How to Build a Better Monster!! Encounters & Adventures!!

We are designing a monster from concept to combat stats and actions, then prepping a DnD 5e adventure for it! Writing your own balanced encounters for your homebrew ttrpg session is fun and actually pretty easy if you are using the resources of @AlphastreamRPG @SlyFlourish , Scott Fitzgerald Gray, and @mcolville

0:00 - Intro
1:26 - Step 1: Monster Concept
10:40 - Step 2: Monster Stat Block
15:26 - Step 3: Combat Actions
18:05 - Step 4: Session Prep Notes
29:10 - After Crow

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[MennoNate]

A Behander? A behander. A BEHANDER!!! What a horrifyingly wonderful idea! Thank you, Kyle, for another great video.

[hanneslubke]

I don't even play RPGs (although I'd like to), but I show up every single time Map Crow posts for the creativity behind the monsters, the incredible narration and mainly these absolutely perfect drawings

[irongolem]

Something about the idea of a cursed undead headless knight filling the empty neck-opening of his armor with severed arms like a bunch of Olive Garden breadsticks is hilarious to me.

[thetristan]

7:40 THAT NARRATION WAS Ilysm for that, the energy was *palpable.*

[gearandalthefirst]

I know supernatural creatures don't exactly need a source for their mysterious noises, but a war horn of the creature's throatless lungs wheezing into and reverberating within the cavity of his armor seems like a pretty chilling description to me.

[SlyFlourish]

Thank you so much for the call outs to Forge of Foes and Return of the Lazy Dungeon Master! I appreciate it!

[Nova-jwju]

I've noticed that a very important bit of worldbuilding is "why do the players have to kill this monster?" A lot of players (especially nowadays) will attempt to be cordial or diplomatic with their enemies. It's important to have monsters that Will Not Stop. A horde of undead who march forth at the will of their dark master. A band of dragon men who fight till the death, because as they say, "To die in glorious battle is to have lived the greatest life!"

[thecocktailadventurer]

Good to see you at Gen Con! I only regret not getting more time to chat!

[rayjustice]

Didn't see it mentioned at a glance, but incredible intro. Absolutely gripping

[timblighton]

As an old head D&D’er, who’s been playing and dming for forty years, I’m genuinely excited for “Monstrous.” I love your videos and podcast, filled with humor and passion—and visual art and storytelling—all of which speaks to the middle schooler who discovered role playing so long ago.

[HatredSonneillon]

Something I think would work for this and explain the blowing of hunting horns is that ethereal phenomena can be like a weather condition in D&D. Some nights you have fog or extreme humidity, some nights you have source-less ghostly wailing. A natural occurrence given that the ethereal plane overlaps the material. If you can cast fog or change the weather, then its reasonable that a creepy malevolent horror could passively bring about ghostly weather changes. So the sound of hunting horns could be a component of ethereal weather brought by the Behander.

[petsdinner]

This is pretty good, I gotta hand it to you

[Ninsects]

I would love to see a unique take on oozes and slimes. They seem like some of the derpiest creatures out there but I bet they can be truly horrific with the right mindset.

[thedeaderer]

ABSOLUTELY keep the longer form videos they're great and ppl will def watch them for sure

[samuelesanfilippo]

i can just image the hands in the head joining together to created crocked skull shapes, like trying to reproduce the head he'll never be able to have again.

[brantbowers]

This book seems like it'll vibe well with the Witcher/Supernatural style monster-of-the-week campaign I've been planning! Can't wait to see the full thing!

[jaflood]

This video is amazing!!!! Thank you so much! Super engaging, synthesizes a lot of resources and techniques I use into a cohesive process. Can’t wait to get my hands on Monstrous! ❤ the longer length is satisfying!

[dobo]

A hunting horn blown by hunting bellows. Like one of those squeezy honk horns you might see on a bicycle or old, old car.
And now your cursed brute's workplace is AD&DA compliant: you're welcome.

[edwardwalter]

The snapping bit made me legit lol. Hilarious and mad evocative. Great vid man.

[DarthReluctant]

Loved the creativity and loved the long format. I'm looking forward to Monstrous.