D&D General Monster Importance in Homebrews?

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Usually pretty early on, in conjunction with what PC ancestries are available. Who's living in the world will shape what it looks like.

If I want to run a fantasy game based on Elizabethan England (yes, please!), I shouldn't wait until the last minute to decide "oh yes, all the crowned heads of Europe are actually dragons," because things will be different as a result of that choice.

(Seriously, if someone knows of a fantasy RPG setting that resembles -- but is not -- Elizabethan England, hook me up.)

 

[zarionofarabel]

I'm usually in the "Schroedinger's Monster" category for most monsters. Unless it actually appears in a session, it's existence is unknown. The exception is certain extremely powerful monsters like Dragons, in which case they are singular and unique, often the only one of their kind in the setting. Of course, Dragons in my games don't come in low or mid versions. To put it in D&D terms, Dragons in my worlds are always Great Wyrms. If I'm going to feature a freaking Dragon, it's going to be a DRAGON!!! It will be a force of nature, that can lay waste to kingdoms, and shape the world as it sees fit! Sorry small group of plucky heroes, but if you want to fight a DRAGON, your going to need some help!

I tend to do that with most "signature" monsters of the powerful kind, like Demons and Giants. Contingent of course on the fact that I don't run D&D style superhero fantasy. So PCs, while capable professionals, can never reach anything even close to demigod status. There is no real "power creep" that needs an ever increasing scale of foes to "properly challenge" the PCs. That also means that even the more "mundane" monsters like Ogres or Trolls are much more dangerous than they are in a typical D&D game. It helps keep the setting more grounded, and avoids the phenomenon where the world seems populated by huge numbers of extremely powerful creatures that for "some reason" don't just wipe out civilization.

 

[zarionofarabel]

Usually pretty early on, in conjunction with what PC ancestries are available. Who's living in the world will shape what it looks like.

If I want to run a fantasy game based on Elizabethan England (yes, please!), I shouldn't wait until the last minute to decide "oh yes, all the crowned heads of Europe are actually dragons," because things will be different as a result of that choice.

(Seriously, if someone knows of a fantasy RPG setting that resembles -- but is not -- Elizabethan England, hook me up.)

7th Sea?

Kinda...

Maybe...

 

[aco175]

When I make a setting I tend to only make a local area or kingdom size area and not the whole world. Depending on the type of terrain depends on some of the monsters I tend to use. I like orcs, gnolls, and hobgoblins but would not place all three in the same local area. I tend to view this as they would have battles for the area and kill all but one of them off long ago. Goblins tend to be able to work with the other three and I like to have them around. Undead are always good to throw in anyplace like oozes and giants passing through.

I have an idea of monsters early on when making maps and local areas to explore. I may ask the players if there is something they would like to see to include or throw in something if I have not used them lately.