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newb dm: where are all the premade monsters?


vindcara

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So I'm going to be GMing a new campaign for a group (most of whom have never played a ttrpg, much less hero) and am trying to get a dungeon ready, but I can't find a decent (free) list of premade monsters anywhere! I don't want to pay for the bestiary or the like before even trying the system, and I was expecting that a system based around homebrew like hero would have tons of people posting monsters and characters that they have made, but I can barely find any, what am I missing?

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Which Hero book(s) are you using for the campaign? Which edition (6th, 5th)?

 

For a lot of the monsters, we tend to use the ones that are in the Bestiary: http://www.herogames.com/forums/store/product/78-the-hero-system-bestiary-pdf/ because that book has a ton of monsters in it already. I know you don't want to pay for it yet, but I have to plug it a bit.

 

I think that's why you don't see a lot of monster write-ups. Also, I don't think Fantasy Hero campaigns are typically played in the same vein as a D&D dungeon crawl, so that might be another reason not to have a lot of monsters all ready to go. Actually, I have no data to back that up, but that's the sense I have of the community.

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More specifically, http://surbrook.devermore.net/adaptationscreatures/creatures.html .  Those write-ups are for Fifth Edition HERO System, but if you're using Sixth they're not hard to adapt, and we can guide you in that if necessary.

 

The Bestiary is a big book, but that's because it has very nearly every creature you could ever need for any type of campaign. I've always considered it one of my most valuable Hero books, and definitely one of my most frequently used.

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How about this, tell us what kind of monsters you might want to populate in your dungeon, and then we can post our templates here for you to use! I'm currently polishing up my chops on HERO 6e, so I would love the chance to get my hands dirty. :-D

 

P.S. I'm not a complete newb, I played and GM'ed the heck out of 5th edition revised (the previous version) - also I've been reading through the 6e set and I have HERO Designer, so the stuff I post shouldn't be "all broken and new" :-P

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The Hero System Bestiary 6th Edition really is a treasure trove of monster builds, it contains pretty much everything you could ever need...  Given that Hero System is a homebrew friendly system, it is extremely easy to take a monster from the Bestiary and adjust it for your campaign, which contributes heavily to there not being tons of freely available prebuilt monsters.

 

​Fantasy Hero Complete contains a decent selection of pregenerated monsters, however it was something of an exception in that regard. Most of the game systems I've played (including D&D, Pathfinder, and previous editions of Hero System) require an enemy/monster sourcebook in addition to their core rulebook.

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I believe that when I'm getting close to being done with my 2nd Bestiary Volume (not any time soon) I'll be posting a super stripped down basic version on my website with only the writeups of very common, basic monsters for people to use. There was a time my whole bestiary was available online (5th edition) but its gone now.

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So I'm going to be GMing a new campaign for a group (most of whom have never played a ttrpg, much less hero) and am trying to get a dungeon ready, but I can't find a decent (free) list of premade monsters anywhere! I don't want to pay for the bestiary or the like before even trying the system, and I was expecting that a system based around homebrew like hero would have tons of people posting monsters and characters that they have made, but I can barely find any, what am I missing?

It's not at all hard to whip up some basic monsters. Worse comes to worst just take your basic starting character and raise it to SPD 3, raise OCV and DCV to 4 or 5, put in Familiarity with Common Melee and Missile Weapons, slap on Dark Vision and call it a Goblin or Orc.

 

Lucius Alexander

 

It's harder to come up with consistently good palindromedary taglines

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It's not at all hard to whip up some basic monsters. Worse comes to worst just take your basic starting character and raise it to SPD 3, raise OCV and DCV to 4 or 5, put in Familiarity with Common Melee and Missile Weapons, slap on Dark Vision and call it a Goblin or Orc.

I have to say that I think this is a big part of it. I only use a basic stat block of STR, CON, BODY, STUN, CV, DEF, and any special abilities I want the critter to have, and run with it. If it's a big, important encounter, a recurring villain, or something like that, then I actually work through a full build. Otherwise, you just tend to go through too many, and really they're more plot devices, there to do what you want them to do, than anything else.

