Copse Mother

 

Faery Regal

 

Gobbler Giant

 

Ogre King

Prenticeguard

 

Searfellow

Lost Druid

Monopod Hunter

Mongoose Publishing

Revoker

Spitting Maggots

Throwing things with lots of teeth, claws, scales and alarming numbers of hit dice at your players is one of the major perks of being the Games Master. Complex plots, fascinating characters and intriguing puzzles are all well and good, but should be mixed with a regular spot of hacking, slashing and running away from the beasts with the big pointy teeth.

Using monsters properly is an art. The actual statistics and game abilities of a monster are only part of the encounter – just having the adventurers opening a door in a dungeon and coming face to face with the horror is a lazy approach. If Beowulf just met Grendel while out for a evening stroll, or if Bilbo encountered Smaug while popping down to the Green Dragon for a pint, then the encounters would be far less memorable than they actually are. The chapter aims to help you get the most out of your monsters.