I’ve been writing monsters for a module I’m working on about death and afterlives, and I’ve been thinking about monster moves that don’t involve punching dudes in the face, giving players another, non-combat way to interact with monsters – especially ones with the intelligence tag. Taking advice from captain indigo in the DW thread on something awful forums about giving monster moves triggers, and set to work.
Trickster Demon
solitary, stealthy, devious, intelligent, hoarder, planar
Illusion Magic (D6 damage)
close, reach, near
8HP, 1Armor
Instinct:To confuse, trap, and trick
Special Quality:Illusions of desire and fear
Trickster Demons don’t focus on overt power or ruling great numbers. They use their powerful illusion magic and sharp wits to gain power by binding others in contracts. The Trickster traps you in it’s illusions of either your greatest desire, or your worst fears, and then binds you in a blood contract. your continued pleasure, or freedom from your nightmares, for a boon, a favor, or your servitude. Trickster Demons love bringing the living under their sway, so they can spread their influence to the living world. Their brand of power and cruelty is mundane in an unending tapestry of cruelty and struggle for power. In the Living world, their tricks, illusions, and blood contracts give them power, and command respect, fear, and obedience.
* When they are near, sense their deepest desires and darkest fears
* When they are vulnerable trap them in an illusion from their own mind
* When they are trapped in your illusions, offer them a bargain signed in their blood
* When they can help you reach the Living, demand it as payment
* When you are in control, preen and showboat your illusionary power
* When they have your True Name, be bound to the letter of their word.
The Ancient Hermit
Solitary, stealthy, cautious, devious, magical, intelligent, hoarder
Curses and Hexes (w[2D10] damage)
near, far
16HP, 0 Armor
Instinct: demand grisly payment to enter it’s cave.
Special Quality: Can’t stay dead
The Ancient Hermit lives in a cave hidden in a valley that has never felt the light of the sun, the moon, or the stars. It is an immortal being of twisted cruelty and malice. It hates the living and the dead, since it can never join either, and wishes only to cause as much suffering as it can. It is a small, incredibly dirty, horrifically smelly humanoid shrouded in shadow, but it’s head is covered in countless rumey, cataract-blinded eyes. The Hermit collects small things of perfect beauty, and will trade old secrets about the lands of the dead for them. It will only allow the living or dead to pass through it’s cave into the Underworld if it is given a gift of an eye that has seen true beauty. It will only let them out if the gift is one of their own eyes.
Demand a beautiful trinket for a secret of the great Beyond
Demand an eye that has beheld True Beauty for passage through your cave to the Underworld.
Demand one of their own eyes for passage back to the Living
When they give you an eye, see everything the eye has seen
When a player attacks, vanish into the shadows of your cave
When players invade your cave without paying the price, hex them from the shadows
When the light of the sun shines on you, go blind at it’s touch
When they have you cornered or trapped, beg for mercy
When they show you mercy, betray them later
When they kill you, rise later to exact terrible revenge
These will be a lot of fun. Nice work!!