Monster Resource
About the Podcast
What is the Monster Resource?
For Players and Keepers:
The Monster Resource is our gift to the Monster of the Week community. We know that coming up with monsters is a pain in the neck. Believe me, we know. So every time we finish with a monster on the show, we will post the "statbook" for the monster. This is the form that our Keeper used during each arc. You are free to use it in your own game.
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Don't feel restricted to just what our Keeper wrote. Feel free to change things up. The ability to adapt and be flexible with the characters, moves, and monsters is one of the best thing about Monster of the Week. For instance, if you think your story needs a different countdown, but you like the moves and abilities of the monster, then change what you don't like and keep what you do.
For Podcasters and Streamers:
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These monster playbooks are the intellectual property of the Keeper, Susannah. While they are free to use for personal games, please do not use these in your own podcast or show until you talk to her first. You can contact her at thornvalepodcast@gmail.com if you are interested in using one of these pre-made monsters in your own show.
Spoilers!
Be careful! If you haven't finished the arc for the monster you want to play, you may spoil the show for yourself. Go catch up by listening to the show on our Episodes page. Now that you've been properly warned, enjoy the resource.
About the Podcast
The Giant Gator - Arc 1
Description: An enormous alligator-looking monster that is 20+ feet long from tip to tail. It has sharp teeth the size of a man’s forearm. The spikes on its tail and back are sharpened and dangerous. Its powerful tail is flexible and perfect for quickly smashing a hunter.
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Monster Type and Motivation: Breeder (motivation: to give birth to, bring forth, or create evil). Wants to give birth to her baby.
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Supernatural Powers:
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Extra tough. No non-magical object can pierce its hide.
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Can teleport between sources of water.
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Attacks:
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Pounce: 2 harm
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Tail Swipe: 2-3 harm
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Bite: 4 harm
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Armor: Armored scales. Complete protection from non-magical attacks.
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How Much Harm Will Kill It: 12
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Weaknesses:
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Much more vulnerable to magical items.
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A weapon made out of a part of itself (like a claw, tooth, or scale) can pierce its hide.
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Countdown:
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Day: The monster attacks and kills a random fisherman in a state park.
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Shadows: The monster destroys a supply building in the park for nesting material.
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Dusk: The monster kills a park ranger.
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Sunset: The monster kills an entire girl scout troop.
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Nightfall: The monster finishes its nest.
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Midnight: The monster gives birth to her baby.
About the Podcast
The Banshee - Arc 2
Description: Appears to be an ephemeral woman dressed in a white dress and floating above the ground. Unless she screams your name, and then she’s a horrible old hag dressed in black rags. Infects a person (usually a young woman) and goes after people who have wronged her or her family.
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Monster Type and Motivation: Torturer (motivation: to hurt and terrify). Wants to hurt people who have committed crimes and gotten away with them.
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Supernatural Powers:
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Scream of death: If a person hears the banshee scream their name, they’re going to die 12 hours later.
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Touch of Ice: If the banshee touches a hunter, he will immediately freeze in place for 30 seconds.
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Invisible to non-magical creatures.
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Attacks:
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Can telekinetically pick up objects and throw them. 1-2 harm.
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Scream of Pain: An incapacitating wail that strikes fear and causes 2 points of damage (ignoring armor) to the victims. Also deafens the victims for several minutes.
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Armor: No armor, but incorporeal.
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How Much Harm Will Kill It: 8
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Weaknesses: If her silver comb is melted down, then she can be drawn out of the host, be corporeal, and be beaten.
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Countdown:
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Day: The host, possessed by the banshee, goes out and kills a drunk (he killed someone the host knew in a drunk driving incident, but got away with it because of his rich parents) on his way out of the bar at 3am.
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Shadows: The next day, an older woman (who defrauded the victim somehow) comes into the police office, freaking out because she heard someone’s singing telling her she’s going to die.