 

All that said, I do agree with the sentiment that if there's something specific you're looking for, give us the run down. I'm sure you'll have a few builds or comments thereon within a day or so. :D

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Thanks for everyone's replies! after reading what many of you wrote about the bestiary I looked up some reviews and decided to just bite the bullet and buy it. So I'm fairly set for monsters, that being said...  As I mentioned this is the first time that me or anyone in my group will be playing hero. Because of this I'm worried that my players might have built characters which are unbalanced or will be unfun in some way that I'm not experienced enough to notice. So since several of you offered to help with monster creation I was wondering if you might instead look over my players characters?

 

Here are links to the character for any of you who are so kind:

 

Vindio

Daemon

Captain Crowe

Senator Hinshaw

David

Meridith

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Thanks for everyone's replies! after reading what many of you wrote about the bestiary I looked up some reviews and decided to just bite the bullet and buy it. So I'm fairly set for monsters, that being said...  As I mentioned this is the first time that me or anyone in my group will be playing hero. Because of this I'm worried that my players might have built characters which are unbalanced or will be unfun in some way that I'm not experienced enough to notice. So since several of you offered to help with monster creation I was wondering if you might instead look over my players characters?

 

Here are links to the character for any of you who are so kind:

 

Vindio

Daemon

Captain Crowe

Senator Hinshaw

David

Meridith

 

Okay, I haven't looked at all of them yet or given them a thorough combing over, but here's a few quick observations.

 

There seems to be a misunderstanding of the rules for Focus. The character Davis is carrying "Stormbringer with the serial numbers filed off" and it's listed as "Extremely Difficult to Replace" which is a variation of "Expendable." This has two implications: One, that the sword is "used up" in use and will vanish/fade away perhaps after one use, perhaps if you're being nice after several, but certainly soon - or at least will become powerless. Two, that either other similar swords are available somewhere to be found and acquired (albeit with "difficulty") or there is some substance or fuel that is hard but not impossible to find that will restore power to an exhausted Lifedrinker sword. If the "fuel" is supposed to be blood or lives, I'm not sure that counts as "difficult to replace" if you have a magic sword that likes to kill.

 

Several of your players seem not to understand what the SPD characteristic is for. That is the number of actions you take in a 12 second turn, and any character that expects to get into fights but leaves SPD at 2 can probably expect the monsters to run circles around them, literally. I would say a beginning heroic character should have a SPD of 3. SPD 2 is too low, 4 might work but gives them more advantage than you might think, more than that and you'll find them running circles around your monsters sometimes.

 

Speaking of Focus blunders, that pirate capain - "Obvious" Focus means everyone who looks knows that that funny looking choker is the reason she's so hard to hurt. Also, if she's knocked out and someone take the choker, she gets her soul back  (or at least, loses the powers associated with the Focus) although if you define it as a "personal" focus the thief can't use the Focus to get those same powers. Wait, this one is also "Difficult to Replace." So after perhaps a single combat she gets the soul back anyway and bids goodbye to the powers - until she can get another choker, or "refuel" this one. Which will be "Difficult."

 

Also, I don't understand how this person became a pirate captain, or could have stayed one for very long. I don't see much in the way of either maritime or martial capability. She has "Charm" and a PRE of 15 but that alone doesn't seem enough to keep a band of sea reavers in line for long.

 

I also just notices she has a sword that does 4d6 Killing. Now THAT might help keep those cutthroats in line, as even if we assume the average mutineer has Combat Luck,  one stroke of that monster sword is apt to leave them unconscious and/or bleeding out. It does as much damage as the Lifedrinker. Wait, it does MORE damage because she can add her full STR (such as it is) and do 4 1/2 d6, but the guy with the magic sword put a STR min on it that he can barely meet and is doing only 4d6.  Oh yea, speaking of Lifedrinker, what the heck is up with 3 pts of Telekinesis?

