How to Make a Monster

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How to Make a Monster

Postby doctortoc » Wed Jul 01, 2015 3:33 pm

I'm interested in how folks come up with their Things. Do you have a preferred technique? Do you find an image or build a creation around that, or do you take your inspiration from the movies, books or comics?

I have a number of techniques. The first is pretty simple, in that I take a classic monster and try and re-imagine it. The "Death Shroud" (as seen in the "New THINGS" thread) simply arose because I was thinking about the classic mummy and wondered what happened to them once their flesh and bones had turned to dust. Occasionally I'll look at the mythology of a classic monster - the vampire - for example, and try and think about things in the natural world that might do something similar. Nocturnal flight, the sucking of blood from a slumbering victim, themes of disease and infection; all can equally well be applied to a mosquito. Would a swarm of monstrous mosquitoes the size of cats freak out the players? Sure, especially if they're expecting Dracula. How about a man-sized mosquito beast, arising from the foetid swamps to drain the blood of helpless children, infecting each of them in turn with a horrible malaise? Could be fun, especially if the PCs are all kitted out with crosses, stakes and garlic!

The second technique is a little more complex, in that I build a creature using the basic principles of evolutionary biology. First, you identify a niche - literally a space in the world for the creature to inhabit - then you create something to fill that space. You work out what it eats and why, what it's behaviours are, how it has avoided detection, what it's relationship to the world is (does it have a natural predator?), and if it's intelligent, what it wants. Despite the fact that supernatural creatures don't have to be subject to scientific laws, this technique works for them too. In fact, supernatural creatures are even more terrifying when you discover that they've adapted to prey on us... :-)

There's a wonderful Ramsay Campbell short story called "The Brood", which illustrates this technique perfectly. In the story, the protagonist sees an old woman dressed in black who continually dances around lamp posts at night. At the same time there's a drop in the numbers of local homeless, stray animals etc. Eventually the protagonist invades the woman's home in search of a stray animal he's seen her abscond with, only to discover that she is actually a form of giant vampiric moth, perfectly adapted to live among humanity without being noticed...

Does anyone else have any favourite techniques for monster making?
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Re: How to Make a Monster

Postby seneschal » Thu Jul 02, 2015 5:18 pm

For my dinosaur write-ups, I used the Cryptworld bestiary to provide a baseline for stats. I figured herbivores would have the agility of cattle, big ones would have strength and wounds equaling or exceeding that of existing monsters. Fast dinosaurs would be as agile as birds.
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Re: How to Make a Monster

Postby segeorge » Fri Jul 03, 2015 5:07 am

doctortoc wrote:Does anyone else have any favourite techniques for monster making?


I get inspiration from various sources, including those mentioned: movies, books, urban legends, art, etc., as well as an (over?) active imagination We are all heirs to centuries of stories about supernatural beings -- myths, legends, tales, speculation, and misunderstandings of the world around us -- have passed on a corpus of imaginative concepts that I don’t think we can ignore, even when trying to devise something wholly original. And it can be fun to take something previously established, and modify it to suit your own imagination and game requirements.

Sometimes, I get inspiration from the effect a creature will have, whether in how it kills its victims or how it alters people for its own uses. It’s not often that I sit down and try to design a monster without previously thinking of something, usually out of the blue. Although, not long ago I did think that my creature collection was in need of a human-sized insectoid monster. So with that perceived omission, I set out to design a creature, using the general shape of a Praying Mantis, but with other insectoid features (like compound eyes) – I’m still working on both the creature and (especially) its name. I’m playing with variations on Latin designations, and I’d like to incorporate the homonym “preying,” as in Preying Anthroptera or Manoptora, because of the similarity with anthro or man to reinforce its humanoid size. And it will definitely eat the heads of its prey. Sometimes coming up with evocative names can be tricky.

Speaking of names, sometimes that can even serve as the inspiration for a creature. For some reason, I’ve always liked the word scribe. So replacing the i with a y (‘cause that’s what creative people do ;) ), I came up with a creature whose goals and powers revolve around writing.

Inspiration can be literally as close as my back yard; or, at least, just beyond it. A little passed our property line is a tree with a formation that looks very much like a bear – my wife and I call it the Bear Tree (‘cause, again, that’s what creative people do ;) ). It didn’t take much imagination to come up with an animalistic supernatural creature that inhabits trees (obviously, this is not too dissimilar to the dryad myth, so I called the creature Zoodryad). Then came figuring out how such a creature should behave and how to kill it (as you said, fitting it into its niche) – usually the most fun part!

