I'm thinking of a Monster hunter like campain. Just need to flesh it out more. so far I have island with a few cities on it. Giant monsters showing up seemingly from no where. Adventureres hired to hunt them down to keep people safe. They'd track the monster, try to find out what it's weak too or immune to. Even set up a location to attack it and set up traps.
but not sure what end goal would be? finding where the monsters come from perhaps?
I think the OP means the actual Monster Hunter video game franchise (with relatively recent movie that sorta came and went). I mean, in the Forgotten Realms you could sort of get up to a game like that in Chult. Tomb of Anhiliation has lots of D&D but Monster Hunter adjacent side missions before the PCs embark to the titular tomb. There's dinosaurs and even some lost Frost Giants. None of them are necessarily overtly hostile, but the other Faerun interests that are there are basically colonists and likely displacing a lot of the fauna and thereby irritating the megafauna.
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Jander Sunstar is the thinking person's Drizzt, fight me.
I wouldn't make your plot revolve entirely around the monsters. The monsters are part of your world, and the plot is what happens in that world. Your worldbuilding and your plot can certainly intersect at points, but it could just as easily be driven by humanoids as it could be by monsters.
Also, if you're looking for monster hunter-like creatures to populate your world, I've got a similar world, and am currently writing the first of a series of posts in this forum where I go over my process of building the monsters, and provide a stat block.
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"Ignorance is bliss, and you look absolutely miserable."
I wouldn't make your plot revolve entirely around the monsters. The monsters are part of your world, and the plot is what happens in that world. Your worldbuilding and your plot can certainly intersect at points, but it could just as easily be driven by humanoids as it could be by monsters.
Also, if you're looking for monster hunter-like creatures to populate your world, I've got a similar world, and am currently writing the first of a series of posts in this forum where I go over my process of building the monsters, and provide a stat block.
Yeah that's what I'm thinking for a one shot could just do the monsters but for a long game would need something deeper. Was thinking mabye like a lich in a long hidden city making the monsters as experiments or such. Or a fallen god tring to make an army to lead? Some reason for these monsters showing up. and cool I'll try and catch that thread.
If your players are not familiar with them, you could just hijack the plot of any of the monster hunter games, or at least borrow liberally from them. They do a pretty good job of tying the monsters into the world and giving you good reason to go get the monsters on their home turf as opposed to always just defending a village or what have you. There's a lot of lore built up over so many games.
Firstly, variety is what makes a long running campaign fun. It sounds like you're on a good start with the creation of urban centres and wilderness. To keep the game feeling fresh session by session you don't want the players to be repeatedly doing the same thing (e.g. hunt a monster, study it, trap/kill it). I recommend that you alternate adventures between different types of adventure, each of which ties into a larger overall plot. So you might use monster hunting for a single adventure, but it will get tiring if the game is repeatedly the same.
Secondly, be careful about telling your players what their mission is. Players should take on adventures as a combination of (a) their characters would want to, and (b) they understand that they are playing an adventure game. What is motivating them to go monster hunting? Are your players happy with being told that their characters must all be monster hunters at heart?
Consider a storyline that works something like so:
Level 1-3 arc: the players are hired to find an experienced monster hunter who has disappeared, and also to help out places where his absence is felt. Level 4-5 arc: having found him, he has been corrupted and is responsible for the more recent attacks. He is in a town, and the players get some urban adventure. Level 6-7 arc: the BBEG monster hunter flees into the Underdark, sending the PCs down to chase him. During this they become embroiled with Drow, and make a pact with a dragon
Firstly, variety is what makes a long running campaign fun. It sounds like you're on a good start with the creation of urban centres and wilderness. To keep the game feeling fresh session by session you don't want the players to be repeatedly doing the same thing (e.g. hunt a monster, study it, trap/kill it). I recommend that you alternate adventures between different types of adventure, each of which ties into a larger overall plot. So you might use monster hunting for a single adventure, but it will get tiring if the game is repeatedly the same.
Secondly, be careful about telling your players what their mission is. Players should take on adventures as a combination of (a) their characters would want to, and (b) they understand that they are playing an adventure game. What is motivating them to go monster hunting? Are your players happy with being told that their characters must all be monster hunters at heart?
