Thursday, January 27, 2011

SUPER-SIMPLE RANDOM BEASTIES

Easy system for producing weird, random-assembly monsters/mutants.

1. BASIC STRUCTURE Determ creature's body structure & appearance by
combining the features of two or more Random Monsters (d6): 1-3 combine two, 4 or 5 combine three, 6 combine four. Select any features you like, get an idea of appearance, attack forms & damage, movement, abilities. Average combined HD and AC. I like to mix AD&D, Gnarth (my own campaign), Gamma World, and Mutant Future

2. APPEARANCE Modify size and outward appearance, if you like. Size is best
left to discretion; most are Large, while a small number are Medium, Huge, or
even Gigantic.

APPEARANCE/EXTERIOR (d6)
1. Hairy (shaggy, matted, patchy, scruffy, dreaddy)
2. Scaly (reptilian, fishy, overlapping, plated)
3. Skin (leathery, wrinkly, warty, lumpy, bumpy)
4. Spiky (bristly, horny)
5. Exoskeleton (carapace; partial or full, "shell")
6. Slimy (covered, oozing, trailing)

3. SPECIAL ABILITIES Add 1-4 Mutations &/0r Attributes of Interest.
Apply any features already selected toward these totals, or tack on additions

ATTRIBUTES OF INTEREST (d50) Detail as you like

1. Displaced; -2 TH, first AT auto miss 26. Bio-luminescent
2. Plant-like feature(s) 27. Prehensile tongue/tail
3. +1d4 HD 28. +1d4 AC
4. Specific Weakness 29. Contagious/Infectious
5. Ability Score/level Drain 30. Changes color to suit mood or blend
6. +1d24 HP 31. +1d4 Save vs Magic or other
7. Increased/Special/Weird Movement 32. Weird fascination with...
8. Detects Invisibility or other 33. Ultravision/Extra sense
9. Duplicates/Splits when hit 34. Corrodes/Dissolves
10. Spell Casting Ability 35. Random spell, 1d4/day
11. STR bonus, +1d4 36. Berserker!
12. Slime producing 37. Acidic Blood
13. Poison (AT, Contact, Ingested) 38. Wounding, Unhealing
14. Immune or Aura - Heat or Cold 39. 1/2 dam from Blunt weapons
15. - Spells, lvls 1-3, or specific 40. Thief Skill (Backstab, CW, MS, HN)
16. - Lasers, other Energy 41. Vampiric, gains HP by AT
17. - Radiation 42. Specific enmity (Wizards, Mutants, etc)
18. - Mental Influence, general/specific 43. Increased rate or # of AT
19. Highly territorial 44. Odd, disturbing, or scary noise
20. Sticky (weapons, etc adhere) 45. Regenerate 1d4/rnd
21. Magic Resistance 46. Damaged by Magic only
22. Vorpal, Amputating, Withering 47. Takes extra damage from ?
23. Detects &/or Dispels Magic 48. Able to employ weaponry
24. Speaks the tongues of men 49. Ability as Magic Potion, 1d4/day
25. Elongated/retractable neck/limbs 50. Pick One or New Idea

2 comments:

Jesse L said...

Just found this on

http://campaignwiki.org/wiki/LinksToWisdom/Monsters

and LOVE IT! Especially "32. Weird fascination with..." because it's not something I'd never think of on my own.

This will work wonderfully for creating my vaguely imagined 'chaos monster' in my own campaign, which, other than the attributes on this table, also has the trait:

51. Each individual can speak one randomly determined word of the common language of humans in a randomly determined voice (guttural, little girl's, French accent with a head cold, etc.).

Way too long to fit on your nice neat table, but I want to contribute something in return for this great tool.

prof Chaos said...

perhaps i should expand it to 100 options... thanks for comment, and cool link!