It’s also fun to design specific villains, especially when you can introduce an unexpected variation on the norm, like a vampire who prefers to attack his victims in wolf form, leading PCs to expect a werewolf. The potential to introduce personality quirks is probably one of the best things about the more human monsters.

But I also need inspiration/enthusiasm to continue developing the creatures (as well as NPCs and adventure scenarios). So I’m habitually working on various ideas, in varying states of completion, depending on how I feel at any given time.

BTW, I thought the Death Shroud was a really cool idea. And Campbell's "Brood" sounds interesting.


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Re: How to Make a Monster

Postby segeorge » Tue Aug 18, 2015 11:59 pm

Maybe I should change my user name to Thread Killer! :D

But even though no one else has posted, I noticed a lot of views. So just in case anyone has been coming back to see if there are any developments, I thought I'd post the two Things I mentioned: the Manapterous and the Zoodryad:


Image

Manapterous

STR: 7 (105) WPR: 6 (90)
DEX: 1 (15) PER: NA
AGL: 8 (120) PCN: 6 (90)
STA: 9 (135) PWR: NA
ATT: 2/112% WND: 18
MV: L 100

Experience: 1,100

Found predominantly in wooded, equatorial areas, the Manapterous is an 8 foot long, wingless insectoid creature, with Mantis-like hind legs and serrated raptorial forelegs that give it the impression of “standing” semi-erect. The forelegs are used alternately to either pin a victim from behind or to run them through (treat as Armed attack). With three foot long, single-jointed legs attached to its three-foot long abdomen, the creature stands up to eight feet in height. Its multifaceted compound eyes are an ivory white, contrasting with the pale green of its body and triangular head, from which sprout flexible mandibles allowing it to maneuver foot into its four-part mouth.

As with the mating female of a common mantis, the Manapterous prefers to first devour the head of its prey, which can include humans. Manapteri (plural) are usually found singly, but PCs may encounter mating pairs or even a nest of 1D10 young (Manapteri young often eat their brood mates, so that only the most aggressive survives).

The Manapterous’ body is covered in chitin – reduce damage by 1D10 (this doesn’t affect knockdowns).




Image

Zoodryad

STR: 7 (105) WPR: 5 (75)
DEX: 2 (30) PER: NA
AGL: 4 (60) PCN: 7 (105)
STA: 8 (120) PWR: 80
ATT: 1/83% WND: 20
MV: L 65

Experience: 900

Zoodryads are evil animalistic tree spirits. They can resemble any terrestrial animal or combination of animals, and when attacking they mimic attributes of the animal they resemble (e.g., a bearish Zoodryad will attack with claws and teeth). They manifest in a tree chosen at random, which begins to warp, eventually taking on the visage of the creature – this can take days, weeks, or years (CM discretion; this should be decided based on the needs of the adventure). Similarly, in corporeal form, the Zoodryad appears as the animal (or combination of animals) with a skin resembling tree bark (PCs with Botany or similar skills may able to recognize the bark and therefore identify the type of tree in which the creature has taken residence).

The Zoodryad claims the surrounding area as its own. It treats any incursion as a direct threat and will retaliate within 3D6 rounds. But the territory a Zoodryad protects continually increases in a concentric circle, and is identifiable by the lack of animal life within.

Any harm done to the tree which the Zoodryad has made its home will also affect the creature (Zoodryads take half as much damage as the tree). When within the tree in its incorporeal state, if the damage is severe enough, it may decide to vacate the tree and claim another (in this case PCs may claim a partial victory). The creature can only be killed when in a corporeal state outside of their tree-home.

If the Zoodryad’s tree-home is destroyed while it is in its corporeal state, it will remain that way, never able to inhabit another tree – this usually sends the creature into a fury; and, no longer tied to its territory, it may seek out human victims beyond the area to which it had been confined.

If the Zoodryad is destroyed outside of its tree-home, the part of the tree that had taken on its image will begin to seep a dark, foul-smelling pus/sap, as the taint of the creature is expelled; within 1D10 days, only a bare scar will be left on the exorcized tree – the bark will never grow back.

