HEROES ARE DEFINED BY MONSTERS
In the excitement of a table session, simplicity is king. Even the most elegant monsters are boiled down to their essentals when the dice start rolling. Our DnD embraces that way of thinking and offers the tier system on the to create and execute your next monster in play.
That said, the tiers only give a baseline statistics. There are countless other nuances, ideas, notes and details to make your monsters interesting. Consider 3 key words for every monster, then use tiers and the roll tables below as needed.
Power Word: Choose a key word that you will remember for a new monster. Make it impactful like 'brutal,' 'gigantic,' or 'bloodthirsty.' Improv as needed from this all-important descriptor.
Personality: It may be 'mindless' or 'ingenius' or 'devious' or 'imperial.' This gives you a memorable hint for role-playing the enemy, even if other details slip.
Wants: What does this nasty bugger even want? Answer this, and you'll never be confused what it will do on its next turn.
MONSTER'S STATISTICS
NAME: A way to identiffy the monster or enemy.
SIZE: Six category sizes: TINY (shorter than 1/2 mt.), SMALL (between 1/2 mt. and 1 mt.), MEDIUM (between 1 mt. and 1,5 mt.), LARGE (between 1,5 mt. and 4,5 mt.), HUGE (between 4,5 mt. and 9 mt.), COLOSSAL (bigger than 9 mt.).
TYPE: Fourteen creature category types: Aberration, Beast, Celestial, Construct, Dragon, Elemental, Fey, Fiend, Giant, Humanoid (includes all playable races, goblinoids, biped human-like inteligent creatures), Monstrosity, Ooze, Plant, Undead.
HEARTS: 1 HEART ♥
= 10 hit points.
ROLLS: STAT Bonuses simplified into one or two values. This includes all Checks / Attempts as well as Effort.
ACTIONS AND TRAITS: List combat actions or special aspects of the creature.
LORE: A simplified summary of what this thing is, and why it is unique.
MONSTER DESIGN GUIDELINES
TIER I MONSTERS
Most encounters, at any level, should include mooks, minions, wimps and chumps. These are easy kills, but in numbers can be dangerous.
• +2 STAT rolls
• No EFFORT bonuses
• 1 Action per Turn
• 1 HEART ♥
• Very weak: HALF HEART ♡
(5 HP) and No STAT bonuses.
TIER II MONSTERS
Mooks die by the dozen, but bonafide enemies mixing it up and shocking players with sudden power. More HEARTS isn't the trick, it's more killing power.
• +4 STAT rolls
• No EFFORT bonuses
• 1 Action per Turn
• 2 HEARTS ♥
♥
• One interesting piece of gear or unique ability.
TIER III MONSTERS
At Tier III you have the sub-boss or 'wimp gate' monster who really tests the heroes' ability to think creatively, not just attack until they win.
• +6 STAT rolls
• +2 all EFFORT
• 2 Actions per Turn
• 3 HEARTS ♥
♥
♥
or 4 HEARTS ♥
♥
♥
♥ and/or damage immunity or resistance (1/2 damage from some kind of damage).
• At least 1 Special Ability such as area blast, HP drain or insta-kill without roll.
TIER IV MONSTERS
At the highest tier you have your supreme enemy. You might even say that HEARTS don't matter here (like with a vampire or dragon). Even if defeated, Tier IV monsters seldom actually die. They are merely delayed.
• +8 STAT rolls
• +4 all EFFORT
• 3 Actions per Turn
• 5 HEARTS ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ or more, damage immunity, resistance and/or self-healing action
• At least 1 special ability such as area blast, escape-and-heal, summon extra monsters, destroy gear or change environment/target/timer
DOWNLOAD "PEN & PAPER" MONSTERS / NPC'S SHEET
(UP TO 3 PER SIDE)
DOWNLOAD "DIGITAL FILLABLE" MONSTERS / NPC'S SHEET
(UP TO 3 PER SIDE)
MONSTER ABILITIES IDEAS
REPEL THEM: Use MAGIC or WEAPON to shove enemies away. This ability can be especially deadly if combined with a ranged barrage.
HIT ALL TARGETS: Monsters that attack whole areas are brutal! Unleash it with an attack roll, or force players to roll for avoidance.
