Seven Rules for Monsters in TTRPGs - Your Fun is Wrong

First Rule of Monsters

Monster means monster. Monsters are not people, they are monsters. Do not humanize the monsters. This keeps monsters monstrous. Any exceptions blur the distinctions between men and monsters and makes monsters mundane and familiar. Mundanity and familiarity are antithetical to what makes us feel fear which is the unknown and things beyond our control.

Second Rule of Monsters

The monsters don't want to win; they want to eat; they want to breed; they want the thrill of the hunt; they want bloodsport; they want to hear your screams; they want to corrupt your soul; they want to serve the devil; Sometimes ritualistically.

Third Rule of Monsters

If your monsters could be replaced by humans, use humans instead. This ensures that when monsters do appear, they're doing something that men can't or won't do! It keeps monsters weird and strange.

Fourth Rule of Monsters

Use fewer monsters, both in quantity and variety. When you use a group of monsters, keep it homogenous, treat it like a hoard. When you use one monster, it becomes a big set piece monster. This keeps scenes or moments with the monster distinct like a monster movie.

Fifth Rule of Monsters

Knowledge is power; There are no experts on monsters! There are no scholars and no lore books. Even if there were, you could never attain complete knowledge of the monster. Monsters are the unknown things that go bump in the night! For every one thing that folk think they understand about monsters, there is something they don't understand!

Sixth Rule of Monsters

Monsters are a puzzle. They're not something familiar but with a twist. What do they want? How do they get it? When or where are they most dangerous? What is their secret weakness? No die rolls will grant this information. Adventurers must gather rumors, listen to the tales, scout cautiously, observe from afar, set up a trap, and be ready to run.

Seventh Rule of Monsters

Monsters are not balanced for fun. They're faster than you. They're tougher than you. They hit harder than you. You don't understand their powers, and maybe you can't.