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Tuesday, February 17, 2015

Monsters: The Spice of Life

Monsters are the bread-and-butter of the fantasy, supernatural, and horror genres, and if you call them "aliens," they're pretty much the same for science fiction.  Most RPGs come with a tome of terror, manual of monstrosities, or a book of beasts, some reference guide just chock-full of inhuman goodies to throw at your PCs.

But any GM can pull a monster out of the book, slap it on the table, and start a fight.  Next time you open the book and find yourself staring at the entry for "Wimblewurm, Desert" find a way to spice it up.  What would transform your players' encounter with a Desert Wimblewurm from a fun way to pass the time into a memorable encounter they'll be talking about all month?  Use these examples as presented or as inspiration for your own, probably better ideas.


Not all monsters fit into the mold assigned to them by the rules.  And no, I'm not talking about switching your monster's alignment and giving it a pair of scimitars.  The monster can still be evil, or still be chaotic, or whatever, but it has different priorities than its kin.  Because of that, it was exiled by its kind, unwelcome, if not outright hated.

Outcast Monsters
1. Lizardfolk architect
2. Fire giant scholar
3. Gold-hoarding giant eagle
4. Elf-friend warg


Even monsters that fit the mold of their society can be interesting.  Give them something that makes them stand out from their kind, a special power, a trait, or even make a one-of-a-kind creature (my favorite) based on other monsters.

Unique Monsters
1. Blind beholder* clairvoyant
2. Giant halfling
3. Awakened sparrow magician
4. Formorian-nighthag crossbreed
5. Glass dragon
6. Half–giant-centipede, half-human


Even outcasts or unique monsters can become trite or clichéd.  But the best way to avert that (while doing it anyway) is to call it out in-game.  The red dragon with a heart of gold doesn't surprise you?  Of course not, everyone's heard of Gorfanion the Generous.  In addition, turning an average monster into a legendary monster gives you the opportunity to work in backstory, setting details, and plot hooks.

Legendary Monsters
1. Glyph, the goblin assassin-mage
2. Kuk'kir, the black half-dragon minotaur
3. Svernthl, the mindflayer* warpriest and emissary to the mortal kingdoms
4. Japhime, the fallen deva
5. Sorrowful Queen of Bones, the death-touched displacer beast*
6. Glardulanth, the awakened sequoia
7. Onedraw, the orc sniper
8. Cortès, the jackalwere bounty hunter

* Blah, blah, something, something.  These are D&D monsters owned by those wizards that live by the coast.

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