A hand drawn location map for my first Pathfinder PBP Game at the Paizo Boards

Random Monster Making First Draft

This is the original starting point for Random Monster Making Lists I had come up with. Between this and the other post it should be pretty easy for a GM to get started with new creature creation.


Random Monster Making   
   
   
Roll Type    Option 1
   
1    Aberration
2-5    Animal
6    Construct
7    Dragon
8    Elemental
9    Fey
10    Giant
11    Humanoid
12    Magical Beast
13    Monstrous Humanoid
14    Ooze
15    Outsider
16    Plant
17    Undead
18-19    Vermin
20    Roll 2 times or chose 2


Option 2       
Roll for core concept       
1d4    then 1d4 or 1d6 (Humanoids)   
1    Alien   
    1    Aberration
    2    Dragon
    3    Ooze
    4    Outsider
       
2    Humanoid   
    1-2    Giant
    3-4    Humanoid
    5-6    Monstrous Humanoid
       
       
3    Could be possible   
    1    Animal
    2    Magical Beast
    3    Plant
    4    Vermin
       
4    Other things   
    1    Construct
    2    Elemental
    3    Fey
    4    Undead

Random Creature Starting Points

For all of you GMs out there looking for a starting point to your new creatures, here are some simple lists to give you a starting point to making a new creature or encounter.
A couple of die rolls and you have the concept, ready to be fleshed out with some crunchy bits.

These are targeted to The d20 OGL/Clones or Pathfinder Roleplaying Game systems with a dark tone/bent to them.

Base procedure:    Select or roll in Row 1 and Row 2, or twice in Row 2
Then chose or roll in Row 3 and roll in Row 4
Select the Hit Dice or Roll to get a random value
Consult the Monster Creation Guides to flesh out with crunch
  
Some of the results might get skewed a bit. In instance choosing a Fine size creature with 20 hit dice. Really does not seem plausible.
In these cases best judgement is the real guideline. If in doubt start at Medium size and increase or decrease from there hit dice wise



This is a reprint of an article I had done years ago on another site.
This is lightly reorganized and updated.

 

Row 1
Die Roll	Name/Title
1	Aether
2	Air
3	Clockwork
4	Coal
5	Dark
6	Earth
7	Fire
8	Light
9	Moon
10	Oil
11	Patchwork
12	Quilted
13	Shadow
14	Spirit
15	Steam
16	Stellar
17	Sun
18	Toxic
19	Walk
20	Water

Row 2
Die Roll	Name/Title
1	Assassin
2	Blank
3	Butcher
4	Crawler
5	Creeper
6	Flenser
7	Hunter
8	Killer
9	Malevolent
10	Opaque
11	Render
12	Runner
13	Seeker
14	Snatcher
15	Soarer
16	Stalker
17	Thief
18	Wader
19	Wanderer
20	Wielder

 

Row 3 Die Roll Type of Creature 1 Aberration 2 Animal 3 Construct 4 Dragon 5 Elemental 6 Fey 7 Giant 8 Humanoid 9 Magical beast 10 Monstrous humanoid 11 Ooze 12 Outsider 13 Plant 14 Undead 15 Vermin 16 Robot/Android 17 Alien 18 Template 19 Chose 20 Combine 2 or more
Row 4 Die Roll Size 1 Fine 2 Diminutive 3 Tiny 4 Small 5 Medium 6 Large 7 Huge 8 Gargantuan 9 Colossal 10 Chose
Row 5 Die Roll = HD  Hit Dice 1 1 2 2 3 3 4 4 5 5 6 6 7 7 8 8 9 9 10 10 11 11 12 12 13 13 14 14 15 15 16 16 17 17 18 18 19 19 20 20

Pathfinder Roleplaying Game License Link

Below is the link to the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game OGL License


Updated Link as of 03/01/2015
OGL License Link for Pathfinder Roleplaying Game on the PRD 

Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Creature Stat Block (Mine/Blank)

Below is the blank creature stat block I am going to be using for my own creations from this point forward
Feel free to borrow/modify for your own gaming needs

Name

CR

XP

Alignment

Size

Type

Init

Senses

Perception

Defense

AC , touch , flat-footed6 (Details of Armor and Bonus)

HD

HP

Saves

Fort +, Ref +, Will +

Offense

Speed 30 ft.

Melee

Ranged

Statistics

Str , Dex, Con , Int , Wis , Cha

Stat Bonuses

BaB

CMB

CMD

Feats

Skills

SQ

Languages

Ecology

Environment

Organization

Treasure

Special Abilities

Description

All The Dungeons from Gamemastery Guide

 All The Dungeons from Gamemastery Guide

 So the other night I was thumbing again in the Gamemastery Guide from Paizo LLC for Pathfinder Roleplaying Game. It is one of the better resources, since the very first / original DMG for reference materials in my opinion. 

