This contest was super fun, I loved reading everyone’s entries. It @MagicandStitch and I went through and hand-picked our favorites and compared who we picked. We then discussed who we thought we liked the most from there. It came down to Primal Warp and Seeker, but we both agreed on Primal Warp! So it does me great honor to announce the winner, @tjerrian has outdone themselves into making a great description that can invoke great imagery and social experiences. So the pot will be going to @tjerrian, congratulations!
Contest entries
@Beastlandz:
I enjoyed all of our contests and appreciate every one of the entries. Below each entry, I will describe what I liked about it.
@Magicandstitch:
Overall Comments from Magic & Stitchcraft: “I’m so pleased with all the entries I read. Everyone really did such a good job showing us their creativity, and while we narrowed it down to a single winner, everyone should take pride in what they’ve created.
Once a [monster-name] chooses a territory, those lands slowly twist. Water burns, air feels heavy or even solid in places, flame nourishes plant life, and the earth itself is permeable in places. With enough time, these changes may even be permanent. In the presence of a [monster-name], all elemental damage causes its opposite element instead.
taichara (@tjerrian)
@Beastlandz:
The winner of the contest! I love the name of the ability and the way the creature starts to bend the world around them. After seeing some of these abilities I decided I will probably make some of them based on the creatures CR.
@MagicandStitch:
On “Primal Warp”: “This one is just fascinating. I love how not only it would create an interesting battle mechanic, but also the potential for fascinating story progression and role-play moments.”
[monster-name]s are known to travel in groups, luring their victims in with their adorable appearance (and a bit of brain-washing). They particularly like luring people into their mother’s lair, who will typically kill their victims to feast on with its younglings. Good-aligned creatures who do manage to resist their charms and injure one are often wracked with guilt and suffer psychic damage.
@TrollInitiative
I really like this entry as well, could make for some fun experiences. Figuring out how to make the “Mother” will be the hard part since a lot of the stats are predefined before they gain descriptions. But descriptions like these made me rethink how I want to add abilities from these descriptions. A little bit of rework and ill be adding this to the generator.
A Spiny Forest Soarer is an aggressive woodland predator. The size of a wolf, a soarer is lynx-like in appearance but has bat wings instead of forelegs. Incredibly agile, & armed w/ rows of sharp teeth & razor-sharp claws, soarers hunt in small packs & often swoop down on prey from the treetops. They have a terrifying cry that can shake the courage of the boldest warrior, & seldom retreat from a fight. W/in their thick fur, are barbed quills that they fling at enemies. A beast best avoided.
@atanak74
I do like this description, but it was a bit too specific, and my monsters are generated with parts, which might not line up with the parts they have described, but I might be able to make some of the parts variables. So it could make it into the generator in some form.
A Grim-Slither is an amalgam of deadly vermin, w/ a viper’s form, scales, fangs & venom, & a scorpion’s stinger at tail’s end. Like a slug, it’s covered in toxic mucus & breathing pores along its body. The pores emit noxious fumes that cause vomiting, paralysis, & sometimes death. The sallow Grim-Slither is subterranean, grows to 10’ long & is quite fast. Attracted to rotting flesh, it scavenges as well as hunts. Moving thru vegetation, it leaves a slimy trail of wilted plants. It is truly vile!
@atanak74
Again it is a bit too descriptive, but it does invoke some cool ideas and maybe ways of making it work. Definitely, something I will have to think about.
The [monster-name] is a creature of intense and overwhelming strength. Its strikes have the power to shake the very ground its target stands upon. Upon a successful melee attack, the target and all creatures within 10ft must make a DC 13 strength saving throw, remaining standing on a successful save, and falling prone on a failed save.
@spatz221
A pretty cool idea should introduce very brutish creatures. It is worded a bit weird, but the idea is there and I like it.
Sentinels – [Monster name] furnishes his lair with soul imbued objects and can activate them as a legendary lair action. The furnished objects serve [Monster name] until they are destroyed or their soul is extracted. The objects are imbued with [Monster name]’s victim’s soul’s and possess the resistance, and hit points of the object imbued but the alignment and personality of former being. Once activated the sentinels attack beings hostile to [Monster name]. (Slam+4, 1d4 charisma damage)
@tordsy
I could maybe see this reworked into legendary abilities once I get to those, but as a generic description with a small ability. I could probably use it later when I start making lair abilities, I will have to reword some of it as well. But great addition! It definitely invokes fear and neat mechanics.
Idoloize-[Monster name] Imbues its victim’s souls in small handmade idols that take on a miniature grotesque representation of the creature imbued. [Monster name] Can have a number of idols equal to its charisma score. These idols serve [Monster name] and are usually stored in the [Monster name]’s lair. These idols possess the personality and memories of the beings they once were and can speak in languages they knew before being Idolized but their alignment switches to the alignment of [M.Name]
@tordsy
I could see this as an ability, it could be super fun with it capturing other victims before encountering the players, the victims all spring to life afterward… Round 2?