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Dusk: 12 hours later, the old woman dies when confronted with the Banshee
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Sunset: The next day, one of the hunters (whoever has done the creature the most damage) wakes up to scratching at his window. He goes outside to investigate, only to hear the singing himself. He’s got 12 hours to live.
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Nightfall: 12 hours later, the monster kills the hunter.
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Midnight: The monster moves on to the mayor of the town, who committed election fraud, no longer bothering to care about victims that personally hurt the host.
About the Podcast
The Wendigo - Arc 3
Description: A description: 9 feet tall. A gaunt, almost skeletal-looking creature with jagged, broken deer-like horns on its head. Stands on two legs. Thin flesh clings to bones in ribbons. Sickly yellow lights stare out at you from otherwise empty eye sockets.
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Monster Type and Motivation: Devourer (motivation: to consume people)
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Supernatural Powers:
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Super Speed.
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Ungodly strength.
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Supernaturally good hearing.
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Regeneration.
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Poisonous blood.
Attacks:
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Backhand: backhands the victim, sending them flying. 2-3 points of harm.
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Swipe: Uses one of its long, clawed hands to rake across the victim. 3 points of harm.
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Rend: Only possible if the victim is caught. Digs in with both claws to try to tear apart the victim’s chest. 4 points of damage.
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Lacerate: The monster goes for an artery. Roll KSA +2 (keeper). On a full success, the victim immediately starts bleeding out and is unstable. If not, it’s a swipe.
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Fear Scream: Emits a horrible noise that anything within a 50-foot radius can hear. Does 2 points of armor-defeating magic harm automatically. Roll luck. On a fail, lose one point of cool for 24 hours.
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Armor: No real armor, but regenerates quickly unless hit with silver.
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How Much Harm Will Kill It: 10
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Weaknesses:
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Silver can hurt it, but if the hunters do not cut out it’s heart with silver, shatter it, and bury it in a silver box, it will regenerate, even if eviscerated. Body must also be burned or else it will come back, looking for its heart.
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Magic can hurt it, but can’t kill it.
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Countdown:
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Day: The monster comes out of hibernation and attacks and kills a fisherman. His body washes up on the beach in pieces.
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Shadows: The monster kills a hunter in the woods outside of town.
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Sunset: The monster kills a tourist that was camping. He was taken from his campsite and killed in the parking lot.
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Dusk: A woman is killed in her home on the edge of the woods. Her 4-year-old son goes missing. Some of his blood is found at the scene.
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Nightfall: That night, the monster kills the boy.
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Midnight: The monster kills one of the Hunters' friends when he goes looking for the creature.
About the Podcast
The Dybbuk - Arc 4
Description: A wispy ghost-like figure with the twisted, smiling face of a man with hollow eye sockets. Difficult to see in bright daylight.
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Monster Type and Motivation: Tempter (motivation: to tempt people into evil deeds)
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Supernatural Powers:
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Possession: The monster possesses mostly “good people” and forces them to do things they may have been tempted to do, but never would before.
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Makes the person it possesses much stronger than they usually would be, but at their own detriment. So a person can lift a car while possessed, but they would be very hurt if the Dybbuk leaves.
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Attacks: Uses what the body it is inhabiting has on hand.
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Punch 2 harm.
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Shotgun: 3 harm
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Blunt object: 2-3 harm
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Sharp object: 3 harm
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“Let the bodies hit the floor”: If the Dybbuk is sure that it’s going to be caught, it will threaten to hurt the body it is possessing.
Armor: Incorporeal. Completely unable to be hit by anything, magic included.
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How Much Harm Will Kill It: No amount of harm can kill it, but if the body it is possessing is brought down to 1 hit point or less, it will flee back to its master.
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Weaknesses: The Dybbuk can only exist in our world under contract, which means it is under someone’s control. If that person chooses to send it back where it came from, it must go. It will do everything in its power to persuade that person not to make it go. If its boss is killed, it will also leave.