DESTROY GEAR: Give a monster the ability to destroy equipment, and players will turn pale with fear. This effect is usually explained with corrosion, acid, or crushing jaws.
VANISH/REAPPEAR: When players pin a monster down, it has little chance. Give one the ability to move without moving, and suddenly, the tables are turned.
FORCE THEM TO MOVE: Tank and spank monster fights can be very dull. Use jumping, flying, or must-flee effects like fire pits to keep battles moving.
NEGATE THEIR ATTACKS: Any monster Action that costs players a turn is very powerful, but can be disheartening, so be judicious with such abilities.
BOLSTER DEFENSES: If a monster is just 'in the way,' then making it resilient can be fun. Use a turn to double your HEARTS, or make attacks against it HARD.
PARALYZE: Paralyzed heroes aren't totally useless, but they can be vulnerable. Use stnging barbs, poison, and the like, but always allow a CON check to break free.
LOTS OF ACTIONS: Giving a monster 2, 3, or more Actions will give it a boss-like quality. Be sure to have the variety to back it up.
DESTROY TERRAIN: If a foe smashes a doorway, it can have more gravity than killing a hero! Use this destructive power to scare or confine the heroes.
BEHAVE IN CYCLES: When monsters do the same 1-2-3 action combos, players can learn their pattern and exploit it. That is a great fight.
REGENERATE: Either automatically or by an Action, the monster can regain a HEART or a few HP, critical for climax monsters.
BANISH FOES: With a spell, a monster can send an enemy to a mini dimension. There, the hero needs to do some form of EFFORT to return to the fight.
CONTROL THEM: There's nothing worse than players killing players. A monster with mind control powers turns them against one another.
FRIGHTEN THEM: Monsters are scary, but some are so scary, you just have to flee! Control the power by limiting how long the fear lasts (1 TURN, 1D4 ROUNDS etc).
STEAL THEIR GEAR: Destroying gear is hardcore. This version uses a roll to swip stuff, maybe use it, or maybe stash it. Then it can be retrieved after combat and hugged.
HAVE ONLY 1 WEAKNESS: A single weakness is not only great for making a fight perilous, but also fun for those players who track details about monsters. It makes all their work worth it, and they are considered 'monster experts.'
MOVE TWICE: Doubling the normal move rules can make your new monster very formidable, as players will waste time chasing rather than killing.
CREATE TERRAIN: Creating barriers or high pinnacles can disrupt a battle or make the target hard to reach. It is also really cool.
POISON: Like fire, this kind of damage can keep hurting over time. For some monsters, even with a simple visual, poison feels like a perfect fit.
GO ENRAGED: At a certain threshold, maybe extremely low HP or having its eggs destroyed, enrage your monster. In this state it always does CRITICAL ULTIMATE! or has higher STATS.
IMMUNE TO: Yetis don't mind the cold. Be sure to make immunities sensible so players aren't baffled why their sword doesn't work.
MULTIPLY: Any time a monster becomes 2, things get hairy. You can multiply by dividing it like a starfish or by spawning from a nearby source. When players figure out how to stop this process, the tide will turn in their favor.
AN UNLIKELY FOE: Finally, consider making monsters that aren't monsters. All kinds of weird objects, terrain, people, or magical entities can be foes to battle. Here's a Brain in a Jar. As practice, try making a super powered monster from
this oddball. What can it do? How is it dangerous? Why must it be defeated? As you answer questions, it takes form!
MONSTER MAKER
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STATE
1: Tormented: Being experimented on or tortured for some awful purpose.
2: Imprisoned: Chained or caged by its masters to control its fury.
3: Raging: The thing is already going wild with anger. You make it worse.
4: Augmented: They've implanted things in this beast...deadly things.
5: Dying: It's barely alive but still refuses to relent.
6: Swarming: They are many, and something has them convulsing in a frenzy.
7: Feeding: This is a very bad time to interrupt it.
8: Dormant: It slumbers. We should be able to creep by undetected.
9: Steam/oil function: Are those HYDRAULICS?
10: Rune-Etched: Some magic has hewn glowing symbols into the beast's flesh.
11: Mutated: I thought the last one was ugly!
12: Confused: This monster is baffled, frantically searching for answers or relief from its vertigo.
13: Hungry: Default state of all living things.
