Monsters and Organization

As has been stressed herein, you will find that it is necessary to assume the various roles and personae of all creatures not represented by players. This can be particularly difficult in combat situations. You must be able to quickly determine what the monsters involved will do in any given situation, and this can be particularly difficult in combat situations.

It is necessary that you make a rule to decide what course of action the monsters will follow BEFORE the party states what they are going to do. This can be noted on the area key or jotted down on paper. Having such notes will save you from later arguments, as it is a simple matter to show disgruntled players these ”orders” when they express dissatisfaction with the results of such an encounter. The intelligence and wisdom of concerned monsters are principal determinants of their actions and/or reactions. Consider also cunning and instinct. It is also important to remember that lawful indicates an organized and ordered approach, while chaotic means a tendency towards random, individual action and disorganization; but these modifiers must also be judged in light of the monsters concerned, of course.

Examples of the responses of six different types of monsters follow. The situation will be the same in each example: The ’party” (whose composition and levels are unimportant for the example and would obviously vary in each situation anyway) will be attacking the monsters in the examples in two situations.

SITUATION 1 (S-1) is where encounter occurs for the first time, and while the party inflicts casualties upon the monsters, victory is denied; the party then leaves with its wounded, regroups, and returns one full week later to finish the job.

SITUATION 2 (S-2) is where the party, rested, healed, and ready for action, has now re-encountered the monsters in question. In both situations the response of the monsters concerned will be detailed so you can use the examples in handling actual play.

EXAMPLE I: The party has entered a crypt under an old temple and attacked skeletons and zombies encountered there.

S-1. The monsters will respond only as the crypts are entered in turn. Being effectively mindless, they have no co-ordination in their attacks, and no pursuit will occur when the party breaks off.
S-2. There will be no change in response on the part of the skeletons and zombies. Those destroyed will not have been replaced (assuming, course, that some evil cleric is not nearby) by reinforcements. Doors and furniture previously damaged or destroyed will not have been repaired.

EXAMPLE II: The party has located and attacked a colony of giant ants.

S-1. Although giant ants have only “animal intelligence”, the colony is an organized society wherein individuals are part of a greater whole; thus, response will be ordered. Warrior ants will meet the attackers, and workers will remove bodies, items dropped, and any rubble caused by the combat. If the queen is threatened, the workers will attack also. When the party breaks off the action, there is but slight chance of pursuit.
S-2. In the interim, pupae reaching maturity (perhaps 1-6 warriors and 3-12 workers) will have replaced casualties incurred during the first encounter. Destroyed tunnels will have been repaired, new tunnels possibly dug, and general activity of the colony carried on normally. Warriors will again meet the party (although they might be reduced in number). When the queen is killed, all organized activity will cease.

EXAMPLE III: The party has found a cave complex which is the lair of an orc band.

S-1. The orcs might have a warning device (a drum, horn, gong, bell, etc.) available for use by the guards posted at the entrance to their lair. The larger the number of orcs, the greater the chance that such a device will be on hand. As soon as the attack occurs, one or two orcs will rush to inform the group that they are under attack, assuming that opportunity allows. Response to the attack will be disorganized, wave attacks being likely, with the nearest orcs coming first, and the leaders (most likely to be at the rear of the complex) coming up near the last. Some traps might be set along the complex entry. Resistance will stiffen as the leaders (and ogres, if any) come up. When the party retires, there is a fair chance for pursuit - a general harassment by the boldest fighters amongst the orcs.
S-2. There is not much chance that the chaotic orcs will have sent for reinforcements, although some few losses might have been replaced by returning group members. Any damage or destruction in the cave complex will have been repaired. There is a great likelihood that more guards will be on duty and some warning device ready to alert the group, as discipline will be attempted because of the attack. Response to the attack will be more immediate, and leaders and spell casters will be ready to fight. (If the party camped too near the orcs during the intervening week, there is a chance that the orcs might have located and raided the place!)

