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<blockquote data-quote="GMMichael" data-source="post: 6234813" data-attributes="member: 6685730"><p><strong>Chapter 9: Bestiary</strong></p><p></p><p>Welcome to the Modos RPG bestiary! The word is used loosely, because here you'll find more than just beasts. Warmechs, villains, household pets, planar entities, and gods are all fair game here. And if you don't find it here, this chapter provides rules on drawing it up yourself.</p><p></p><p> A vocabulary note: monster, creature, enemy, and opponent are all used more or less interchangably in this chapter. Whatever the term, they all refer to NPCs (PCs are described in the Characters chapter). So without further ado, let's get down to business.</p><p><u></u></p><p><u>Designing Monsters[sblock]</u></p><p><u></u>The monsters in the "common" monsters list have all been designed with the MCS (monster creation system) that follows. After the MCS, you'll find sections on specific, important types of monsters: villains and 1-second monsters.</p><p>[/sblock]<u></u></p><p><u>Monster Creation System v.1.0</u>[sblock]</p><p> Monster creation is a eight-step process. Here are the eight steps, followed by an explanation of all the steps, and a sample monster creation.</p><p>1) Create monster concept.</p><p>2) Determine ability type.</p><p>3) Establish three monster features.</p><p>4) Design based on features.</p><p>5) Distribute level points.</p><p>6) Use perks for balance.</p><p>7) Determine level.</p><p>8) Review and finish.</p><p></p><p>1) Create monster concept.</p><p>Just like PCs, every monster needs a concept. You don't need every detail here, but enough of an idea to quickly get a feel for the monster and hint at its capabilities. </p><p>Example: Werebull. A big, furry humanoid with bull horns and a bad attitude. Has the ability to shapechange into a bull or human.</p><p></p><p>2) Determine ability type.</p><p>Monsters fall into three ability types:</p><p>- Minmax. This monster has an outstanding ability, skill, or power, and one ability score will be much higher than the rest. Its ability score ratio is generally 2<img src="http://www.enworld.org/forum/images/smilies/1.gif" class="smilie" loading="lazy" alt=":1:" title="One :1:" data-shortname=":1:" />1.</p><p>- Balanced. This monster has strengths and weaknesses, and it compensates for its weaknesses. Its ability score ratio is generally 6<img src="http://www.enworld.org/forum/images/smilies/5.gif" class="smilie" loading="lazy" alt=":5:" title="Five :5:" data-shortname=":5:" />4.</p><p>- Average. This monster has no strengths or weaknesses, and only simple features. Its ability score ratio is generally 1<img src="http://www.enworld.org/forum/images/smilies/1.gif" class="smilie" loading="lazy" alt=":1:" title="One :1:" data-shortname=":1:" />1.</p><p>Example: werebull ability type: minmax. Ability scores: P 16, M 7, MP 7.</p><p></p><p>3) Establish three monster features.</p><p>A good guide for designing monsters is to have three major descriptors for that monster. These are the first things that come to mind when describing the monster, and may come directly from the monster concept, or be somewhere between the lines. Think of them as the three ways this monster can be distinguished from a perfectly average human.</p><p>Example: werebull features are bullish, strong, and stupid.</p><p></p><p>4) Design based on features.</p><p>Turning the monster into a Modos RPG character begins with one character feature: either abilities, skills, or perks. Look at the monster features and decide if they are best represented by abilities (the inherent characteristics of the monster), skills (things the monster does well naturally or has learned), or perks (metagame features, or things not represented by abilities or skills). For this purpose, equipment should be considered perks. Generally, as equipment (weapons and armor) increases in power (increases die type), another perk is required/represented.</p><p>Example: strong and stupid translate almost directly to ability scores, which is closely modeled in the first set of P 16, M 7, MP 7. Since the werebull is probably stronger than most men, we'll bump his physical up to 18. The mental and metaphysical scores are good for now.</p><p></p><p>5) Distribute level points.</p><p>Take the number of level points in the character feature used for step 4, and spend that many points in each of the remaining two features. A level point is an increase in any one feature: ability scores, skills, or perks.</p><p>Example: at first level, every character starts with 10 for each ability score. The werebull has a sum of 32, which is two points above 30 (10 per score), so the werebull has spent 2 level points in ability scores. As a minmax type monster, he'll have one really good feature, which is most likely goring. So let's put his two skill points in fight-unarmed. He'll also have some weaknesses as a minmax, which is currently his low mental score. He'll need some big, ugly horns for fighting, probably d8 damage. That's two perks - bumping natural weapons up by two dice. We'd also like to give him some natural armor, probably d4, but we've spent all of our level points. And we don't enough level points for any shapechanging, either.</p><p></p><p>6) Use perks for balance.</p><p>Perks are character creation wildcards, because they can be used for skill points and ability points as well as normal perks. If the monster you're creating has more ability points or skill points than perks, buying those extra points with perks can help to finish off the monster without making its level excessively high. If the monster's level still seems too high at review (step 8), you can use anti-perks.