Creating and Running a Monster of the Week Campaign
Do you struggle with balancing combat and investigation in your RPGs? Monster of the Week offers a unique approach that can help. Tune in to learn how to keep your players engaged and entertained. This blog and podcast are the second part in a 3 part mini-series. You can find part one here.
Listen to the full Podcast of Dice and Dialogue as we talk Monster of the Week or on Youtube.
What is Monster of the Week?
In a sea of tabletop RPGs, Monster of the Week stands tall as a beast of its own. This game takes a refreshing approach, shedding complex rule systems in favor of fast-paced, narrative-driven action. Set in a contemporary world overrun by creatures that go bump in the night, Monster of the Week casts players as hunters—ordinary folks who have taken it upon themselves to battle the forces of darkness.
As a hunter, you'll investigate eerie occurrences, gather clues, and engage in heart-pounding battles with terrifying monsters. Inspired by beloved TV shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The X-Files, and Supernatural, Monster of the Week lets you channel your inner hero and create thrilling, monster-of-the-week adventures that rival your favorite on-screen hunters.
Creating and Running a Monster of the Week Campaign
In the world of tabletop role-playing games, Monster of the Week offers a thrilling and action-packed experience where players face off against terrifying monsters. To create an unforgettable campaign, game masters need to embark on a creative journey from campaign creation to handling unexpected twists and turns. In this blog, we will explore the key aspects of crafting a captivating Monster of the Week campaign, including campaign creation, NPC and villain development, monster design, balancing combat and investigation, player engagement, and embracing unexpected surprises.
Campaign Creation Process
Brainstorming Mysteries: Unleash your creativity by brainstorming compelling mysteries that will hook your players from the start. Consider elements like ancient curses, sinister cults, or mysterious artifacts to weave a captivating narrative.
Developing Story Arcs: Transform your mysteries into full-fledged campaigns by creating interconnected story arcs. Plan major events, twists, and revelations to keep the players engaged and eager to uncover the truth.
Engaging NPCs: Populate your campaign with vibrant and memorable non-player characters (NPCs). Craft unique personalities, backstories, and goals for each NPC, ensuring they feel integral to the story and providing opportunities for meaningful interactions.
Challenging Monsters: Devise formidable adversaries that will test your players' mettle. Create monsters with unique abilities, weaknesses, and motives that align with the game's tone and setting. Consider utilizing urban legends, mythical creatures, or your own twisted creations to keep players on their toes.
NPCs and Villains
Memorable NPCs: Bring your NPCs to life by giving them distinct traits, quirks, and motivations. Use descriptive language to paint vivid pictures of their appearance and demeanor, helping both the game master and players visualize them.
Roleplaying Tips: Master the art of roleplaying NPCs by adopting their voices, mannerisms, and perspectives. This immersive approach will make the interactions with NPCs more engaging, allowing players to connect with the world and story on a deeper level.
Meaningful Interactions: Encourage memorable interactions between NPCs and player characters by providing opportunities for alliances, rivalries, and unexpected connections. These interactions can unveil hidden secrets, offer quests, or create dramatic moments that impact the story.
Monster Design
Distinct Monsters: Craft monsters that capture the essence of the Monster of the Week genre. Consider the theme, setting, and mood of your campaign to design creatures that evoke fear and excitement. Originality is key!
Unique Abilities and Weaknesses: Infuse your monsters with intriguing abilities and exploitable weaknesses. This will challenge players to think strategically and devise creative solutions to overcome these formidable adversaries.
Motives and Depth: Give your monsters motives beyond simple destruction. Provide them with intriguing backstories, hidden agendas, or personal vendettas. This adds depth to encounters and makes the monsters more than mere obstacles.
Balancing Combat and Investigation
Action Sequences: Create adrenaline-pumping combat encounters that keep players on the edge of their seats. Describe the scenes vividly, add dynamic elements, and use the game's mechanics to build tension and excitement.
Clue Gathering: Balance combat encounters with investigation segments where players can gather clues, interview witnesses, and explore the mysteries at hand. Provide ample opportunities for players to think critically and engage in problem-solving.
Pacing and Variety: Maintain a balanced rhythm between combat and investigation to prevent monotony. Vary the intensity of encounters and investigations, keeping the players invested in both aspects of the game.
Player Engagement and Agency
Unexpected Choices: Embrace and encourage unexpected player choices, as they can lead toexciting and unpredictable outcomes. Be prepared to adapt your story and adjust the campaign based on the choices your players make, allowing their decisions to shape the narrative.
Player Agency: Foster a sense of player agency by offering meaningful choices and consequences. Allow players to influence the direction of the story, make impactful decisions, and contribute to the world-building process. This empowers them and invests them even further in the campaign.
Collaborative Storytelling: Embrace collaborative storytelling by encouraging players to contribute to the narrative. Listen to their ideas, incorporate their suggestions, and reward their creativity. This shared storytelling experience creates a dynamic and immersive campaign.
Unexpected Twists and Turns
Embracing Surprises: Be open to unexpected twists and turns that arise during gameplay. Whether it's a critical dice roll, a player's sudden decision, or a surprising turn of events, embrace these moments and use them to add depth and excitement to the story.
Adapting to Changes: Adapt your plans and adjust the campaign accordingly when unexpected situations arise. Stay flexible and allow the story to evolve organically based on player choices and the unpredictable nature of the game.
Maintaining Excitement: Keep the story dynamic and exciting by introducing unexpected plot twists, hidden revelations, and sudden changes in circumstances. Surprise your players, challenge their expectations, and create memorable moments that will be talked about long after the campaign ends.
