Monster Creation Rules

This guide will assist you in crea ng your own monsters for the game Dragonbane, enhancing the encounters in your
adventures. While the official Dragonbane bes ary is highly recommended, the following steps will help you design unique
creatures of your own.

Step 1: Concept
Choose the name and concept for the monster you have in mind. Are you conver ng a monster from another tabletop
role playing game or crea ng something new? Think about the monster and how it may fit into the world.

Step 2: A ributes
All monsters have 5 a ributes (ferocity, size, movement, armor, and HP). Choose one op on from the table below for each
category. The more op ons you choose that are listed in one difficultly category will make the monster easier or harder to
fight. A fairy is going to be on the weaker end of the scale. An ancient dragon is on the very hard end of the scale.

DIFFICULTY FEROCITY SIZE MOVEMENT (SLOW-FAST) ARMOR HP

WEAK 1 Small 6-8 0 6-16
NORMAL 2 Normal 10-16 2 18-28
HARD 3 Large 18-24 4-6 30-58
VERY HARD 4 Huge 26+ 8+ 60+

Step 3: Special
You can choose a special property that the monster may have. These include things like modes of travel, resistances or
vulnerabilities, any magical abili es or even as simple as “wears armor and carries a weapon”. Below describes what is the
most used in the game but is not a complete list and is just meant to spark your imagina on.

 Travel: Does the monster have wings for flight?  Vulnerabilities: Does the monster take damage
Can it swim, dig or climb? Or does it have none from sunlight or does the monster take extra
of these extra qualities? damage when attacked with fire?
 Illusion: Can the monster shapeshift or turn  Detection: Does the monster have heightened
invisible? senses that makes it difficult to sneak up on?
 Resistances: Is the monster resistant to non- Many eyes, Heart vision, or heightened smell?
magical weapons? Is the monster resistant to  Magical abilities: Can the monster enchant its
weapons that are not silver or jade? Does the victims to do its bidding(Naiad)? Does it cast
monster take no damage or half damage from magic like a fireball or lightning attack(Dragon or
certain attacks. It is up to you. Sea Giant)? Does it steal HP or Willpower with a
cold attack(Vampire)?

Step 4: A acks
The last step you will pick will be 6 monster a acks (or 3 if you plan on making a swarm). You’ll want to think of the
monster you are crea ng and imagine it in a scenario and what will be at its disposal in a fight. Below describes what is
used the most currently in the game but this list should not limit your imagination. When writing out an attack make sure
you are descriptive because it will add to the fun and tension of the fight.
Standard Attack:
An attack that deals damage. These attacks can target a Effects (applied with a standard attack):
single player or can target multiple. A bite will likely Monsters in many cases will apply an additional effect
target one player, and the sweeping of a claw or weapon while attacking a player outside of the normal damage
could attack multiple players. the attack does.
Things that can be used to attack:  Knocking player Prone (Minotaur - Horn Rush)
 Claws  Blinding (Harpy - Eye Gouge)
 Teeth  Poison (Giant Spider - Poison Sting)
 Tail  Gaining a condition (Ghost - Touch of Death)
 Horns  Inflicting a fear attack
 Objects in a room
 Wind from powerful wings flapping. Control:
 Weapons (swords, axes, hammers, etc) A control attack allows the monster to stun (Player skips
 Magical attacks (fire, ice, lightning, etc) their turn this round), is grappled (must shake free) or
 Bad breath or a scream can deal damage physically makes the player perform an action (mind
 Or just about anything if it is described the right control).
way.
Special Action:
Fear: Some monsters have a special ability that doesn’t fall
Monsters are quite frightening and often trigger a fear into the other categories. This action can be a
attack. Fear attacks are described on p.52 and 53 of the movement action (teleport for example) or can be an
core rule book. A roar or a scream could affect multiple attack that either steals HP or WP from the player or
players. If it is an area effect fear attack you will want to does a self-heal. These are not strictly defined and just
choose the range (10-20 meters). A fear attack can also take some thought but should fit the monster’s theme.
be directed at a single player (Example: a menacing stare
or a monster taunting the player). Parrying & Dispel:
Finally, some general thought should be put into if the
Condition: attack can be parried or dispelled and should be listed
Monsters can apply a condition to a player character. out when writing the attack description.
Choose one or two from the list on p.51 of the core rule
book. Make it fit for the scenario occurring (Example:
bad breath can make a player sickly).

The table below will help you choose the difficulty of the a acks for the monsters you create. If you are choosing mul ple
effects one a ack could have from different categories, the highest difficulty will decide the result of the a ack. For
example, if you choose an a ack deals 1d8 damage and stuns the player it will be a hard a ack.

DIFFICULTY DAMAGE NUMBER OF EFFECTS POISON EFFECT TARGETS

WEAK 1dX - 2d4 - 0 Condi on -
NORMAL 2d6 - 2d8 A ack 9 Fear Single
HARD 2d10 A ack + 1 Effect 12 Stun or Grapple Multiple
VERY HARD 3d6+, 3d8+, 3d10+ A ack + 2 Effect 15+ Control -
Example Monster Created Below:

MIMIC

Ferocity: 2 Size: Normal

Movement: 8 Armor: - HP: 24
Shapeshifter: At any time, a mimic can shapeshift into any object of Normal size. This is usually an
inanimate object like a chair, table or it's favorite which is a treasure chest. Shapeshifting takes an action.
SENSE MAGIC can reveal that the item is a mimic.

D6 ATTACK
1
Ravaging Bite! The mimic bites a player character with its razor-sharp teeth. The a ack inflicts 2D8
slashing damage.
2 Coin Spit! The mimic clears its throat and spits a gold coin hard at an opponent within
6 meters and laughs maniacally. The a ack inflicts D8 bludgeoning damage, and the vic m suffers
the sickly condi on, but becomes one gold coin richer.
3 Tongue Throw! The mimic whips its tongue out and grabs an enemy and tosses the vic m like a
rag doll 2D6 meters in a random direc on, inflic ng an equal amount of bludgeoning damage. The
vic m lands prone.
4 Ro en Breath! The mimic burps its foul breath at an opponent within 4 meters. The vic m
becomes Sickly and must succeed with a CON roll (now with a bane) or lose their turn in the round
(if it has not already passed).
5
Stomping Rampage! The mimic stomps wildly at all opponents within 2 meters. The a ack inflicts
2D6 bludgeoning damage and knocks the vic ms down.
6 Mimic Snack! The mimic opens its mouth and bites an enemy, inflic ng 2D8 piercing damage. The
vic m is then stuck in its maw and must make a STR roll (as an ac on) each round to break free.
On failure, the vic m suffers an addi onal 2D8 damage.