</p><p></p><p> An anti-perk is a perk that allows a monster to take another normal perk. These are used when creatures have significant flaws, or things that represent weaknesses that an average human wouldn't have. The most common example of this is a set of ability scores that don't add up to 30, or a weakness best represented by a low ability score. Anti-perks could also be special weaknesses best represented by perks, like taking extra damage from silver weapons, or always recoiling when a holy symbol is first presented. Use anti-perks sparingly, because their intent is to generally make your monster weaker, while providing some sort of balance in the form of another perk.</p><p>Example: if the werebull were vulnerable to silver weapons, or had animal-like intelligence, we'd consider using an anti-perk. But it's not necessary for our monster concept.</p><p></p><p>7) Determine level.</p><p>Count the level points in ability scores, skills, and perks. Each ability point above 30, each skill point, and each perk counts as a level point (anti-perks are a negative point). The average number of level points is the monster's current level.</p><p>Example: the werebull has two points in ability scores, skills, and perks. He's currently a level 2 monster.</p><p></p><p>8) Review and finish.</p><p>Look at the monster you've created and ask, "does this fit the monster concept?" Another important question is, "does this monster compare, as an appropriate challenge to PCs, to other monsters of the same level?" If the answer to both questions is "yes," then monster creation is successful. If either answer is "no," then go back to step 5 and add features necessary to help the monster measure up, and follow the steps back to this step.</p><p></p><p>Example: the werebull doesn't yet have shapechanging ability, which might be a first or second level spell, and it still needs natural armor. So we'll cycle through the steps again, adding these features, and then compare the werebull to other monsters before finishing the process.</p><p>[/sblock]<u></u></p><p><u>Creating Villains</u>[sblock]</p><p> Chapter 2 discusses using a villain concept and creative use of villain points. Here are some more stats-related considerations for creating villains.</p><p></p><p> Villain points, used with all villains, are the counterpart to hero points. There are two differences between villain points and hero points. One is that villain points do not refresh daily like hero points; a villain only gets his points back in each scene, or for each new encounter that the PCs have with him. The other difference is that villain points can be rolled after the roll to which they apply, whereas hero points must be rolled before or during other rolls. The purpose of this is only to add drama to an encounter, for example, to help the dragon notice the party's sneaking halfling, or to help the mad scientist quickly heal his monster. An example of how not to use villain points is to increase a fight contest against a PC when that PC is already near death. </p><p></p><p> Before using a villain, you should decide how significant he is to the game. If the story can survive without him, consider him a mid-boss, place his level at least two higher than the average PC level, and give him a villain point for every two levels he has. If the story hinges on his existence, consider him an end-boss, make sure he has minions, place his level at least four higher than the average PC level, and give him a villain point for each of his levels. The increase over the PCs' levels is just to encourage the villain to be challenging; otherwise they might brush him aside as if he were just an annoying insurance salesperson.</p><p>[/sblock]<u></u></p><p><u>One-Second Monsters</u>[sblock]</p><p> It seems that your players want to attack your werebull shopkeeper instead of haggle with him. Roll initiative!</p><p></p><p> It can happen that fast. When you need a monster, or more importantly, some stats to represent a monster, sometimes it's better to use something quickly instead of stopping the game to make or look up a monster. This is when you need a "one-second monster," which can actually take a few more seconds to make, but is designed to be a quick and painless process, with steps as follows:</p><p></p><p>1) Determine monster level.</p><p>The monster already has either a name or concept, otherwise the PCs wouldn't be trying to fight something. Choose a level, using the level titles (table 3-2) for guidance, or set the monster's level equal to the average PC level.</p><p></p><p>2) Choose the good skill.</p><p>Like a teacher, miner, or sprinter, your one-second monster probably does one thing really well. Figure out what that is, and put all of the monster's skill points (equal to its level) in that skill.</p><p></p><p>3) Choose the good ability.</p><p>Your monster's ability scores are 10 and 10. But its good ability score is equal to 10 plus its level. Its modifier in that ability is, in a pinch, half of its level. If the good ability is 15-19, give it another free action. For 20 or higher, give it two extra free actions.</p><p></p><p>4) Equip and go!</p><p>Your monster's weapon and armor each do d8 (damage and protection, respectively), whatever they might be. If you have an extra second, adjust the die by the monster's level like so: d4 at amateur, d6 at professional, d8 at expert, d10 at paragon, and d12 at master. Do not exceed d12.</p><p>The one-second monster is far from perfect. But now you have stats to roll, and when you need a perfect monster, you'll take the time to prepare it before the game.