So I was paging in it, from societies, to dungeons, to rooms in a dungeon ( I have an idea roughed out for another dungeon consisting of interlinked rooms by a dimension door essentially) and was surfing for ideas.


I tend to re-read certain spots depending on what or where I am looking for inspiration for. That day I had a 1 short adventure idea, inspired by the Steely Dan song Godwhacker. Essentially a high level multiplanar bounty hunting scenario. First target is a Githyanki Assassin and his undead spider demon inspired girl friend. They are going to get written up even if I do not make the adventure. Thinking about 15 CR for each of them.

Well that same night I opened my Gamemastery Guide to the Dungeon Creation section and thought to myself. I Should Do Each Of The Dungeons. Then I counted, making it 50. There are some of the ideas that are more appealing than others, such as the very first one of a Hedge Maze. Some of them are completely unappealing such as the What's Down the Plug Hole of the Wizard's Sink? Still I am going to do all of the ones that appeal to me over the next few months.

The first one will be the first entry on the table, A Hedge Maze.

The Dead Heart Magic Item May 2009

Another magic item created for a Barroks Tower competition.
This one will get some re-work soon and show up in my In Ruins PFRPG Homebrew setting.

The Dead Heart

Under Dark Skies

With the turn of the spade, or the use of the autopsy scalpel

It is pulled from a murderer’s corpse. 

Placed within an esoteric device

Implanted into a Recipient person, place, thing, vehicle, etc. 

Altering them from that point on, bringing them into the darkness and far away from The Light.

It appears where ever death and ability meet. In lands where magic flourishes then crystals, metals, vines, and the forge aid in making the receptacle.

In lands where technology reigns supreme then wires, tubing, microchips are used.

Where other disciplines come into play, then local materials are utilized.

In all, the results are the same, yielding the dead heart of a murderer used as a power source to strength and deadliness.

Cosmetic Changes

With the Dead Heart come great strength and some difficulties as well. As the heart of a murderer is needed, it brings the evil and aura of death to the bearer as well. This manifests in personality changes, mood changes, an increased affinity for evil, as well as stark physical changes as well. Muscles are added, durability is increased, as well as an overall loathsome appearance. Skin and hair lightens, pales, turns pallid, finger and toe nails grow yellowish and appear almost infected, lesions and bruises show up easily on the skin and the teeth also turn more yellow and in the right light, look sharpened almost. 

Game Rules

In settings using Alignment a shift of 2 steps towards Evil on that axis and one step towards Chaos on that axis as well, will occur in living entities. This will affect those with special alignment oriented powers in either a positive or a negative fashion. Example Paladins this would shift them from Lawful Good to Neutral Evil with the attendant ability losses from such shifts. If the character is already evil, etc. then no changes are made. 

Adds to the Recipient 

+10 Hit Points (1 time bonus, not affected by Constitution Bonus)

+2 to BAB (1 time bonus, stacks with all character BAB)

+2 to Fortitude Saves (1 time bonus, stacks with all character and stat changes)

+1 to Strength (1 time bonus, changes modifiers)

+1 to Constitution (1 time bonus, changes modifiers)

-2 to Charisma (1 time deduction, changes modifiers)

-1 to Dexterity (1 time deduction, changes modifiers)

-2 on Reaction Rolls (1 time deduction, in addition to the change in Charisma, stacks)

The characteristic changes are permanent. This change will affect skills, saves, etc. Hit Points as well from Constitution Bonus on subsequent levels only (Not Retroactive)

The recovery time from the surgical implantation depends on the game setting. Without the use of advanced medicine or magical assistance, it could take months (in theory) to recover. Otherwise the normal recovery of 1 point per day or 2 points per day with complete rest and medical attention applies, up to the new maximum hit point amount. Use common sense and feel free to apply situational penalties for not allowing for adequate time to recover. 

It is major invasive surgery implanting The Dead Heart adjacent and connected to the existing heart. The Medical Skill (Doctor, etc per setting) DC is Heroic (30). In vehicles, constructs, robots, etc. then it is a Formidable (25) DC Craft Mechanical Skill Roll to correctly implant it. Characters can Take 20 on the Modifications. 

Count the surgery as bringing the character to 1 Hit Point left once surgery is complete. It does require a Formidable (25) DC Fortitude Check to survive it. The Surgical / Medical Roll can be used as a bonus, each point succeeds by adds a positive bonus to the Fortitude Check. 

Of course if the character fails the Fortitude check, depending on the game, perhaps their heart could be used as a second Dead Heart as well?