# How to play "Monsters"
## What is a Monster
If you've ever played Monster Hunter or watched Attack on Titan, you know that big monsters are usually complex and dangerous. And if you've ever watched The Walking Dead or played Project Zomboid, you know that even a handful of Zombies can be very dangerous. This guide is meant to give you guidelines on how to create opposition.
Monsters are usually composed of:
- a "Core", which defeats the monster when the clock is filled, it may refer to an existing body part or be an abstract measure (the nape of a titan, the brain of a zombie, a monster's toughness).
- one or multiple "Limbs", which are parts with their own clocks that allow a monster to act and gives them narrative permission. When they are destroyed, the monster loses that permission or the ability to act. (a titan's arms, the jaw of a spitter zombie, a monster tail).
#### Defeat does not mean death
When a monster is defeated, that does not always mean that it is killed : it might just be forced to flee, and that might be enough to clear the objective. A monster can also be too dangerous for the players, and Defeating it just means temporarily stunning it, or making it run away.
## Required Extras :
My [GM moves Extras](https://itch.io/t/1833312/extra-gm-moves-pending) :
Without those, attacking a monster's core is often the right course of action, since danger can only go so far. GM moves allow you to encourage your characters to deal with the monster's limbs before going for the core
## Suggested Extras :
Keita Creation, René-Pier Deshaies and my [Attachment Extra](https://fari.games/en/srds/fari-games/charge-rpg/attachment-extra) AND Keita Creation's [Specialized Assets Extra](https://itch.io/t/1805420/extra-specialized-assets-extra-pending) :
Monster Hunters often have important signature gear that can be used for a variety of purposes, defensive and offensive. This is meant to even the playing field. :
> _To dodge the Titan's grab, Eren needs to soak up consequences propelling himself away using his ODM Gear, which costs him **gas**._
>
> _The Nergigante is weak to Dragon element, so a weapon using dragon element will have greater effect on the monster_
>
> _The Monster Hunter has a few silver bullets left in the tank, they are sure to cause a great deal of damage to any werewolves._
Krister Svanlund's [Scars Extra](https://fari.games/en/srds/fari-games/charge-rpg/scars-extra):
If you're looking for a more grim experience, feel free to use the scar extra.
Othelarian's [Goal Extra](https://fari.games/en/srds/fari-games/charge-rpg/goals-extra) :
If you're playing in a shorter game where your character are always going to kill monster after monster, it might be interesting to give them goals to gain talents.
> _Freeing the district from the zombies is going to be a hard task, but once you manage to complete it, you're going to come out a better person._
If the clock isn't full when the goal is completed, you can either :
- Consider the goal complete and award the player with milestones
- Create some twist : maybe the monster escapes, maybe they discover a new hiding spot for zombies.
Valdy's [Scale Extra]() : Currently being created
Monsters are sometimes bigger than the players, and are more dangerous, more deadly, even maybe faster. This allows more menacing monsters with different danger ratings based on their adjectives.
## How to create a monster
### Monster Characteristics
When creating a monster, choose a certain number of details referring to that monster. These details are going to be tied to the "Core", which is the entire monster, or to a "Limb", which means that they are only true as long as the monster's limb still exists. If a monster has **Huge** legs, that means that its legs are disproportionately big compared to the rest of its body.
A monster may also gain details when some of its limbs are destroyed. For example, a Zombie with destroyed legs becomes a crawler.
## Monster Strength
### Option 1: Danger Rating
A monster's "Danger Rating" is the equivalent of its power tier. It defines which position and effect the characters fighting it start with. It goes from 0 to 4, :
- At **danger rating 0**, the characters start in a controlled position with great effect.
- At **danger rating 1**, the character start in a controlled position with standard effect OR in a risky position with great effect.
- At **danger rating 2**, the characters start in a risky position with standard effect.
- At **danger rating 3**, the characters start either in a risky position with limited effect OR in a desperate position with standard effect
- At **danger rating 4**, the characters start in a desperate position with limited effect.
Danger rating may depend on the limb the characters are attacking : when going for a Monster's sharp fangs, the characters are obviously going to be in a more dangerous position than if they go for its soft tail.
### Option 2 : Monster Strength
Idea from Krister Svanlund
More in line with the Charge design, this setting only focuses on narrative details. The strength of the monster, the basic effect and basic position is tied to a monster's limb in addition to the player's actions.
## Monster Speed
### Option 1 : Monster Tactics
Idea from Krister Svanlund
A monster's attacks aren't tied to any speed rating, but they are tied instead to the monster's tactic. A monster can act purely in a **self-defense instinct**, or be outright **passive**, but it may be anywhere between **agressive** and **relentless**.
Tactics can change based on a monster's state of being or on what limb the monster has and doesn't have.