14: Hiding: It springs from its hidey hole, pouncing on prey, usually targeting the small or weak.
15: Camouflaged: They're coming out of the damn walls!
16: On Fire: Either by its own power or some freak malfunction, this creature is on fire, igniting
all it touches.
17: Dividing: Some kind of cellular metagenesis...but HOW?
18: Crashing In: Boom! The thing breaks through a gate, wall, or door.
19: Changing: One creature is turning into another and for a time has both sets of abilities.
20: Undead: Someone already killed it, and some damned fool brought it back.
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MOTIVATION
1: Feed: It will seek any edible material at any location.
2: Search for Intruders: It patrols a fixed area.
3: Lie in Wait: It will not move until triggered by passers-by.
4: Escape: It just wants out! It will bash, gnaw, or claw its way to freedom.
5: Find an Object: No matter where the object goes, it is drawn there.
6: Torture: Sadistic instincts are not confined to the 'higher life forms' of our world.
7: Baffle: It toys with its prey, confusing and frightening.
8: Imitate: This creature can take the form of others and uses its form to separate the foolish.
9: Cripple: It craves not death but only disables its prey and moves on.
10: Recon: Far-roaming beasts sent to watch or listen for their masters.
11: Guard: It will stand its ground in one spot and never waiver.
12: Kill: One target is on its mind, and it will hunt until slain.
13: Hoard: It steals things, finds things, and piles them in a dark lair somewhere.
14: Reproduce: It ignores all concerns besides making more of itself, as fast as possible.
15: Survive: This creature can be very hard to kill, as it only wants to live another day.
16: Grow: Driven to spend moments straining and swelling to immense size, even when in peril.
17: Attach: A parasitic beast whose only concern is latching on to a victim and doing whatever it
does next.
18: Play Dead: A primordial tactic, yet stll effective.
19: Hibernate: This tired creature seeks a private, quiet, safe place. Things in its way be warned.
20: Nest: The beast is creating a home and has the upper hand there in all regards.
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ABILITIES
1: Grappler: Tentacles, hooks, and grubby fingers. Victims use STR checks to avoid or break free.
2: Tactical: How can it cut the power? It's an animal! Create and/or destroy terrain to move.
3: Metal Eater: Any damage done beyond 7 destroys one piece of GEAR.
4: Tough: Thud. Cannot be harmed with some kind of weapons (Inmmunity) or have resistance (half damage) from them.
5: Toxic: Venomous. Injured heroes continue taking 1D4 each round until making a CON check.
6: Smart: Creature makes EASY WIS checks to spot party weakness.
7: Terrifying: Any hero at CLOSE range must check with CHA or flee for their turn.
8: Wild: Monster darts about at random, using rolls to choose what to do, and where.
9: Fast: Move FAR as if NEAR. If you roll this ability twice, add phasic speed.
10: One Weakness: Roll 1D6: 1: Silver, 2: Magic, 3: Fire, 4: Ice, 5: Lightning, 6: Melee.
11: Volatile: When killed, explodes, doing CRITICAL ULTIMATE! to all within NEAR range.
12: Confusing: Attackers must roll WIS checks to spot its actual location.
13: Devour: If a hero takes 10+ damage, they are engulfed by the thing.
14: Spawner: Spawn 1D4 parasitic 'mooks' per round.
15: Firestarter: Monster leaves areas of flame behind wherever it attacks.
16: Hellion: Monster always targets the holy or innocent but subject to holy rites.
17: Fort: Shoot at that wall of junk! It will gather local materials to hide itself/deflect missiles.
18: Pursuit: If heroes flee, it will pursue to the death.
19: Stalker: They're in the damn ceiling! It will wait patiently for an opportune moment to strike.
20: Two Abilities: Roll Another Ability.
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UPGRADES
1: Hearts: Add 1D4 HEARTS, or add 1 HEART per PC party member.
2: Stat Rolls: Add 1D8 to ALL ROLLS, or add 1D12 to one STAT and 1D6 to all other rolls
3: Weapon Damage: Razor sharp, barbed, and toothy. Add 1D6, throwing out a 1.
4: Magic Effect: Glowing with some arcane hex. Add 1D6, throwing out a 1.
