Monsters & followers
Building a monster
1. Concept
Picture it. What is it? What does it do? How does it live, eat, fight? If you're unsure, use a theme table from the setting guide. Or, pick a classic fantasy monster and reimagine it for Stonetop.
2. Name
If the monster… has a proper name, call it that. … is a known, mundane thing, then give it a short descriptive name in plain English. … is a thing of rumor and legend, give a name from another language. … is unknown and unnamed, give it a spooky, descriptive title in plain English.
Stonetop names sound Welsh. Marshedge names sound Irish. Hillfolk names sound Breton (but clipped, missing vowels). Manmarch names sound German. Barrier Pass names sound Nepali or Tibetan. Lygos names sound Greek, Hebrew, Persian, or Arabic.
3. Tags
How does it usually hunt or fight? (pick 1)
In large groups (6 or more) horde In small groups (2-5 per group) group By itself solitary How big is it? (pick 1)
Cat-sized or smaller tiny Like a human child small Adult human-sized – Like a horse, cart, etc. large Like an elephant, or bigger huge What is its nature? (add all that apply)
Lacks physical form spirit Between physical and spiritual fae Made by someone construct Changed by the Things Below corrupted From the first age of creation primordial Dead, but in denial undead What is it notable for? (add all that apply)
Amassing trinkets and treasure hoarder Avoiding fights, fleeing early cautious Intelligence cunning or devious Disturbing/terrible presence terrifying Sneaking, surprising, ambushing stealthy Using spells or magic magical Working well in groups organized Something else invent a tag 4. Hit points
How does it hunt or fight? (pick 1)
In large groups (horde) 3 HP In small groups (group) 6 HP By itself (solitary) 12 HP How big is it? (pick 1)
Cat-sized or smaller (tiny) -2 HP Human-sized (adult or child) +0 HP Like a horse, cart, etc. (large) +4 HP Like an elephant, or bigger (huge) +8 HP It… (choose all that apply)
… is particularly tough or durable +4 HP … is smiled upon by the fates +2 HP … is animated by more than biology +4 HP … lacks vital organs +3 HP 5. Armor
What protects it? (pick 1)
Naught but cloth and flesh 0 armor Leathers or thick hide 1 armor Mail, scales, or similar 2 armor Steel, bony plates, carapace 3 armor Potent wards/supernatural resilience 4 armor It… (choose all that apply)
… is cat-sized or smaller (tiny) +1 armor … bears a shield, or similar +1 armor … is skilled in defense +1 armor … lacks vital organs +1 armor 6. Damage
How does it hunt or fight? (pick 1)
In large groups (6 or more, horde) d6 In small groups (2-5, group) d8 By itself (solitary) d10 What's the nature of its attack? (pick all that apply)
Useful up close and personal hand Works well at sword's reach close Can keep foes at bay reach Useful at range near or far Can hurt many foes at once area Small and weak -1 die size Vicious and obvious +2 damage Relentless or overwhelming advantage Latches on, pins, grapples grabby Can slice through thick hide 1 piercing, messy Can tear metal apart 3 piercing, messy Bypasses armor entirely ignores armor Prone to breakage crude How big is it? (pick 1)
Cat-sized or smaller (tiny) -2 damage, reduce range Like a human child (small) reduce range Adult human-sized – Like a horse, cart, etc. (large) +1 damage, add a range Like an elephant, or bigger (huge) +3 damage, add a range What else applies? (pick all that do)
It's impressively strong +2 damage, forceful It strikes deftly and precisely +1 piercing Physical injury is not the worst danger it poses -1 die size It is ancient and noteworthy +1 die size It abhors violence disadvantage 7. Special qualities
Write one for each of the following it possesses:
- An exceptional/limited sense
- A useful adaptation/defense
- A strange form or composition
- A weakness or vulnerability
- An effect on its environment
- An important trait, not otherwise obvious
8. Instinct
What does it do or want that causes problems? This is its instinct. Write it as, "to ___" (e.g., "to consume the flesh of innocents").
9. Moves
Write moves that fill in the blank: "The monster can/will ___."
