Does It Murder?
For our inaugural round-up episode, Dylan had the idea to go through each monster from Season 1 and debate if they would Do A Murder.
Season 1 Mailbag
Dylan and Aram answer questions from our listeners about Season 1 of Kill Every Monster
Vampire
The Monster Manual describes Vampires as creatures “awakened to an endless night, vampires hunger for the life they have lost and sate that hunger by drinking the blood of the living. Vampires abhor sunlight, for its touch burns them. They never cast shadows or reflections, and any vampire wishing to move unnoticed among the living keeps to the darkness and far from reflective surfaces.”
Undead Horde
Skeletons and Zombies are described in the Monster Manual as “the foot soldiers of an undead army. While skeletons are capable of following simple and direct orders, making them capable of tasks such as loading catapults or forming a shield wall, zombies are mindless soldiers, taking the most direct route to enemies, unable to comprehend obstacles or dangerous terrain.”
Oozes
The Monster Manual states that “Oozes thrive in the dark, shunning areas of bright light and extreme temperatures. They flow through the damp underground, feeding on any creature or object that can be dissolved, slinking along the ground, dripping from walls and ceilings, spreading across the edges of underground pools, and squeezing through cracks.”
Mimic
Mimics are described in the Monster Manual as “shapeshifting predators able to take on the form of inanimate objects to lure creatures to their doom. In dungeons, these cunning creatures most often take the form of doors and chests, having learned that such forms attract a steady stream of prey.”
Flumphs and the Future
Dylan doesn’t have any notes for the Flumph encounter (for reasons that will become clear in this bonus episode), so we put together some audio DM’s notes…then go completely off-topic.
Flumph
Flumphs are described in the Monster Manual as creatures who “mysteriously drift through the Underdark, propelled through the air by the jets whose sound gives them their name. A flumph glows faintly, reflecting its moods in its color. Soft pink means it is amused, deep blue is sadness, green expresses curiosity, and crimson is anger.”
Doppelganger
Doppelgangers are described in the Monster Manual as “devious shapeshifters that take on the appearance of other humanoids, throwing off pursuit or luring victims to their doom with misdirection and disguise. Few creatures spread fear, suspicion, and deceit better than doppelgangers. Found in every land and culture, they can take on the guise of any individual of any race.”
DM Notes: Incubus
Before we set out to record the Incubus episode, we got together with Mike to make sure we could figure out a way to handle the problematic aspects of the creature. We wanted to retain the danger of an Incubus’ charm without it being harmful to the players at the table and the audience listening.
Incubus
Succubi and Incubi are described in the Monster Manual as “inhabiting all of the Lower Planes, the lascivious dark-winged fiends can be found in service to devils, demons, night hags, rakshasas, and yugoloths. Asmodeus, ruler of the Nine Hells, uses these fiends to tempt mortals to perform evil acts. The demon lord Graz’zt keeps succubi and incubi as advisers and consorts.”
Hag
Green Hags are described in the Monster Manual as “wretched and hateful creatures that dwell in dying forests, lonely swamps, and misty moors, making their homes in caves. Green hags love to manipulate other creatures into doing their bidding, masking their intentions behind layers of deception. They lure victims to them by mimicking voices calling out for help, or drive unwanted visitors away by imitating the cries of fierce beasts.”
The Mardagayl
Our good friend Diana returns to Kill Every Monster with her tale of an Armenian werewolf, the Mardagayl.
Werewolf
Werewolves are described in the Monster Manual as “savage predators. In its humanoid form, a werewolf has heightened senses, a fiery temper, and a tendency to eat rare meat. Its wolf form is a fearsome predator, but its hybrid form is more terrifying by far — a furred and well-muscled humanoid body topped by a ravening wolf’s head. A werewolf can wield weapons in hybrid form, though it prefers to tear foes apart with its powerful claws and bite.”
Goblin
Goblins are described in the Monster Manual as “small, black-hearted, selfish humanoids that lair in caves, abandoned mines, despoiled dungeons, and other dismal settings. Individually weak, goblins gather in large—sometimes overwhelming—numbers. They crave power and regularly abuse whatever authority they obtain.”
Banshee
Banshees are described in the Monster Manual as “the undead remnants of elves who, blessed with great beauty, failed to use their gift to bring joy to the world. Instead, they used their beauty to corrupt and control others. Elves afflicted by the banshee’s curse experience know no gladness, feeling only distress in the presence of the living. As the curse takes its toll, their minds and bodies decay until death completes their transformation into undead monsters.”
Welcome to Kill Every Monster
Kill Every Monster is a 5th Edition Dungeons and Dragons podcast. We are joined by a guest each episode to discuss the lore, mechanics, and story potential of classic D&D creatures while asking a central question: are they truly a monster?