Does Weird Fantasy even really exist?

misterguignol · July 01, 2011, 02:28:26 PM

Quote from: RPGPundit;466290whereas without anything except vague instructions saying "just make up your own thing" people are far more likely to go rely on those existing monster lists from other versions of D&D.

RPGPundit

That's actually a good point that I hadn't considered. Honestly, I think a cut-down version of the Esoteric Creature Generator would have been the best way to preserve the "mystery."

One way to get mileage out of whatever old-school Monster Manual-type stuff you have is to keep the stats, but change the description of the monster and never name what it is.

Cole · July 01, 2011, 05:08:52 PM

Quote from: RPGPundit;466290No, I'm pretty sure he was fucking scared; that if he included a list of monsters in his book it would keep people from making their own. Which is fucking stupid, because had he made a little "Monster compendium" in the game, it would have served as inspiration for people to make their own versions; whereas without anything except vague instructions saying "just make up your own thing" people are far more likely to go rely on those existing monster lists from other versions of D&D.

I can understand not including a monster compendium but if there's at least not material for how to develop creatures, it's counterproductive and, I agree, you're more likely to just see the D&D usual suspects from veterans and new DMs are just rudderless. I can see where he got the idea but I think it's counterproductive.

Quote from: misterguignol;466297That's actually a good point that I hadn't considered. Honestly, I think a cut-down version of the Esoteric Creature Generator would have been the best way to preserve the "mystery."

That would have been a good inclusion, I think.

RPGPundit · July 02, 2011, 01:46:34 AM

Quote from: Cole;466323I can understand not including a monster compendium but if there's at least not material for how to develop creatures, it's counterproductive and, I agree, you're more likely to just see the D&D usual suspects from veterans and new DMs are just rudderless. I can see where he got the idea but I think it's counterproductive.

Well, it depends what you call "ideas"; there's some vague guidelines, including things like for types of monsters (like "if you want to make a slime" or "if you want an undead", etc), but what there isn't is any kind of monsters compendium or even a random monster generator, or tables of any kinds.

RPGPundit

Cole · July 02, 2011, 07:58:21 AM

Quote from: RPGPundit;466357Well, it depends what you call "ideas"; there's some vague guidelines, including things like for types of monsters (like "if you want to make a slime" or "if you want an undead", etc), but what there isn't is any kind of monsters compendium or even a random monster generator, or tables of any kinds.

RPGPundit

Yeah, I am thinking more like "concrete procedures" or some kind of tutorial.

RPGPundit · July 03, 2011, 02:06:14 AM

Quote from: Cole;466373Yeah, I am thinking more like "concrete procedures" or some kind of tutorial.

I wouldn't call what was there a full-blown tutorial; I just don't want to give the (false) impression that there were no guidelines whatsoever. There were, I just don't think they amounted to much.

RPGPundit