Truth is, D&D 5e has a massive catalog of monster abilities, so you can always find one that at least resembles your concept. Take abilities from other monsters or create your own.Tweak the stats so they better fit your concept and remove any abilities that don’t make sense.Pick a monster that has similar abilities to the one you’ve created. If creating stat blocks for dnd monsters feels intimidating, I’ve got good news for you! You don’t need to start from scratch-instead, start with a stat block from the Monster Manual or from a supplement like the Tome of Beasts! Follow these steps: We have an entire blog post giving tips for monster creation, so check it out before moving to the next step! 3. It makes sense for an important place to have guards, and for the evil necromancer to be surrounded by undead! Because it makes sense: sometimes this is enough of a reason.This could be a piece of information, a clue to resolve a mystery, or something they’re defending. Discovery: the monsters have something that will be useful to the players.This way, the players can get a chance to hone specific skills-and the boss battle will feel like a natural call-back. Preparation: if you’re planning a big boss fight, you can give some monsters basic versions of the boss’ abilities.Hook: the monsters have a thing that will start an adventure (a cryptic message, a mysterious relic, a prisoner).There’s a plot-relevant reason for that, and it will be revealed later on. Foreshadowing: the monsters behave or look differently than expected.Killing or running from the monster should have direct influence over the course of the campaign. Purpose: what is it for?ĭon’t give your monsters an existential crisis their lives should have a purpose! If they feel like random encounters, your players might find them boring, and they’ll want to get on with it to continue with the campaign. Your players will be even more engaged if the monster is connected to their past! 2. Then pull from these elements to create it. So look at the plot of your campaign, its worldbuilding, and the backstories of your characters. Fighting 1d4 original-yet-random monsters is as pointless as fighting 1d4 wolves. Think about how it can be connected to the campaign, too. Want them to be scared? Make it exude darkness and power (and check out our tips for horror games!). Want them to feel disgusted? Add some slime and sticky things on it. And I just don’t mean to decide if it will be a giant spider or a chimera-think about what you want your players to feel when they encounter it. Premise: what kind of monster is it?īefore you start creating cool abilities and attacks, think about what it is. So, how do you get started? It can feel a bit intimidating if you’ve never done it before, but I’ve broken it down into four easy steps for you! 1. By creating new ones, you’ll re-infuse a true sense of wonder to your world! How to create your own DnD monsters! The DnD Monster Manual is an awesome resource to set the stakes of your game, but what if you want something more personalized? Maybe you have your own custom setting and the official DnD monsters don’t quite fit in, or your players might be experienced enough to know what all the monsters can do.
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