Monster

Monsters are living creatures cannot be defined by their biology, as they aren't tied to any single origin, form or way of existing. The term is a broad, catch-all classification for creatures that are generally outside the ordinary cycle of everyday familiarity. They are unpredictable, difficult to comprehend and often do not fit into any predictable cycle of nature, death or even a specific kind of magic. They are beasts formed of a grotesque combination of parts, fluid-based entities that consume through chemical or parasitic means, or entities that lack either flesh or form. These things are not just dangerous — they are wrong in a way that makes them impossible to place within the context of society, culture or the general wellbeing of others.

Monsters serve as challenges, obstacles and unknowns within the game's structure, acting as forces that disrupt the plans, expectations and safety of the player characters. They exist to create tension, whether through combat, exploration or the need to understand and overcome something unnatural. Unlike ordinary animals or predictable foes, monsters serve as agenct of disruption, forcing players to adapt, strategise and react to situations where the rules of engagement are unclear.

Creation of Dissonance

Monsters within the setting merely exist, without any set purpose beyond the possibility of being encountered, overcome and eradicated for the general welfare of a given district. The same way that a predator lurks in the wild, monsters act according to its nature. If it is territorial, it defends its space. If it is hungry, it seeks food. If it has an intelligence of its own, it pursues whatever goals it holds. When a monster is encountered, this serves to interrupt the expected order of things, compelling the players to feel either doubtful about their capabilities — and thus avoid or confront it according to their sense of responsibility.

The knowledge of a monster in an area is a moment of moral crisis for an adventuring party. Ideally, they should decide for themselves whether or not they are up to defeating it. An enticement is involved: monsters usually have considerably more treasure than other creatures — and their removal can bring about the acquisition of prestige, social status and influence. However, because monsters are often very dangerous, a player party must find confidence in themselves, and in fact display characteristics of actual, real life bravery on their part, as they are risking something they've invested in — their characters — against the uncertainty of winning in battle.

Game Purpose

As such, monsters serve the game best when they're not presented as set-pieces to be knocked down; when success and survival are legitimately uncertain, in the estimation of both the players AND the dungeon master. The genuine human reaction that's sought after — courage — is real, visceral and definable for the game's participants, in a manner that no other group activity can produce. This is the heart and soul of adventuring. Monsters are thus designed with powers and characteristics that promote and encourage this uncertainty on the player's part.

Monsters are not simply measured by their combat difficulty but by how well they instill doubt, force careful decision-making and provoke real engagement. Their abilities, resistances and behaviors are designed not to be fair, but to be real obstacles — things that demand caution, strategy and sometimes outright retreat. A well-designed monster does not just threaten characters on paper, it makes the players themselves feel the weight of the moment, knowing that they are committing to something where failure is possible.

This is why monsters cannot simply be predictable or balanced — they must be terrifying, strange and outside the realm of certainty, encouraging players to ask themselves: "Are we truly ready for this?" The moment of doubt, followed by the decision to press forward anyway, is the essence of adventuring.

See also,
Bestiary
Natural Abilities