Supermonsters: Making Monsters Truly Dangerous

[Hand of Evil]

Apply real world animal nature to the monster. Look at the animal world and come up with attacks and ways of acting.

Wolfs try to cause panic and attack in packs, hitting the weakest from their blindspot. Big snakes perform ambush attacks, stiking from hiding. Big cats leap and attack from high points, lions chase animals into a trap. Other pack animals to the hit and run, letting the prey bleed out.

Remember, most animals do not like to take damage, mosters will be the same way.

 

[Jack7]

I've noticed the simple way: Play a game where the players don't read the monster stats and listing.

I think this a great tactic if the players will agree to it, and will practice it.

Apply real world animal nature to the monster. Look at the animal world and come up with attacks and ways of acting.

I think much of this idea and actually already use it. One of the most dangerous monsters I ever developed (which I'll detail more fully later) was a variant Wyvern that had claws with toxin glands that paralysed one when you were scratched, the bite of a Komodo Dragon (which was filled with deadly bacteria which caused all kinds of diseases over time if it didn't kill ya quickly), which hunted in packs and moved extremely quickly like big cats (until maturity when all but one killed and ate all of the others in the pride), and was an extremely vicious, aggressive, and clever predator. And it considered almost anything and everything prey.

At maturity it also gained the ability to hypnotize with a stare before attacking, and remained almost as fast on land as in the air. It would also hunt or attack only when it found prey at a disadvantage, and would rake and disembowel prey with its hind legs. It would not fight to the death except to protect its mate or young. But it could track accurately by smell in the air form over fifty miles away and could track on land at over 10 miles away. And it was almost impossible to sneak up on. Very dangeorus creature. So I'm very much in favor of presenting Chimeras (monsters of mixed creatures, and Monster-animal Chimeras.

 

[Jack7]

Some of the things I use to make monsters more lethal and dangerous, developed from my own ideas and from the suggestions you've made so far:


1. If possible keep players isolated from reliable or ideally any info on monsters
2. Play them as horror type creatures - use fear, stalking, incomplete exposure, slow build-up, show what monsters have done to others
3. Play them as Masters of Ambush
4. Use or develop entirely Unique Monsters with unique abilities
5. Use one-of-a-kind monsters or monster types that are very rare
6. Use rumors to give misinformation and disinformation
7. Rebuild popularly-known monsters so that they have unanticipated capabilities
8. Build chimeras of different monster types
9. Build Animal-Monster chimera types, monsters who possess real world animal capabilities, tactics, and defenses
10. Use enhanced monster sensory capabilities to full advantage (match the technological and magical advantages of the players against enhanced or even unique monster sensory capabilities)
11. Use monster intelligence to full advantage
12. Do not fight monsters to the death unless necessary
13. Use monsters instincts and survival capabilities to full advantage
14. Let monsters use their full advantages of initiative
15. Use monsters natural terrain and "home-field" advantages
16. Play intelligent monsters as fully developed NPCs with their own set of tactics, motivations, alliances, and capabilities
17. Use monsters whose capabilities change or mature or develop over time
18. Use monsters whose capabilities actually and really change into totally different capabilities over time or due to some sudden, dramatic adaptation or event
19. Use monsters as long-term and strategic threats, not just short term and tactical threats
20. Use monsters to threaten loved-ones, attack and kill comrades, and as creatures apt to take vengeance
21. Make full use of monster Special Attacks and Abilities: such as magic or psionic capabilities, etc.
22. Use monsters who set traps
23. Use the persuasive and negotiation capabilities of intelligent monsters
24. Use monster's previous experiences so that they adapt, mature, develop, and become ever more dangerous each time they survive and encounter
25. Intelligent monsters may use hirelings, servants, or have defenders, and networks loyal to them
26. Use monster preparations and defense lines/defense networks to their advantage
27. Let monsters hunt, and hunt very effectively, rather than just being hunted - do not make monsters static and emplaced, but give them open ranges of hunt, maneuver, motion, and action
28. Establish monster territories where they are far more effective than normal
29. Let some monsters have spy networks so that they can employ pre-emptive action
30. Some monsters should possess and be able to employ their own versions of technology
31. Use unknown monsters from other games and gaming systems
32. Use self-created monsters
33. Use monsters from myth, legend, etc. rather than typical gaming monsters
34. Monsters that infect, corrupt, or reduce their victims
35. Use monsters with supernatural and preternatural capabilities, such as the ability to foresee and foretell the future, sense creatures from other dimensions, etc.
36. Use monsters that can employ prophesy, can curse, or bless, or in some other way alter fates or destinies.
37. Use monsters with powerful body parts, or components whose magic or influence can survive death or affect things independently.