5: Ultimate: When it locks on, it crushes bones and steel alike. Add 1D6, throwing out a 1
6: Add Ability: Roll twice on the ABILITIES table
7: Devious Intelligence: It will retreat, use line of sight, or utiize ROOM TREATS to win.
8: Legion: There are 1D6 of them, throw out a 1.
9: Alpha: The leader of the pack. Its WEAPON attacks are MAGICAL damage.
10: Gigantic: Monster cannot be damaged by human-sized creatures or conventional WEAPONS.
11: Charging: When it moves, anything in its path makes a DEX check or takes CRITICAL ULTIMATE! damage.
12: Rider: Can only be defeated by killing the rider.
13: Armored: It's tough as iron! Ignore any damage below 5.
14: Illusory: Where the blazes is the real one! All attacks against it are HARD.
15: Part-Human: Faces in the skin! +5 CHA when persuading or beseeching enemies.
16: Metagen: It just keeps healing. Recover 5 HP per round.
17: Nova: Every 1D4 ROUNDS, it damages all within FAR range. DEFENSE roll to avoid
18: Infinite: When one is killed, another appears.
19: Ancient: Roll twice on this table, ignoring a 19 or 20.
20: Nightmare: Roll Three times on this table, ignoring a 19 or 20.
RANDOM NPC'S AND GEAR (D20)
1: Soldier: Short Sword, Common Shield, Armor Kit, Supplies, Common armor.
2: Dabbler: Book of Secrets, Staff, Dagger, Fire Stone, Spyglass.
3: Nomad: Longbow, Common Armor, Supplies, Trapper's Gear, Dagger, Staff, Weapon Kit.
4: Siege: Long Spear, Crossbow, Weapon Kit, Common Shield, Rope & Hook.
5: Caster: Dagger, Spell Book, Tools (scrivener), Spyglass, Book of Secrets.
6: Hunter: Long bow, Spear, Knife, Trapper's Gear, Common Armor, Supplies, Trusty Mug.
7: War Archer: Long bow, Magic Ammo, Long sword, Supplies, Common Armor, Tools (fletcher).
8: Crusher: Battle axe, Spear, Common Shield, Common Armor, Ring of Might, Pouch of Coin.
9: Outcast: Meditation Beads, Walking stick.
10: Thief: Greedy Gloves, Rope and Hook, Dagger, Short Bow, Tools (locksmith), Common Armor.
11: Miner: War Pick, Throwing Axe, Common Shield, Common Armor, Miner's Gear, Berserk Ring.
12: Mender: Staff, Dagger, Meditation Beads, Tools (medic), Instrument (lute).
13: Wizard: Long sword, Fire Stone, Spell Book, Supplies, Tools (navigator).
14: Warrior: Long sword, Short sword, Battle axe, Common Shield, Common Armor, Ring of Might.
15: Marksman: Crossbow, Long bow, Sling, Masterful Boots, Rope and Hook, Magic Ammo.
16: Lunatic: Club, Masterful Coats, Spell Book, Instrument (flute), Miner's Gear.
17: Wanderer: No weapons, Berserk Ring, Supplies.
18: Duelist: Rapier, Weapon Kit, 50 Coin, Tools (weaponsmith), Common Armor.
19: Prisoner: No gear.
20: Highborn: Ring of Might, Firestone, Enchanted Long sword, Spell Book, Masterful Coats.
INHABITANTS OF THE WORLD
A practical and quick reference list of the common people who inhabit a fantasy world. ♡ is 1/2 Heart = 5 Hit Points:
Commoner
Meduim humanoid (any race)
/ ♡ / +0 to all Stats and Effort.
Expert worker
Meduim humanoid (any race) / ♡ / +0 to all Stats / +1 Basic Effort, +1 Weapons or Tools Effort.
Highborn or Burgess
Meduim humanoid (any race) / ♡ / +1 INT, +1 WIS, +1 CHA / +1 Basic Effort, +1 Weapons or Tools Effort, +1 Gunpowder or Heavy Weapons Effort.
Sage or Cultist
Meduim humanoid (any race) / ♡ / +2 INT, +2 WIS / +1 Magical Energy Effort.
Have or knows 1 INT or WIS spell.
