Jim Zub - 16 July

USING MONSTERS
TO TELL YOUR OWN STORIES

Get ready, Boo!

Boo the hamster squeeed in a manner that made it abundantly clear he was not ready and probably never would be.

Bones behind us and water below, its time to jump!

Minsc bombastically leapt off the top of the tower as the arrows of undead archers zipped past his face and skeletal hands grasped his tattered cloak.

As gravity quick took hold and they started to plummet toward the waves, the legendary ranger wondered if hed make it back to Baldurs Gate in time for breakfast.

Reading about monsters kick-starts your imagination, doesnt it? With each entry, with every illustration, you start to create little stories in your mind. What happened before, what happens right after? These questions create an exciting daydream that cant stay contained.

All those wandering thoughts about action and adventure, theyre the perfect way to begin building your own stories!

Your idea might start with a monster, but it can go anywhere: the creatures lair, the village nearby, cities and dungeons, caverns or skyscapes. You get to choose all the ingredients and stir them together. To help you as you develop your story, here are some questions to keep in mind:

Who are your characters?

• Are your heroes like you or different? Young or old, human or something else? Think about the foes you must face. Great heroes require great challenges. What makes your villains memorable and powerful, and what brings them into conflict with your adventurers?

Where does your story take place?

• At the top of a mountain, in a serene forest, deep underwater, or in a creepy boneyard?

When does the story happen?

• At night or during the day, in the middle of a thunderstorm or right before the bells toll to ring in the new year? Think about time passing as your story unfolds.

How do things change as the story proceeds?

• Do your heroes succeed or fail? Do they find somewhere new or explore someplace old?

What should someone feel as they experience your story?

• Do you want them to laugh or get scared? Cheer or be grossed out?

Why are your heroes going on this adventure?

• Knowing what their goals are will help you create a compelling tale of heroism and exploration.

Remember, you dont have to answer all these questions by yourself! Dungeons & Dragons is a collaborative game where you work with your friends to create your own stories. One person acts as a narrator, called a Dungeon Master, and the other players each take on the role of a hero, called a Player Character, in the adventuring party in a story. The Dungeon Master sets up a scene by describing a place and any threats that may exist, and then each player contributes ideas by explaining their own characters actions. With each scene created by the group, the story moves forward in unexpected and entertaining ways.

If you dont feel confident starting from scratch, you can go to your local gaming store and play a Dungeons & Dragons demonstration session. Demos can be a quick way to learn how the game is played and an opportunity to possibly make some brand-new friends at the same time.

After youve read through all the creatures in this little monster manual, theres even more Dungeons & Dragons material to ignite your imagination, the Warriors & Weapons guide is packed with character ideas and equipment to outfit your courageous adventurer. You know what dangers lurk in the darkness, now figure out who your hero will be and fight them back!

CAVERNS & DARK PLACES

In the earth beneath your feet, things are moving .

Creatures of all shapes and sizes burrow through dirt and stone, muck and clay. Vast tunnels connect to winding caves, and inside those flow rivers that have never seen the sun. In places such as the Underdark, entire kingdoms of intelligent creatures can be found.

Some of these subterranean spaces are cool and wet, with condensation dripping from above. Others are hot and steamy, with a thin wall of rock serving as your only protection from streams of burning magma that bubble up from a molten core.

The underground is a place of darkness and danger, where hidden treasures can be found in a hole and a sputtering torch is your only source of light. Are you ready to go exploring?

BEHOLDER

Beholders are freaky floating creatures with shimmering eyes that cast evil spells. Is that big blob the beholders head or its body? Are those eyestalks coming out of the top its hair or its limbs? There are no easy answers. All you need to know is that a beholder is a scary floating eyeball monster. And if any of those eyes set their gaze on you, youre in big trouble.

Beholders are jealous, angry creatures. They have such a bad attitude that they dont even get along with each other (which is actually a good thing because if you found more than one at the same time youd probably be a goner).

LAIR Most beholders live in remote places such as caves or abandoned ruins. Some of them even build their own lairs by disintegrating rock with their eye blasts in order to create tall tunnels where they can float above their prey and cause trouble. The floor of a beholders cave is usually covered with treasure and equipment from unfortunate adventurers who didnt think to look up when they walked in the entrance.

SIZE Some beholders are small like a basketball, but older ones can be massive, more than ten feet in diameter, like a humongous beachball.

SPECIAL POWERS Beholders have one big eyeball in the center of their round bodies and ten weird eyestalks. Each eyestalk has a magic beam that shoots at adventurers when angry.

CHARM

If you fall under this eyes spell, youll think the beholder is your friend and do what it says.

PARALYZATION

If you get hit with this one, you wont be able to move at all for a full minute. Count to sixty and hope you still have time to run afterward.