Zoodryad Powers:

Inhabit Tree – There is a 25 WPR cost each time a zoodryad inhabits its tree. When in its corporeal form, it requires 1D5 rounds (1D10/2, rounded up), during which no other action can be taken. The zoodryad may halt its inhabitation at any time, however, to regain its corporeal form. If this happens, the WPR cost used for the aborted attempt may be pro rated, calculated based on the time spent (e.g., if rolling 1D10 results in a 5, rounding up, it will take the creature 3 rounds to re-inhabit its tree; then if, possibly because of being attacked, the zoodryad changes its mind after 2 rounds, the total WPR cost is only 16). However, it will also have to spend WPR to regain its corporeal form (see below).

Manifest Corporeal Body – When a zoodryad spirit manifests in a corporeal form, it draws material from the tree it inhabits, resulting in a barely discernible loss of mass from the tree (mass returned when the zoodryad re-inhabits it). Each manifestation of a corporeal body costs 25 WPR and takes 1D5 rounds, during which time the zoodryad may take no other actions.



So that's how those two turned out.

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Re: How to Make a Monster

Postby segeorge » Tue Dec 22, 2015 12:31 am

No prizes for guessing the inspiration for this one!  ;)

Hyde

STR: 6 (90) WPR: 6 (90)
DEX: 4 (60) PER: 2 (30)
AGL: 6 (90) PCN: 5 (75)
STA: 7 (105) PWR: NA
ATT: 1/90% WND: 18

Experience: 700

A Hyde is any evil alter ego brought about by an individual through scientific means (or sometimes, supernatural intervention). Through their own hubris, some individuals blunder into esoteric knowledge that they don’t sufficiently understand, and a quest to uncover valuable information about the human condition triggers a metabolic change in them that unleashes the worst of human greed, avarice, and debauchery. The evil side of their nature is given full reign, and they embark on a misanthropic campaign of self indulgence, lashing out violently if anyone attempts to constrain them in any way.

Invariably, these individuals feel deep remorse, but the addictive nature of the potion or spell (or even the intoxication felt at being completely unconstrained by social values) drives them to continue subjecting themselves to the metamorphosing process. With continued use, the evil side of their nature becomes stronger, making it possible for the change to be enacted without the use of the catalytic agent. At that point, it is usually far too late to save the individual – the Hyde persona is close to taking total control. Eventually, the Hyde persona completely subsumes the individual, becoming his/her permanent identity.

Physically, Hydes are virtually always stronger, uglier, more brutish versions of their normal selves (it is possible that a very small minority become more attractive [CM discretion], but they are always cruel). Invariably, Hydes will carry some kind of cudgeling weapon, with which they indiscriminately lash out at humanity.
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Re: How to Make a Monster

Postby seneschal » Tue Dec 22, 2015 3:49 pm

Zoo dryad -- So would you say it's bite is worse than its bark?
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Re: How to Make a Monster

Postby segeorge » Wed Dec 23, 2015 3:37 pm

:lol:

Well, I wouldn't say it... :)
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Re: How to Make a Monster

Postby seneschal » Mon Feb 01, 2016 3:25 pm

In It Conquered the World(1956) -- later remade as Zontar, Thing From Venus (1966) -- the titular plant monster stays off-screen until the very end, hiding in a warm, moist cave and communicating with its human conspirator via ham radio. What terrorizes the heroes is the creature's pigeon-sized, flying minions or drones. These one-eyed bat-carrot things grow off the Big Bad's body eight at a time, then swoop around trying to sting community leaders and their significant others on the backs of their necks. If the drone succeeds, it infects the target with a bio-electronic mind control device which effectively turns him or her into an extension of the alien, an eager slave acting as the fiend's eyes, ears and hands. The drone dies afterwards. The alien can also selectively turn off electrical power, water, and other utilities over an area big enough to shut down a small, rural town. Once the takeover begins, the only people with working vehicles and lights are the monster's servants. How does it do this without observable gear or technology? Don't ask; this is a no-budget Fifties drive-in thriller.

So, how would you model this in Cryptworld? The main monster, although supposedly very smart and technologically advanced, doesn't get out much and doesn't have much in the way of combat skills (although we assume player-characters would be unwise to try to grapple with it). The drones are fast but fragile, and there doesn't seem to be any cure for their sting. Would a sting elsewhere on the victim's body, such as a foolish PC's hand, be effective? We don't know.

Of course, to get a crack at the monster, adventurers will have to either elude or overcome the alien's human henchmen -- their former friends, lost allies, ex-loved ones. infected human slaves don't get any special powers or abilities. They're just disgustingly loyal to Master.
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