Last Updated 1/20
Written By:Kung Chien Wen

These descriptions tend to hold true only when the monster AI is functional!

Note: several spoilers ahead.

Giant Rat
You'll be sick of these before long. They're everywhere - from the streets of Britain to the depths of the deepest dungeons - and apparently made stronger in Patch 2. Until then, however, these brutes pose very little threat to even the inexperienced Avatar. They do poison you, but unless you get hit multiple times, the poison wears off quickly.

Human Enemies
There are a variety of these in the game. The easier ones wield melee weapons like swords and staffs and aren't very troublesome. The archer, however, is more annoying. He hides behind a tree and shoots arrows at you, and runs away when you go after him. The trick is to get him stuck in the terrain, and then pummel him.

* In alphabetical order from now on *

Bat
You only need to worry about the red bat, not the brown one, and even then, they're minimally irritating. If you really feel like dispensing with them, just stand still with your weapon drawn, and whack them when they come near. Don't waste arrows on them.

Brute
The ground shakes when these giants approach. They patch quite a hefty punch too, and early on in the game, you might not want to go near them, especially if you don't have good armor. In any case they are very rare; I've only seen them at the lighthouse near Britain, and in their village, also near the capital city.

Creeper Plant
Far less threatening than they appear to be. I haven't witnessed their ability to sprout new shoots, probably because I turn them into a nice red flower once I see them. Use arrows if you're that scared.

Crustacean
Britannia's beaches are full of these crabs, which isn't always a good thing, because they are tough melee fighters. Most of the time you can avoid them. Once you get the lightning sword in Shame, however, you'll want to comb the shores of Trinsic for them, as they cough up quite a bit of gold when they die.

"Giant crabs are actually very easy to kill with a one-handed weapon. The best for the beginning of the game is the fire sword you get in LB's hedge maze. Circle strafe them and try to hit them in the back by "flailing" your sword (hit the attack button rapidly). They will only take a few hits from this before curling up and dying. This is a great way to get rich early on."

-KylEChu

"When you back away from them, they rear up, giving you an easy shot at their soft underbelly if you're using a staff, and they only take a couple of hits before expiring."

--Wodash

Demon
I needn't tell you that demons are not to be trifled with. They look rather blocky, totally unlike the sketch in the manual. If you ask me, the ones on Pagan looked more frightening. You won't have to fight them until late on in the game (the one in Moonglow can be spoken to), and even then, it helps to have the Blackrock Sword and some healing available.

Dragon
You'll find that the best (and perhaps only) way to kill a dragon is to stand right underneath one (to avoid its breath attack) and use a bow Once you have Iolo's Bow and have learnt the Cloud Kill skill, dragons are fairly easy. I actually faced Talornia in Destard without any arrows - if you find yourself in the same situation, simply climb onto the platform in front of her and whack her with your lightning sword. Regular dragons in the open can't be touched this way.

"If you want to kill a dragon more quickly than by use of a bow, any staff will do. The best is the shepherd's crook, or the Crook of Charming. Get close and whack them a few times, and they won't have time to react."

-KylEChu

"Dragon fireballs can be blocked. When I was without any super weapon beside the Flame sword and 2 handed Claymore, I fought the Ice Dragon outside Empath Abbey (to get the Ice sword) by using an extreme amount of patience, and my key to survive is to swing my sword when the fireball comes near and my sword breaks that fireball. Arrows can also do the work but the bow is slow to shoot so when the fireball appears it might be too late to give out a shot to break that fireball."

-starstar

The dragons I've faced (on Terfin) have always pulled their heads back before sending a fireball my way. Unlike the magical fireballs, a dragon's don't alter direction. Put the Avatar on run mode and then just dodge from one side to the other (using the Alt or Ctrl keys) as you notice the dragon is breathing the fireball. Just be sure you don't get caught with your bow drawn as the dragon is doing this and don't stop short when dodging.

-Leviathan Hunter

Gargoyle
The wingless ones are melee fighters; the winged ones cast magic. After you crash Ambrosia, you'll find yourself flying around (very slowly) getting chased by winged ones. I didn't actually have to fight one in the game, but I can't imagine they're too difficult.

Gazer
The U9 gazer no longer resembles the AD&D beholder, as it has independent floating eyes now. Most of the time you can spot a gazer from far away, like near Dupre's ashes, or on Skara Brae. Thus pull out your bow and start shooting, and watch out for those fireballs.

Ghost
The warrior ghost (which resembles a human fighter) is very tough, and can take you down with a few strokes even when you are decently armored. Thus in Covetous, near the end, even if you have the Gringolet, run past them into the Lich's chamber. Once you get the lightning sword they fall with one swipe. Note that regular weapons do not work against them (I think) - even the Blackrock Sword.

"The armored warrior-ghosts can only be harmed by magical weapons and spells. Again, the fire sword will work well. Take them one at a time and try to out-maneuver them. Sometimes, they will turn their backs on you if they can't reach you, so this is the perfect time to stab them."

-KylEChu

Goblin
There are three varieties of these green-skinned humanoids. The first and easiest type attacks with its bare hands and isn't too difficult. The second type has a battle axe, and is more well armored; novice will nonetheless want to try and take this one down, if only for the weapon. The final type is the spellcasting shaman. One can be found in his camp near Yew, guarded by many of his henchmen. Another, in Trinsic near the shrine.

Hellhound
The hellhound breathes fireballs at you, and has a nasty bite. You will be forced to fight one in Deceit; save your game before you approach the sorcerer there. If you have the ice sword, use it!

