Mythic Musings 5: Using the One Page Creature Crafter with your pile of Bestiaries

Let me admit it. I own a LOT of bestiaries. For D&D, Numenera, various WoD games, etc. Most of them I never use much anymore because I play a lot of freeform games (like Mythic RPG), but  I can't see them collecting dust. So, while I was reading through the classic D&D 2nd Monstrous Manuel I had a sudden flash. 

Many months ago now Word Mill Publishing put out a 1 Page Creature Crafter (MM34, pg. 3). I have used it and liked it, but what hit me then is that it could also be a 1 Page Creature Selector. 

In a recent game, I had a Random Event "Add new NPC". I was in an area that had a lot of monsters so I just asked if the new NPC was a monster. I got an Exceptional yes. So I jumped over to the 1 Page Creature Crafter and made a few rolls. I had humanoid. I got that it was more powerful than most, and that it had a radius damage. Considering the location (an underground tangled cave network), I just trimmed off the end, and flipped over to the M section and added a Minotaur. I hadn't thought of using one of those in a game in ages, but it fit right into the circumstance I was in. Fortunately my PC heard it coming and it was in a big hurry to be elsewhere and passed right by me. 

A few scenes later I got a PC negative Random event  roll. Again it was interested to be a monster. Instead of playing 20 questions with the Fate Chart, I just used the One page again. The first word that came up was Composite. I didn't make a single other roll, I just inserted Mongrel Folk, as I was in an area with a lot of mutant like creatures. 

I admit. I haven't been using this method long, but it has given very satisfying results.  If you have a few bestiaries collecting dust it can be a fast way of adding a fully formed creature to the game and revisiting some old tools that maybe just laying around. 

Best of Gaming
W.D.