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MONSTER BUILDER - January - Updated with Link
12 years ago
MONSTER BUILDER - January
I’m going to take some good advice and separate my themes into ‘modules’. First comes polishing the mechanics and refining the character creation system. It reads a lot easier to understand now but also seems a little shallow as well.
To help with that i’m going to work on developing a list of characters (original or borrowed with permission) to stand as examples of what players can build in the system. Preferably of more extreme and challenging examples that can help me find any conceptual holes and decide the difference between game affecting attributes and good old fashioned flavor text.
What I will do is work up a set of 3 pieces involving 2 characters developed form the list below and/or suggestions from you folks. These images may well end up being cover pics for the separate modules. SO what I would like from you, the readers and potential future players is to vote, chime in or make suggestions on preferred characters/pairings.
FANTASY
Humanoid Monster - Demon, Animal Monster - Dark Unicorn, Slime Monster - MOA Slime
Hero - Knight, Commoner - Nun, Legend - Queen
MODERN
Humanoid Monster - Vampire, Animal Monster - Werewolf, Slime Monster - Plant Creature
Hero - Police Officer, Commoner - Student, Legend - Nurse
SCI-FI
Humanoid Monster - Alien Hunter, Animal Monster - Xeno Stalker, Slime Monster - Space Parasite
Hero - Cyborg Soldier, Commoner - Astronaut, Legend - Alien Princess
Again the idea here is that if i have some visible examples for people to work with, it ought to be easier for them to relate to the themes, rules and creation mechanics that goes with them. Each character will have a sheet built up to go with them. Then when i release the reworked character creation system for play testing folks will have examples available for comparison.
I still have it in my head that the MonBuilder system can handle all but the most extreme or convoluted characters/creatures. If anyone wants to test that claim, by all means, suggest a character for review and I should be able to tell pretty quickly.
Result tracking
Dark Unicorn v Nun, Werewolf v Policewoman, Captian Kirk v Alien Princess
Demon v Nun, Werewolf v Police Officer, Space Parasite v Alien Princess
Slime Gal v Queen/Nun, Plant Creature v Nurse, Alien Stalker v Cyborg
Centaur v any, Zombie v student, Mutant v Mad Scientist
Hydra v Barbarian, Meteor Ooze v Scientist, Brain-eating worm v Android / Demon v Knight, Slime v Queen/Nun/Nurse/Alien Princess
Okay so right now, Nun and Alien Princess are looking to be pretty popular, with nurse and policewoman tied in the Modern setting
I would say slime is the most popular monster but the odds are kinda stacked in that monster types favor, so can't count that yet.
Common characters like the nurse and the nun will definitely need some special spin on them i think, to make them just righty for what i have in mind.
Also it occurs to me, what may have been a good idea with this process is to actually post the current character/creature lists. Not necessarily all the stats but basically the bestiary. Then folks can pick and choose better or add their own ideas to the lists and see how they work out.
May also have been a good idea to list some of the game type concepts for setting ideas, but i'm thinking that might end up stifling some of the creativity, BUT what do i know XD
Update
http://masterokiakai.blogspot.com/2.....0e1bfd1248ebab
Check my blogger for some helpful details and a working critter list. Reemmber the goal is not to name every monster under the moon and stars, but to refine a list of fantasy freaks that are most likely to get used in a game of MonBuilder.
I’m going to take some good advice and separate my themes into ‘modules’. First comes polishing the mechanics and refining the character creation system. It reads a lot easier to understand now but also seems a little shallow as well.
To help with that i’m going to work on developing a list of characters (original or borrowed with permission) to stand as examples of what players can build in the system. Preferably of more extreme and challenging examples that can help me find any conceptual holes and decide the difference between game affecting attributes and good old fashioned flavor text.
What I will do is work up a set of 3 pieces involving 2 characters developed form the list below and/or suggestions from you folks. These images may well end up being cover pics for the separate modules. SO what I would like from you, the readers and potential future players is to vote, chime in or make suggestions on preferred characters/pairings.