Ice Hound
This beast has a fearsome freezing attack. To avoid it, run straight at one and engage it up close before it can freeze you. Or simply cast a fireball at it and watch it, erh, die (it doesn't melt).

"Ice hounds are easy as long as you have your fireball spell. One fireball and they are out like a light!

-Carthorn

Blocking the Ice Hound freeze ability. Use the same technique as with the fire balls from dragons. Have the flaming sword ready and as you get close enough for them to freeze you, start attacking (yeah, you will only hit air). Three out of four times this has kept me from freezing (I'd say bad timing was the reason it occasionally doesn't).

-Leviathan Hunter

Lich
Any seasoned role-player will know these are tough, regardless of the game. In U9, liches are infrequent but formidable. They cast lightning and have the nasty habit of prancing round the room half-invisible. The first lich you'll encounter will probably be the one in Covetous. I used my glass sword there, after exhausting all other options (I sacrificed the Gringolet). Later on, you'll have the all-powerful lightning sword and the Staff of Death to aid you.

"The lich in U9 is actually much less dangerous than the ones in U7. The ones in U7 could cast Death Bolt at you and your companions, putting a quick end to your fight. The few in U9 only know Lightning Bolt, Invisibility, and Summon Undead. Any bladed 2H weapon, such as the battleaxe or claymore, will work fine. If you hit one repeatedly, it won't have time to move around much. I killed the one in Covetous using a simple battleaxe."

-KylEChu

Mage
Are there any hostile mages in the game? The one in Serpent's Hold didn't cast any spells and stood at the edge of the platform, arms raised in a boxing stance! I sauteed him with a few fireballs.

Mimic
Just be careful when opening chests, especially late on in the game. When in doubt, save first, and then try. Or simply be fairly well equipped, as they have a damaging bite.

"It's fairly easy to spot mimcs. If you are unsure whether the chest you are about to open is a mimic, just go into the battle mode (TAB) and engage the automatic aim(N). If the chest is a mimic, the cursor will change to a yellow brackety thing to let you know that it is indeed a mimic. 'Tis a small tip, but hope this helps a few avatars out there avoid unnecessary contact with mimics."

-theJK

"Mimics die from one fireball."

-Jogy

Predatory Fish
One of the most annoying enemies in the game. Apparently the Avatar can't kick them out of the way because swimming consumes too much of his energy. As you thrash about in the water, stuck to that rock on the floor, they nibble away at you. Use the Stone spell on them prior to getting yourself wet.

Sea Serpent
They don't resemble serpents, but rather, dugongs! Still, they are nasty, and pack a hefty punch with their magic breath. I only fought two in the game - one between Skara Brae and the Temple of Souls, the other compulsory one on the Plane of Water. I've also never seen them attack my boat, even though I tried my best to get myself into trouble. Use spells, or the Cloud Kill bow skill.

Skeleton
I hate skeletons. You will too. Do yourself a big favour and keep some spare slots in your backpack, when venturing into Covetous, to store skeletal ribcages. That will prevent them from regenerating. To best dispatch them, use the Gringolet, or the Staff of Death. They aren't too difficult.

"Whenever you kill a skeleton, take one of its bones with you and drop it a good distance away. This way, the skeleton can't regenerate"

-Abombcc

"Common around graveyards and alot in Covetous, they can be quite annoying. Although you *can* take their rib cage after dispatching them to stop them reforming, they will reform when you leave that particular section anyway. Any staff will knock them to pieces in one hit."

-Richard Szalay

Spectre
These are ghostly skeletons clothed in sheets, straight out of Halloween. I can't recall them being too difficult.

Spider
There are three types of spider. The first type is a wimp and can be dispatched easily without having to quaff a red potion. The second type fires immobilizing webs before chewing you, and is more poisonous. The phase spider blinks in and out of the material plane, and is even more toxic. Your best bet is to hit them from far off, or to have a powerful weapon and some cure poison remedies handy.

Phase Spiders: At the house east of the shrine of Honor, the field generates endless spiders and gold. By the time you get here, you should have a good weapon (like the two-handed sword), strong armor (including arms of the magi), and have the fifth circle of magic opened. Just keep killing spiders and cast the occasional light heal or cure. Each spider leaves about an average of 150 gold. In a matter of minutes there was about 6000 gold just laying on the ground.

-Leviathan Hunter

Vulture
Vultures will hover around, picking at bloody remains, and occasionally peck at you. Don't waste arrows on them - run away, or whack them. When jumping around on the Plane of Air, they can be very annoying.

Wolf
I'm not so sure if there are several species of wolf around. Regardless, they are fairly agile and come in sizable quantities. Novice adventurers will have to be vigilant, especially when journeying from Yew to Wrong through their territory in the mountains.

Zombie
In contrast to the wolf, the zombie is too slow to be a serious threat, and you can easily run away from one if you don't feel like fighting. It is tough to take down, though, as it requires you to chop it up several times - first to split it in half, the second and third times to chop up its upper and lower halves. If it does land a blow, you are seriously poisoned, so have a red potion at hand.

Will-o-Wisp
I don't know how else to describe it. It looks very pretty, with an aura around it, but it fires lightning at you, and takes several Cloud Kills to go down. By the time you encounter one you'll be well into the game - I've only seen them on the Isle of the Avatar and in the Abyss.

Blackthorn and his pal, the Guardian
Watch Lord British eviscerate Blacky, and do the Guardian a favour by nuking his red face into oblivion.