Soldier or Mercenary
Meduim humanoid (any race) / ♡ / +1 STR, +1 DEX, +1 CON / +1 Weapons or Tools Effort
Knight or Group leader
Meduim humanoid (any race) / ♥ / +1 to all Stats / +1 Weapons or Tools Effort, +1 Gunpowder or Heavy Weapons Effort.
Average Adventurer
Meduim humanoid (any race) / ♥
/ +1 to all Stats / +1 to all Effort. May have or know INT or WIS spells.
May have some special equipment.
MONSTER EXAMPLES
A reference list of monsters that you can throw against your players. Based on the descriptions, feel free to look for images that can serve to illustrate them. ♡ is 1/2 Heart = 5 Hit Points:
Agmar
Large Aberration / ♥
♥
♥
/ +5 STR.
LIE IN WAIT: Disguised as a green rock, free surprise Chomp attack on CLOSE passers-by.
CHOMP: Weapon Effort Damage to CLOSE Enemy.
FLYING LEAP: Leap to Move FAR, then Critical Ultimate! Effort Damage against any enemies CLOSE to landing impact.
SPIN-THRASH: Weapon Effort Damage, all NEAR Enemies. NEAR enemies DEFENSE Check to halve the damage, then Agnar recovers ♡.
The all-eater. This jungle-dwelling beast has an odd spherical body/head that is lined on all sides with chomping teeth. It is ravenously hungry at all times. Agnar are terrified and enraged by fire in any form, especially if it is brought into their lair or cave.
Angel
Large Celestial / ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ / +6 to all Stats / +4 to all Effort.
SUN SWORD: Critical Ultimate! Effort Damage
weapon that ignores ARMOR, strikes all CLOSE enemies. Natural 12s rolled with this weapon's damage, explode (maxed dice roll again).
SUN FURY: A ray of pure nuclear fire that functions just like the Sun Sword, but with a range of 1 mile.
RADIANT NOVA: The creature glows as bright as a white star. Demons, undead, infernals and even evil-doers must roll CHA or flee with their next 1D4 TURNS.
JUDGEMENT: The Angel chooses a single creature. In 1D4 TURNS, it is torn apart atom by atom
Angels are almost indestructible servants of infinity. They are largely perceived as lawful and benevolent, but this is not accurate. They are absolute, indisputable LAWGIVERS of the universe.
Avenger
Lerge Fiend / ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ / +5 to all Stats / +4 to Weapon Effort.
EXECUTE: Axe Slices through objects, walls, or creatures CLOSE to the target. Creatures / objects hit reduced to 0 HP instantly.
RETRIEVE: The Avenger grapples its foe and returns to its origin. HARD STR rolls are the only escape.
PRISM BLADES: All creatures within FAR must roll DEFENSE to evade or take Critical Ultimate! Effort Damage
from these razors.
MIST STONE: Magic Effort Damage does half damage against Avengers.
Avengers are prisoners of their purpose. They are conjured, brought into existence only to fulfill some grave task, vow, or to obey to a powerful wizard. They dissipate when their task is complete.
Bug Men
Small Humanoid / ♥
/ +1 to all Rolls / 2 Actions per Turn.
SLASH: Sword attack. Bug Men seldom use ranged weapons.
DISMEMBERING BITE: Weapon Effort Damage. If more than 6 damage is dealt, the target loses a limb.
ACID MIST: Corrosive mist out of tiny pores in its exoskeleton. All enemies within NEAR roll DEFENSE or suffer Weapon Effort Damage to themselves and 1 piece of equipment.
Found anywhere the land is hollow. Ant Men live to protect their queen, of which there is only one per thousand square miles. They work as a team in vast numbers. Their primary food source is fungus, which they farm in deep tunnels.
Banshee
Medium Undead / ♥ ♥
/ +2 to all Rolls.
CLAWS: Spectral Slash, Magic Effort Damage.
INT SPELL-DEAFENING HOWL: NEAR enemies roll WIS or be disabled, plagued by visions of horror. The sound continues until Banshee is injured or stops on its own.
BLINK: Banshees can move up to FAR distance without traveling the space between.
INT SPELL-DRAIN: Drain Magic Effort Damage of HP from a target to heal itself.
SPECTRAL SUBSTANCE: Only magical weaponry and magic can harm a Banshee.
Brain Horror
Medium Construct / ♥ ♥
/ +3 to all Rolls.