EXAMPLE IV: The party comes upon a small town and openly assaults the place.

S-1. Town guards will give warning immediately, and while there will not be an alarm device at each post, there will be a central bell, gong, or whatever to alert the entire citizenry of attack. When this sounds, trained militia bands will arm, muster, and move to designated locations to repel the attack. The citizens, regardless of alignment (and this includes characters with adventurer classes), will be likely to join to fight attackers, for the general welfare of the community will come first. When the party breaks off their attack, pursuit is highly possible if the town has sufficient forces available to do so on the spot.
S-2. The town will have sought whatever reinforcements they could by means of employment of mercenaries, requests to nearby fortresses and towns for men-at-arms, and all able-bodied persons will be formed into militia bodies. Any destruction wrought by the initial assault will have been repaired as time and ability allowed. Guards will be doubled or trebled, and local spell casters will have their most effective and powerful offensive and defensive magicks ready. Scouting parties will have been sent out and the approach of the attacking party will be likely to be known. Pursuit will be very likely if the second attack fails so as to allow it.

EXAMPLE V: The party encounters a bandit camp and engages in combat.

S-1. The entire camp will be organized and ready for action on the spur of the moment. As soon as the guard pickets sound the alarm, reaction will be swift. Defensive traps, snares, and pits will make up a part of the defensive ring of the camp. Bandits will move to take up assigned posts. Counterattacks will be thrown against the party at appropriate times. When the action is broken off, thieves, assassins, or even monks who might be members of the bandit group will move to track and follow the party to discover what its subsequent actions are and if another attack will ensue.
S-2. There is a great likelihood that the entire encampment will be GONE (without a trace of where it went) if the attacking party was obviously of sufficient power to cause serious trouble if it attacked again. If still there, the traps, pits, and snares will have been more carefully hidden and will be more numerous also. Ambushes might be set along the most probable route of approach to the camp for the party’s second attack. A few more bandits might have been enlisted or called in from groups out raiding. All guards will have been doubled or trebled, all men more alert than ever, and all possible preparations made. During the interim an assassination attempt upon one or more of the members of the party might have been made (assuming that the bandits have an assassin character amongst their number), an attempt to insinuate a spy into the party might have been made, and/or a raid upon the party’s camp may have been carried out by the bandits. If the party retires, pursuit will certainly take place if bandit strength still allows.

EXAMPLE VI: The party discovers a fortress and attacks.

S-1. Guards will instantly sound a warning to alert the place. Alarms will be sounded from several places within the fortress. Leaders will move to hold the place, or expel invaders, with great vigor. Spell casters will be likely to have specific stations and assigned duties - such as casting fireballs, lighting bolts, flame strikes, cloudkills, dispel magics, and like spells. Defenders are out to KILL, not deal stupidly or gently with, attackers, and they will typically ask no quarter, nor give any. In like fashion, traps within the fortress will be lethal as action continues, commanders will assess the party’s strengths, weaknesses, defense, and attack modes and counter appropriately. If the party is within the fortress, possible entry points and escape routes will be sealed off. When the attackers pull back, it is very likely that they will be counterattacked, or at least harassed. Additionally, members of the force of the stronghold will track the party continually as long as they are within striking distance of the fortress.
S-2. The fortress will most likely have replaced all losses and have reinforcements in addition. An ambush might be laid for the attackers when they approach. A sally force will be ready to fall upon the attackers (preferably when engaged in front so as to strike the flank or rear). Siege machinery, oil, missiles, etc. will be ready and in good supply. Repairs to defenses will be made as thoroughly as time and materials permitted. Weak areas will have been blocked off, isolated, and trapped as well as possible under the circumstances. Leaders will be nearby to take immediate charge. Spell casters might be disguised as guards, or hidden near guard posts, in order to surprise attackers. Any retreat by the attackers will be followed up by a hot pursuit.