Final Thoughts!
Crafting an exceptional Monster of the Week campaign requires a combination of creativity, careful planning, and adaptability. By following the steps outlined in this blog, you can create engaging storylines, memorable NPCs and villains, unique monsters, and a perfect balance of combat and investigation. Remember to embrace unexpected surprises and encourage player agency to create a truly immersive and thrilling gaming experience. So gather your players, sharpen your imagination, and embark on an epic journey into the world of Monster of the Week! Happy hunting!
Monster of the Week isn't just a tabletop roleplaying game; it's a one-way ticket to supernatural adventures, heart-pounding hunts, and mysteries waiting to be unraveled. With its immersive mechanics, unique playbooks, and tips for successful campaigns, this game has everything you need to become the ultimate hunter. So gather your friends, unleash your imagination, and prepare for a wild ride that'll have you slaying monsters and making memories. Get ready to dive into the thrilling world of Monster of the Week—the hunt is on! Grab your copy here.
Capes and Crooks - A 5e Superhero RPG
Capes and Crooks utilizes the core rules for the 5th Edition of the world’s greatest roleplaying game and adds its own unique twist. You will take on the role of a superhero (or a villain if you prefer) and completely customize your character with unique origins, roles, powers, and alter-egos. With a group of friends and a bit of imagination, you will strike out on dangerous missions and terrifying challenges, from stopping bank robbers and handling deadly hostage negotiations to slaying monstrosities created from a mad scientist’s experimentations. You will also have to deal with the realities of a law and order society that doesn’t exactly look kindly on those with powers. This book contains a world setting, character creation rules, equipment, powers, enhancements, magic items/tech, monsters, villains & NPC’s, and a full adventure.
Capes and Crooks takes place in the ultra-modern world of Terra, a place of science, technology, evolution and even ancient lost magic. 25 years ago people around the world found themselves mysteriously imbued with fantastical gifts. Now called deviants, these people take on many roles as they struggle to find their place in this new world. Some wish to use their gifts to help others, some to gain wealth and power, and some to do evil to satisfy their darkness. In a world where what is right, and what is the law often conflicts, how will you choose to use your powers and conceal your identity from those who wish to stop you?
There will always be good and evil; light and dark. There will always be Capes and Crooks!
Get your copy here and make your next 5e tabletop adventure…super!
Click to learn more.
Unearthed Tips and Tricks
Encounter: Hidden in Plain Sight
The characters are approached by a wealthy collector of exotic creatures who is offering a significant reward for the capture of a rumored mutated tyrannosaurus rex. Its mutation has given its rough scaly skin a variety of bright colors. The collector hopes to show off his wealth and taste for exotic creatures. The twist is that this creature has developed a chameleon-like camouflage ability, and the locals are unaware of this fact. The hunt begins!
Act 1: The Hunt Begins
The characters arrive at the last known location of the tyrannosaurus rex and start asking around for any information about the creature. They discover some rumors about a "ghost dinosaur" that seems to disappear into thin air. They also find a set of tracks that seem to lead into the nearby forest. Following these tracks, the characters come across some strange footprints that suggest the creature has mutated in some way.
Act 2: The Clues Unravel
As the characters continue to hunt for the creature, they start to discover clues that foreshadow its chameleon-like abilities. They hear stories from locals about strange sightings of a "disappearing dinosaur" and discover some partially-eaten carcasses of animals that seem to have been attacked without any sort of chase. They also come across some partially dissolved bones, suggesting that the creature might have some acidic properties.
Act 3: The Showdown
The characters finally locate the tyrannosaurus rex in a clearing, where it is hiding in plain sight by blending into its surroundings. The characters must use their wits to figure out how to capture the creature without getting caught in its jaws. The twist comes when they realize that the wealthy collector who hired them actually intends to use the creature for nefarious purposes, and they must decide whether to complete the job or turn against their employer.
Final Act: Meal or Wheels?
Depending on the choices the characters make, they could either deliver the captured creature to their employer and collect the reward, or they could release it back into the wild. Regardless of the outcome, the characters have survived a dangerous encounter with a mutated tyrannosaurus rex and can walk away with a new story to tell.
Magic Item: Chameleon Coil
The Chameleon Coil is a 50-foot-long magical hempen rope, woven with threads of green and brown that blend seamlessly into natural surroundings. When used to tie up a monster, it magically shrinks or grows in size to fit the creature's dimensions perfectly. Additionally, the rope exudes a calming aura that can help pacify beasts.
Rarity: Rare
Attunement: Required by a character proficient in Animal Handling
Monster Binding: When used to tie up a beast, the Chameleon Coil magically adjusts its length and thickness to fit the creature perfectly. This allows the user to restrain even the most massive or unusual beasts.
Beast Soothing: The Chameleon Coil exudes a soft, calming aura that can help calm beasts that are in the midst of a frenzy or rage. When the user ties up a beast with the Chameleon Coil, the creature must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw (DC 17) or become calm and docile for 4 hours. This effect can be used once per day.
Chameleon Camouflage: When the user ties the Chameleon Coil to an object in a natural setting, the rope and the object become perfectly camouflaged with the surroundings, providing full concealment from creatures that rely on sight to locate prey. A creature must succeed on a DC7 Wisdom (Perception) check to spot the rope when camouflaged. This effect lasts for up to 24 hours, after which the rope returns to its normal coloration. This ability can be used once per day.
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