Illevar RPCG - Part 4: Monsters in Illevar - Overview

 Monsters Overview:

All good stories have their enemies. Even if they are just a guy in a rubber suit.

Monsters in Illevar function as enemies, npcs, or allies that will be encountered by the PCs throughout their journeys. Monsters come in a wide variety of types and have multiple different abilities. The Storyteller will have access to a Bestiary which lists all the different enemies that can be encountered, their stats, and how the enemies should function in an encounter. 

Players, on the other hand, will view Monster Cards that show the picture of the monsters and their name. Monster Cards will have different sizes to show their strength. Let’s elaborate a bit on that. 

There are 3 main types of Monsters in Illevar:

1. Normal - standard sized cards 

2. Elite - larger sized cards, sideways.

3. Mythic - larger sized cards, sideways, special border.

Normal monsters are standard enemies that can be encountered anywhere in Illevar. They range from lowly vermin to highly-skilled fighters. They have standard attacks and maybe a few special abilities for engaging with the PCs. The Monster Cards for Normal monsters are standard sized and have the name of the creature on top. 

Elite monsters are stronger enemies that usually have stronger or unique skills and provide better loot and more experience upon being defeated. These are good for boss encounters, tougher challenges, or for story beats. Their cards are placed sideways, have a larger-size, but still show the name on the top. Having larger enemies, at least in size, is a common way to easily get the point across that the PCs will have to think strategically to defeat it. This is commonly used in many older JRPGS and even some newer ones like Octopath Traveler.

• Just like in many RPGs, Elite monsters for one level may be a Normal monster for higher levels. Examples are commonly found in games like Dragon Quest, Final Fantasy, and Fable; where a monster that was a boss early on becomes a common enemy at higher levels. 

Mythic monsters are the last type of monster I am currently pondering over. They are unique monsters that are very tough for the PCs to defeat and should be used rarely or as the end to a major plot. They will have special borders, but share the same size and structure as the Elite monster cards. These will function similarly to how the Tarrasque does in D&D or Ruby Weapon in Final Fantasy 7. 

Although all enemies can be fought and defeated, it doesn’t necessarily mean that all encounters with monsters will be combat. Monsters also have intelligence and many can be reasoned with. Instead of fighting a metric ton of goblins, the PCs could role-play out a conversation with their leader and perhaps pass by them without ever needing to shed blood. Or sneak by them. Or drop a few bombs on them while they were distracted by food. Sky’s the limit, y’know?

Bestiary

Let's take a look at what a sample Bestiary Page might look like:

PDF View

I used the HomeBrewery Website to make a template. Pretty nice source if you are into learning about Markdown and creating documents.

While the PCs will only see the cards, the Bestiary will list out how the monsters behave and what attacks they have. There is also a Loot section that will describe what the enemies leave behind after defeating them. The Empirum value is an approximation of the valuables on the monsters.

There is still a ton to hammer out and get right before the game can really get off the ground, but I'm happy with the small amounts I can get done on my own. As always, please let me know what you think. Comments and suggestions, and I cannot stress this enough, are vital to making a game people will enjoy.

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