It wouldn’t be an adventure without monsters to encounter. This page includes plenty of monsters to pit against the party as well as tools to create your own.
Monsters are given a challenge tier, add up the tier of all monsters in an encounter to gauge whether it is too much for the party.
A party can handle a maximum total tier equal to the number of characters in the party. A party of four should handle themselves against a total challenge tier of four.
A party should not face a number of monsters more than twice the number of party members however, regardless of their tier.
All monsters have a rating of 10 on all checks, unless an ability states otherwise.
Each creature speaks and understands language as much as makes sense to your story. Feel free to have talking wurms and dragons which are simple beasts.
Banshee
T2 – 20HP 8DMG
Appearing as a gruesome spectral visage, the banshee is a victim of a curse, bound to a location by traumatic events during its life. It will attempt to lure unwitting creatures in a bid to have them share it’s grizzly fate.
✪ Mournful wail 1/ day
The banshee lets out a deafening wail which cuts through any creature which hears it. Each creature affected must succeed a Mental check or be unable to move or take actions on it’s next turn.
Dragon
T4 – 40HP 13DMG
Most Dragons are greedy, cunning and deceptive, though some have been noted as being more selfless or altruistic. They live solitary lives in pursuit of whatever vice they crave most.
✪ Dragon’s breath 1/ day
This creature lets out a torrent of fire, ice, acid or lightning from it’s maw, dealing 18 damage each to up to 4 nearby creatures which are close to each other. The damage is halved for each creature which makes a successful Physical check to evade this. This ability is refreshed when the Dragon is reduced to half of it’s hit point maximum.
Dryad
T2 – 20HP 5DMG
The soul of the forest. These mysterious and ancient creatures are rarely seen, never heard and will protect the natural world from every threat. Their voices whisper like the wind and echo between the trees, beguiling all who hear them.
Natural Navigation
This creature can disappear into trees and travel between nearby trees without detection.
✪ Charm 1/ day
The Dryad targets one creature to attempt to charm. The creature must succeed a Social check or regard the Dryad as a trusted friend and ally for one day.
Fairy
T0.25 – 5HP 1DMG
Fairies inhabit the wilder parts of the world, enjoying a long life of leisure and play in large family groups. The magic which sustains them is easily disrupted by outside influence which can leave individuals stranded, helpless away from their clan.
✪ Fey Read
The Fairy touches a creature and can read its surface level thoughts and emotions.
Giants
Hill Giant
T3 – 30HP 10DMG
Not as aggressive or cantankerous as their larger cousins, hill giants generally spend their days foraging for food and gazing at the clouds in thoughtless wonder.
Mountain Giant
T4 – 40HP 12DMG
Dim-witted brutes which live selfish lives in pursuit of satisfaction, mostly through gluttony. They are quickly angered by trespassers into what they perceive as their domain.
✪ Hurl
The mountain giant throws a boulder as a ranged attack. On a hit it deals 9 damage to a creature and 3 damage to each creature close to it.
Goblinoids
Goblin
T0.5 – 10HP 3DMG
These sneaky little denizens of the dark and horrible places of the world may look harmless on their own, but travel in packs which can terrorise whole villages… Basic dungeon vermin, dreadfully expendable.
Ambush
At the beginning of combat, this creature makes a Physical check. If it succeeds, the creature sneaks up on the party and goes first in combat. Make a single check for a group of Goblins.
Hobgoblin
T1 – 15HP 5DMG
A little bigger, slightly smarter and much less pleasant than the common or garden goblin.
✪ Brute Force 1/ day
The Hobgoblin makes an attack which deals double damage if it hits. This ability is refreshed if all of the Hobgoblin’s allies are killed.
Golem
T2 – 20HP 7DMG
Beings constructed of clay, stone, steel or lead; bound together by magic or fire. Usually made to serve a singular purpose and destroyed when their duty is complete.
Immutable purpose
The golem cannot be caused to disobey it’s masters’ instruction.
Magicproof
This creature cannot be affected by spells, other than those which cause damage.
Gremlin
T.25 – 5HP 1DMG
Labelled as pests by much of society. You will often find these creatures on the edge of urban sprawls, scrounging in waste piles and animal pens for morsels to eat. They delight in wreaking havoc by sabotaging machinery and equipment.
✪ Knock
The Gremlin magically locks or unlocks a door, padlock or other lockable mechanism.
Griffon
T3 – 30HP 6DMG
Ancient guardians of divine items and sacred places. Half-lion, half-eagle in appearance, they are as majestic as they are trustworthy. Once charged with a duty by a higher being, their faithfulness will never waver.
Flying
This creature can fly.
Rapid
When this creature attacks, it may make an additional attack.
Minotaur
T3 – 30HP 7DMG
✪ Charge
This creature charges towards a creature it is some distance from and makes an attack. If it’s successful, this attack deals double damage.
Treant
T4 – 40HP 13DMG
Ponderous and peaceful creatures which roam forests, wildlands and plains tending to the land and keeping in check the natural order.
Troll
T2 – 20HP 7DMG
Semi-intelligent species with a deep affinity for the earth. They live solitary lives away from the bustle of civilisation and will guard their home fiercely.
Strong
Physical checks this creature makes have a rating of 8.
Undead
Skeleton
T0.5 – 10HP 3DMG
A clattering sound echoes down the dusty corridor as the skeletons are woken from their eternal slumber. Magically animated, usually in places of ancient power – skeletons often provide protection for things which old forces in the world want to keep secret.