 

I'm trying to say, I think your characters might be underpowered and your weapons overpowered. And on the topic of weapons, in a heroic game they're usually not paid for out of the character's own points. You seem to be charging the characters points for equipment, which means again they will come across as underpowered against the pre-built monsters you have been looking for. Points spent having a sword are points not spent on things like being good with it.

 

One character has both points spent for a sword, and for a Weapon Familiarity. Generally, it's one or the other, one doesn't usually pay for the Familiarity Skill on something that points are paid for. If you ARE going to use Weapon Familiarity rules, all the other characters will take a -3 OCV penalty for not having it. The pirate captain is less likely to hold onto her ship if she swings for a mutineer and cuts down the mast.

 

I forget which character, but one had daggers that are Inobvious and Inaccessible. This player is at least catching on to some things about how the Focus rules work - if you want to have so many knives hidden about you that you're hard to completely disarm, Inaccessible is the way to go. "Inobvious" might be pushing it - technically, if the Focus is inobvious then even with weapon drawn, people can't tell you are armed (I think they have to make a Perception roll - in any case it is, well, not obvious.)

 

If you do decide to go with paying points for weapons, you might want some guidelines. Do they all need STR Min? Should they get the Limitation for Real Weapon (a kind of marker that says they need to be cleaned and sharpened, can't be used in "unrealistic" ways like trying to cut through a stone wall with a sword, etc.) or if they don't take the Limitation, are they then automatically magic or special in some way?

 

Variable Power Pools are generally a poor idea for beginners in Hero System.

 

As for the necromancer's Pools, specifically, have you looked into what kind of undead you can create with such a small Pool? Same goes for the Blast. And what is the reason for doing either as a Variable Power Pool? If the idea is to have variety in what the Power can do, you can buy a Summon or Blast Power with things like Variable Advantage and Variable Special Effects and even Variable Limitation.

 

A quick and incomplete census shows several CON scores at 10 and one at 15. 10 is the starting value but is dangerously low if you are using the Stunning rule (which is standard) - anyone taking as much STUN damage in one blow as their CON score, loses an action and is temporarily half DCV and easy to hit. Some people actually skip that rule, which can lead to longer combats, but if you do that the CON of 15 is practically wasted points, as that is about all CON does officially in the game. Lots of other characteristics seem to be either at starting levels or at strange numbers (example: one INT of 16. And INT of 13 gets a +1 to many Skills and INT rolls and Perception, another + comes at 18, but 16 is not a good breakpoint.)

 

I'm going to go try to teach someone to use Hero Designer now, I may take another look at these later.

 

Lucius Alexander

 

House of the Palindromedary

 

Lucius Alexander

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Considering that these are 75-point characters, I am going to assume that they are using Heroic Rules (as opposed to Superheroic Rules). Lucius did a really good job analyzing these characters, so I'm sure I'll just end up parroting his points...

 

Regarding Vindio:

​Should not be paying CP for his Knives; mundane equipment doesn't cost points. Should purchase WF (Blades) instead.

Suggestions:  Raise STR by 2, and Lower INT by 1. Purchase Slight of Hand and Fast Draw (Blades).

 

Regarding Daemon:

Should not be paying CP for Sword & Shield; mundane equipment doesn't cost points. Should Purchase WF (Blades) instead.

Suggestions: ​ Purchase Martial Arts (Swordsmanship) and/or 3-point CSLs with Blades.

 

​Regarding Captain Crowe:

Should not be paying CP for her Sword; mundane equipment doesn't cost points. Should purchase WF (Blades) instead.

"Extremely difficult to replace" is only a legal element on Expendable Foci, such as a canister of toxic sludge used to power a giant robot or something... I also fail to see how it is "obvious" that a cheap pink choker would contain a person's soul (and therefore her powers?)...

Magic Choker: No Hit Locations (15 APs) plus 75% Physical Damage Reduction (30 APs) plus ​75% Energy Damage Reduction (30 APs). All Slots; IIF (-1/4). Total Cost:  60 points (12+24+24).