 

[S'mon]

IMO a scary monster is a proactive monster. A monster sitting in a dungeon waiting for the PCs to break down the door is rarely scary, unless it's maybe it's a lurker vastly above their power level - Ropers are good that way.

Creatures that stalk and ambush are scary. Packs of wolves are scary; they lurk and ambush, continue to savage the fallen, then drag the bodies off to their lair to feed.

One thing I find that makes monsters scarier is vulnerable* NPCs who are scared of the monsters - seeing their screaming companions being dragged off by the ghouls is scary. Seeing their companions being killed and rising up as fresh ghouls is scarier.

*Low-level non-minions work better than minions. Minions die so easily that players don't relate them to their own stats.

 

[Hand of Evil]

Another tactic is the following or shadowing of the players, some monsters and animals will do this just to freak out the prey (players) but also waiting planning the time to attack. I do this with Ghouls, they show themselves to the players but keep their distance, then will dart in during the right moment.

 

[Hand of Evil]

Monster Senses: Over the years we have learned of a number of new senses from the animal world, sharks have electroreception. Scorpions have pads that pick up ground vibrations.

Think there should be a refined list of attributes; sight, touch, hearing, taste and smell.

 

[Iota]

3) Reskin monster stats to keep players guessing (this is the obvious advice), or slap templates and levels on them.

Took me a minute to figure out who Reskin was - I was just about to Google his wonderful collection of monster stats when it hit me...

Anyhow, I'd just echo the idea thought that including monsters in every encounter (or even many encounters) is a big hindrance to making monsters seem monstrous. The "What on Aeorth is THAT?!" factor is a big part of what makes monsters tick in a thematic sense.

 

[Jhaelen]

In most every (D&D/Fantasy type) setting I have ever played in the players quickly come to know the main, if not the entire range of, capabilities of a given monster or a type of monster (such as an orc, or troll, etc).

I've not had that problem since 2e and even back then it wasn't much of a problem since I varied the monster description enough that my players were no longer sure what they were facing.

In 3e templating and class levels make sure you cannot tell what abilities a monster has or how tough it is.

In 4e all bets are off, almost every monster I use is custom designed with powers that 'seem right' for what I have in mind.

 

[Jack7]

Monster Senses: Over the years we have learned of a number of new senses from the animal world, sharks have electroreception. Scorpions have pads that pick up ground vibrations.

Think there should be a refined list of attributes; sight, touch, hearing, taste and smell.

An excellent idea in my opinion. If you want to create such a list then go right ahead. I'd be interested.

Something else you made me think of. Possible supernatural sensing or preternatural sensing. Being able to foretell the future, or maybe anticipate it. (That one appears often in myth.) Being able to percieve creatures of beings from other dimensions. Being able to curse others or bless them, or alter fates. And of course having powerful body parts whose magic or influence can survive death or affect things independently. (Also a mythic idea.)

almost every monster I use is custom designed with powers that 'seem right' for what I have in mind.

I'm all for custom designing and uniqueness. I remember those suggested lists of unique attributes you saw often in AD&D, not just for monsters but for all kinds of things.