### Option 2 : Speed Rating
A monster has different speeds, which changes the speeds at which it acts against a player :
- A **passive** monster only reacts to the player's attacks.
- A **slow** monster attacks when there is a long opening and their attack is usually telegraphed for some time, allowing characters to `move` around the attack.
- A **normal** monster attacks' are telegraphed, but not for very long
- A **fast** monster attacks' aren't telegraphed, and prompt an immediate determination roll.
- A **reckless** monster attacks' aren't telegraphed and do not allow for a determination roll.
Reacting to a monster attack isn't an action of its own, try not rolling for it. Instead, change the character's position, effect and narrative permissions based on what they do.
Some monsters may have different attacks that have different speeds. When applying consequences, consider the speed of the attack to balance out the damage.
>_Alice dove to the ground to avoid the Dragon's fire breath, now she is going to take time to stand up and get back close to the monster._
If you come for a more turn-based experience, you may think that a monster only acts when all players have acted : this is not always true, just as the monster speed doesn't dictate the rate at which it attacks : when the monster is winding up its very slow attack, it may also do fast attack to try and stop the players from escaping.
For example, the dragon can be charging a devastating fire breath while swinging its tail to try and get rid of the pesky roguue that is trying to stab it in the back
#### Don't be evil
A dangerous monster is usually either Dangerous OR Fast. A monster that is dangerous and very fast is likely to burn through your players.
Monster with Reckless attacks are usually really easy to beat, or maybe they leave a lot of time between attacks, or maybe their attacks aren't meant to damage a player.
####... But don't be too generous either
Attacks from a monster should force your characters to run away, dash around, and sometimes, they may not be able to dodge them, it's fine! Maybe the slow attack covers a lot of ground and is only there to buy time for a faster attack.
>_Though the Nergigante's dive may be slow, it is also very hard to dodge. A character has to actually dive onto the ground. For the person using a great sword, this might mean dropping their weapon or having to block it._
## Monster Toughness
### Core-targeting rules
Idea from Valdy
A monster's Core may have the **protected** detail. This means that, until you managed to clear some condition (that you may or may not make clear to the players), you may not target the monster's Core with your attacks, and must target its limbs. Maybe that means the monster has some armour.
## Horde rules
### Hordes
When dealing with humanoid or smaller entities that do not present a big threat on their own, multiples groups of those monsters may result in a horde. A horde's size depends on the scale of the campaign : it may just be a handful of monsters, or a hundred of them.
Hordes are the exception to the Limbs and Core rule : a Horde is always made out of limbs and can only be defeated when all of the horde's clocks have been filled. Consider changing the dangerosity level and the speed of the Horde based on the remaining clocks.
### CLusters
Idea from Krister Svanlund
Instead of making multiple clocks, which can get pretty annoying if you're dealing with an actual horde of hundreds of zombies, you may instead create only one Core, but it requires extraordinary effort to get through. But if you manage to hit the Core, you also manage to reduce the size of the Horde.
Reducing the size of the horde may mean that there are some Limbs that separate themselves from the Core, or it may mean that the Horde's detail reflects to show it growing weaker.
### Example Details :
- A limb may grant a monster the **flying**, **climbing** or **swimming** ability.
- But a limb may also grant a monster a **sky domination** or **water domination** ability, which increases the danger rating and/or speed of the monster when the conditions are met.
- When a monster has the **enrage** detail, that means that when it loses a certain number of limbs, the monster grows enraged. That means it gains a dangerosity level or a speed level.
- When a monster has the **regeneration** detail, that means it can regenerate its limbs at some rate : every time the players act, clear one segment of a destroyed limb's clock. When the clock is empty, the limb regrows or is usable again. If the **regeneration** detail is applied to a limb, this means only this specific limb will regenerate.
>_Be careful of the Great Salamander, for its tail catches on fire easily, and it also has the ability to **regenerate** even if you cut it off._
- When a monster has _both_ the **enrage** and **regeneration** detail, its limbs grow back as soon as it gets enraged. This is especially useful for fights with multiple phases.
>_When the Nergigante gets enraged, its spikes grow back, with a white color. Quite a few hunters have fallen prey to its spikes._
- When the monster has the **noxious** detail, that means that this monster can poison or infect a character. When poisoned or infected, a character may not recover segments from its condition clock. In fact, they take some amount of damage every scene or session as long as they haven't been treated. When a character's condition clock is filled and they are still poisoned or infected, they are considered taken out for the scene. In a zombie setting, this may spell death.
>_When Alice was bitten by the zombie, she knew her days were counted. Her body started to deteriorate in front of her own eyes._
- When a monster is **immortal**, this means that whatever happens, the monster will simply not die. Maybe they will resurrect, maybe the best thing you can do is make the monster run away, but for some reason, there is just no killing it.