More on Monsters

Grey talked about monsters about a year ago - we got all worked up about them but quickly decided too cool our jets a bit until the bulk of the game was done.

Well howdy hey, the bulk of the game is done and now I'm working on the Game Master stuff, including - Monsters! (Well, if we want to be specific, "Entities" since that includes things like dungeon merchants and destined heroes along with your typical monster opponents)

Since then I've streamlined some things and expanded others. The goal is to have the entries in the book serve three purposes:

• Be evocative and easy to use right out of the box.
• Allow for easy tweaking for various needs
• Provide examples for those Game Masters who want to make up their own stuff

That shouldn't be too hard, right?
Below is my working template for creatures thus far.

NAME

Purpose (A brief tagline or pitch for the Entity)

Introduction

• A bit on this Entry’s background

Menace Level

• The Menace Level (Mook, Boss, Mega Boss or Colossus) of the Entity.

Rank

• The Rank (0-15) of the Entity.

Allegiance

• How many Allegiance Points the Entity has, if any.

Home Region/Habitat

• The sort of places this Entity lives in and might be found.

Aptitudes

As denoted by Rank, Equipment and certain Abilities.

• Might [ ]
• Deftness [ ]
• Grit [ ]
• Insight [ ]
• Aura [ ]

Combat Stats

As denoted by Rank, Equipment and certain Abilities.

• Hearts [ ]
• Attack [ ]
• Speed [ ]
• Defense Rating [ ]

Abilities

• Abilities the Entity may employ.

Communication Methods

• Languages that this Entity can speak and read, as well as any special means of communication (such as telepathy).

Tactics

• Some suggestions of how this Entity can effectively engage in conflict.

Yield

• Gear that can be taken from this creature or Materials/Additives that can be extracted from them if slain. The latter requires a relevant Ability.

Miscellaneous

• Indicators - Signs that this character or creature may be in an area, if any.
• Role-Playing Notes - Notes on the personality, mannerisms and motivations of this Entity.
• Customization - A few ways to easily tweak this Entity to fit a particular campaign or adventure.

Variants and Related Entries

• Any existing variants of the entity featured in the entry.

Creature Map (If Applicable)

• Colossal Creatures are so large that they are made up of Battlefield Areas. Entries describing them will also include a map of the creature, providing information on:
• Any special considerations on moving between these Areas.
• Various Strike and Core Points on the Creatures, and the effects of destroying or disabling the former.