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Countdown:
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Day: A troubled 17-year-old boy sics the monster on a local priest, who didn’t have time for him when he was being abused. He begins shouting in the middle of his sermon and starts throwing Bibles and hymnals at his congregation.
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Shadows: The boy directs the monster to have the local community center leader (who also ignored his abuse) rob a bank using a bat. The community leader will be shot during the robbery.
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Sunset: The Dybbuk forces a reformed bully of the boy to revert to his old bullying ways and he beats a middle schooler half to death before being arrested.
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Dusk: The community center leader dies from his injuries.
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Nightfall: The boy makes the Dybbuk infect his abusive foster father and has him stab his wife. She does not die immediately and can be saved if she is found fast enough.
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Midnight: The boy has his foster father jump off of a building or bridge.
About the Podcast
The Golem (minion) - Arc 4
Description: A hulking 10-foot tall, 5-foot wide dripping clay monstrosity with a four-foot-long clay club in its hands.
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Minion Type and Motivation: Guardian (motivation: to bar a way or protect something)
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Supernatural Powers: If it is taken down to 1 hit point or less, it will split into two half-sized, weaker versions of itself. It will do this twice, ending with four 3.5’ tall, even weaker golems. Then, it will collapse.
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Attacks: -1 to all attacks every time the golem splits.
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Grab and throw: The monster will pick up the hunter and throw him away from its charge. 3 harm.
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Kick: 3 harm.
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Smash: The golem brings its massive club down on a hunter. 4 harm
Armor: No armor.
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How Much Harm Will Kill It: 12, 6, 3
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Weaknesses:
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Anything can hurt it.
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Fire or ice will harden its clay, slow it down, and grant whichever hunter attacks next +1 forward on their next attack.
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About the Podcast
Boozies - Arc 5
Description: A small, 5-inch creature with a big head, tiny sharp teeth, wearing clothes that look like they’re made out of black leaves. Small wings will sprout if it feels threatened. Invisible unless the viewer is drunk. Usually show up in packs of 20-30.
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Monster Type and Motivation: Trickster (motivation: to create chaos)
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Supernatural Powers:
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Induces rage in all who can see it. Hunters must make a Cool roll. The effects last for 12 hours.
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On a miss, the hunter is immediately enraged and drawn to attacking the closest person.
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On a mixed success, the hunter is influenced by the rage and takes -1 to future cool and sharp rolls.
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On a full success, nothing happens.
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Attacks:
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Scratch: 1 harm
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Bite: 2 harm
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Swarm: A bunch of the little buggers tackle the hunter and start biting and scratching. 3-4 harm.
Armor: None.
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How Much Harm Will Kill It: 4
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Weaknesses: Very attracted to alcohol.
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Countdown:
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Day: There is a bar fight at a bar called the Salty Seagull.
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Shadows: A bunch of drunk fisherman start attacking tourists with their poles and a knife.
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Sunset: A bunch of drunk college students at a beach party get rowdy and start beating each other up. It turns into a blood bath the hunters are called into.
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Dusk: During a holiday parade, a bunch of drunk watchers storm the barriers and knock over one of the floats, causing a backup.
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Nightfall: A riot starts in the middle of town.
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Midnight: Several people end up in the hospital in critical condition after being trampled.
About the Podcast
The Nightmare - Arc 6
Description: Fear incarnate. It has the ability to look like whatever you fear the most. Its actual form is that of a wispy, ghostlike apparition with far-reaching, shadowy black tendrils enveloping it and floating around it.
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Monster Type and Motivation: Torturer (motivation: to hurt and terrify)
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Supernatural Powers:
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Hallucinations: The monster has the ability to force its victims to see what it wants them to see, hear what it wants them to hear, feel what it wants them to feel. Basically, it can take over a hunter’s senses completely.
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The only way to escape the grasp of the creature is to ask the Keeper to try to see through the illusion. Roll sharp.
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On a miss, the hunter is stuck in the illusion. Nothing changes
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On a mixed success, the hunter’s mind begins to clear, but illusions still plague them. (Do not go on to the next room.)