As DM you must base actions and responses upon what the logical activities possible to the monsters encountered would be when attacked first and then later. You assume the part of the creatures involved and act accordingly. If the attacking party does not have the savoir-faire to assess and properly handle the encounter - and this could well mean leaving as quickly as possible and not returning to get a second bloody nose - then they deserve whatever befalls them.

It is absolutely necessary that the Dungeon Master remember that a seriously threatened person will reply with the strongest possible attack/defense measure in order to assure his or her well-being. (This could, of course, indicate a feigned surrender, pretended friendliness, fighting to the death or dozens of other reactions according to the circumstances and Intelligence/Wisdom of the individual involved.) The best course might actually be running away - something which intelligent creatures and many not-so-intelligent animals will be prone to do when there is no other choice save useless death.

So, then, does a threatened cleric cast a know alignment spell upon an aggressor? Or a hold person? Obviously, the latter choice is far more logical in 99% of the cases, and so you should have monsters behave.

Skeletons and zombies will mindlessly be slaughtered. Giant ants will march to destruction in behalf of their colony, but more intelligent creatures will react with a greater variety of defenses, counterattacks, and so on in order to assure their safety.

Use of Non-human Troops

Demi-human troops are unlikely to serve a human master who is not otherwise supporting a cause of the particular race. Some small number might serve with a henchman of their own race, but not large bodies except for short periods of time, most probably when danger threatens their area.

You might allow exceptions to this as they become compatible with your campaign. Similarly, half-elves might enlist bodies of elves, halflings might enlist dwarves or elves, etc.

Lizard men will serve a human master only because of fear or religious awe. Either case requires continual maintenance in order to keep the lizard men serving. Communications will probably be a problem. Lizard men troops will also tend to fall upon dead and wounded of either side and devour them if not strictly officered at all times.

Non-human troops, bugbears and humanoids, will be very difficult to handle. They will tend to fight amongst each other (cf. Compatibility Of Non-Human Troops below), fight with humans nearby - whether friendly or not (25% chance if friendly), run from battle if they see troops on their own side retiring or retreating, and fall to looting at the first opportunity.

Communications are also a great problem. If the master is strong and powerful and gives them cause to fear disobedience, it will be of some help in disciplining such troops. Likewise, if there are strong leaders within each body of such troops, threatening and driving them on, they will be more likely to obey. Weakness in leadership, or lack of officering, will certainly cause these troops to become unruly and impossible to control.

Probability of control for each type of troops is shown below:

Whenever orders are given or combat takes place, find the appropriate column and roll thereon. If the dice score exceeds the percentage shown, the troops disobey in some manner - refuse to move, attack any disliked creatures nearby, loot, run away, etc. Note that it is not possible to have a weak leader and effective officers. Strong leaders will be tested often. Granting the troops a high rate of pay is generally viewed as weakness in a leader.

Compatibility Of Non-Human Troops

The general compatibility of demi-human troop types can be determined by consulting the Racial Preferences Table (3.8). Lizard men are hated by all demi-humans and humanoids save kobolds, and even the latter are suspicious of them (just as human troops are). Of the various races of humanoids, many will bully or attack one another as indicated on the table provided.

Notes Regarding Humanoid Racial Preferences Table

P: indicates some preference and compatibility or even possible friendliness between them with appropriate co-operation.
G: indicates that some goodwill exists, and so no hostility and some co-operation is possible.
T: indicated the races can tolerate each other, and open hostilities are not likely to be evident.
N: indicates neutral negative feelings on the part of these races, and that there will be no move to aid them if anything ill befalls.
A: indicates antipathy and an active dislike which will break into open hostility if the opportunity presents itself. If leaders or overseers are weak, these creatures will desert.
H: indicates hatred, possibly kept in check by fear, which will certainly break into open hostilities at the first opportunity, or else the hating humanoids will desert at the first chance if near a strong body of such hated creatures.

Use the table whenever humanoid troops are fighting or even serving side by side (within 12” of each other without any intervening troops or screen so that the other humanoids are visible). Have the troops behave according to the letter key.