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View Full Version : Filipino Folklore in Pathfinder: Can A GM Add New Monsters



Cap'n Gravelock
2018-04-08, 05:20 AM
Now that I've recently started GM'ing, I've also gotten a group of locals to play Pathfinder with me. Many in the group were impressed that the Pathfinder Bestiaries included monsters from Filipino folklore like tikbalangs, tiyanaks and aswangs. However, I've been wondering if I could add more monsters from Pinoy folklore that aren't included in the bestiaries.

Are there any supplemental materials that can allow me to do this?

Very sorry for asking so much as I'm new to this whole GM'ing business...

DeTess
2018-04-08, 05:24 AM
I'm not familiar with filipino folklore, but have you tried googling dnd 3.5 [creature name] stats? If it doesn't exist officially, someone might have home-brewed it. If you aren't sure if the homebrew is balanced, drop links in the thread here and people can give their opinion.

MeimuHakurei
2018-04-08, 05:27 AM
Are there any monsters those mythological creatures are similar to? It's probably enough to take one of those as a chassis, add special abilities fitting the lore and also adjust ability scores if needed. There's several templates in Pathfinder that, to an extent, allow you to shift the stats and CR appropriately (more than one or two templates makes it harder to fit the right CR)

Cap'n Gravelock
2018-04-08, 06:40 AM
This thing:

KARKARISON
In Ilocos, the karkarison is a night apparition comprised of a cart or kalesa being pulled by a headless horse or carabao. Sometimes the cart also has headless passengers and a headless coach. It is believed the karkarison brings death to the persons it passes by out in the open, pulling their souls along for a ride.

And before you ask, I'm from the aforementioned region of Ilocos in the Philippines. When I was a kid my aunt would scare me with stories about this thing. She said it'd come get me if I didn't sleep at noon.

Knaight
2018-04-08, 07:08 AM
The Pathfinder Bestiary includes rules for monster creation, and once you get the hang of it you can make a monster in about twenty minutes or so. Doing so is encouraged, and filling out folklore which is only lightly covered is an excellent reason to do so.

Florian
2018-04-08, 11:10 AM
"D&D" is no closed circle and you can add anything you want to it, at least as you try to take a critical look at the usual entry point "bog-standard Euro-medieval fantasy" and straight replace that with "culture-based fantasy". Nothing stop you from using the one-note-flute to being the superior bard or skald instrument,

Honest Tiefling
2018-04-08, 11:48 AM
Not really the right part of the world, but I am reminded of the video game Home Sweet Home, which I felt didn't just play with Thai mythology, but made it freaking terrifying. Because let's all be honest here...Most mythological creatures as represented in their myths are stupid, not scary. Oh no, it's an undead corpse come back to life! Throw some seeds or rice at it, one of the two will work! If you don't happen to know the nuances of the legends, they can sound really silly. I mean, I assume sticky rice has some sort of mystical importance? Maybe? So my advice is be as true as you possibly can be, but...Well, if you need to make adjustments to make your players crap their pants go right ahead.

Also, your players should be happy you are taking the time to flesh out monsters from other mythologies to give them new and unique experiences. This sounds ***ing awesome! What, are they going to complain you aren't sticking with the stock vampires, dragons and nymphs that are at best only tangentially related to European mythology? Unless you promised a standard DnD game, you should have the monster eat characters of players who complain to scare the others.

Nifft
2018-04-08, 02:46 PM
Yeah, like everyone else has been saying, D&D (and Pathfinder by inheritance) is very much a toolkit for you to create your own world, including monsters.

Every monster in every published book is just an example -- for you to use as a benchmark, or as a time-saver if you can use it as-is.

Cap'n Gravelock
2018-04-08, 06:47 PM
Not really the right part of the world, but I am reminded of the video game Home Sweet Home, which I felt didn't just play with Thai mythology, but made it freaking terrifying. Because let's all be honest here...Most mythological creatures as represented in their myths are stupid, not scary. Oh no, it's an undead corpse come back to life! Throw some seeds or rice at it, one of the two will work! If you don't happen to know the nuances of the legends, they can sound really silly. I mean, I assume sticky rice has some sort of mystical importance? Maybe? So my advice is be as true as you possibly can be, but...Well, if you need to make adjustments to make your players crap their pants go right ahead.

Also, your players should be happy you are taking the time to flesh out monsters from other mythologies to give them new and unique experiences. This sounds ***ing awesome! What, are they going to complain you aren't sticking with the stock vampires, dragons and nymphs that are at best only tangentially related to European mythology? Unless you promised a standard DnD game, you should have the monster eat characters of players who complain to scare the others.

Thank you.
Well, my players and I are actually Filipino. We were both surprised and pleased that the folks at Paizo took the time to stat our monsters. Although, as I've said, it isn't complete but it's good to know that I can add in what we isn't included.

Off topic a moment though: Is the goatman from the urban legends/creepypastas a satyr?

GungHo
2018-04-09, 10:15 AM
PF Bestiary has rules for building out new monsters, but a lot of them can be built off of current/similar monsters with some edits. If you have some really good thoughts/experiences, send your stuff into Paizo. You'll see most of the "AP" region monsters in Bestiary 4 and Dragon Empires.

Segev
2018-04-09, 10:22 AM
The important thing in statting out monsters from myth and fairy tale is to ask yourself what kind of encounter they're supposed to be. The default assumption in D&D and PF is that there's going to be a fight of some sort. Whether it's a fight against a stealthy ambush predator or against a burly in-your-face monster, the party is going to draw weapons and try to hit the thing while it's dealing damage to them in some fashion.

The monster described here (which I won't even try to spell without going back and looking at it, because it isn't a word I'm familiar enough with to have it stick in my head) is cool and creepy, but sounds more like an environmental threat than a real monster to fight. Consider what you want the encounter to look like. If the party attacks it, what will happen? Will it fight back? If so, how? Is it physical, or is it a phantasm or incorporeal monster?

As described, it sounds like an environmental hazard to hide from. "If you see it, make a Will save or take a negative level as it drains your soul."

LordCdrMilitant
2018-04-09, 01:21 PM
I made most of my enemies myself. So yes, you can add new monsters, and they can do whatever you want. Just try to keep in mind how this interacts with the party and the party's abilities when balancing encounters.

gkathellar
2018-04-09, 01:22 PM
Yes, of course you can. As GM, you are the first and final arbiter of material to be allowed in your game.

As for actually creating the monsters, your easiest choice is to take the stats for an existing monster that's close to what you want, and make any changes you feel are necessary - that way, you can be reasonably confident that balance will be in the right ballpark. The homebrew board is often a good place to test the waters for your creations.

One thing that isn't said often enough: as a designer, try to focus on how the rules feel in action, and how players are likely to perceive and react to mechanics in play. In a game of imagination, perception is always the goal.

Cap'n Gravelock
2018-04-09, 09:55 PM
Yes, of course you can. As GM, you are the first and final arbiter of material to be allowed in your game.

As for actually creating the monsters, your easiest choice is to take the stats for an existing monster that's close to what you want, and make any changes you feel are necessary - that way, you can be reasonably confident that balance will be in the right ballpark. The homebrew board is often a good place to test the waters for your creations.

One thing that isn't said often enough: as a designer, try to focus on how the rules feel in action, and how players are likely to perceive and react to mechanics in play. In a game of imagination, perception is always the goal.

Thanks for the info.