If the monster… is deceptive/sneaky, write a move based on wits or dirty tricks. … uses magic or spells: those powers. … works well in groups: its allies or tactics. … is a spirit: how it takes physical form. … poses more than physical danger: the true danger. … defends itself: how it does so. … has a special attack: what that attack does.
If the monster has less than 3 moves, or you feel like something's missing, write moves based on whatever is notable about its behavior.
10. Description
How big? What's it look like? How does it move? Compare it to familiar things. Include at least one impression from a sense other than sight.
11. Optional
Write any of these that will help you portray the monster or use it in play.
Tactics: if/then or when/then statements, like… "If the PCs make noise/draw attention: watch from afar, alert others, wait until night." "If the PCs talk in their presence: learn their voices, to mimic them later." "When night falls: lure someone away with a mimicked voice, kill them, take their stuff."
Something interesting/something useful: pre-plan things to reveal if PCs Know Things.
Custom player moves: particularly good for resolving nasty attacks (mind control, poison, etc.).
Monsters & followers
When you convert a monster into a follower: add any tags you deem appropriate; choose (or make up) a cost, and add a spot to record their Loyalty (max 3); otherwise use it as-is.
When you convert a follower into a monster, use their stats as-is. If you haven't already done so, write some GM moves for them.
Building a follower
1. Basics
Write them up as an NPC: give them a name, develop their concept, think about how you'll describe them. What distinguishes them from other NPCs? Why do they follow the PCs?
2. Tags
Give them 2-4 tags, sometimes more. Tags are adjectives or a nouns that finish the sentence, "This follower is/is a ___." Avoid overly broad tags like experienced, invincible, skilled, etc.
When a follower makes a move at a PC's behest, the player rolls but instead of a +STAT, they… add +1 if the follower has at least one relevant tag or move (or +2 if they're also exceptional); add +0 if follower has no relevant tags; have disadvantage if any of the follower's tags would get in the way.
Tags also inform how the follower behaves, and what they will or won't do without convincing.
Useful
- ___-wise
- agile
- archer
- athletic
- beautiful
- brave
- cunning
- fast
- fierce
- hardy
- healer
- intimidating
- magical
- observant
- organized
- patient
- respected
- self-sufficient
- sharp-eyed
- stealthy
- tireless
- tracker
- warrior
Problematic
- bigoted
- drunkard
- greedy
- gullible
- lecherous
- naive
- proud
- rookie
- reckless
- short-fused
- stubborn
- frail
Mixed blessing
- animal-lover
- annoying
- big
- bully
- callous
- cautious
- devious
- eager
- thieving
- gossipy
- honest
- kind
- little
- shameless
- terrifying
- exceptional:
- Reserve this tag for truly outstanding followers. If they have at least one other relevant tag, they get +2 on rolls instead of +1.
- group:
- Multiple followers who share tags, moves, instinct, cost, and other stats. They share a pool of Loyalty, but each member has their own HP and can act individually.
3. Hit points
How resilient are they? (pick all that apply)
Weak/frail/soft 3 HP Able-bodied 6 HP Tough/strong/hard 9 HP They're tiny -2 HP They're large +4 HP The fates smile on them +2 HP 4. Armor
What protects them? (pick all that apply)
Naught but cloth and flesh 0 armor Leathers or thick hide 1 armor Mail, scales, or similar 2 armor Steel, boney plates, carapace 3 armor Layers of magical wards 4 armor A shield, or similar +1 armor Skill in defense or keen reflexes +1 armor Their tiny size +1 armor Their lack of vital organs +1 armor 5. Damage
How dangerous are they? (pick 1)
Not very d4 damage Can defend themselves d6 damage Veteran fighter/predator d8 damage Range and other tags are based on their gear. For beasts, use the tag guidelines for monsters.
6. Instinct
What do they naturally do that causes trouble for the PC(s) they follow? For example:
- To take things too far
- To question leadership and authority
- To cling tightly to tradition
- To act impulsively
- To give in to temptation
- To not take things seriously
- To freeze up in the face of danger
7. Moves
Optional. Write up to 3 GM moves, reflecting abilities not covered by a tag, how they use a specific tag, and/or common behaviors (good or bad).
