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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Enkhidu" data-source="post: 2712935" data-attributes="member: 351">Every so often, I page through the MM, or take a look at the dozens of other sources of monsters out there, and am struck by the singular notion that I never - ever - have to worry about monster mechanics again. But, much like Whisper72, I find myself wanting to make cosmetic changes to monsters simply to throw the players for a loop. In addition, I simply love monster themes. As a result, I find myself drawn to templates, and like nothing more than to throw a particular template all over the place during adventure design.An example: I was in the process of gutting a particular module and filling it with a cabal of Far-Realms worshipping elves that was in the habit of taking prisoners (the hook). Except that I didn't want the party to have to be saddled with all these prisoners, as that would likely lead to a loose end that I'm certain they would want to tie up. As a result, I decided that I would have the elves be capturing these prisoners for... spare parts.Suddenly, all the existing monsters in the adventure disappeared from my write up, only to be replaced by mechanically identical heaps of that-which-should-not-be: giant spiders became knots of human arms and legs with sausage-like-tooth-tipped tentacles; ogres became towering heaps of muscle and flesh; and humanoid servants were replaced by thick, sexless bodies with mismatched limbs and no heads, magically "worn" by the elves themselves as walking monitors and footsoldiers.The best part was that, mechanically, I didn't change them much. That which were ogres still relied on powerful strikes, spiders could still poison with their tentacles, etc. And the players didn't know what they were. They tried turning the bipeds the first time they saw them, and when that didn't work, they assumed that they were some strange form of golem. It wasn't until they found the workrooms in which they were created that they figured it out. I actually got compliments on that after all was done. It's something I look at rather fondly.</blockquote>

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