Fear and doubt are for lesser creatures; [monster-name] is forged of sterner stuff and will not be swayed by trifling concerns or wayward fickleness … unless it furthers their chosen path in some way. They gain advantage on all checks for fear or mind- or emotion-altering effects — but have disadvantage on the same if failing can be argued to serve their greater goal.
taichara (@tjerrian)
I actually really liked this one, it did a great job on using something subtle for the ability and focused more on the description, it was actually another one that I was eyeballing. It would be funny to see monsters failing on purpose!
[monster-name] tracks down elusive or interesting prey to add to its living collection of amusements. These single-minded horrors are nearly impossible to shake off once they set their eyes any of your desirable traits. Although typically solitary, they have been known to go to extreme lengths to capture any specimen they find particularly appealing, tracking their quarry for weeks or even months before their unholy tenacity eventually pays off and they claim their prize.
@SoftDutch
An awesome entry that did stand out. It is a bit specific, but not too specific, definitely can make it work for specific monster types, Awesome work!
[monster name] is a tremendous creature with great strength and brings fear everywhere it appears. They aren’t evil, unfortunately everybody is frightened when they can see [monster name] until they make an intelligence saving throw.
@TimJackMaster
I do like this ability, might have to reword things and add the DC into the mix, but I could definitely see it making into the generator in some form. It will make great use of the description generator to target non-evil monsters.
[monster-name] is a result of chrono-experimentation. It has a 30 ft radius aura which equalizes the age of all life around it. Creatures in this aura will lose or gain a year of life at a time until the age of all creatures has the same age. This transfer of life is incredibly painful. A creature must make a [save] when it first enters this aura and when it ends a turn in this aura. Creatures losing their youth take necrotic damage whiled creatures given this stolen youth take radiant damage.
@THE_OP_DND
This one is more of an ability than a description, but I think it is a really cool concept! I could really see reworking and rewording some of it to make a really awesome ability. Might have to make it appear on high CR creatures. Also, I would have to make a whole new variable that explains how old creatures can get. Can you imagine a creature that lives as long as an elf with this…
The Imbali Ebulalayo- a deadly plant that resembles common edible berries found in cooler climates. Eating one causes violent vomiting in a rainbow of colors. Two or more berries consumed can cause death depending on consumers constitution. The skin of a corpse of the consumer becomes striped with rainbow colors. When the mature berries are dried and distilled with mead, it becomes a strong antitoxin for [monster-name] bites.
@BelleMuerte66
Besides needing to change the wording around a bit and using my variables, I actually really like this ability, it is a great use of interacting with the other generated monsters in the book.
A monster made of caffeine crystals which it can use to hasten it’s own actions or cause a caffeine crash in it’s enemies, causing them to slow down their actions and movements. Caffeinator is made of crystals and weak to sonic vibrations. With slow movement, it relies on its stealth abilities to avoid combat where possible.
@IScreamDice
I do like this one, but it is a bit silly for the generator. I could definitely see whipping up a bunch of silly fun abilities and making this an option down the road though. So I do like that it got me thinking about what I could do with it.
Insatiable hunger, undying vengeance, or plain stubbornness causes [monster name] to constantly seek out victims, not stopping for rest, food, or injury. If no enemy is within line-of-sight, the [monster name] will move up to its full speed in random directions until prey is found once more.
@DasBootsOfHaste
@Beastlandz:
The 2nd place contender, it makes me laugh to think about this creature will stop at nothing to get their prey, and it does not stop there. I could see them leave a path of half-eaten creatures because they noticed new prey each time. Now imagine a pack of creatures that act like this and “Try” not to become each other’s prey.
@MagicandStitch:
On “Seeker”: My runner-up, and thus honourable mention. The sense of urgency that this could create is delightful, speaking as a Dungeon Master. Well done!”
[monster name] has an unassuming quality that makes it seem non-threatening at first glance. That quality leads many adventurers to underestimate the threat it offers. To determine the true nature of the threat, a creature can make a Wisdom (Insight) or Wisdom (Survival) check contested against the [monster name]’s Charisma (Deception). On a failure, the creature believes the [monster name] to be non-threatening, allowing the creature a surprise round at the DM’s discretion.
@d8nightpodcast
This was 3rd place for myself, I did really enjoy the imagery is used. It did feel like it was leaking into being more of an ability though.
That is a wrap!
If you liked these pieces or this contest, please leave me feedback using my contact form or emailing me at [email protected]. I plan on making a separate page that will allow people to submit practice pieces to be used in my generator.
Thanks for everyone that tuned in and/or participated, it was a great 3 weeks!.