Many starting Game Masters struggle with how to make a new monster, one not already in an existing reference manual. The general advice is almost always “just re-skin it.” That can be tricky when the new monster doesn’t really fit into one category or another.
In an effort to assist starting GMs, this encounter blends aspects of two different “monsters” to create a new encounter and keep new and experienced players off guard.
We take part of the mechanics of a swarm of insects and blend them with a flying sword to create an animated swarm of daggers. This new creature mimics some of the aspects of both entries, creating something new that is neither one entirely.
One method of approaching something like this involves picking two creatures of relatively the same challenge. It’s also important to remember when doing this you do not unnecessarily ramp up or tune down the new creature’s abilities without some consideration first.
You could, for instance, just create a swarm of swords, but this would significantly up the damage potential and thus the challenge. In this case, we’re trying to make a new encounter for starting characters, and thus we’re going with daggers instead.
The second step in generating a fresh encounter with a monster mashup is placing it in the correct setting and in a way that takes experienced characters off guard.
I’m a big fan of altering perceptions or challenging preconceptions, so creating something like this is key to establishing those preconditions where change is possible.
A swarm of daggers might very well mimic the appearance of certain spells, so immediately experienced players start looking for a spellcaster who might be concentrating on this spell. Imagine the look on their faces when the “cloud” begins moving toward them.
A single swarm might not be much of an encounter, so we’re going to add a trap as well. To make things fun, we’re going to make a magically and randomly moving pit.
This blends a challenge 1/4 with a challenge 1/2 and then adds a minor trap to take the challenge closer to a full total of 1.
Even if this challenge is still a little low, it accomplishes two things. First, it establishes things might be a little different from here on in. Second, it demonstrates that even encounters below a party’s level should not be something to take for granted.
Can you tell I come from a tradition where funhouse dungeons were the norm?
Encounter Type: Puzzle
Map: Isometric room
Lighting: None (flat battle map.)
System: 5E
Length: One shot
Installation Type: Addon
License: Roll20 End User License Agreement
(Personal Use Only, Do Not Distribute)