FANTASY
Humanoid Monster - Demon, Animal Monster - Dark Unicorn, Slime Monster - MOA Slime
Hero - Knight, Commoner - Nun, Legend - Queen
MODERN
Humanoid Monster - Vampire, Animal Monster - Werewolf, Slime Monster - Plant Creature
Hero - Police Officer, Commoner - Student, Legend - Nurse
SCI-FI
Humanoid Monster - Alien Hunter, Animal Monster - Xeno Stalker, Slime Monster - Space Parasite
Hero - Cyborg Soldier, Commoner - Astronaut, Legend - Alien Princess
Again the idea here is that if i have some visible examples for people to work with, it ought to be easier for them to relate to the themes, rules and creation mechanics that goes with them. Each character will have a sheet built up to go with them. Then when i release the reworked character creation system for play testing folks will have examples available for comparison.
I still have it in my head that the MonBuilder system can handle all but the most extreme or convoluted characters/creatures. If anyone wants to test that claim, by all means, suggest a character for review and I should be able to tell pretty quickly.
Result tracking
Dark Unicorn v Nun, Werewolf v Policewoman, Captian Kirk v Alien Princess
Demon v Nun, Werewolf v Police Officer, Space Parasite v Alien Princess
Slime Gal v Queen/Nun, Plant Creature v Nurse, Alien Stalker v Cyborg
Centaur v any, Zombie v student, Mutant v Mad Scientist
Hydra v Barbarian, Meteor Ooze v Scientist, Brain-eating worm v Android / Demon v Knight, Slime v Queen/Nun/Nurse/Alien Princess
Okay so right now, Nun and Alien Princess are looking to be pretty popular, with nurse and policewoman tied in the Modern setting
I would say slime is the most popular monster but the odds are kinda stacked in that monster types favor, so can't count that yet.
Common characters like the nurse and the nun will definitely need some special spin on them i think, to make them just righty for what i have in mind.
Also it occurs to me, what may have been a good idea with this process is to actually post the current character/creature lists. Not necessarily all the stats but basically the bestiary. Then folks can pick and choose better or add their own ideas to the lists and see how they work out.
May also have been a good idea to list some of the game type concepts for setting ideas, but i'm thinking that might end up stifling some of the creativity, BUT what do i know XD
Update
http://masterokiakai.blogspot.com/2.....0e1bfd1248ebab
Check my blogger for some helpful details and a working critter list. Reemmber the goal is not to name every monster under the moon and stars, but to refine a list of fantasy freaks that are most likely to get used in a game of MonBuilder.
Fantasy: Humanoid Monster - Colossus, Animal Monster - Hydra, Slime Monster - Kraken Hatchling; Hero - Barbarian, Commoner - Dirt Farmer, Legend - Black Knight
Modern: Humanoid Monster - Slasher, Animal Monster - Amphibioid, Slime Monster - Meteor Ooze; Hero - Scientist, Commoner - Skeptical Mayor, Legend - Intrepid Reporter
Sci-Fi: Humanoid Monster - Pod Clone, Animal Monster - Brain-Eating Worm, Slime Monster - Solar Squid; Hero - Defrosted Caveman, Commoner - Android, Legend - Great Benevolent Brain
Well, there has to be at least one pairing of a Slime Monster and a Queen, Nun, Nurse, or Alien Princess. ;) Putting a Hero against a Humanoid Monster would also work well: the Demon and the Knight would probably play well off each other. I'm really looking forward to trying this out!
Pod People…hmmm, that to me reads like a beast type (beasts here are defined as non-PC monsters with prescribed abilities) or an off the cuff explanation of why a PC chooses their disguise form to match other people. Must give that more thought
HEH The Great Benevolent Brain XD I'm really not sure how that works as a Hero/Victim type character BUT it does not necessarily have to! You've actually given me quite a bit to think about, thank you
Fantasy
Humanoid Monster- Goblin
Animal Monster- Chimera (you can mix and match the animal parts you want, they're like Darwin's grab bag!)
