more interesting monsters?

[alsih2o]

i have read a lot of discussions on these boards about the difficulty of surviving certain levels or making certain levels challenging.

what level range are more monster options needed for? do they need more options or challenges?

 

[snarfoogle]

1. My CoC/DND group needs more ~1 CR monsters, CoC monsters pratically start at 3, there are so few low CR monsters.

 

[snarfoogle]

1. My CoC/DND group needs more ~1 CR monsters, CoC pratically starts at CR 3, there are so few low CR monsters.

 

[Wombat]

I use a few standard monsters and make up the rest as I need them.

I dislike most creatures in most MM as they don't fit my worlds; then again, I prefer single monsters (THE Minotaur, THE Hydra) rather than races.

Just a personal preference

 

[Hand of Evil]

I limit EXP keeping my parties levels 5 to 10, using numbers over power for most games.

 

[Norfleet]

I have a helpful table I call "Monster-o-Matic". By simply rolling up random numbers, I can, on very short notice, create a very odd monster which will be a combination of random elements: Fur, scales, feather, claws, teeth, spikes, a tail, etc. I can then describe the monster part by part, and the players will be utterly mystified by what it is. If I happen to like the results, then I use the monster again. As a side benefit, the players, being the first people to encounter the thing and survive, get to name it.

Thus, players feel involved in the world, and you don't actually have to do any work, because the players will do it for you. Meanwhile, they feel special and important that they got to name a totally new monster. Don't tell them that you generated it with a table.

Should the entire party be killed by the monster(but you like it anyway: perhaps this is the CAUSE of you liking the monster), name the monster after the first partymember to fall to it, posthumously. This will inspire a suitable sense of terror and dread should the next group encounter it.

 

[SpuneDagr]

Good idea, Norfleet! I like it. Do you use stats for normal MM monsters and just change the description, or do you really make these up from scratch?
I'm a big fan of slapping a totally different appearance on an existing monster to mystify those players who've been pawing through my books.

 

[Tonguez]

Good idea, Norfleet! I like it. Do you use stats for normal MM monsters and just change the description, or do you really make these up from scratch?
I'm a big fan of slapping a totally different appearance on an existing monster to mystify those players who've been pawing through my books.

I like to modify the existing beasties and do things like use the stats with different descriptions or add an ability (say make a creature aquatic - like Aquatic Behir with Crayfish legs!) or else use a template (lots of fiendish beasties imc - including a fiendish two-headed ghost wolf)

 

[Norfleet]

Good idea, Norfleet! I like it. Do you use stats for normal MM monsters and just change the description, or do you really make these up from scratch?

Well, neither, really The monsters aren't MM monsters at ALL. In fact, I created this system out of a lack of stable access to an MM. Relying on one of your players to consult the monster manual for you over the Internet doesn't work.

So I when I needed a new critter, I arbitrarily made one up, using a combination of random numbers, and fixed points picked on the table to fit the situation. The result was a completely unique and unheard of, as well as unnamed, monster. It was up to the players to name it.

As a result, monsters ended up with very interesting names. Things like:
AIEEEEE! IT BURNS!
GET IT OFF ME! GET IT OFF ME!
MY LEG!
RUN AWAY! RUN AWAY!

and things of that vein.

 

[alsih2o]

So I when I needed a new critter, I arbitrarily made one up, using a combination of random numbers, and fixed points picked on the table to fit the situation. The result was a completely unique and unheard of, as well as unnamed, monster.

well, show us!