</p><p>[/sblock]<u></u></p><p><u>Common Monsters</u>[sblock]</p><p> The following monster list is sorted by alphabetical order, with sub-types and descriptors following the type name. Numbers in parenthesis indicate the total applicable modifier.</p><p>Name: Werebull</p><p>Level: 5</p><p>P, M, MP: 18, 7, 10</p><p>Skills:</p><p>Cast spell (alter) +1</p><p>Fight-unarmed +3 (+7)</p><p>Parry +1 (+5)</p><p>Perks: longstrider, always mounted, natural weapon x 2, natural armor</p><p>Gear: natural weapon (horns) d8, natural armor (hide) d4</p><p>Concept: ...</p><p>[/sblock]</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="GMMichael, post: 6234813, member: 6685730"] [b]Chapter 9: Bestiary[/b] Welcome to the Modos RPG bestiary! The word is used loosely, because here you'll find more than just beasts. Warmechs, villains, household pets, planar entities, and gods are all fair game here. And if you don't find it here, this chapter provides rules on drawing it up yourself. A vocabulary note: monster, creature, enemy, and opponent are all used more or less interchangably in this chapter. Whatever the term, they all refer to NPCs (PCs are described in the Characters chapter). So without further ado, let's get down to business. [U] Designing Monsters[sblock] [/U]The monsters in the "common" monsters list have all been designed with the MCS (monster creation system) that follows. After the MCS, you'll find sections on specific, important types of monsters: villains and 1-second monsters. [/sblock][U] Monster Creation System v.1.0[/U][sblock] Monster creation is a eight-step process. Here are the eight steps, followed by an explanation of all the steps, and a sample monster creation. 1) Create monster concept. 2) Determine ability type. 3) Establish three monster features. 4) Design based on features. 5) Distribute level points. 6) Use perks for balance. 7) Determine level. 8) Review and finish. 1) Create monster concept. Just like PCs, every monster needs a concept. You don't need every detail here, but enough of an idea to quickly get a feel for the monster and hint at its capabilities. Example: Werebull. A big, furry humanoid with bull horns and a bad attitude. Has the ability to shapechange into a bull or human. 2) Determine ability type. Monsters fall into three ability types: - Minmax. This monster has an outstanding ability, skill, or power, and one ability score will be much higher than the rest. Its ability score ratio is generally 2:1:1. - Balanced. This monster has strengths and weaknesses, and it compensates for its weaknesses. Its ability score ratio is generally 6:5:4. - Average. This monster has no strengths or weaknesses, and only simple features. Its ability score ratio is generally 1:1:1. Example: werebull ability type: minmax. Ability scores: P 16, M 7, MP 7. 3) Establish three monster features. A good guide for designing monsters is to have three major descriptors for that monster. These are the first things that come to mind when describing the monster, and may come directly from the monster concept, or be somewhere between the lines. Think of them as the three ways this monster can be distinguished from a perfectly average human. Example: werebull features are bullish, strong, and stupid. 4) Design based on features. Turning the monster into a Modos RPG character begins with one character feature: either abilities, skills, or perks. Look at the monster features and decide if they are best represented by abilities (the inherent characteristics of the monster), skills (things the monster does well naturally or has learned), or perks (metagame features, or things not represented by abilities or skills). For this purpose, equipment should be considered perks. Generally, as equipment (weapons and armor) increases in power (increases die type), another perk is required/represented. Example: strong and stupid translate almost directly to ability scores, which is closely modeled in the first set of P 16, M 7, MP 7. Since the werebull is probably stronger than most men, we'll bump his physical up to 18. The mental and metaphysical scores are good for now. 5) Distribute level points. Take the number of level points in the character feature used for step 4, and spend that many points in each of the remaining two features. A level point is an increase in any one feature: ability scores, skills, or perks. Example: at first level, every character starts with 10 for each ability score. The werebull has a sum of 32, which is two points above 30 (10 per score), so the werebull has spent 2 level points in ability scores. As a minmax type monster, he'll have one really good feature, which is most likely goring. So let's put his two skill points in fight-unarmed. He'll also have some weaknesses as a minmax, which is currently his low mental score. He'll need some big, ugly horns for fighting, probably d8 damage. That's two perks - bumping natural weapons up by two dice. We'd also like to give him some natural armor, probably d4, but we've spent all of our level points. And we don't enough level points for any shapechanging, either. 6) Use perks for balance. Perks are character creation wildcards, because they can be used for skill points and ability points as well as normal perks. If the monster you're creating has more ability points or skill points than perks, buying those extra points with perks can help to finish off the monster without making its level excessively high. If the monster's level still seems too high at review (step 8), you can use anti-perks. An anti-perk is a perk that allows a monster to take another normal perk. These are used when creatures have significant flaws, or things that represent weaknesses that an average human wouldn't have. The most common example of this is a set of ability scores that don't add up to 30, or a weakness best represented by a low ability score. Anti-perks could also be special weaknesses best represented by perks, like taking extra damage from silver weapons, or always recoiling when a holy symbol is first presented. Use anti-perks sparingly, because their intent is to generally make your monster weaker, while providing some sort of balance in the form of another perk. Example: if the werebull were vulnerable to silver weapons, or had animal-like intelligence, we'd consider using an anti-perk. But it's not necessary for our monster concept. 