Consider a storyline that works something like so:
Level 1-3 arc: the players are hired to find an experienced monster hunter who has disappeared, and also to help out places where his absence is felt. Level 4-5 arc: having found him, he has been corrupted and is responsible for the more recent attacks. He is in a town, and the players get some urban adventure. Level 6-7 arc: the BBEG monster hunter flees into the Underdark, sending the PCs down to chase him. During this they become embroiled with Drow, and make a pact with a dragon
Yeah that's kinda what I'm thinking. I'd like the main combat to be the monster hunting but the rp story to go deeper. Like they hunt a monster or two while looking for clues of the expereinced hunter. Then finding him in town a chase perhaps ending with a battle with smaller monsters so a group fight instead of a single big one.
as for the players. The group I'm currently dming for we all met playing Monster hunter. ;p and already suggested idea for another game down the road. All seemed to like it so wouldn't be to hard to get them to make chars that are looking to be monster hunters. I'm not trying to copy the game 100% just combat tracking hunting. but Add in a story.
perhaps this hunter is calling forth these monsters so he can deafeat them and keep his fame up. that could be good. A hero turned villian just for the sake of being remembered.
Firstly, variety is what makes a long running campaign fun. It sounds like you're on a good start with the creation of urban centres and wilderness. To keep the game feeling fresh session by session you don't want the players to be repeatedly doing the same thing (e.g. hunt a monster, study it, trap/kill it). I recommend that you alternate adventures between different types of adventure, each of which ties into a larger overall plot. So you might use monster hunting for a single adventure, but it will get tiring if the game is repeatedly the same.
Secondly, be careful about telling your players what their mission is. Players should take on adventures as a combination of (a) their characters would want to, and (b) they understand that they are playing an adventure game. What is motivating them to go monster hunting? Are your players happy with being told that their characters must all be monster hunters at heart?
Consider a storyline that works something like so:
Level 1-3 arc: the players are hired to find an experienced monster hunter who has disappeared, and also to help out places where his absence is felt. Level 4-5 arc: having found him, he has been corrupted and is responsible for the more recent attacks. He is in a town, and the players get some urban adventure. Level 6-7 arc: the BBEG monster hunter flees into the Underdark, sending the PCs down to chase him. During this they become embroiled with Drow, and make a pact with a dragon
Yeah that's kinda what I'm thinking. I'd like the main combat to be the monster hunting but the rp story to go deeper. Like they hunt a monster or two while looking for clues of the expereinced hunter. Then finding him in town a chase perhaps ending with a battle with smaller monsters so a group fight instead of a single big one.
as for the players. The group I'm currently dming for we all met playing Monster hunter. ;p and already suggested idea for another game down the road. All seemed to like it so wouldn't be to hard to get them to make chars that are looking to be monster hunters. I'm not trying to copy the game 100% just combat tracking hunting. but Add in a story.
perhaps this hunter is calling forth these monsters so he can deafeat them and keep his fame up. that could be good. A hero turned villian just for the sake of being remembered.
I like the ideas that he's making the monsters. But instead of just for his personal fame, maybe there are two opposed factions and the presence of monsters that keep turning up keeps them focused on the monsters and not warring with one another. So your monster hunter believes he is doing a little evil for the greater good. Basically, like Ozymandias in Watchmen, turning the factions away from one another with inexplicable threats.
And then of course the threats get out of control and your PCs can persuade the factions that they have to ally and work together.
I'm thinking of a Monster hunter like campain. Just need to flesh it out more. so far I have island with a few cities on it. Giant monsters showing up seemingly from no where. Adventureres hired to hunt them down to keep people safe. They'd track the monster, try to find out what it's weak too or immune to. Even set up a location to attack it and set up traps.
but not sure what end goal would be? finding where the monsters come from perhaps?
So, like The Witcher basically? You could look to that series for some inspiration.
I think the OP means the actual Monster Hunter video game franchise (with relatively recent movie that sorta came and went). I mean, in the Forgotten Realms you could sort of get up to a game like that in Chult. Tomb of Anhiliation has lots of D&D but Monster Hunter adjacent side missions before the PCs embark to the titular tomb. There's dinosaurs and even some lost Frost Giants. None of them are necessarily overtly hostile, but the other Faerun interests that are there are basically colonists and likely displacing a lot of the fauna and thereby irritating the megafauna.
