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Message: <blockquote data-quote="WhimsyTheFae" data-source="post: 2712348" data-attributes="member: 8964">The Making of a MonsterI would like to discuss what it takes to make a monster.  To me, the term monster is very evocative.  Pictures spring to mind of Godzilla, King Kong, Frankenstein, Gremlins, etc.  These pictures bring with them certain feelings like awe, terror, despair, etc.Now, take the term monster and apply it to a roleplaying game, like D&D.  What you sometimes end up with is an adventurer's "To Do" list.  This isn't inspiring at all, and can sometimes be downright deflating.  I understand that some groups are fine with handling monsters in this way, I have had many fun games that gave monsters this treatment.  Unfortunately, there are times that I am shooting for a bit more and find it difficult when my players and I are desensitized to the "monster effect".So, in order to try to restore the monster to its rightful place, I am following a few steps to determine if a creature is actually a monster:1) Is it scary?  This one is easy, as monsters are normally named such due to their capacity to cause fear.  Once a creature loses its ability to cause fear, it ceases to be a monster.  Of course, not all scary creatures are monsters, so we must continure...2) Can it hurt me?  A monster must have the ability to hurt you.  This can be physically, psychologically or spiritually.  If a monster cannot hurt you, it will become less scary and will cease to be a monster.3) Is it incomprehensible?  I could have stopped at #2, but then I would not have a true monster.  Sure, something that is scary and can hurt me could be called a monster, but is it really?  The bully on the playground is scary and can hurt me (the kids may even say he is a monster), but is he a monster in the truest sense of the term?  I believe that the mystery surrounding the monster is what gives it the ability to haunt your nightmares.  I want to envision the creature and know that it isn't physically possible (when we uncover its secrets or find a way to create it or destroy it is when it loses what makes it a monster).So, upon answering yes to each of the previous questions, I feel comfortable in granting the title of monster.  Now, all I have to do is present it as a monster.  This is often very difficult in a roleplaying game, as players have "seen it all", read the manual or are more powerful than the monster.  What to do?First, I have to decide what my goal is.  I have already decided that I want to introduce a monster, but what is the end goal?  I think that there are two appropriate goals that I can shoot for when using monsters in a roleplaying game:1) Initial Shock - this is where the monster is a monster to begin with, but will eventually be just another opponent to overcome.2) True Monster - this is where it is my goal that the monster is there to scare the characters and that it is not meant to be a fair opponent.Second, I need to breathe life into the monster.  For this step, I will only give as much detail as my goal necessitates.If my goal is Initial Shock, then I may give some background on why the monsters are where they are and are doing what they are doing.  When the shock wears off and the party has to deal with the monsters, they may need this information (or may need the information in order to deal with the monsters).If my goal is for a True Monster, then I don't want to have much information for the party.  In this case, the monster is incomprehensible and horrifying.  I will only vaguely detail what the creature is, where it may have come from, how is may have gotten where it is and what it may be after.  The important thing to remember here is that you are not setting the True Monster up to be an opponent for the party, but rather an obstacle to circumvent.  If the players think that you are using fiat or are throwing unbalanced encounters their way, they may disapprove.Finally, I am ready to present the monster to the party.  The presentation is done in increments, from least detail to most detail.  This will change from session to session and is often difficult to do correctly.  Rumors, screams in the night, shadows on the wall, brief glimses, etc. can all be used for the initial set up.  Subsequently, descriptions of the monster using imagery that the players will understand should be used, but using names from the manual should be avoided (as has been pointed out in countless articles on running monsters).  Finally, the point of unveiling, as the party realizes that they are fighting goblin-like creatures (goal #1) or are up against something that isn't in the book and perhaps is best avoided (goal #2).When all is said and done, the party should have had either a more interesting goblin encounter than they are used to or have had a adventure to find out how to defeat/banish/imprison an "unbeatable" and "unknowable" monster.Now, all I have to do is get better at doing this (yes, I have been accused of misleading the party when being too descriptive with puny goblins and of killing the party when I made an about face on a hack-n-slash party without letting them know - if your monster is going to be unbeatable by traditional methods, it may be prudent to give the players some sort of clue).Choice: Elements of Magic - Mythic Earth</blockquote>

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