How do you introduce a monster?

[Imaculata]

I find that I am more able to keep the attention of my players, if I focus on the essentials, and reveal the monster in stages. For example, when my players encountered a mummy in the catacombs, I first told them that they saw green glowing eyes staring back at them from the darkness. The eyes didn't move, they didn't approach, they simply stared in silence. And judging by the height of its eyes, it was roughly the same height as them. They couldn't see the creature itself, because it was too dark... and that freaked them out. They tried talking to it, but no response. It just stared at them silently. I also often create suspense by describing the sound that the creatures make. In the case of the mummies, they made an almost catlike hissing sound. Not what you'd expect from an undead.

When I introduced my players to a sea serpent, I described simply a long shadow underneath the water, which suddenly pulled a small vessel down, and ripped it in two. I don't think you need to describe the entire creature the moment they see it. You can spread out the description across multiple rounds. For example, if they hack at its body, you can describe its color and scales, and what it smells like. If they attack its head, then you can describe its jaws, eyes and head.

I sometimes act out the movements and behavior of a monster too. I show them how it walks and turns its head. How it stutters in its movements and jitters.

My players are also never certain what they'll face. They know that I enjoy throwing in all new monsters of my own, or very obscure monsters. So they pay more attention to the descriptions, because it could reveal vital clues. Its rarely just another common troll or kobolt. And even if its a mummy, its never 'just' an ordinary mummy.

 

[Quickleaf]

Glad you didn't opt for the long version ;-P

LOL Yeah, well, it's hard for me to write like I speak. There'd probably be a lot more "you know, bro?" in there if I was actually at the table describing the ogre.

"He's got snaggleteeth, you know, bro?"

 

[Orius]

I think I prefer to start with the picture, then read/paraphrase the description if one is available.

I have played, and had fun with, the Guess That Monster Metagame Within The Game (and I still do at times), but poor descriptions bother me and the Let's Fool The Veteran Players Metagame Within The Game can get annoying.

As a player, I don't mind if you just say what the monster is and trust I won't metagame. Heck, if your description is even close to accurate, I already know what the monster is, so am demonstrating my ability to not metagame.

I know, though, that this breaks immersion for some, so take this for what it's worth.

I take a similar approach. Common humanoid types I just say what it is; I often diversify goblins, orcs, gnolls, whatever with classes to keep players on their toes and I assume most adventurers know what these things are anyway. Everything else I go with brief descriptions, and never name the monster. I showed pictures when DMing for novice players, but I wouldn't bother with veterans since they probably have the books and know what it is. Most attentive veteran players can figure out what their facing so going overboard with metagaming to fool them is a waste of time, and for noobs it won't matter because they don't know what it is anyway. Veterans can sometimes make mistakes, like the time one my of my groups misinterpreted my yeth hound description for hellhounds. I don't bother to correct them.