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On a full success, they are able to see through the illusion. (Go on to the next room.)
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If two misses in a row, the hunter takes a point of psychic harm and loses 1 point of sharp for 24 hours.
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Attacks:
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Brainsplatter: 2 harm of psychic damage, armor-defeating. The monster gives the victim a massive headache. Blood comes out their ears.
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Hallucination attack: The monster controls the victim’s mind. It can make them believe the thing they are seeing is real. Their body reacts accordingly, bleeding, burning, freezing, bruising, etc. as if every hit they take is real. 1-4 harm. Armor defeating. Cannot use this if the hunter has seen through the final illusion.
Armor: Semi-incorporeal and shielded by illusion magic, making it hard to hit.
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+2 armor against all physical attacks.
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+1 armor against magical attacks
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Heals +2 every 12 hours
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How Much Harm Will Kill It: 8
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Weaknesses: If a hunter is able to fully see beyond the Hallucination ability (full success), they gain +1 on physical attacks, and magical attacks work as normal for the duration of the fight.
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Countdown:
Instead of a countdown, we recommend creating 6 rooms, each one corresponding to one of the characters’ fears, and number them 1-6. You can make it more suspenseful by splitting up the characters and making 6 rooms for each one, which is more work, but also more fun. One of these rooms should have the exit, which can only be seen with a full success. If they miss this room, they will have to go through all of the rooms. Each room with have some kind of exit, usually a door.
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Every time the player the players make it through a door (unless it’s the real exit), roll a d6 and send them to the room associated with that number. If you get a room they’ve already been through, roll again.
If you run out of rooms, the character will enter into a VOID. They will be unable to exit the void until they think to try to see through. They must make a successful illusion roll (as explained in the Supernatural Powers section).
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After the characters escape from the grasp of the Nightmare, then they must fight the monster.
About the Podcast
Flying Werewolf - Arc 7
Description: In its human form, it appears as a regular person. In its wolf form, it is a horse-sized white wolf with dragon wings and glowing golden eyes.
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Monster Type and Motivation: Beast (motivation: to run wild, destroying and killing)
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Supernatural Powers:
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Shapeshifting into a giant wolf, a man, and back again.
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Good night-vision.
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Attacks:
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Flap attack: Monster uses its wings to whack aside hunters. 2 harm.
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Bite: Hunter will be infected with werewolf disease. 3 harm.
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If the werewolf disease is not cured with an appropriate Big Magic cleansing ritual before the next full moon, the hunter will become a werewolf. It is recommended that the hunter’s playbook be changed to the Monstrous.
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Claw: 3 harm.
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Dive bomb: Monster flies into the air and dive bombs the hunter. 3 harm.
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Lacerate: Monster goes for an artery. 4 harm.
Armor:
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Underneath the fur, there are patchy dragon scales. 1 Armor.
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Will magically heal 1 point every hour.
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How Much Harm Will Kill It: 12
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Weaknesses:
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Silver weapons add +1 harm.
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If the monster is still fighting the transformation, then the hunters have a possibility to talk them out of the transformation. Roll charm at -2.
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Countdown:
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Day: The monster attacks a bunch of animals right outside of town.
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Shadows: The monster attacks a basketball player at a court the edge of town. Nearly kills him. But the monster shakes itself out of it before it kills the man.
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Sunset: The monster finally kills a man. He is found with his throat torn out on the docks. From this point on, all players trying to charm the monster out of its transformation will take -1 on charm rolls against it.
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Dusk: The monster swoops down and attacks a ship full of sailors, killing all of them.
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Nightfall: The monster kills one of its own friends when they try to track it down.
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Midnight: A friend of the hunters’ goes after the monster on their own, and the monster kills them.
About the Podcast
Siren - Arc 8
Description: A beautiful naked woman with large white wings and bird feet. Usually 2-3 of them.