7) Determine level. Count the level points in ability scores, skills, and perks. Each ability point above 30, each skill point, and each perk counts as a level point (anti-perks are a negative point). The average number of level points is the monster's current level. Example: the werebull has two points in ability scores, skills, and perks. He's currently a level 2 monster. 8) Review and finish. Look at the monster you've created and ask, "does this fit the monster concept?" Another important question is, "does this monster compare, as an appropriate challenge to PCs, to other monsters of the same level?" If the answer to both questions is "yes," then monster creation is successful. If either answer is "no," then go back to step 5 and add features necessary to help the monster measure up, and follow the steps back to this step. Example: the werebull doesn't yet have shapechanging ability, which might be a first or second level spell, and it still needs natural armor. So we'll cycle through the steps again, adding these features, and then compare the werebull to other monsters before finishing the process. [/sblock][U] Creating Villains[/U][sblock] Chapter 2 discusses using a villain concept and creative use of villain points. Here are some more stats-related considerations for creating villains. Villain points, used with all villains, are the counterpart to hero points. There are two differences between villain points and hero points. One is that villain points do not refresh daily like hero points; a villain only gets his points back in each scene, or for each new encounter that the PCs have with him. The other difference is that villain points can be rolled after the roll to which they apply, whereas hero points must be rolled before or during other rolls. The purpose of this is only to add drama to an encounter, for example, to help the dragon notice the party's sneaking halfling, or to help the mad scientist quickly heal his monster. An example of how not to use villain points is to increase a fight contest against a PC when that PC is already near death. Before using a villain, you should decide how significant he is to the game. If the story can survive without him, consider him a mid-boss, place his level at least two higher than the average PC level, and give him a villain point for every two levels he has. If the story hinges on his existence, consider him an end-boss, make sure he has minions, place his level at least four higher than the average PC level, and give him a villain point for each of his levels. The increase over the PCs' levels is just to encourage the villain to be challenging; otherwise they might brush him aside as if he were just an annoying insurance salesperson. [/sblock][U] One-Second Monsters[/U][sblock] It seems that your players want to attack your werebull shopkeeper instead of haggle with him. Roll initiative! It can happen that fast. When you need a monster, or more importantly, some stats to represent a monster, sometimes it's better to use something quickly instead of stopping the game to make or look up a monster. This is when you need a "one-second monster," which can actually take a few more seconds to make, but is designed to be a quick and painless process, with steps as follows: 1) Determine monster level. The monster already has either a name or concept, otherwise the PCs wouldn't be trying to fight something. Choose a level, using the level titles (table 3-2) for guidance, or set the monster's level equal to the average PC level. 2) Choose the good skill. Like a teacher, miner, or sprinter, your one-second monster probably does one thing really well. Figure out what that is, and put all of the monster's skill points (equal to its level) in that skill. 3) Choose the good ability. Your monster's ability scores are 10 and 10. But its good ability score is equal to 10 plus its level. Its modifier in that ability is, in a pinch, half of its level. If the good ability is 15-19, give it another free action. For 20 or higher, give it two extra free actions. 4) Equip and go! Your monster's weapon and armor each do d8 (damage and protection, respectively), whatever they might be. If you have an extra second, adjust the die by the monster's level like so: d4 at amateur, d6 at professional, d8 at expert, d10 at paragon, and d12 at master. Do not exceed d12. The one-second monster is far from perfect. But now you have stats to roll, and when you need a perfect monster, you'll take the time to prepare it before the game. [/sblock][U] Common Monsters[/U][sblock] The following monster list is sorted by alphabetical order, with sub-types and descriptors following the type name. Numbers in parenthesis indicate the total applicable modifier. Name: Werebull Level: 5 P, M, MP: 18, 7, 10 Skills: Cast spell (alter) +1 Fight-unarmed +3 (+7) Parry +1 (+5) Perks: longstrider, always mounted, natural weapon x 2, natural armor Gear: natural weapon (horns) d8, natural armor (hide) d4 Concept: ... [/sblock] [/QUOTE]
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