Undead rattle – Skeletons make a great deal of noise when moving, they are unable to move stealthily.
Fleshless
The ratings of attacks against skeletons are increased by 2.
Vampire
T2 – 16HP 8DMG
Wise and cunning old beings, bent on their own longevity. Vampires will lure and manipulate innocents with promises and use them to achieve their own ends.
Life drain – When the vampire successfully attacks a character with their bite, they regain HP equal to half the damage dealt.
Zombie
T1 – 10HP 5DMG
Lumbering undead raised from their final rest for solely nefarious purposes. These foes are rarely without a master.
Relentless
When Zombies are reduced to 0HP for the first time, they make a Physical check. If they succeed, they return to life at full HP on their next turn.
Werewolf
T2 – 20HP 2DMG
Gripped by a primal curse, the werewolf is a terrifying hunter when they choose to adopt their animal form. Indistinguishable from ordinary citizens during the day but for the day before a full moon, when they are unable to hide their jet black eyes.
✪ Transform
The Werewolf shifts between it’s normal and animal forms.
Nightbound
When in their animal form, the ratings of physical checks, sense checks and attacks this creature makes are reduced by 2 and it’s attacks deal 7 damage.
Wurms
Greatwurm
T4 – 40HP 13DMG
Huge long beats which don’t see with eyes, but detect motion and vibrations within the earth. They burrow deep beneath the ground and lie in wait to engulf their prey within their gaping jaws rimmed with sharp teeth.
✪ Burrow
This creature can tunnel underground, moving freely without being seen. It cannot be attacked whilst underground and can erupt from the ground to attack other creatures.
Barbed Wurm
T1 – 15HP 5DMG
Weakening Poison
When a creature takes damage from the Barbed Wurm, they make a Physical Check. If they fail, resting doesn’t restore HP until they receive an antidote or healing from this effect by magical means.
Making your own monsters
There are six tiers of monsters, which can be flavoured to suit the story. They each have a base HP and an amount of damage they deal as standard. Some abilities will change these scores.
They also have a suggested size and ratio of monsters to characters.
These stats work for any monster you can imagine, just pick the right combination of stats and abilities to suit your requirements.
You can even use these stats for a humanoid enemy character such as an evil mage. The sizes are just a suggestion – a powerful mage could have tier 4 stats, but be medium in size.
Attacks take whatever form is most appropriate for the monster. Goblins could attack with a sword or a shortbow, a troll with a huge club, a dragon with it’s claws and then fire breath and a mage with a fireball attack one turn and an icy blast the next. Regardless of what weapon or spell they use, they deal the same damage.
Tier .25 – Tiny
5HP 1Dmg
Examples: Rats, Bats, Snakes
Tier .5 – Small
10HP 3Dmg
Example: Goblin
Tier 1 – Medium
15HP 5DMG
Example: Human Soldier
Tier 2 – Large
20HP 7Dmg
Example: Troll
Tier 3 – Huge
30HP 10DMG
Example: Giant
Tier 4 – Legendary
40HP 13DMG
Example: Dragon
Abilities can be added to the monsters in order to spice them up. Some will be obvious based on the physical characteristics of the monster, for example Bats should probably have flying.
Tiny, Small and Medium tier monsters should have no more than 1 ability before they increase a tier. Large, Huge and Legendary monsters can be given 2 abilities before they increase a tier.
Flying
The monster can fly. If there is enough height above them, they can get too high for the characters to attack with melee weapons.
Poisonous
When this monster deals damage to a character, that character makes a physical check, if they fail they take 2 damage on each of their next three turns.
Accurate
Reduce the rating of this monster’s attacks by 1.
Trained – Replaces ‘Accurate’ – Increase tier by 1
Reduce the rating of this monster’s attacks by 2.
Dangerous
This monster’s attacks deal an additional 2 damage.
Deadly – Replaces ‘Dangerous’ – Increase tier by 1
This monster’s attacks deal an additional 5 damage.
Rapid – Increase tier by 1
When this monster attacks, it may make an additional attack. Monsters can make a maximum of 3 attacks.
Leader
This creature has the following ability:
✪ Charge!
This creature’s allies’ checks are reduced by 1 until this creature’s next turn.
Tough
This monster has an additional 5HP.
Hardened – Replaces ‘Tough’ – Increase tier by 1
This monster has an additional 10HP.
Ranged
This monster can attack from a distance, either with a bow or other ranged weapon, magic spells or a natural weapon such as a dragon’s breath.
Grapple
When this creature makes a successful attack, it makes a Physical check. If it succeeds, the creature it attacked is held in place and cannot move until it uses it’s action to escape and succeeds a Physical check.
Quick
This creature can move up to two range bands in a single turn.
Ambush
At the beginning of combat, this creature makes a Physical check. If it succeeds, the creature sneaks up on the party and goes first in combat. Only make a single check for a group of the same type of creature.
Camouflaged
In place of one of it’s attacks, this monster can turn invisible until it next attacks or casts a spell.
Witty
Social checks this character makes have a rating of 8.
Cunning
Mental checks this character makes have a rating of 8.
Strong
Physical checks this character makes have a rating of 8.
Sharp
Sense checks this character makes have a rating of 8.
Artwork by Perplexing Ruins – https://www.perplexingruins.com
Harry The GM 