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Monster Type and Motivation: Queen (motivation: to possess and control)
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Supernatural Powers:
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Song of Seduction: The hunters hear a beautiful song. Make a cool roll. Female-attracted hunters make the roll at -1. Others make the roll normally.
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On a full success, the hunter is able to shrug off the effect.
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On a mixed-success, the hunter is effected by the move. -1 to all cool and sharp moves. -2 to attacks against the siren.
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On a failure, the hunter is completely enthralled to the monster. They do what the siren wants when it wants. They stay this way until the minion’s weakness is triggered.
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Use the Sea: The Siren can use the sea to her benefit. She controls the waves on her island and can use water to attack.
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Attacks: The siren will get her hands dirty if she needs to, but most of the time, she prefers to stay out of harm’s way and use her army of ensnared men.
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Punch: 1 harm.
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Claw: She flies up and uses her clawed feet to swipe at the hunter. 2 harm.
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Forcibly drown: The siren shapes water to her will and covers the hunter’s head in a water bubble or otherwise forces water down their throat. 1-2 harm. Ongoing.
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Drop: She grabs the hunter with her feet, flies them into the air, and then drops them to the ground. 3 harm.
Armor: None.
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How Much Harm Will Kill It: 10
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Weaknesses:
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Anyone using ear plugs will have a +2 to resisting the call of the siren.
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Those already enthralled can be broken out of it with very loud music.
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Countdown:
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Day: Two more sailors go missing, a man and his teenage son. Their boat washes ashore.
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Shadows: The sirens turn a few more of the men into fish-men.
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Sunset: A half-drowned woman washes ashore on the beach and is taken to the hospital. She describes how something came over her husband and he crashed the boat. He’s still out there.
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Dusk: The woman’s husband washes ashore, looking like something with human-like teeth tore out its throat. (The minion was unsatisfactory, so the siren killed him and discarded him.)
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Nightfall: The sirens lure a cruise liner into the harbor. The captain and crew abandon the ship to swim to the sirens. The ship goes on, full steam ahead, towards the docks.
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Midnight: The cruise ship slams into the docks, destroying a restaurant and killing multiple people.
Dragon Knights: One Shots Monsters
Want to play with one of Susannah's monsters from her Twitch show, Dragon Knights: One Shots? We decided to post those below as well! If you want to keep up with the monthly show, go subscribe to the channel on Twitch.
About the Podcast
The Rake - Episode 1 (with .Zero Star)
Description: The Rake is a six-foot-tall, pale, humanoid creature. It has long fingers with sharp claws on the tips. He has a very small, sharp-toothed mouth.
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Monster Type and Motivation: Torturer (motivation: to hurt and terrify)
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Supernatural Powers:
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Psychic attack: The rake grabs the hunter and stares deep into their eyes. The player must roll sharp.
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On a miss, the hunter is immediately overtaken by madness. Their world warps completely into terrifying and chilling images, and a cold unshakable fear grips them. -2 to all rolls. 2 harm.
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On a mixed success, the hunter starts hallucinating, horrible images overlaying the real world. -1 to all rolls, except weird. 1 harm.
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On a full success, nothing happens
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Attacks:
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Ram: The creature uses its unnatural speed to ram the hunter. 2 harm.
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Rake: The creature drags its claws across the victim’s body. 3 harm.
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Hulk smash: The creature grabs the hunter by the leg and slams them back and forth against the ground or any other hard object. 3-4 harm.
Armor: None.
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How Much Harm Will Kill It: 10
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Weaknesses: It’s not fond of light and will attack all light sources. Can be beaten by anything else.
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Countdown:
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Day: A man wakes up screaming, claiming something was lingering at the foot of his sleeping bag.
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Shadows: A woman runs through the park naked, scared, and covered in deep scratches. She’ll attack anyone who tries to help her.
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Sunset: A man is found hanged in the middle of a campground.
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Dusk: A man drives into the lake with his wife screaming in the car.
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Nightfall: The camp director loses his mind and starts a forest fire to rid his campground of the threat.
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Midnight: The campground burns to the ground.