8. Cost
Choose one or make something up. When their cost is paid, they hold +1 Loyalty (max 3).
- Coin, payment, treasure
- Renown, public recognition
- Affection, respect (from you)
- Knowledge (about what?)
- Wrongs righted, good deeds done
- Amusement, entertainment
- Progress (towards a particular goal)
9. Equipment
Decide what gear the follower is carrying, or ask the player to Outfit them as if they were a PC.
Followers in play
Followers are NPCs. They'll usually follow orders or look to their PC for direction. You might ask questions about how they'd likely act. But you portray them, not the player.
Followers trigger player moves only if a PC directs them to do so (via Order Followers). If they act on their own, you say what happens.
When a follower gets scared, tell the player. They can spend 1 Loyalty to have them overcome their fear and do as they're told. Otherwise, consider: would the follower do this willingly if they weren't scared?
- If they would: The PC is having them Defy Danger (the danger being that they freeze, panic, or screw up)
- If they would not: The follower needs to be Persuaded or otherwise convinced.
Followers might also resist orders if… they're angry, miserable, shocked, etc.; the order is unreasonable, foolish, degrading, distasteful; and/or the order goes against their instinct, tags, cost, or other traits.
When a follower resists an order, make that clear to the player. They can spend the follower's Loyalty, Persuade them, let it go, etc.
Play up a follower's instinct, tags, and traits as sources of trouble. The player can spend Loyalty to keep them in line, or Persuade them, or deal with the consequences.
When a PC has a follower do something off-screen, resolve it with a single move at most (Defy Danger if it's not otherwise clear). Have the player roll when they'd learn the outcome, or when it becomes important for you the GM to know how things went.
When a follower Defends and gets a 7+, the follower holds Readiness but the player decides when/how to spend it. Consider: would the follower actually do that, though? If not, the player must spend 1 Loyalty, too.
At 0 HP, a follower is out of action and their fate is in your hands. For lethal damage, pick 1: they're dead, immediately; they trigger Death's Door (the player rolls); they're dying, and will die or roll for Death's Door if no one saves them.
Group followers
Multiple individuals who share stats (tags, HP, armor, damage, instinct, moves, and cost) and who often act as one. E.g., the Marshal's crew.
They hold a common pool of Loyalty, which can be spent to affect the whole group or specific members. The group's cost usually must be paid to the group as a whole.
Each member of the group has their own HP; they take damage and regain HP individually.
If a PC Orders Followers to have a group act as one, the player rolls for the move once (modified by the group's shared tags/moves). When a group follower…
- Clashes or Lets Fly (or Aids a PC who's doing so), the attack can hurt multiple foes. Roll the move once, but roll damage separately against each foe.
- Clashes or Lets Fly at a single foe (or Aids a PC in doing so), roll the move once (likely with advantage) and roll one attacker's damage, +1 per each additional attacker.
- Defends, then the group holds a common pool of Readiness, to spend on behalf of the group as a whole or an individual member, whichever makes sense.
- Recovers, then each member who regains HP must consume 1 use of supplies.
- Seeks Insight, then the PC can ask 3 or 1 questions total (not per member).
- Struggles as One along with one or more PCs, roll once for the group. On a 6-, decide which member(s) to put in a spot. On a 10+, ask the player who steps up to save a PC.
- suffers any sort of cost or consequence, you decide which member(s) of the group are affected, and how.
When an individual member of a group first stands out, flesh them out with a name, a memorable trait, maybe an extra tag. A PC can direct them to act on their own, like a normal follower (with the group's tags, plus their own unique tags or moves, if any).
Abstracting group exchanges
Optional rule for fights between larger groups. Each group deals damage and has HP/armor as per a single individual member. Larger groups deal +1 damage and have +1 armor for each multiple they outnumber their foe by (e.g. 3:1 gets +2 damage and armor). Damage represents casualties; if a group loses half its HP, then half of its members are out of the action. At 0 HP, it's routed, massacred, or otherwise defeated.