Suggestions:  ​Raise DEX by 2, INT by 1, and SPD by 1. Remove the magic choker as a power entirely, replace it with an affordable amount of Resistant Protection, and have her buy up her REC, BODY, and STUN to 2-3 times their starting values. If the player really wants it as an element, include needing her choker as a Physical Complication or Dependence. Have her purchase Navigation, Combat Driving (she gets TF (Wind-Powered Boats) for free with it), Streetwise, and Trading.

 

Regarding Senator Hinshaw:

Should not be paying CP for his Sword; mundane equipment doesn't cost points. Knowledge, Science, and other background skills must be defined by topics. For example, Knowledge (Arcane & Occult Rituals), and Science (Alchemy).

Suggestions:​  Lower DEX by 1, Raise INT by 2. Place all of his spells in a Multipower Reserve with the focus modifier on all slots (this will allow him to buy more spells less expensively, and easily expand his spell list as he gains Experience). Have him purchase Streetwise, Oratory, Bribery, and Persuasion.

 

​Regarding David:

​Remove all of the following modifiers from Stormbringer: Loses Half Power If Not Fed Enough Lives (-1), Extremely Difficult To Replace (-1)*, Uncontrolled (+1), Ranged (+1/2), Intelligent (+1/2)...

​Regarding "Loses Half Power...": I simply don't think this is a good idea to allow. It will compel the player to act unheroically (even downright murderously) simply to maintain their statistical advantage. If you allow them to get away with doing so, you are essentially giving them free points, but all of the ways you can prevent them from doing so will punish other players for being forced to play with a serial killer.

Regarding Ranged: Unless this version of Stormbringer releases anime-style shockwaves when swung, I don't see this as an appropriate advantage.

Regarding Intelligent: This isn't an extant modifier. In HERO System this effect is accomplished by purchasing a "Computer" as a Follower, and giving it control of the Sword's powers (which must then be bought Usable By Other because Stormbringer can allow its wielder to use them instead of the "Computer". You could also simply represent the level of intelligence described as a Psychological Complication (compelling the wielder to take lives, even when doing so would be inconvenient).

*I already explained why this is illegal above, as did Lucius.

The Regeneration power needs to take OAF (since it is granted by wielding Stormbringer).

Suggestions:  Increase STR by 1, PRE by 2, BODY by 4, and STUN by 8, but Lower CON by 2 (Elric was frail after all). Reduce Stormbringer's damage to between 2d6+1 and 3d6, reduce its STR Min to 13, make it One-And-A-Half-Handed (instead of Two-Handed).

 

Regarding Meridith:

Should not be paying CP for her Daggers; mundane equipment doesn't cost points. Should purchase WF (Blades) instead.

Suggestions:  Increase INT by 3, and EGO by 8. Reduce OMCV back to 3 (unless she is buying all of her spells with ACV (OMCV vs DCV)). Remove Necromancy and Multi-Attack from skills (she won't need them). No VPPs for newbies! Just don't do this to yourself, it is a bad idea. It isn't illegal as far as the rules are concerned, but will slow down play significantly more than it will benefit the player right now. The character should instead purchase a single Multipower Reserve, and buy all of her spells through it. If you need help building her necromantic powers, feel free to private message me and I'll help you get them built appropriately (or at least explain in detail how I have built necromancers in the past).

 

Regarding All Characters:

The damage values for weapons on these sheets is all over the place. For example mundane Knives should only be dealing 1/2d6 (or 1d3) Killing (STR Min 6), and mundane broad/longswords should only be dealing 1d6+1 Killing (STR Min 12) (see Fantasy Hero Complete 249, Hero System Basic Rules 117, or Hero System 6th Edition V2 204).

Since I doubt you have access a copy of Fantasy Hero​, You have two options for determining the starting equipment of your player's characters.

First, you can use a commonly available price list from another system, and simply assign comparable game mechanics to them. For example, Pathfinder's price list works relatively well for mundane equipment and most table-top gamers are already familiar with it in one form or another. See the "Ultimate Equipment" section here http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/ for more information. I suggest giving players 150 gold if you are using this method, as that is what the Pathfinder Society uses for starting characters.