STINGING TENTACLES: Weapon Effort Damage, Poisonous: take damage until a successful CON Check.
LEVITATE: Does not need terrain to move, always in flight, can rise up to FAR height, silent.
INT SPELL-BETRAYAL: All NEAR enemies make an INT Check or turn against an ally for 1 ROUND.
INT SPELL-PSYCHIC BLAST: Single target, any range, Critical Ultimate! Effort Damage and compels its target to walk toward the Brain Horror for 1 turn.
INT SPELL-FEED: CLOSE, Single target, do Magic Effort Damage against a touched enemy, heal that HP.
Carrion Worm
Huge Beast / ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ / +3 to all Stats / +2 to Weapon Effort.
ATTACK-MANDIBLES: Weapon Effort Damage. Target rolls a competing STR check or is restrained by the huge jaws.
INT SPELL-WEB SHOCK: All NEAR enemies make a DEFENSE check or take Magic Effort Damage as a crimson shockwave expands outward. Those who fail are also glued where they stand by red tendrils of goo until a STR check is made to break free.
PSIONIC CALL: After the first round of combat, a Crystal Worm will vibrate its antennae, emitting a silent pulse. 1D4 more worms will answer this call in 1D6 ROUNDS.
Demon
Medium Fiend / ♥ ♥ / +4 to all Stats / +2 to All Effort.
RAZOR CLAWS: Magic Damage rippers.
SCREAM: 1D4 more Demons appear from any smoke or nearby darkness.
SMOKE WALK: Demons can move between any smoke as a MOVE. The smoke is their home, and heals them with Magic Effort.
TRUE NAME: If a demon's true name is somehow learned, it can be commanded or banished.
Dragon (ancient)
Medium Fiend / ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ / +4 to all rolls / 3 Actions per Turn.
CRUSHING BITE: NEAR WEAPON, if a victim is dropped to 0 HP by CRUSHING BITE, is devoured.TAKE WING: The drake flies straight up. At altitude, it glides 1D4 ROUNDS, recovering full HP.
WHIPPING TAIL: All enemies NEAR make a DEFENSE or CON Check or take WEAPON damage.
BREATH OF FIRE: All enemies within FAR in front of the Dragon roll DEFENSE or CON to avoid. Double CRITICAL ULTIMATE! (d12) (2 dice).
INT SPELL-SPELL STEALER: On a Hard Attempt, the Dragon can utilize any INT spell used by its opponents.
IMMUNE TO FIRE.
Eye Beast
Medium or Large Aberration / ♥ ♥ ♥ / +6 to all Stats / +4 to Magic Effort / 2 Actions (Beam Attacks) per Turn.
MAGIC BEAMS: Roll 2D4, fire two beams at random targets.
1-DEATH RAY: Drops its target to 0 HP.
2-MAGIC NULLIFIER: Target can't use MAGIC for 1D4 ROUNDS.
3-ENERGY FIST: Weapon Effort damage, shove target away until impacting a solid surface.
4-GAZE OF STONE: Petrify for 1D6 hours. If the statue is left behind, the effect is permanent.
Fire Elemental
Medium Elemental / ♥
/ +3 to all Rolls
FIRE CLAW: Weapon Effort Damage. If used against flammable materials, will ignite.
HEALED BY FIRE: Gain 1D6 HP from any open flames or fire magic they touch.
FLAME DOOR: Any open flame in sight used to teleport.
Ghost
Medium Undead / ♥
/ +2 to all Rolls / + 6 to Critical Ultimate!
TERRIFY: Roll CHA against this action, or spend your next TURN fleeing the source or sighting.
VISIONS: All living creatures within FAR of a Ghost must roll INT or lose their next TURN completely, lost in despair and grief.
LURE: Unless a single target can beat an INT roll, they must spend their next MOVE going where the Ghost beckons. Ghosts often lure the living to terrible fates.
Goblin
Small Humanoid / ♡ or ♥
/ +2 STR, +2 DEX.
CRUMMY WEAPON: Weapon Effort Damage, with equipment no one wants to steal.
HOME MADE BOW: Weapon Effort Damage
, cannot shoot beyond NEAR distance.
YELL FOR HELP: A terrified Goblin will yell for aid. On his next turn, even if dead by then, 1D4 Goblin
friends will arrive.
