Selecting the Enemy

Many if not most RPG's have monsters, which is awesome. Let's face it, fighting monsters is good fun, but how to pick the right one?

I think the key lies in making them fit in the game world. In a sense, a monster being an unnatural creature, will always stand out in a way an animal wouldn't. But if that animal was wildly out of place, like finding a polar bear in a jungle, you might well think your GM has lost it. Likewise, a misplaced monster can make a player sit up and say; What?

Let's first separate the monsters into Fantasy and Horror, these being the genres that use them the most.

Broadly speaking, any monster can fit into Fantasy, but there are pitfalls. The first is to use a very thematic monster that does not belong outside it's own game, i.e. a beholder making an apperance in Warhammer. Sure, thanks to the corrupting effect of Chaos in WFRP, you could explain away a beholder in the Old World, but it is such a poster-monster for D&D, that it doesn't really fit in anywhere else.

The second pitfall is to use too many different monsters in a too rapid a succession. Goblins followed by skeletons followed by three different oozes followed by, well you get the idea. The sheer volume of available creatures can make it tempting to just throw them out there, but this can make it chaotic and confusing, and in turn lessen the wonder and impact of the monsters you really want to showcase. Less is more, as the old saying goes, and it's true. Now I'm not saying you have to be stingy with the beasties, but try not to overdo it either.

Finally, there are monsters that really need a certain type of environment to make sense. Obviously these critters need to stay in these places, or they'll look foolish. From stone giants in sewers to finding mermaids in deserts, these guys should stay at home.

Now, Horror is a slightly different kettle of fish. Horror games tend to be more thematic than their Fantasy cousins, so obviously if you're playing a zombie survival game, zombies are what you'll face. Now this means you have less options when it comes to choosing monsters for your game, and this in turn means each monster becomes more important.

There are some exceptions though, such as Call of Cthulhu, that do have lots of different monsters, but these cases pretty much follow the second Fantasy pitfall.

When I say the Horror monsters are more important, I'm talking about their impact on the mood of the game. One of the finest examples of this is not a tabletop rpg at all, but a computer game series: Silent Hill.

Every monster you encounter in Silent Hill means something to the story. From the iconic Pyramid Head, to the Nurses, not to mention the Bosses, they don't just look scary, their existence makes sense in the world. This makes their impact stronger, which in turn makes the overall horror better.

Finally, Horror monsters need better timing than their Fantasy counterparts, since over use lessens the impact. You could argue that the monsters in Silent Hill appear too frequently for a tabletop horror RPG, and you'd be right. However, computer games use a very different dynamic than ”regular” rpgs. When it comes to good horror timing, movies are a better guide than electronic games.

So pick your monsters with care, and happy gaming!