Monster review: the Rust Monster

What do you get if you grab a pair of long antenna, an armadillo-ish shell, a propeller, paddle tipped tail, set of four insect legs and an appetite for metal?  You get one of the iconic monsters of D&D, the Rust Monster!

This creature has been around since the first edition of the game striking fear into the bravest of fighters and paladins. The appearance of the rust monster has had only a few minor tweaks over the decades. They have taken away it’s playful silliness and tried to give it a bit more menacing look.

It still retains the antenna, bulbous body, armored plates and propeller/ paddle tail.

The look is iconic, yet it not the look that players remember. It is the ability this guy has. See it loves to eat corroded metal and the more ferrous the better! If it touches metal then it turns it to rust and begins to snack on it. This is why every player who is armed and armored fears this creature. It is also why I have only ever thrown it out twice in my years of gaming.

I would love to use the rust monster more often, but it just has the feel of a screw the party or single player monster. If you have been playing for a while you have a good set of metal armor, shield or weapon ( magical or not ) you certainly don’t want to lose it. Well here comes the rust monster and “boop” there goes your magical metal armor or magical weapon during the game. This can neuter a melee character in a couple of rounds. Now you have a non-armed/armored ( more than likely since they are usually in the heavy arms/armor category )  having to run at a distinct disadvantage. Not to mention a possibly very perturbed player seeing his beat stick character neutered so easily.

Heck they have even given it an actual physical attack now. It has a bite attack, albeit a puny one. Previously it only ruined your stuff with no damage. Now it can try and bite while trying to destroy your stuff. Isn’t that fun!?

There are  was around dealing with a Rust Monster. You know hit it from range. Do some magical shenanigans to it. Feed it that off weapon that you never use, but like to have just in case. Run as fast as possible in the opposite direction. That is if you are able to do any of these choices.

Even better or worse is that in this edition the Rust Monster ability to corrode metal isn’t nearly as scary. See first you get a dexterity save to not have your fancy item touched by this guy. Even if he does hit it still is usable, but with a negative modifier to damage or armor value. If the modifier ever reaches a -5 then the weapon is destroyed. If the armor value ever drops to 10 then the armor is ruined. Even better is that it says that NON MAGICAL metal items have to deal with the turn to rust corrode metal ability. Yup. Magical stuff is immune to the rust monster now. This makes throwing one ( or even dozens)  out pretty useless once a party has attained any magical arms/armor. Which they eventually will unless you are playing in magic item free world or are stingy DM.

The Rust Monster is just so iconic not to use, but for me it is a no use creature. I just can’t bring myself to toss these guys out for the party to face. They have the reputation of character punisher and that is never fun ( well at least not in our group ). The change to magical items being safe from their  corroding touch, ruins the crazy threat the rust monster used to pose. Which I guess is both good and bad. It makes them a softer less threatening creature, but also kind of useless past a certain level. They used to frighten all levels of armored characters, now they just threaten the lowly non-magical item wielding players. Yes I know  their CR is low and makes them a lower level party threat, but they were once that and more. So much so that I was even afraid to use them against players more than a couple of times.

The Rust Monster this edition is not big threat anymore. Yet, the stigmata surrounding this creature still keeps me from throwing them out to destroy the gear players carry and possibly their good times.

Next week I look at a person and party favorite, the dim but deadly ogre!