FLEE AND HIDE: Run away! Goblins can hide almost anywhere. If they reach a hidey hole, they vanish and recover full HP.
Minotaur
Large Monstruosity / ♥ ♥ ♥
/ +3 STR / +3 Heavy Weapon Effort.
BATTLE AXE: Heavy Weapon Effort Damage, a huge, brutal weapon.
HEADLONG CHARGE: Move FAR in a straight line at a target. Anything between his origin and his destination is smashed. All enemies must use DEFESNSE to evade the charge or take an Critical Ultimate! Effort Damage impact.
CLEAVE: Bracing and spinning its massive axe, The Berserker hits all CLOSE enemies with a Battle Axe attack.
Ogre
Large Giant / ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ / +6 STR, -3 INT / +4 Heavy Weapon Effort / 2 Actions per Turn.
SPIKED CLUB: Heavy Weapon Effort Damage with a NEAR reach. Even on a missed Attack, the spiked club inflicts 3 Damage on its target.
BODY SLAM: Roll DEFENSE or suffer DOUBLE Heavy Weapon Damage / immobilized under the creature.
SEISMIC HAMMER: A seismic area attack. All NEAR enemies must make a CON check or be shaken senseless and lose their next turn.
Shadow Beast
Medium Beast / ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ / +5 DEX, +2 to all other Stats and Effort / 2 Actions per Turn.
LASH: Weapon Effort Damage, NEAR reach.
POUNCE: The Shadow Beast leaps onto its prey, pinning it down with STR.
BLINK: Move NEAR without passing between locations.
VIBRATING TARGETS: Partly in phase, a Shadow Beast can be difficult to hit. Each ROUND, attacks against it are HARD until it is hit once.
Skeleton
Medium Undead / ♥ / +1 to all Rolls.
STAB: Weapon Effort Damage. On any critical fail, their weapon breaks and they must use Basic Effort attacks.
DEATH TOUCH: The Skeleton grasps bare skin, burning it with cold. Magic Effort Damage.
SLOW AS DEATH: A Skeleton can never move FAR in an action.
Slime Cube
Large Aberration / ♥ ♥ ♥
/ +5 STR, +5 CON.
MOVE: The Slime Cube uses its Action to move to a NEAR destination. It will choose a random direction or move toward sound and light.
STICKY ACIDIC ABSORPTION: Anything besides stone that touches a Slime Cube becomes stuck to it. In 1D4 ROUNDS, if the object or creature has not escaped, it is absorbed into the Cube's interior.
ABSORBED: Once absorbed, creatures and objects take Ultimate Critical! Effort Acid Damage for each TURN inside. Regardless of HEARTS, anything trapped inside suffocates in 4 ROUNDS.
LOOT WITHIN: Magically protected objects and Chests can survive in the Cube.
Snake Men
Medium Undead / ♥ ♥ ♥
/ +4 to all Stats / +6 to Magical Effort / 2 Actions per Turn.
INT SPELL-FIRE MISSILE: A deadly dagger of pure flame, Magic Effort Damage.
INT SPELL-COUNTERSPELL: The Snake Men are cunning fighters, seldom fight to the death, and confound their enemies with crippling strategies and anti-powers.
WIS SPELL-HEALING TOUCH: This will be used to heal itself most often, or those fighting for it.
HOWLING HISS: All those who can hear must make a CHA roll or be terrified, using their entire next TURN running away.
Swarm
Tiny Beast / NO ROLLS / 1 ACTION per TURN per ♥.
DETERMINING HEARTS: If swarm the size of a horse, give it ♥
; a wagon, ♥ ♥
; a house ♥ ♥ ♥
; and if any bigger, ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥.
ATTACK: The Swarm
descends on its targets, compressing to CLOSE range. Anything within the
Swarm takes damage based on the Swarm size. 1 to 2 ♥ Weapon Effort
Damage
, 3 ♥ Heavy Weapon Effort Damage, 4 or more ♥
Critical Ultimate! Effort Damage.
BAFFLING CLOUD: Any being within CLOSE range of a Swarm makes HARD rolls.
DISPERSE AND REGROUP: A Swarm can spread apart and reform anywhere within FAR range.
PROLIFERATE: Add 1 ♥.