional. The gristle mills [[MainliningTheMonster turn trolls into infinite meat]], medusas [[TakenForGranite petrify the dying]] in emergencies, many couriers can fly under their own power, and the nation's primary export is overpowered mercenaries. The individual cultures that have united under the hags also get some attention; the gnolls were slaves created by demons who now refuse to worship any higher power, the minotaurs are still mostly worshiping demons but at least one clan is actually worshiping the god of Honor and Light while ''thinking'' she's a demon, and a significant percentage of the monsters are escaped Daelkyr experiments. And then of course, if you're just talking about being ''morally'' a monster, the campaign is set up to allow for {{Villain Protagonist}}s too.
* ''TabletopGame/{{Pathfinder}}'' contains a wide variety of races specifically designed to be viable characters, with no racial Hit Dice, and (usually) power comparable to a core race. Playing a monster with inherent racial Hit Dice is something with much less rules support. The book ''Advanced Race Guide'' attempts to split the difference with a point-based race creator that lets players create zero-Hit Die races that mimic classic monsters. High-point-value races ''do'' get an equivalent to ''D&D'' 3.5's level adjustment, but the book emphasizes that more levels will ultimately outweigh the front-loaded initial benefits of monster-hood, and recommends slowly moving the player's level into sync with the rest of the party's over time.

* Several {{NPC}}s in ''VideoGame/{{Mabinogi}}'' are monstrous humanoids, like Elatha the [[HornyDevils incubus]]. There's also the option of playing as one of your pets, so [[PetMonstrosity Pet Monstrosities]] like [[GiantSpider spiders]] or vipers might count.

[[folder:Web Comics]]

* ''VideoGame/PlanescapeTorment'', as can be expected from its setting, indulges in this trope. Morte, Fall-From-Grace and Nordom are all adventurers from 'monster' species that traditionally function as foes and [=NPC=]s: Morte is a sentient Mimir (a flying OracularHead shaped as a skull that functions as a lexicon) [[spoiler:and is later revealed to be the head of a dead liar from the Pillar of Skulls]], Fall-From-Grace is an AscendedDemon [[HornyDevils Succubus]] who is trying to experience all aspects of TheMultiverse, and Nordom is a RogueDrone Modron (beings of pure law and order who resemble geographical shapes) and is trying to come to grips with this 'individuality' thing. [[CompleteImmortality The Nameless One]], [[ManOnFire Ignus]] and [[OurGhostsAreDifferent Vhailor]] [[WasOnceAMan were normal humans at some point]], while Dak'kon and Annah are from other sentient humanoid species and therefore merely 'exotic adventurers'.

* The protagonist of Jamie Edmunson's ''Me Three'' novel series is a [[MultipleHeadCase three-headed]] ogre — and a retired adventurer. Among many other things.

-> 'We are Og-Grim-Dog! We have been loved and reviled! We have been the Hero of the Hour, the Darkest Villain, and everything in between! We have saved this world and travelled to worlds beyond it! We have deployed weapons of death beyond your imagination! They have called us The Destroyer! The Unclassifiable! We graduated top of our class in Rhetoric! We once shagged a—'//

* The protagonist of Jamie Edmunson's ''Me Three'' novel series is a ''MultipleHeadCase/three-headed'' ''OurOgresAreHungrier/ogre'' — and a retired adventurer. Among many other things.