Jander Sunstar is the thinking person's Drizzt, fight me.
I wouldn't make your plot revolve entirely around the monsters. The monsters are part of your world, and the plot is what happens in that world. Your worldbuilding and your plot can certainly intersect at points, but it could just as easily be driven by humanoids as it could be by monsters.
Also, if you're looking for monster hunter-like creatures to populate your world, I've got a similar world, and am currently writing the first of a series of posts in this forum where I go over my process of building the monsters, and provide a stat block.
"Ignorance is bliss, and you look absolutely miserable."
Yeah that's what I'm thinking for a one shot could just do the monsters but for a long game would need something deeper. Was thinking mabye like a lich in a long hidden city making the monsters as experiments or such. Or a fallen god tring to make an army to lead? Some reason for these monsters showing up. and cool I'll try and catch that thread.
If your players are not familiar with them, you could just hijack the plot of any of the monster hunter games, or at least borrow liberally from them. They do a pretty good job of tying the monsters into the world and giving you good reason to go get the monsters on their home turf as opposed to always just defending a village or what have you. There's a lot of lore built up over so many games.
My homebrew subclasses (full list here)
(Artificer) Swordmage | Glasswright | (Barbarian) Path of the Savage Embrace
(Bard) College of Dance | (Fighter) Warlord | Cannoneer
(Monk) Way of the Elements | (Ranger) Blade Dancer
(Rogue) DaggerMaster | Inquisitor | (Sorcerer) Riftwalker | Spellfist
(Warlock) The Swarm
Two things:
Firstly, variety is what makes a long running campaign fun. It sounds like you're on a good start with the creation of urban centres and wilderness. To keep the game feeling fresh session by session you don't want the players to be repeatedly doing the same thing (e.g. hunt a monster, study it, trap/kill it). I recommend that you alternate adventures between different types of adventure, each of which ties into a larger overall plot. So you might use monster hunting for a single adventure, but it will get tiring if the game is repeatedly the same.
Secondly, be careful about telling your players what their mission is. Players should take on adventures as a combination of (a) their characters would want to, and (b) they understand that they are playing an adventure game. What is motivating them to go monster hunting? Are your players happy with being told that their characters must all be monster hunters at heart?
Consider a storyline that works something like so:
Level 1-3 arc: the players are hired to find an experienced monster hunter who has disappeared, and also to help out places where his absence is felt.
Level 4-5 arc: having found him, he has been corrupted and is responsible for the more recent attacks. He is in a town, and the players get some urban adventure.
Level 6-7 arc: the BBEG monster hunter flees into the Underdark, sending the PCs down to chase him. During this they become embroiled with Drow, and make a pact with a dragon
Yeah that's kinda what I'm thinking. I'd like the main combat to be the monster hunting but the rp story to go deeper. Like they hunt a monster or two while looking for clues of the expereinced hunter. Then finding him in town a chase perhaps ending with a battle with smaller monsters so a group fight instead of a single big one.
as for the players. The group I'm currently dming for we all met playing Monster hunter. ;p and already suggested idea for another game down the road. All seemed to like it so wouldn't be to hard to get them to make chars that are looking to be monster hunters. I'm not trying to copy the game 100% just combat tracking hunting. but Add in a story.
perhaps this hunter is calling forth these monsters so he can deafeat them and keep his fame up. that could be good. A hero turned villian just for the sake of being remembered.
I like the ideas that he's making the monsters. But instead of just for his personal fame, maybe there are two opposed factions and the presence of monsters that keep turning up keeps them focused on the monsters and not warring with one another. So your monster hunter believes he is doing a little evil for the greater good. Basically, like Ozymandias in Watchmen, turning the factions away from one another with inexplicable threats.
And then of course the threats get out of control and your PCs can persuade the factions that they have to ally and work together.
Hey I had the same idea as you so what if we made it to gather
I've already been running the game for 2 years now lol. Mostly been using 3rd party book for monsters and a sub plot to link them all together.