Nibbens
2016-05-19, 12:05 PM
We all know for the most part that adventurers are the apex predators of D&D. Most adventures even start off with the same premise to emphasize this:
1) Players get told by someone or something "there a thing over there - go kill/deal with it."
2) Players stalk the thing.
3) Players kill the thing.
4) Players get a reward from someone or something for killing/dealing with the thing.
5) Players move to the next town and start over at step one.
It's a tried and true formula for a reason - it works, as well as instills a sense of dominance and power in the players minds. They become the highest up on the food chain because (as the saying goes) "It if has stats, players will find a way to kill it."
So, I was curious about flipping the table (da-dum-tsss). There are a few monsters that rather than waiting to be stalked by PCs and killed, instead do the stalking - which informs a new gameplay, a new mechanic. Now the players who were used to finding and killing the thing now have to deal with actively being stalked by something possibly bigger and badder.
Now, In PF there are a few which are designed for it, and there is one that fits beautifully - the Wendigo (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/bestiary/monster-listings/outsiders/wendigo). Formidiable in their own rights in a stand up brawl, but even worse when the PCs have never seven seen the darn thing.
Thats what I'm interested in. Can we think of any other monsters who fit the bill - who stalk the PCs instead of the other way around. I mean, I know any monster can do it, but are there any others that you know of who are specifically that are designed for it?
1) Players get told by someone or something "there a thing over there - go kill/deal with it."
2) Players stalk the thing.
3) Players kill the thing.
4) Players get a reward from someone or something for killing/dealing with the thing.
5) Players move to the next town and start over at step one.
It's a tried and true formula for a reason - it works, as well as instills a sense of dominance and power in the players minds. They become the highest up on the food chain because (as the saying goes) "It if has stats, players will find a way to kill it."
So, I was curious about flipping the table (da-dum-tsss). There are a few monsters that rather than waiting to be stalked by PCs and killed, instead do the stalking - which informs a new gameplay, a new mechanic. Now the players who were used to finding and killing the thing now have to deal with actively being stalked by something possibly bigger and badder.
Now, In PF there are a few which are designed for it, and there is one that fits beautifully - the Wendigo (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/bestiary/monster-listings/outsiders/wendigo). Formidiable in their own rights in a stand up brawl, but even worse when the PCs have never seven seen the darn thing.
Thats what I'm interested in. Can we think of any other monsters who fit the bill - who stalk the PCs instead of the other way around. I mean, I know any monster can do it, but are there any others that you know of who are specifically that are designed for it?