Maybe 20 or 30 Types of Threats; plus some type of Crazy Wildcard "Thing", that can Twist the original threat that was rolled? Roll to see which random encounter appears, but with a crazy Wild Card "Twist". The Wild Card could be anything, capable of producing wildly unexpected effects.
Any ideas?
I don't have a problem with larger bestiaries, with the understanding that not every critter will pop up. Having options is a good thing.
They do say, that variety is the spice of life.
What I am suggesting, is some type of wide ranging variation in each type of monster. Perhaps every encounter is unique, even with mundane monster types?
Sounds like MERP to me, at least how we played it. Lots of orcs who vary in ability, appearance, attitude, etc., truly strange creatures that the characters aren't even sure actually exist, and a couple unique baddies that strike fear into the hearts of everyone. How many wraiths do you really need in the world? Just have nine of them. In my own campaign there is a single spectre who runs a pseudo-neutral "monster town" that has an uneasy trade relationship with some less than savory human settlements. The fact I don't have hordes of the things makes him much more interesting and resulted in some very important encounters.
Less is more, honestly.
Quote from: Brad on December 05, 2022, 04:17:52 PM
Sounds like MERP to me, at least how we played it. Lots of orcs who vary in ability, appearance, attitude, etc., truly strange creatures that the characters aren't even sure actually exist, and a couple unique baddies that strike fear into the hearts of everyone. How many wraiths do you really need in the world? Just have nine of them. In my own campaign there is a single spectre who runs a pseudo-neutral "monster town" that has an uneasy trade relationship with some less than savory human settlements. The fact I don't have hordes of the things makes him much more interesting and resulted in some very important encounters.
Less is more, honestly.
The PCs think they've run into one of these creatures before. No problem.
Then they are running for their lives, because the thing was tainted by "X" and inflicted a totally different damage type; that the PCs were not prepared for.
(Just a simple example.)
Or perhaps they encounter a dragon that is white in appearance, but it's actually an albino of a different type of dragon?
I just reskin. Take a monster's stats and give it a different name and appearance.
Example: I took the stats for a d&d gorgon and used them to represent a Gnoph-Keh (a Lovcraftian monster that resembles a six-legged polar bear with a horn on it's head). The petrifying breath was a cone of cold that encased a victim in ice.