Second, you can simply assign each character a number of character points worth of starting equipment which are separate from their starting CP. For 75-point characters I suggest roughly 30-points. Anything which doesn't have game mechanics assigned to it, but might still be useful (such as a tool kit, or length of rope) costs 1 point. All such equipment should be mundane equipment, and built with all of the appropriate modifiers (Focus, Real Armor/Weapon, STR Min, Mass, Charges, etc).

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vindcara, a few questions:

 

What kind of campaign do you want this to be?  High fantasy (lots of magic and monsters, epic adventures, LOTR for example), Low Fantasy (Not much  magic, mostly human enemies, Game of Thrones, Robin hood, etc), Urban Fantasy (set in modern world with hidden magic and monsters), or what?

How much magic is in your world?  How gritty or cinematic do you want it?  How powerful do you want the PCs to be?  Do you want them to start as Conan and Elric, or Bilbo and the kids from Narnia?  What kind of adventures do you have in mind?  dungeons, exploration, politics, cities, crime, mysteries?

 

All of this helps shape what the characters will be like and how you want them to be equipped, what point values they have, etc.

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Whoa, whoa and whoa! Tgere is NOTHING inherently wrong with both having weapon familarities and paying points forif play ir equipment. That is old heroic versus superheroic thinking and I can find plenty of examples.in newer editions that have super heroic characters that have both. However they are correct that typically its one or the other.

 

Vindcara you might have missed it but there are two major rule assumptions that affect game design, Heroic level and Superheroic level. Each has its advantages and disadvatages thiugh one isn't more right than another and yiu can mix and match if you really want to do. The basic assumption in fantasy is the heroic level and I would recommend start at that. One thing with STR Min is used this means that you need a certain Strength level to use a weapon effectively. More that the min., then you get to add damage, less, you lose accuracy. Another assumption is "normal" equipment is free, I.e. no character points to buy a mundane item. Now a magical weapon or ring of invisiability is something that a character would pay points for. In super heroic routine equipment-even if mundane a character pays pounts for.

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True, in Heroic Campaigns it is entirely normal for characters to have WF with the same weapon group as the wonderous weapons they've paid points for (my example character Bell Cranel in the downloads section does so). However that is largely based upon the assumptions that the character used a mundane weapon at some point before they acquired their wonderous weapon, and that at some point the character may be disarmed/deprived of their wonderous weapon and forced to use a scavenged mundane weapon until they can retrieve their wonderous weapon.

 

You also forgot to mention that in Heroic Campaigns, Strength costs 1 END per 5 Active Points, and that the GM tends to use more of the optional rules (such as Encumbrance, Long-Term Endurance, Hit Locations, Wounding, Optional Maneuvers, Knockdown instead of Knockback, etc).

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Some years ago, one of our fellow forum members, Michael Hopcroft, requested some character builds from the general readership.  The thread is here; the characters were posted in-thread, complete with skills and powers, and you can either look at them for examples or use them as written to play a sample game.  In fact, he requested them for a convention pick-up game.

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Whoa, whoa and whoa! Tgere is NOTHING inherently wrong with both having weapon familarities and paying points forif play ir equipment. That is old heroic versus superheroic thinking and I can find plenty of examples.in newer editions that have super heroic characters that have both. However they are correct that typically its one or the other.

 

Yup.

 

We typically did it in our Superheroic games because while we might be able to use OUR sword, with out penalty, because we purchased it with points.  We still wanted to be able to disarm our opponent and use HIS sword . . . .

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Fwiw Vanguard in Superhero games I would allow a character with a weapon say sword without a WF blades still be able to use anothers sword if the weapon is defined as unviversal.

 

Also I did ask Steve Long a question and came up with a blended type universal and personal weapon. Basically certain powers built on a weapon say +2 with disarm on Sai shouldn't be available to anyone just those with wf but the base damage should be.

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