Slime Monster- Mimic (I guess? They're often posed as inanimate things but who knows)
Hero- Druid
Commoner- Goat Herder
Legend- Archmage
Modern
Humanoid Monster- Mummy
Animal Monster- Giant Spider/Insect
Slime Monster- Symbiotic Ooze
Hero- Paranormal Investigator
Commoner- Pizza Delivery Woman
Legend- President
Sci-Fi
Humanoid Monster- Time Traveling Robot
Animal Monster- Alien Arachnid (more like the Starship Troopers kind. I don't think they ever had a special name beyond "bugs")
Slime Monster- Space Squid
Hero- Alien Diplomat
Commoner- Terra-former Crew
Legend- Cyborg Queen
Chimerass are loaded with augmentations but the different animal bits just end up being flavor text
Mimics are in there as Beasts, I kinda prescribe them as lair and dungeon traps, since playing as one doesn't seem particularly compelling
Druid's I have too, their a 'Will' based spell caster class that has spells with nature effects
An Archmage would be a 'Mind' Spell caster with political power as well as full Level 5 mojo
Mummys are good, I put them right next to Zombies, though i'm sure they could do with some mojo
Have Giant bugs, there are far too many to list but i have them XD
If one calls it a symbiotic ooze, then one must specify what it's symbiotic with and how that symbiosis affects things
Robot monsters…hmmm…that's for the sic-fi module and I admit that one is still being processed. Gotta think about that one
Yeah see the Animal monster types seem to be suffering a bit, especially in the modern and sci-fi settings, though you cited a great example of what does work ^^
AND anotha space squid! I had to think about that one before and I've decided the space squid is an animal type with at least 4 or 5 sets of tentacles, making it level 2-5. Doesn't fit with the slime type and all it's amorphousness. CLOSE but not quite
So it's easy to forget things like Avatar an some really fantastical anime that mix the themes of both genres.
Scifi
Humanoid Monster - Space Pirate
Animal Monster - Ship Harvesters
Slime Monster - Asteroid Ooze
Hero - Augmented/Cyborg Bodyguard (or Patrolman)
Commoner - Exploration Team
Legend - Pirate Queen
Humanoid Monster - Alien Organism/Lifeform-Infected Crew
Animal Monster - Mutant Infected
Slime Monster - (The Aforementioned) Unknown Organism/Lifeform
Hero - Species Discovery Expedition Leader
Commoner - Ship Staff
Legend - Unknown Lifeform Source
Modern
Humanoid Monster - Mothman
Animal Monster - Genetically Engineered Cryptid
Slime Monster - Experiment Reject #0001296
Hero - Private Investigator
Commoner - Unaware Citizen
Legend - Corporate C.E.O
And a bunch of other scattered ideas
Like for Fantasy
Humanoid Monster - Beastman
Animal Monster - Lesser Dragon
Humanoid Monster - Mountain Giant
Animal Monster - Lamia
Animal Monster - Harpy
Hero - Apprentice Mage
Commoner - Tax Collector
Legend - Archmage
Hero - Monster Hunter
Ship harvester, don't know what that could be
Asteroid Ooze is classic ^^
Alien organism is too vague. But a zombified or infected person is definitely a Beast option or like a mind control effect for a monster
mutant infected again too vague
Unknown is again unknown so i can't do anything with that
Mothman? as in a humanoid moth? that could be an animal or humanoid type with wings
Cryptid is still vague
Experimental reject means nothing
unaware citizen is a vague person at a point in time
Beastman is unclear, but it implies a moneyman or He-man villain, could be a humanoid type monster at any point or level
Lesser Dragon, now THERE is a winner I can probably use and did not have on my list ^^
Got Giants and Lamia and Harpy as beasts
Tax Collector has no game effecting skills or abilities beyond a government connection and ire of the npc community
Monster Hunter is actually pretty vague too oddly enough. XD Just means somebody that makes their money collecting bounties on monsters